“Writing headlines is just like writing stories. Really, really short stories,” said Jana John, southern style editor for The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.). “The idea is to get the point of the story across and to entice readers to read it, all in just a few words.

“Doing this successfully is part creative talent, part concentration and practice, and part luck of the headline-size-and-story-type draw.”

John advised headline writers to begin by reading the story. “Read the whole thing before you try to write a headline.” Then she said the headline writer should think about the main words that pertain to the story. “Think about the way they sound. Then think about words that sound good with those words. Play with the language in your head.”

And James Campbell, a reader representative for the Houston Chronicle, said, “Copy editors are taught to write compelling, witty and interesting headlines. It’s a tough task, particularly on deadline. Most of our headlines hit the mark, but readers notice the ones that miss. Conventional newspaper wisdom asserts that readers enter a page first through the photo then the headline. Often, readers will only scan the headlines and sometimes ignore the smaller subheads and the story. That’s why accuracy without implication is important.”

Good headline writers tell the reader what the story is about. To that end, headline writers have developed a myriad of rules to assist copy editors in writing the headlines.

Content

• Write the headline from information near the top of the story.
• Build the headline from key words–who did or said what.
• Build on words in the story, but avoid “robbing” the lead.
• Emphasize the positive unless the story demands the negative.
• Maintain neutrality.
• Verify the accuracy of your headline and be certain it has no double meaning.
• Make the headline definite; tell specifically what happened and why the reader should care.
• Never sensationalize.
• Avoid using names in headlines.
• Don’t use question headlines.
• Don’t repeat words in headlines on the same page.

Grammar, spelling, punctuation, style

• Include a subject and a predicate (i.e. a subject and verb) in all subheads and headlines.
• Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.
• Don’t spell out numbers.
• Use present tense if possible (historical present for events in the past).
• Omit “be” verbs; use active voice.
• Eliminate all articles and most adjectives and adverbs.
• Abbreviate sparingly.
• Don’t split nouns and their modifiers on multiple lines.
• Don’t split verb forms on multiple lines.
• Don’t split prepositional phrases on multiple lines.
• Use single quotation marks in headlines or subheads.
• Don’t use periods. The semicolon replaces the period when there are two complete thoughts (both with a subject and verb).

Just like all good objective pieces of journalism, headlines should attribute all opinions to the source. Perhaps the most common problem attributed to headlines is that they convey a meaning not actually a part of the story and, in doing so, may commit acts of libel or may editorialize. To that end, be sure that many people read all headlines before they get put on a final page and that all headlines are spell-checked right along with the stories.

Some headline mistakes, in retrospect, appear funny. But you can bet they weren’t funny after the paper came out to the copy editor who wrote them. Consider the following.

Man with two broken legs saves one from drowning

Man who shot himself accidentally dies

Relatives served at family dinner

Still, it’s OK to have a little fun with the headline as well. Consider the following.

So close, so Favre

St. Petersburg Times

Inmates flee in boxers, but freedom is brief

Chicago Tribune

American history is a thing of the past

Daily Breeze (Torrance, Calif.)

They awt 2ban weird spellings and addresses in cyberspace

Akron Beacon Journal

More Tips

Writing Headlines By John Russial, University of Oregon

1. Do no harm.
2. Make sure the big type doesn’t contradict the little type. The facts should be consistent.
3. Use humor or cleverness to invite readers in, not drive them away.
4. Stay away from the cliché.
5. Use plays on words to contribute to meaning, not to show off.
6. Ignore all of the above if you have a good reason.

Stuck for a  headline? By John Schandler St. Petersburg Times

1. Word association. Think of key words and do some free association to develop angles.
2. Mental picture. What comes to mind as you read the story?
3. Perfect verb. A fresh verb can really make a headline.
4. Perspective. Come at the head from a different viewpoint.
5. Emotion. Go for the emotion in the story.
6. Quote. Is there a great quote that sums up the story. Don’t overuse this technique.
7. Foreshadowing. Give readers a compelling detail that foreshadows the action and makes them wonder.
8. Specifics. Sometimes just making a headline more specific really helps.
9. Visual techniques. Is there some way visually to get across a lot of information.