Lesson

Headlines

Writing headlines can be tricky. You have to deal with limited space, attract the reader, and convey the message of the article in just a few words (sometimes just one!). The headline has to match the tone of the article and should not sensationalize.

This means that the content of the headline should not "trick" the reader into the article by stating something outrageous or something that has little to do with the content of the article itself.

Tabloid newspapers like those you find in the check-out line at grocery stores often use these "screaming" headlines to attract leaders. They are meant to be entertaining. Your local newspaper strives to be informative, so sensationalized headlines are inappropriate there.

For hard news items, headlines are usually no-nonsense, straight-forward announcements of the topic of the article. For features and other soft news items, headlines can be a bit more creative. Writers may use a play on words or other clever wording to get the reader's interest. Just realize that word play in a headline suggests a less serious tone for the article.

Here's a sample hard news headline:

Winter storm in forecast

Here's a sample headline that suggests a "lighter" story:

Chillin' in lower Alabama

Sports writers, however, use wordplay in both hard news and features. For sportswriting, clever wording is acceptable while cute wording may not be.

Here's a sample sports headline that uses a play on an athlete's name:

Starr Lights Up the Diamond Amber Starr pitches no-hitter in opener

Let's take a look at the kinds of headlines found in newspapers.

Kinds of Headlines

Teller Headline

Teller headlines deliver a straightforward "telling" of what the story is about. They are ideal for hard news.

Example:

• State to raise taxes in December

Teaser Headline

The teaser raises curiosity or entertains, "teasing" the reader into reading the article. Teasers should also have a smaller teller headline (called a subhead) that clarifies the story. Most of the time, teasers are appropriate for feature articles or any story that is not hard news.

Example:

• State turns Grinch?
  Local families juggle tax hike with holiday spending

1 Line Headline

One line headline is a headline that takes up one line of space.

Examples:

• Toros state champs!
• Bill ending DROP goes to governor
• Gadhafi rolls back; rebel try organize

2 Line Headline

A two line headline is a headline that takes up two lines of space.

Examples:

• Fundraising dinner
  a family affair
• Couple found dead
  in Rainsville named
• Taylor lived
  spectacle

Deck Headline

This is a headline with a subhead directly below it. The subhead will be in smaller print.

Examples:

• WHO dat?

  Saints snag win

• Key Communications

  Dispatchers do more than handle 911 calls

3 Line Headline

A three line headline is a headline that takes up 3 lines of space.

Examples:

• Beach concert
  benefits local
  business owners
• ABI investigates
  fatal Albertville
  police shooting
• Prattville
  to increase
  sales tax

Hammerhead Headline

A headline with a single word or short phrase in much larger print to gain immediate attention.

Examples:

• Victory!
• CATASTROPHE