Tips for good headline writing / 16 октября 2007 г.
- POINT UP THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE STORY. That doesn’t mean stealing the reporter’s lead. You can use material from the lead, but change the words.
- BE ACCURATE — in fact, tone, scope and focus. There is no place for headlines that aren’t absolutely accurate. Near is not good enough.
- REFLECT BALANCE AND GOOD TASTE. This is as important in a headline as in a story. Don’t write a cute head on a serious story.
- BE CLEAR, SUCCINCT AND GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT. Be sure the headline is easy to read and understand. Use everyday language where possible.
- CATCH THE READERS’ ATTENTION and entice them into the story. Have fun, where appropriate. Reading is work. You can make it enjoyable.
- AVOID CLICHES. “Security tight,” “won’t rule out” and “mixed reactions” are just a few examples.
- ATTRIBUTE ALL HEADS THAT NEED ATTRIBUTION. Make sure the newsmaker — and not the newspaper — is making claims.
- MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT. Avoid headlines that waste words. “Jailed” is more direct than “sent to jail.”
- AVOID TRIVIAL DETAILS that cause distortion by emphasis. Don’t write the headline based on the last half of the story. And if you’re writing a headline on a feature that has a zinger in the last paragraph, don’t even think about stealing it for the headline.
- FIND WAYS TO AVOID “MAY” HEADS. They’re vague and heads ought
to be precise. Be specific; avoid generalizations.
- LOCATE STORIES. Use city or country names when they’re needed.
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