Faculty of Journalism and Creative Studies

Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal

Program: BAJMC
Semester: IV
Subject: The Journalistic Voice: Editing
Unit Two: Writing the headlines
Topics:

1. Judging the news

2. Writing the subhead
3. Polishing the headlines
4. Types of headlines

Judging the news

The selection of the news is perhaps the heaviest responsibility of the copy desk. The copy editor is
mainly responsible to a set of technical standards. As gate keeper of the flow of ideas and
information to his readers, he has a higher responsibility, a responsibility not only to the specific
aims of his own newspaper, not only to the standards of the editor’s craft but to the public his
newspaper serves. The editor has a higher responsibility as they fulfill the information requirement
of the reading public. To serve it well with the ideas and information that are the ingredients of the
democratic process is the real vocation of the news editor.

Newspapers differ extensively in the point at which major news decisions are made. On many
smaller ones, all decisions except possibly a few close ones re made right on the desk by the man in
the slot. In others, the news editors functions apart from the desk as a chief news decision maker.
Often the managing editor but decides the top play of the day. Some metropolitan newspapers
arrive at major news judgments during a page one conference of a number of top editors. In still
other newsrooms at least some of the decisions are made for all the resident editors by wire from
highest echelon of the chain ownership.

However it is perhaps the typical situation that someone along the news stream usually at the desk
itself, is responsible for making the decisions about what news gets into the paper, in what detail
and with what prominence and position.

News sense has been too often regarded as something instinctive or innate. It is important to
understand that it is learned and that it differs substantially from one practitioner to another. It
should than follow that the apprentice news editor can learn to be an astute judge of news and that
such a learning process can benefit from a sound theory of what makes news.

The most widely quoted definition of news is that devised by the late Willard G. Bleyer, who said:
News is anything timely that is interesting and significant to readers in respect to their personal
affairs or their relation to the society, and the best news is that which possesses the greatest degree
of this interest and significance for the greatest number.

Such a limited definition is helpful in that it brings into the picture some notion of the elements that
are the ingredients of news decision. It points up the rather obvious fact that news must be new – or
relatively so. It brings both interest and significance into the picture – but not into the focus. It also
puts some stress on the fact that what is news is depend in large measure on what newspaper
readers regard as news. It implies that news is something that can be grasped by the study of news.
It is possibly closer to the truth that news values can be grasped only by the study of the people and
their reactions and interactions. Furthermore there are no right and wrong answer. There are no
objective criteria. What one editor see as a news for his readers may get only the scantiest attention
from another.

Editor can become a better judge of news by giving a lot of attention to what interest’s people.
George Gallup drew the following conclusion on what newspaper readers prefer to read:

1. More adults read the best comic strip in newspaper, on the average day, than read the front
page banner story.
2. The average reader of a metropolitan daily spends more time on the features than on the
news.
3. The reason a reader buys one newspaper rather than another can usually be traced to
features, rather than news.
4. A picture page in newspaper will be read by a third more adults than anything on the front
page
5. If they are asked to tell what they dislikes most about paper the majority of readers will say
sensationalism, yet practically everyone who makes this charge will have read as much crime
and scandals as the average person.
6. Most readers want a paper which can be read in a hurry, one which tells its stories in a
concise way.
7. A surprisingly large number of women turn first to the column on deaths, marriages and
births, in spite of the fact that they rarely recognize the names of any persons mentioned.
8. Fewer than 10 percent of all male readers and 3 percent of all women readers are interested
in business and financial news during normal times.
9. The average person reads a very small part of his newspaper, a great many men read
nothing but sports news and comics, a great many women read no news at all.

On the basis of the newspaper analysis of George Gallop the public wants in its newspaper is
entertainment t and trivia.

Apart from this news values have a dynamic quality and that they above all are subject to what
newspaper readers want their paper to contain. Newspaper s have not so much changed their values
since Colonial times as they have added values and changed their relationship.

The question of what goes in the newspaper is a larger one than simply finding out what readers
want and then giving it to them. To exist, the newspaper must serve two masters, the public taste
and the public weal. To fail to broaden its appeal sufficiently can mean extinction, as the owners and
editors. The reading public must be its own best judge of the popular interest, but to a certain extent
the editor must be a discriminating judge of the public interest.

This should help make it clear that entertainment material has its place in the newspaper but that it
cannot be given such a prominent place as to push the solid news out of the picture. Much of the
entertainment material does not come through the news stream. We should still look at how news
differs if we are to devise a set of principles as a guide to news judgment. The most useful way to
looking at the matter is to analyze the new in terms of its appeals to the newspaper readers. Readers
differ widely in what appeals to them. But the reader is capable in making his own selection from
what we offer him. He acts to a certain extent at least on the basis of the appeals the material has
for him at a given moment.

The basic appeals are:

1. Timeliness
2. Proximity
3. Prominence
4. Consequence
5. Conflict
6. Human interest

Identification: The degree to which the individual reader identifies himself with places, persons, and
events in a news story is the best measure of the worth of that story for him. We need add only the
matter of timeliness (regency, newness, surprise, unexpectedness) to get a fairly predictive picture
of what his news interests are, and thus what he will probably choose to read or choose to reject.

This should give us a clearer conception of such elements of news as those listed above. Do we really
mean proximity, for instance or are we actually concerned with the degree to which the individual
identifies himself with persons and places that are nearer him in space? Perhaps sheer spatial
distance then is not so important. Perhaps the reader is impelled to read about what is near him in
every respect, not just physically near.

A similar analysis may give us a clearer picture of persons in the news. Is it their prominence that
affects the interest of newspaper readers in certain personages? Or the degree to which readers
identifies themselves with them.

Writing the Headline:

Subhead is boldface lines of body types inserted in long stories to give them typographical relief
from grayness. They are sometimes centered on the column and sometimes set flush left, sometimes
in caps and lower case. They are usually one line, but some newspapers use two lines.

The same effect - breaking the monotony of a too long mass of solid body type – can be achieved
with other devices. One is to use a special dash, such as start dash, followed by a line of bold face,
perhaps beginning with a word or two in boldface caps. On special stories, these occasionally are led
off with initial letters.

Some newspaper prefers to break up long stories by boldfacing whole paragraphs, parts of
paragraphs, or even parts of sentences. Still others use this device plus traditional subheads. These
devices should not be passed over as mechanical and routine. How they should be handled is
unfortunately, subject to wide difference from one desk to another. One school of thought holds
that the subhead should be written as carefully as the headlines – and under the same rules. That
would mean it should move around a verb and preferably have a subject. Another school of thought
says the subhead should be carefully written but under rule of its own. These are to use the
headlines from a label, whichever does the better job.
Everyone agrees that the subhead preferably deals with a material in the paragraph that
immediately follows. The first school mentioned above insists that the subhead tell the content of
that paragraph. The second says, put into the subhead a logical combination of words that point to
the material in that paragraph, use the very words in the paragraph where ever possible, use
quotation marks when the words used are picked from a quotation.

In any case, the subhead is a typographic device, primarily. The second school holds that it is so
much so that what the subhead says should not be allowed to cause the editor unnecessary delay.
The feeling is that subheads are rarely read anyway their value is in lightening the appearance of the
story, not helping to tell it. Hence if it comes down to a choice between a subhead sufficiently short
to let some light into the column and one which tells precisely what follows in the story, the thing to
do is to choose the former.

The usual rule for spacing subheads through the story goes something like this, space them roughly
three paragraphs apart and allow at least that much space before the first subhead and after the
last. It is wise to plot them through the whole story first before writing them in; to be sure they will
be evenly spaced. Most editors avoid inserting subheads too close to a point where the story will
shift from two columns to one. Too closed to a ruled insert or too close to the point where the story
will be like to jump. They also avoid putting them just before or after a boldface paragraph.

Subheads are called for only when there is room for at least two. Most editors try to get at least two
into the story ahead of the jump and, if possible, to have the jump itself carry at least two.

Writing the jump heads

Many different methods have been devised for writing jump heads. The individual editor must adjust
his ideas on the subject to the style that prevails in his newsroom. When the label-line head is used,
the important thing is to find out a couple of short words that identify the story positively and with
reasonable certainty that another story cannot be confused with it. This is particularly difficult when
a troy is told in several; versions: main story, reaction, sidelights, etc.

When the first-line jump is used, it is obvious that special care must go into the construction of that
one key line. This method just about rules out such first lines. When the style calls for writing full
scale headlines over jumps, sometimes this means simple setting the front page head twice. Where
the jump head is different from the original one, most desks prefer to have the jump head as much
like the original as possible, to use as many of the very same words as space allows. When the jump
head is like the page one head but for fewer lines, canny head writers bear this in mind – they try to
write them both at once with a view to combining two lines, for instance from the three line original.

A few desks deliberately reverse the rule described above. They seem to prefer to base the jump
head on a later development in the story, rather than on the lead. This is not really very common.

Particularly when headlines forms are used, the jump head should get as careful attention as any
other. There are editors who feel they need little attention because they merely identify the story for
the seeker-after –details. The implication is that they are not often read.
Polishing the headline

A newspaper may be judged pretty accurately by its headlines writes Allan Holcomb, copy desk chief
of the New York Herald Tribune.

Some of the things that make for the polish in the headline include:

1. Full attention to objectivity

2. Making every element in the headline help tell the story
3. Exact meanings
4. The careful avoidance of ambiguity

A. Make the headlines as objective as the story: Complete objectivity in the headline or any
other newspaper task is an essential aim. It is compounded as much of the head writer’s
state of the mind as it is a product of careful attention to the requirement of the craft. It is
the head writers duty not only to be as objectives as possible – but to make the objectivity of
his headlines manifests to his readers. How that can be accomplished, assuming the head
writers want to accomplish it will be discussed under the five headings:

B. Attributing the facts: Achieving objectivity in the headlines is largely a matter of

distinguishing observable fact from statements that must be attributed to their source.
Beginners often feel that they need not be as fussy about attributes in the headlines as in
the story. Headlines must be attributed to precisely the same extent as the stories they
accompany.

A headline is the window to the accompanying story. It attracts the attention of the readers, holds
their interest, and tells them about the story. A headline should: o Attract the reader's attention, o
Summarize the story, o Depict the mood of the story, o Help set the tone of the newspapers, and o
Provide adequate typographic relief.

Approaches to Headline

1. Good headlines attract reader's attention by focusing how the reader's life can be affected.
"Income tax rate to remain unchanged", "Government announces extra DA", etc. are examples of
this approach.

2. Another approach is to highlight the magnitude of an event as in this lead: "Earthquake in

Nicaragua kills 15,000". Sometimes headlines are clever and unusual like this one: "Thief caught
eating".

3. Headlines help summarize the story: "India Pakistan sign treaty", "US declares war on mafia", "CBI
initiates fresh probe". Approaches to Headline

4. While such headlines are not very original and creative, they serve the basic purpose of telling the
reader what the story is all about.

5. Sometimes headlines set the mood of stories: "The easy way to change your car's oil", or go "Bald
and Beautiful", or "It is a whole nude ball game".
6. Headlines can also set the tone of a newspaper. A newspaper with such headlines as "Police hunt
for jilted lover", "Super model caught in a hotel", can only of sensational nature.

7. Different stories require different approaches. Good sub editors develop the ability to find out the
best approach.

Headline styles

Most headlines are set in a single line or deck. But increasingly headlines are being set in two and
even three decks.

The most used headlines styles are the hanging indention, the inverted pyramid, and the pyramid.

Sometimes the headline is longer than the story. Some tabloid newspapers also use more than ten
decks for the headlines.

WRITING THE HEADLINE

Writing headline involves two steps:

1. Selecting which details to be used,

2. Phrasing them properly within the space available.

Good headlines, like good sentences, have a subject and predicate (verb), and a direct object. For
example: "Flood hits Assam"

Suggestions about headline writing

1. Draw your headline from information at the top of the story.

2. If the story has a punch ending do not give it away in the headline.
3. Build your headline around key words.
4. Build the headlines on words used in the story
5. Emphasize the positive unless the story demands the negative.
6. Use active verbs.
7. Maintain neutrality.
8. Follow the rules of grammar.
9. Try to arouse the reader's interest.
10. Make the headline easy to read.
11. Do not use common names in headlines.
12. Do not use unnecessary words.
13. Do not are double quotation marks in headlines
14. Abbreviate only when necessary.
15. Verify the accuracy of the headline.
16. See there is no double meaning.
17. Use short and simple words.
18. Make the headline specific.
19. Make the headline complete in itself.
20. Never start a headline with a verb.
21. Do not write headlines after reading the story only once.
 22. Do not write question headlines for news stories.
23. Do not mislead.
24. Do not repeat words.
25. Do not use full stops in headlines.
26. Use present tense as much as possible.
27. Do not use "is" and "are" in headlines.

One final suggestion given to new comers –

1. Sub editing is to enjoy the process of headline writing.

2. It is a creative activity.
3. Somerset Maugham once said, "You cannot write well unless you write much".
4. Similarly good headline writing comes after long practice.
5. Avoid overstating, commanding, editorializing, sensationalizing, stating the obvious and
boring the reader

NEWS STORY SUB-HEADLINES

1. Sub headline are supplementary to headlines.

2. Sub headlines are used only when the headline cannot tell the required part of the news.
3. Sub headlines play a supporting or supplementary role to the headline.
4. Some news stories are very detailed in nature.
5. These stories could be multi-faceted or complicated in nature. Such stories have many
important pieces of information that need to be given right at the beginning. These kinds of
news stories use sub headlines in addition to headlines.

The different types of headlines are

Kicker headline is a short line of display type, usually in half or less point size than the headline and
placed above the main part of the headline. Some newspapers call the kicker as the eyebrow or the
tagline.

Stet headline is a standing headline which is used continuously issue after issue. "Today in history" is
an example of a stet headline.

Reverse plate headline is set in reverse i.e. the letters are printed in white on a black background.
Reverse kicker is a line set in larger type sizes and placed above the main headline. It is also called a
hammer or barker.

Banner headlines spread across all the columns of a front page. These usually shout the news about
and are used while covering very, important stories.

Direct headline: A direct headline clearly states the purpose of an article. It usually involves facts in
the article to summarize the overall idea. Readers know exactly what they are going to read or see
when you use a direct headline.

Indirect headline: An indirect headline takes a subtle approach by hinting at the main point of an
article. Since it doesn't directly state the key idea, it targets a reader's curiosity to discover what the
article is about.
News headlines: News headlines make important announcements about a company or its products.
Journalists often use these types of headlines in news articles to efficiently share recent information
with the public.

How-to headline: This type of headline teaches readers ways to learn a new skill or solve a problem
through an outline of steps. To write a how-to headline, writers start with the phrase "how to,"
followed by the action they want their readers to learn. It also helps highlight why that particular
article might benefit them.

Question headline: A question headline poses a question to readers with the intention of providing
the answer within the article. These tend to be topics consumers may be interested in regarding a
company's products or brand.

Command headline: Command headlines tell readers what to do or what they can learn by reading
an article. Companies typically use this type of headline when creating an advertisement. Most
command headlines start with a strong action verb.

The "reason why" headline: This headline tells an audience why certain situations occur. This type
of headline typically results in a list article format, which readers often prefer over other types of
articles since it's easier to skim.

Emotional headline: Emotional headlines typically target either a positive or negative feeling to
encourage an audience to read an article. To do this, writers use powerful words such as affordable
or stressed.

Wordplay headline: A wordplay headline uses a creative formation of words and phrasing, typically
in the form of a pun or irony. Companies often use these headlines when trying to make a less
important topic amusing.

Brand name headline: Brand name headlines use recognizable organizations to compare a
company's business or products to its competitors. This can be helpful for new businesses trying to
participate in a similar market as a more established company.

Best headline: Best headlines rank certain items above others. These can attract readers who look
for top-rated content, such as the best restaurants to try or the best computer to buy, for example.

Two-part headline: A two-part headline uses a punctuation mark, such as a colon, dash or
parentheses to combine two ideas. Usually, both parts of these headlines can stand alone, but
together, they increase the chances of capturing a reader's attention.

Relational headlines: Relational headlines connect a reader to the subject of an article by using
second-person language. Relating the topic to the reader helps they become interested in reading
and discovering how this article can help them.

Location-specific headline: Location-specific headlines attract readers by making them feel included
in knowledge only a select group of people would know. These headlines focus on something that
people in a particular area share in common.
Challenging belief headline: A challenging belief headline convinces individuals to read by using a
reverse psychology technique. Usually, these headlines begin with; "You won't believe..." which
often makes viewers want to read an article to see

Confrontational headline: Confrontational headlines are persuasive, as they attract people who
either agree with the headline or have opposing opinions. Posing a controversial stance can entice
individuals to read and see whether the article changed or enforced their existing opinions.

Testimonial headline: A testimonial headline begins with a quote from a company's consumer. This
gives viewers an objective, opinionated statement from someone who has used a company's
products.

The "backed by science" headline: This headline supports a statement by confirming its thesis with
scientific evidence and proof. Writers use these headlines for articles that include research on a
particular idea.

Background headline: Background headlines start with contextual information. This is usually a two-
part headline, with the first part providing background and the second half explaining the
significance or reason for the first statement.