Wednesday, November 29/ 30 Wednesday / Thursday more on headlines

How are your stories coming along?  Remember they are all due on the blog by midnight Monday, December 4 If you are having trouble posting them, I will do so for you. But, send them as an e-mail attachment!  However, the Monday midnight deadline holds. 

You have next Monday in class to write them up. Remember these are public.  You will have a headline of one or two lines (see today's assignment) and a byline (your name in full)  Proof read, proof read, proof read!  See Monday, November 27 for the rubric.

Please read the following rules very carefully, as this material applies directly to the practice assignment. This assignment is due on Friday by 3pm.  The reason for this awkward time is that many folks are on a field trip on Thursday. I am not adding in any new work for either Friday (even though we have a half day, the Journalism classes will take place in the morning) or Monday.  The time is flexible to allow you time to work on your stories that are to be posted to the blog by midnight on Monday.

send along, as usual; thank you.

Learning target: I can recognize and correct ineffective headlines and create effective headlines.

Do you capitalize newspaper headlines?

Headline capitalization is a style issue, rather than a rule. While there is consensus on capitalization in titles of major works (books, journals, magazines, and so forth), there’s no consensus on headline capitalization.

Capitalize all proper names, trade names, government departments and agencies of government, names of associations, companies, clubs, religions, languages, nations, races, places, addresses. Otherwise lowercase is favored where a reasonable option exists.

However, here is the AP (Associated Press) rule that most US papers follow:

1. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading
2. Capitalize any proper nouns and certain other types of words; and
3. Use lowercase for everything else.

   Follow the AP rule when writing your stories!

HEADLINE RULES

1.  Sell the story. A good head involves readers 
much like a clever ad. 

2. Tell the facts. Precise and specific heads inform 
readers instantly of what they may or may not 
want to read. 

3. Be accurate. All facts, names, numbers, whatever 
must be correct. 

4. Be objective. Donʼt editorialize. 

5. Simple but precise. No fancy words. No weird 
constructions. Find the right word to communicate 
the meaning. 

6. Make tone fit content. Serious story. Serious 
headline. Funny story. Funny headline. 

Kinds of Headlines 

• 1-line-headline

Bricklayers engage in mortar combat

• 2-line-headline 

Backers hot for chili 
as U.S. official food

• 3-line-headline 

Principal adds 
six electives 
to summer school 

• Main/secondary headline 

Standing tall

5ʼ-4” guard rises to challenge of leading Tigers

• Main/secondary headline 

Driven to destruction

Police play game 
of cat and mouse 
with illegal racers 

• Main/secondary headline

 
Whole new ballgame

Nolan Ryan makes smooth transition to job 
helping oversee stateʼs parks, wildlife areas 

• Main/Secondary headline 

Up to date 

Senior makes over dad for online auction



• Be as specific as possible in your headline. 

Get to the heart of the news. 
(not good) 

School board discusses items 
at heated Tuesday meeting 

(better – more specific) 

2 board members walk out 
over budget argument 

• Avoid semicolons. The headline should be a 

single sentence, not a collection of 

sentences. 

Hurricane strikes; 
school swamped; 
pep rally cancelled 

Better: 
Pep rally cancelled 
after hurricane 
slams into school

• Donʼt pad headlines with school initials or 

dates. Also, avoid initials and abbreviations in headlines. 

Too vague…
2011 MHS FFA plans 
to hold annual rodeo 

• More specific…
Willie Nelson to appear 
at FFA rodeo Saturday

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line; 

avoid be verbs and linking verbs. Action. 

Shoot for present tense or future tense.

(weak) 
Spongebob will 
attend Mensa meeting 
purely as spectator 

(better) 
Spongebob to attend 
Mensa meeting 
purely as spectator 

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line 

Strive for present/future tense, action verbs 
(weak) 
Nichols will 
not appear 
in court 

(better) 
Nichols avoids 
district court 
appearance 

• No articles. Use a comma instead of “and”

Heat wave blisters California, Texas 

• No clichés.
Swimmers dive into season 
Golfers swing into action 
Exchange students say ʻHasta la vistaʼ
Math Club multiplies 
Football team tackles opposition 
Drama Club acts up 
Military recruiters say, ʻI Want Youʼ

• Do not repeat key words or phrases 

from the main headline into the secondary

headline 

wrong
Pocket lasers banned
Authorities ban laser pointers

(Just in case you didnʼt 
catch it, the repetition is 
the word “laser” and 
“ban”)

better
Pocket lasers banned
Principal cites injuries, class disruptions 

(This headline provides 
twice as much 
information in the 
same amount of 
space! )

• Avoid "headline-ese" either in the form of 

simplified spellings or odd synonyms. 

Board to meet Vball team destroys 

Tuesday nite Southside in finals 

Senior play 
to continue 
thru Easter 



• Avoid initials or abbreviations, unless the 

initials are instantly recognizable. 

From the UT-Austinʼs Daily Texan: 

ACLU considers 

lawsuit for SFAʼs YCT 

• Avoid passive verbs in headlines. 

Nope:
Internet fraud is 
cause of worry 
for administrators 

Better: 
Internet fraud 
concerns 
administrators

• It is permissible to use implied passive

 verbs.
Mosquitos (are) biting into summer fun 


Federal grant (is) renewed 

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line 
(weak) 
Big surprise: Nader will 
run for president again 
(better) 
Big surprise: Nader to run 
for U.S. president again 

• Do not end a line with a preposition 

Baseball team ready for 
playoff game, coach says 

• Do not end a line with a preposition 
No love lost between 
Longhorns, Sooners 

• When separating two sentences in a 

headline, do so with a semi-colon.

Bardwell named Educator of the Year; 

experts call it sign of plunging standards 

• The main headline should never be 

dependent on a kicker or other

 secondary headline. 

(incorrect) 
If elected in November, Obama 
Says he will get U.S. out of Iraq 
(correct) 
Getting out 
Obama promises to end Iraq war 

• Alliteration in headlines should be used 

sparingly and in appropriate 

situations. 

Acceptable: 
New Planetary Puzzlers
A distant, oversize world causes cosmic confusion 

Take ʻmeowtʼ 
to the cat show

Annual festival of felines begins today 

• Unacceptable: 
Cheneyʼs chest chink 

Vice presidentʼs thumper goes thud

• The headline should reflect the mood of the 

story. 

Band itching for practice 

as soon as mosquitos killed



• Be careful of word use and misinterpretation.

Bears capture playoff birth 

Bush, Kerry 
butt heads

Panda mating fails; 
veterinarian takes over

Police Say Man Hid 
Crack in Buttocks 

A few more rules …
• Avoid contractions 
• Do not end a headline with a period 
• Avoid names unless they are easily recognizable 

• Always use single quotes in headlines 

Headline style

Do not center headlines

Start headline flush left on column

Double or triple headlines should be close to the same length

NOW SOME PRACTICE; apply the above rules to the following:
Write a headline for “3 bears” news story.

1. Remember the story of The Three Bears.  Who were the characters?  What happened?  What was the climax of the story? 

 Write 3 possible headlines for that story, if it were to be written as a news story. Include a secondary headline.

2. 

Change these titles to headlines

a.  The Three Little Pigs

b.  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

c.  Sisyphus   (look it up, if you are unfamiliar with this Greek tale)

d..  Beauty and the Beast

4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3.Here is a short story.  Write a headline  and secondary headline for it.

CAMP DOHA,

             Kuwait -- The battle for Baghdad began Tuesday night as 

U.S. ground forces entered the "Red Zone."

            U.S. Army and Marine ground forces advanced on separate 

axes into the swath of territory around Baghdad that is defended by 

the Republican Guard and has been characterized by U.S. 

commanders as the most strategically vital and treacherous of the 

war.

          Although still 50 miles or more from the capital, the attack 

brought the U.S. military one step closer to its ultimate objective:

 the capture of Baghdad and the toppling of the government of 

President Saddam Hussein. 

4. Write three possible headlines for this story.

Brad Jones and Kim Smith always said the sky was the limit as far as their love was concerned. Last week they proved it by getting married--in midair.

   Jones and Smith and a daring pastor, the Rev. Charles Brown, strapped on parachutes Saturday morning and jumped out of a plane at 10,000 fee. The trio clasped hands to form a ring while the Rev. Brown conducted the ceremony.  

5.  What’s wrong with these headlines? Using the above rules, in a complete sentence, write out what is wrong with the sentence and then rewrite and correct the headline.

a. Wife charges husband killed her for money

b. Man who shot himself accidentally dies

c. Boy chasing fox found rabid

  A               d. Andalusia girl improved after drinking poison