Transcript John McIntyre on Headline Writing

Headline Writing
The Science of Headline Writing
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No. 1 Rule: Headlines must tell the reader
what the story's about
Headlines must be accurate
Headlines must be fair
Headlines must fit and fill the space allotted
The Science of Headline Writing
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The headline’s tone must be consistent with
the nature of the story
The headline’s tone must be consistent with
the personality of the publication
The headline can't say more than the story
says
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In other words, the story must sustain the
headline
The headline needs to persuade the reader
to read the story.
The Science of Headline Writing
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The issue of what words we use and how we
use them in headlines is important.
It is often a subject of a newspaper’s
ombudsman’s weekly column.
Take, for example, a column by Pam Platt in
the Louisville Courier-Journal.
The Science of Headline Writing
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She notes that more than one reader complained
about the following headline over a story about
Cindy Sheehan:
" 'Sympathetic Bush says leaving Iraq is wrong' …
The headline, one reader complained:
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“paints an entirely different and misleading picture of the
Cindy Sheehan story.
Obviously, if the President was in fact sympathetic, he
would have talked with her on the day she arrived. . . .
Once again, The Courier has taken sides in the most
insidious of ways. Painting the story via the headings.
Shame on you."
The Science of Headline Writing
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In another headline readers criticize, the main
body of Lutherans in the USA was labeled “a
'sect.'
I know it's a handy, short word with a vaguely
religious connotation, but there's no way any
branch of the Lutherans, who originated the
Reformation 'way back when, meet any but
the remotest definition of the word.''
The Science of Headline Writing
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Platt interviewed John McIntyre, former
president of the American Copy Editors
Society and an assistant managing editor at
the Baltimore Sun.
He likened writing headlines to a combination
of playing Scrabble and completing a
crossword puzzle.
The Science of Headline Writing
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Asked about those headlines, he said:
" 'Sympathetic Bush' would trouble me
because it imputes an emotion or attitude,
suggesting that we know something about
the inner workings of someone else's mind.
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'Bush expresses sympathy, stays firm on Iraq' or
something of the sort would be more neutral and
factual.''
The Science of Headline Writing
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"Calling Lutherans a 'sect' probably does
carry a negative charge. . . .
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'Denomination' is a long word for a headline –
I sympathize with the copy editor -- but 'sect'
reads as 'faction,' though not as opprobrious as
'cult' would have been.
'Religion' would also be wrong, because
Lutheranism is a denomination within a religion.''
John McIntyre on Headline Writing
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Q: What should readers reasonably
expect from headlines?
McIntyre:
Accuracy, clarity and precision.
Liveliness and originality are important to
capturing the reader's interest, but they are
secondary to accuracy.
John McIntyre on Headline Writing
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Q: What challenges do copy editors face
in meeting those expectations?
McIntyre:
There is seldom enough time to polish and
refine headlines as much as copy editors
would like.
And the lack of time also comes up against
the fundamental challenge: distilling the
sense of an entire article into half a dozen
words.
John McIntyre on Headline Writing
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Q: What are the uppermost cardinal rules
of good headline writing?
McIntyre:
Try to follow the vocabulary and syntax of
conversational English insofar as you can.
Avoid headlinese ("Solons slate parley") and
wretched, obvious wordplay ("purr-fect" for
any story about cats).
Headline Checklist
After you have written a headline, ask:
 Does it tell the news clearly?
 If it's a news story, does the headline contain
the latest developments?
 If it's a feature story, does it convey the basic
sense of the story?
 Is it accurate and informative?
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From the American Press Institute
Headline Checklist
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Is it compelling in approach, news angle and
impact?
Does it contain concrete nouns and activevoice, present-tense verbs?
Does the tone fit the story, so that when there
is emotion or a human element, irony or humor
it is reflected in the head?
Headline Checklist
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Does it avoid the obstacles to clarity?
Jargon
Cliches
Slang
Headlinese
Forced phrases
Abbreviations
Acronyms
Obscure names and puns: Serious news
stories should not contain any puns.
Headline Checklist
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Does it have words or meanings that are as
precise as possible?
Does it make each word count by being direct
and dense with information?
Does it play fair by trying to reflect both sides
of a story if an opposing view exists, or at
least avoid overemphasizing one point of
view?
Headline Checklist
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Does it avoid danger of libel, take caution
with sensitive material and include attribution
when necessary?
Does it include the "where" when important?
Does it signal any local involvement in the
news when it may not be clear otherwise?
Does it avoid names that may not be well
known?
Does it avoid elements of bad taste, double
meanings, exaggeration and sensationalism?
Headline Checklist – Things to Avoid
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Inappropriate language or a tone that doesn't
fit the story.
Exaggerating conflict, danger, criticism, etc.
Editorialization or words that suggest an
opinion of the head-writer.
A "negative" head using the word "not.“
Conclusions the story doesn't back up.
Headline Checklist – Things to Avoid
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Inappropriate assumptions or interpretations.
Piled-up adjectives or other modifiers that detract
from clarity.
A "label head," unless omitting the verb helps the
head or the count is so short that a "book title" head
is the only way out.
Assumptions that the reader has been following the
story daily.
Obscure names that readers won't instantly
recognize.
Headline Checklist – Things to Avoid
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Undue familiarity, often by using a person's first
name.
Abbreviations or acronyms that are not instantly
recognizable.
Jargon, which clouds the meaning for readers.
Cliches, which are neither creative nor compelling.
Meanings the reader won't "get" until the story is
read.
Headline Checklist – Things to Avoid
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Echoing the lede or stealing the punchline.
A hard-news head based on facts far down in
the story.
Puns in heads on serious news stories.
Putting first-day heads on second-day
stories.
Using "question" or "colon" heads routinely.