1. Headline & Caption Writing: When and when not to break the rules!
Elizabeth Pearson, Andrew Scott

2. Types of Headlines

3. Direct Headlines
Pure silk blouses – 30 percent off

4. Indirect Headline
Fresh bait works best

5. News Headline
My exclusive interview with Steve Jobs

6. How to Headline
How to build a house of cards

7. Question Headline
Do you close the bathroom door even when you’re the only one home?

8. Command Headline
Subscribe to the DM today!

9. Reason Why Headline
Two hundred reasons why open source software beats Microsoft

10. Testimonial Headline
‘I read Copyblogger first thing each morning,’ admits Angelina Jolie

11. Rules for Headlines

12. Use the active voice
Effective headlines usually involve logical sentence structure, active voice and strong present-tense, active verbs.

13. A “capital” idea: Moving on
Do not capitalize every word.
Do capitalize the first word after a colon.

14. Number, please
Example: 
3 die in crash

15. To the left, to the left
NO exceptions unless told otherwise!!

16. It’s XXX-rated? Examples: Lincoln, Douglas to debate UNACCEPTABLE
at new KU Dole Centerxxx
Lincoln, Douglas to debate BETTER
at KU’s new Dole Centerxx
Lincoln-Douglas RULE EXCEPTION
debate todayxxx
at Dole Center

17. Punctuation normal — mostly
Examples: 
Single Quotes
Lincoln: ‘The war has begun’
Paraphrase
Lincoln: War inevitable; victory essential
Lincoln says war inevitable; Davis agrees

18. “And” punctuation replacement
Examples: 
(awkward)
Lincoln offers compromise, Davis Declines
(better)
Lincoln offers compromise; Davis declines
(best)
Lincoln offers an ‘out,’ but Davis declines

19. Even more on punctuation
Examples: 
Clinton says there was no affair UNACCEPTABLE
witness should ‘to tell the truth’
Clinton says no affair, that BETTER
witness should ‘tell the truth’
Clinton: No affair; Starr: His probe RULE EXCEPTION
proves it happened more than once

20. Speaking of ambiguity, double entendres
Example: 
Textron Inc. makes offer
to Screw Co. stockholders

21. Who (and what) is whom (or what)?
Examples: 
Jones to fill Who is Jones?
vacancy on
city council
Lincoln-Douglas Good
debate today
on K.C. radio

22. Other Rules Abbreviations Polly want a cracker?
Not acceptable in stories, yet great in headlines KS, MS
Polly want a cracker?
Don’t rip-off the writer’s headline!
More to avoid
editorializing, exaggeration, generalizing or long words
No ‘a’ or ‘and’ or ‘the’?
Avoid unless needed for clarity

23. Don’t be cute, unless called for
Example: 
Skywalkers in Korea
cross Han Solo
    
Kwon Won-tae of South Korea participates in the first World High Wire Championships in Seoul, in which participants cross the Han River on a 1 km (0.62 miles) wire, May 3, The event is part of the annual "Hi Seoul Festival" organised by Seoul City which began April 27 and lasts ten days.

24. Finally, the ‘doo-dah’ rule
Example: 
City’s singers “doo-dah”
in good tune “doo-dah”

25. Practice Time!
Take two stories given and create your own headline!

26. Caption Writing

27. Hot tips for Caption Writing
Check the facts. Be accurate!
Avoid stating the obvious. "Dennis Rodman smiles as he kicks a broadcast photographer in the groin."
Always identify the main people in the photograph.
Don't let cutlines recapitulate information in the head or deck or summary.
Avoid making judgments. "An unhappy citizen watches the protest..." Can you be sure that he is unhappy? Or is he hurting. Or just not photogenic. If you must be judgmental, be sure you seek the truth.

28. Hot tips for Caption Writing
A photograph captures a moment in time. Whenever possible, use present tense. This will creates a sense of immediacy and impact.
Don't try to be humorous when the picture is not.
Descriptions are very helpful for viewer. The person dressed "in black," "holding the water hose," "sulky from chagrin," or "standing to the left of the sofa, center" are helpful identifying factors.
Be willing to allow for longer captions when more information will help the reader/viewer understand the story and situation.
Use commas to set off directions from the captions to the picture. "Kachira Irby, above,..."or "Kennetra Irby, upper left..."

29. Hot tips for Caption Writing
Don't assume. Ask questions in your effort to inform and be specific. Be willing to contact and include the visual reporter.
Avoid using terms like "is shown, is pictured, and looks on."
If the photograph is a historic or file photo, include the date that it was taken. Mayor David Dinkins, 1993.
Conversational language works best. Don't use clichés. Write the caption as if you're telling a family member a story.
Quotes can be an effective device, be willing to use them when they work.

30. References:. Poynter Institute Online. http://www. poynter
References: Poynter Institute Online Copy Blogger Writing Effective Headlines