1. Headlines
The billboards of the newspaper

2. Headlines have to get
attention
O Make the reader want to find out more by
reading the article
O Create curiosity
O Promise answers to a questions or
solutions to a problem
O Include a key benefit

4. Rules for headlines
O Use present tense
O Wildcats defeat Tigers
O Use active verbs
O Survey reveals students fed up
O Don’t use “be” verbs

5. More rules
O Leave out articles (a, an, the)
O Student Council plans riot
O Use comma in place of and
O Journalism, English teachers quit
O Keep all parts of a verb on one line
O Winning students
to travel to moon

6. More rules
O Keep adjectives and the nouns they modify
on the same line.
O Students want more say
in cafeteria choices
O Avoid double meanings
O BAD: March planned for next August

7. More rules
O Don’t repeat words
O BAD: Students vote for Student Council
O Use plain, simple words
O BAD: Netters take top trophy
O GOOD! Tennis team wins state
O Avoid names
O Smith asks for recount

8. More rules
O Be active, not passive
O Principal wins bull riding contest
O NOT Bull riding contest won by principal
O Lines should be the same length
O Use downstyle--only capitalize the first
word and proper nouns
O Avoid duh! headlines--don’t state the
obvious

9. Actual headlines
What’s the problem?
O Iraqi head seeks arms
O Police begin campaign to run down
jaywalkers
O Teacher strikes idle kids
O Shot off woman’s leg helps Nicklaus to
66
O Juvenile court to try shooting defendant
O Miners refuse to work after death

10. What’s the problem?
O War dims hope for peace
O Cold wave linked to temperatures
O Diaper market bottoms out
O Sex education delayed; teachers
request training
O Queen Mary having bottom scraped
O Antique stripper to display wares at
store

11. Steps for writing headlines:
O
Step 1 : READ the article; identify
the underlying theme.

12. Step 2
O Express the theme in an active voice using
as few words as possible
O Active verbs lend immediacy to a story
O Active verbs attract readers

13. Step 3
O Keep the headline in present tense

14. Step 4
O Keep it simple.

15. Step 5
O Provide enough information to give the
reader an impression of the entire story

16. Tips & Warnings
O Don’t try to be cute
O Make sure you don’t misrepresent the story
O Make sure the headline can stand on its
own
O Always lead with the latest information

17. More problems…
O Lawyers give poor free legal advice
O Fund set up for beating victim's kin
O If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a
while
O Death causes loneliness, feelings of
isolation
O Police discover crack in Australia
O Stolen painting found by tree

18. And Finally
Man is fatally slain