Headline Writing By Michael Flax

Headlines Tell and Sell a Story A savvy editor once gave a writer this advice: If you have 10 days to create a story, _______________________ _______________________.

Rules for Headlines __________________________ _________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ _________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ _________________________: –(opt) ______________________

Rules for Headlines (cont.) ________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ _________________________ ________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________

Rules for Headlines (cont.) Use single quotation marks within a headline: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ __________________________

Rules of what not to do ________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ __________________________ ________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________

Rules of what not to do (cont.) _________________________ ________________________: –(opt) ______________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Avoid excess abbreviation (________________________ _____________) (_______________________)

Rules of what not to do (cont.) ______ a period at the end of a headline Most important: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

Final Rules The headline should reflect the _____________________ –Use a serious tone for a serious story (opt) ______________________ ___________________________

Final Rules (cont.) For less somber stories, headline writers can enjoy using ____________________ (opt) ______________________ ___________________________

Headline Types Banner –A headline that runs across the entire width of a page

Headline types (cont.) _______________ –________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ____

Headline types (cont.) ____________________ –__________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________

Headline types (cont.) _______________ –__________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Story Headline Story Story Story Story Story Story

Headline types (cont.) ________________ –________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________

Headline types (cont.) _______________ –__________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________

Headline types (cont.) ____________________ –__________________________ __________________________ Headline StoryStory Story StoryStory Story Story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story Story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story story

Headline types (cont.) _______________________ –__________________________ __________________________ Main Headline Headline Sub Headline headline headline

Headline types (cont.) __________________________ ______________________ –___________________________

Headline types (cont.) ____________________ –__________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Main Headline Headline Subhead headline headline

Headline types (cont.) ______________ –__________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Main Headline Headline Subhead headline headline

Headline Sizes Usually, the bigger the story, the bigger the headline Rule of thumb: ____________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ________________________.

Work Cited Schaffer, James; McCutheon, Randall; Stofer, Kathryn T. Journalism Matters. Gathering the News. Lincolnwood, Il Pg