{"id":47,"date":"2022-08-07T20:37:41","date_gmt":"2022-08-07T20:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=47"},"modified":"2022-08-21T18:28:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-21T18:28:07","slug":"writing-headlines","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/chapter\/writing-headlines\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 14: Writing Headlines","rendered":"Chapter 14: Writing Headlines"},"content":{"raw":"<h1>Making Headlines<\/h1>\r\n<div id=\"storymeta\">\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.schooljournalism.org\/staff_name\/schooljournalism-staff\/\">SchoolJournalism Staff<\/a>|September 21, 2021\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<img src=\"https:\/\/www.schooljournalism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/HEADLINES.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"423\" height=\"238\" \/>\r\n\r\nFrom yearbooks to newspapers, websites to infographics, and everything in between, headlines are critical to draw in readers. Yet, headlines are often taken for granted and not talked about nearly enough in the Journalism classroom. A great place to start is reading this article and sharing it with your students.\r\n\r\n<strong>Headlines do hold historic importance that resonates today.\u00a0<\/strong>Headlines date back to when increased competition between newspapers led to the use of bolder and stronger headlines. The name of the game was grabbing someone\u2019s attention so they would purchase YOUR newspaper and not the competition\u2019s!\r\n\r\nJump forward to the day of online news outlets. Headlines are just as important as in the past. When news outlets share articles on social media, it is the headline that catches the reader\u2019s eye. It is the deciding factor when it comes to whether a reader is going to click the link and read the article.\r\n\r\n<strong>Let\u2019s start with the basics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>A headline is simply a bold or larger line of text at the top of a story to draw the reader in by summarizing or introducing the story below. A headline\u2019s job calls attention to the story.\r\n\r\n<strong>Headlines tips at a glance:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Keep it short and to the point<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use a subject and verb \u2013 if not in the headline, use them in the subhead<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If you are concerned about SEO (search engine optimization), incorporate a highly-searched keyword<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Be accurate and specific<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Be clear so readers know what to expect in the article<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use present tense and active verbs<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Avoid vague pronouns such as\u00a0<em>they<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Avoid clich\u00e9s<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Know your target audience to better appeal to their interests<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Let\u2019s dig a little deeper.\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Headlines focus on the main point.\u00a0<\/strong>When writing a headline, ask yourself this question:\u00a0<em>If I could tell the reader only one thing about this article in one sentence, what would it be?<\/em>\u00a0This is one of the best ways to find the right words for a headline.\r\n\r\n<strong>Action verbs help!\u00a0<\/strong>Draw readers into the story with headlines sporting an action verb or two. Those verbs give headlines energy!\r\n\r\nRemember to be accurate with the verbs you choose. Use specific verbs to describe a single action instead of ambiguous ones that hold a variety of meanings.\r\n\r\nFor example: East Central College Gets $1,000\r\n\r\nThe verb\u00a0<em>gets<\/em>\u00a0is weak and lacks specific details. The reader is left with too many questions. Did East Central College win, steal, or borrow $1,000? Did that $1,000 magically fall from the sky? Was it donated? Oh, and where is that $1,000 going?\r\n\r\nA stronger and more specific verb would have made a huge clarifying difference.\r\n\r\nFor example: Anonymous $1,000 Donation Boosts East Central College\u2019s Culinary Arts Program\r\n\r\n<strong>People are emotional by nature.\u00a0<\/strong>Appealing to emotion is another way to capture a reader\u2019s attention. Just make sure the emotional appeal is a fitting extension of the story. And, as tempting as it may be to say the murder of a child is a \u201cMother\u2019s Worst Nightmare,\u201d it is important to steer clear of clich\u00e9s and over-used phrases.\r\n\r\n\u201cMedium\u201d has several tips for creating emotional headlines.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-brave-writer\/how-to-create-emotional-headlines-for-your-next-posts-82666a120bf7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Create Emotional Headlines for your Next Posts<\/a>\r\n\r\n<strong>There\u2019s always more to learn about headlines.\u00a0<\/strong>With that said, here are a four more helpful links for your consideration:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.copypress.com\/blog\/40-headlines-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40 Headlines: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/the-secret-to-writing-great-headlines-2073697\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Secret to Writing Great Headlines for Your News Stories<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/news.jrn.msu.edu\/student-journalist-resources\/writing-a-headline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Great Headlines \u2013 Michigan State University School of Journalism<\/a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.poynter.org\/educators-students\/2017\/9-tips-for-writing-stronger-headlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Poynter\u2019s 9 Tips for Writing Stronger Headlines<\/a>","rendered":"<h1>Making Headlines<\/h1>\n<div id=\"storymeta\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.schooljournalism.org\/staff_name\/schooljournalism-staff\/\">SchoolJournalism Staff<\/a>|September 21, 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.schooljournalism.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/HEADLINES.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"423\" height=\"238\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From yearbooks to newspapers, websites to infographics, and everything in between, headlines are critical to draw in readers. Yet, headlines are often taken for granted and not talked about nearly enough in the Journalism classroom. A great place to start is reading this article and sharing it with your students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Headlines do hold historic importance that resonates today.\u00a0<\/strong>Headlines date back to when increased competition between newspapers led to the use of bolder and stronger headlines. The name of the game was grabbing someone\u2019s attention so they would purchase YOUR newspaper and not the competition\u2019s!<\/p>\n<p>Jump forward to the day of online news outlets. Headlines are just as important as in the past. When news outlets share articles on social media, it is the headline that catches the reader\u2019s eye. It is the deciding factor when it comes to whether a reader is going to click the link and read the article.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s start with the basics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>A headline is simply a bold or larger line of text at the top of a story to draw the reader in by summarizing or introducing the story below. A headline\u2019s job calls attention to the story.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Headlines tips at a glance:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep it short and to the point<\/li>\n<li>Use a subject and verb \u2013 if not in the headline, use them in the subhead<\/li>\n<li>If you are concerned about SEO (search engine optimization), incorporate a highly-searched keyword<\/li>\n<li>Be accurate and specific<\/li>\n<li>Be clear so readers know what to expect in the article<\/li>\n<li>Use present tense and active verbs<\/li>\n<li>Avoid vague pronouns such as\u00a0<em>they<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Avoid clich\u00e9s<\/li>\n<li>Know your target audience to better appeal to their interests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s dig a little deeper.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Headlines focus on the main point.\u00a0<\/strong>When writing a headline, ask yourself this question:\u00a0<em>If I could tell the reader only one thing about this article in one sentence, what would it be?<\/em>\u00a0This is one of the best ways to find the right words for a headline.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Action verbs help!\u00a0<\/strong>Draw readers into the story with headlines sporting an action verb or two. Those verbs give headlines energy!<\/p>\n<p>Remember to be accurate with the verbs you choose. Use specific verbs to describe a single action instead of ambiguous ones that hold a variety of meanings.<\/p>\n<p>For example: East Central College Gets $1,000<\/p>\n<p>The verb\u00a0<em>gets<\/em>\u00a0is weak and lacks specific details. The reader is left with too many questions. Did East Central College win, steal, or borrow $1,000? Did that $1,000 magically fall from the sky? Was it donated? Oh, and where is that $1,000 going?<\/p>\n<p>A stronger and more specific verb would have made a huge clarifying difference.<\/p>\n<p>For example: Anonymous $1,000 Donation Boosts East Central College\u2019s Culinary Arts Program<\/p>\n<p><strong>People are emotional by nature.\u00a0<\/strong>Appealing to emotion is another way to capture a reader\u2019s attention. Just make sure the emotional appeal is a fitting extension of the story. And, as tempting as it may be to say the murder of a child is a \u201cMother\u2019s Worst Nightmare,\u201d it is important to steer clear of clich\u00e9s and over-used phrases.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMedium\u201d has several tips for creating emotional headlines.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-brave-writer\/how-to-create-emotional-headlines-for-your-next-posts-82666a120bf7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Create Emotional Headlines for your Next Posts<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>There\u2019s always more to learn about headlines.\u00a0<\/strong>With that said, here are a four more helpful links for your consideration:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copypress.com\/blog\/40-headlines-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40 Headlines: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/the-secret-to-writing-great-headlines-2073697\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Secret to Writing Great Headlines for Your News Stories<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.jrn.msu.edu\/student-journalist-resources\/writing-a-headline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Great Headlines \u2013 Michigan State University School of Journalism<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poynter.org\/educators-students\/2017\/9-tips-for-writing-stronger-headlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Poynter\u2019s 9 Tips for Writing Stronger Headlines<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"menu_order":14,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-47","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/revisions\/170"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/47\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=47"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/medianewsandreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}