How to Write a Worthy Headline Lecture Notes

1. Determine what type of headline is appropriate for the story you are describing.
1. Straight (news) headline – for stories that convey significant news value or for stories whose serious subject makes word play or puns inappropriate

                                                              i.      Primary headline – write headline from the primary angle found in the lead paragraph (straight news) or the nut   graph (news feature).

                                                            ii.      Secondary headline – write secondary headline by identifying a secondary angle or significant new information elsewhere in the story (you should not repeat words or content from the primary headline).

THE PERFECT EXAMPLES

               Solo primary headlines with no secondary –

                           PLAYOFF DROUGHT

                           ENDS AT 51 YEARS

                           Mariettans hold service

                           for hostage slain in Iraq

               Primary headline with secondary headline –

                           MAYORAL RACE HINGES ON CHARACTER

                           Other issues lost, including schools, aging sewers

                           Resolute administration brings end to SOC retreat

                           Magnet program’s population boom

                           prompts end of two-decade tradition

2. Pun primary/summary

                                                              i.      Primary headline – identify a popularly known phrase from one context that has a less obvious double meaning in the context for the story.  The perfect headline in this style does three things:

1.      The original phrase is well-known and is popular (fresh).

2.      You alter the original phrase slightly so that it is still recognizable but also clearly suggests the second meaning.

3.      The phrase also conveys the angle of the story and the tone or feel of the dominant photo that accompanies the story.

THE PERFECT EXAMPLE –

Primary headline -- Silence of the Rams

Secondary headline –  Falcons rush for 327 yards,

                                    Advance to NFC title game

Dominant photo –

Michael Vick leaping over a prone Rams defender

2. Write the headline so that it fits.
1. The headline fits it ends within two lowercase letters of the right edge of the module.
2. In order to test the length, use a character like ‘a’ or some standard-width character.  Hit the character twice.  If the first or the second keystroke breaks to the next line, then the headline is long enough.
3. If your headline is just barely too long, then you can make the headline fit by force justifying the entire headline.  You should only do this if the headline is less than one character over the length of the headline.
4. Multiple-line headlines need to be written so that each line fits within two characters.
5. The headline should not break words/phrases that should stay on one line.

                                                              i.      Hyphenation of words is not allowed.

                                                            ii.      The following phrases should remain on one line.

1.      adjective-noun (i.e. first round)

2.      adverb-verb (i.e. secretly investigated)

3.      prepositional phrase (i.e. by students/despite high turnout)

4.      infinitive phrase (i.e. to cover Iraqi war)

3. Choose the appropriate font, style and point size for each headline.
1. The point size of each headline conveys the relative importance of the headlines on the page. 
2. The lead story on the page should be 48 point on page 1 and 42 point on all inside pages.
3. The lead headline on page 1 is written in ALL CAPS.  All other headlines are downstyle.
4. The other primary headlines should descend in point size to include the following point sizes: 42, 36, 30 and 24.   No primary headlines should be the same size.
5. Secondary headlines should always be Adobe Garamond and should be 24-point normal on page 1 and 18-point italics on inside pages.

4. Write the headline so that it does not use any word-padding that conveys nothing except that you needed to add characters to your headline.
1. Examples of word padding

                                                              i.       The word ‘and’ (use a comma or semicolon instead)

WRONG: Franklin discusses education and parking plans

WRONG: Franklin discusses education; parking plans

RIGHT: Franklin discusses education, parking plan

WRONG:

Hill and Demena to retire; both to maintain Grady ties

STILL WRONG:

Hill, Demena to retire, both to maintain Grady ties

RIGHT:

Hill, Demena to retire; both to maintain Grady ties

                                                            ii.      The word ‘says’ (use a colon)

WRONG:

Tucker says horrible crisis revealed best and worst of Atlanta

RIGHT:

Tucker: Horrible crisis revealed best, worst of Atlanta

                                                          iii.      State of being verbs (is, are). Just omit them.

WRONG: PTSA says Piedmont deck is not a threat

RIGHT: PTSA: Piedmont deck not a threat

                                                          iv.      Double quotes (use single quotes)

                                                WRONG: “She got cold feet”

                                                                  Found safe, bride admits kidnap hoax

                                                RIGHT:    ‘She got cold feet’

                                                                  Found safe, bride admits kidnap hoax

                                                            v.      Passive voice (use active)

WRONG: Boys basketball team is beaten by lesser foe

RIGHT: Boys basketball team falls to lesser foe

RIGHT: Lesser foe upends favored Grady

                                                          vi.      Articles (a, an, the). Omit them.

WRONG: The new symphony hall is opening in 2008

WRONG: A computer virus requires network re-imaging

RIGHT: New symphony hall to open in 2008

RIGHT: Computer virus requires network re-imaging

                                                        vii.      The word ‘will’ to indicate future tense (use infinitive)

WRONG: New symphony hall will open in 2008

RIGHT: New symphony hall to open in 2008