Example:
"India Becomes the World’s Fifth-Largest Economy"
"Supreme Court Strikes Down Controversial Law on Free Speech"
"Parliament Passes Landmark Women’s Reservation Bill"
9. Flush Left Headline
This is one of the more modern headline forms in use. It consists of two or three lines of headline, each one set flush left to the left side of the space. The design is simple and allows freedom in writing the headline. No rules govern the writing of the flush left headline; however a uniform style for better results is generally adopted. This type of headline is popular because it is easy to write, allows flexibility in unit count and provides a feeling of airiness to the page with the white space.The idea is to create a strong visual flow that makes the content easy to read and approachable.
Examples :
10. Banner Headline
The journalism industry is highly competitive, and attracting the attention of the readers, viewers or listeners is the most important thing. The audience should have a reason for choosing a particular newspaper, television channel or radio station. Headlines play an important role in attracting attention, especially in print media. Banner headlines are words printed in extra large letters across the top of the cover page of the newspaper. Startling banner headlines that describe in a few words a happening story can help increase sales.
Banner headlines are words printed in extra large letters across the top of the front page of the newspaper on extremely important stories; they are not used frequently,but when they are used, they have a significant impact. 150-170 points
Example :
“PM’S NO LOSS GAME WITH G4 GAMBLE”
"HISTORIC BILL PASSED: 50% SEATS RESERVED FOR WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT"
11. Inverted Pyramid Headline
There are distinct advantages to using the inverted pyramid headline style for news writing. People often are in a rush and seldom have time to read every word of a story. The advantage of the inverted pyramid headline is that it concentrates on presenting pertinent facts first. With inverted pyramid stories, the most important information goes in the first paragraph, and the less important information follows to the very end of the story. The inverted pyramid headline generally consists of three lines, the first runs across the column and the other two lines are shorter than the first line. The headline is created from the informative facts presented at the start of the story.
Examples :
"Govt Launches Free Digital Learning for Rural Students, Aims to Bridge Education Gap"
"India's New Gender Equality Law to Boost Women's Workplace Rights, Experts Say"
12. Cross-Line Headline
The cross-line headline is quite similar to a banner headline. While it is a large headline, it does not span the entire width of the page, but it does run across all the columns of the story it pertains to. The cross-line headline is one of the simplest types of headlines, consisting of a single line and one or more columns in width. It can run flush on both sides of the paper or it can have the words centred over the columns. This type of headline is generally used when there is more than one column for a story and to produce a formal look.
Example: "New Study Reveals Shocking Health Risks—How You Can Protect Yourself from the Dangers"
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.
Example:
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.
Example:
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.
Example:
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.
Example:
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.
Example:
A two-part headline uses a punctuation mark, such as a colon, em 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.
Example:
Relational headlines connect a reader to the subject of an article by using second-person language. Relating the topic to the reader helps them become interested in reading and discovering how this article can help them.
Example:
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.
Example:
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 whether it actually surprised them.
Example:
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.
Example:
A testimonial headline features a real-life experience or endorsement from an individual, often to build credibility and emotional connection.
Example:
"This Cooking Plan Helps Me Make Meals for My Picky Children"
"‘Online Classes Changed My Life’ – A Village Girl’s Journey to Becoming an Engineer"
"‘Solar Power Saved My Farm’ – A Farmer’s Story of Sustainable Agriculture"
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.
Example:
"Scientists Believe Cicadas Are About To Emerge From Underground"
"Studies Show Digital Learning Boosts Rural Students’ Performance by 40%"
"Scientists Prove: India’s Reforestation Efforts Are Reducing Air Pollution Levels"
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.
examples :
26. Quotation Headline
A quotation headline is the one that uses quotes in order that its impact is not reduced or lost after it is paraphrased. A quote is not a story in itself and hence is used to emphasize a news angle or news point. That is why quotes are used sparsely in headlines.
Examples :
Headline, Technical Writing Process
Writing a headline involves both the literary and technical aspects. Font size, positioning of text, font style, width of the text and presentation are some of the technical considerations one must keep in mind while writing the headlines. Selection of words, sentence structure and the headline type are some of the literary aspects.
1) Display and Point Size
Headlines have to be designed to fit into the allotted space. Thus, in a three column (3-col) story, the headline must occupy three columns of type only. In larger publications, generally one of the editors is assigned the job of determining the headline size, while others decide the headline content. A shorthand communication as 2-36-2 (two- thirty six-two) means that the story has two columns requiring a 36-point (pt) head arranged in two lines.
Such a headline is also known as a double-decker head in the newsroom or the production department. Shorthand for headlines is written in the following sequence: number of columns, the type size and the number of lines. The height of type size is measured in points while its width is measured in picas. The type sizes are standard. A type size, which is equal to or smaller than about 12 pt., is best used for body text and is rarely used for headlines. Larger than this point is used for headlines that follow a font size in the range of 14-84. Such headlines are also known as display type.
2)Width, Weight, and Style
Width of a headline is decided based on the newspaper columns allotted to the news story. When a headline is bigger than the column space provided, double decker headline is used i.e., it is split in two lines instead of one. Setting the distance between letters, known as kerning the text, also helps reduce space between the words, allowing the headline to fit into the given width. The bolder the font the greater is the weight of the headline. Weight of a headline suggests the priority given to the news story by the editor.
Weight is also related to the font style chosen for writing the headline, e.g., a story written in Light /Semi Light style has lesser weight than that written in Condensed or Bold. Similarly, the font style also helps to decide the weight of a news story. The headlines in sans serif font styles are soft news or feature news stories. The headlines in serif fonts have more weight. Newspapers using sans serif fonts only, opt for a font family providing them a variety of font styles and weights.
3)Deciding News Angle
Generally, News Angle means perspective based on some element or point of the story. For example, a story can be written from the perspective of the people or Headline and Lead Writing.
Read more: Types Of Headlines | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8440583_types-headlines.html#ixzz28x4j1IdW
July 20th, 2012 Jonathan Page-Acabo
PRESS NEWS PRINTING– Headline is a caption printed at the top of an article or a page in a newspaper. It is usually printed in large or bold letters which often summarise the content that follows it. Headlines are very catchy that drive the reader’s attention to read the entire article.
ONLINE – Headline is not only used in printed Newspaper but it is also very much effective in Online businesses. Nowadays, online marketing is more effective than traditional print media marketing.
For both online and print media, headlines play an essential role in promoting business. Why these approaches exist is because of its major purpose to catch readers’ attention. Because of this bottomline: To achieve higher sales.
Types of Headlines that might enhance your journalistic skills
Whatever your understanding of how you define HEADLINE, there is only one total-sum of that, it is the most important element for both printed news and online articles like blogs. Headline engages readers, and you as writer will make sure what the headline tells is provided in your content. Headline writing, however, is one that takes time, practice and patience. So, to help you attain the most effective headline that suits your needs for both online and printed adverts, here
TIPS: Conciseness
Did you notice that my sample headlines given above did not exceed up to 10 words? In writing headline, either it is published in newspaper or online, the principle is “the shorter, the better.” Make sure your headline showcases everything that the reader might need to know and get engaged to read the rest of the article.
For Online Writing, in order to have a unique but engaging and effective headline, try to copy and paste your headline to search engines and see the best results that come up. If it already exists, there is nothing wrong with that, but you may not want your article to be associated with the content beneath that existing one especially if it’s of inferior quality, however, you can do something that suffice your want. You may consider altering some words or try revising the entire headline itself.
The cross-line:
The cross-line headline is quite similar to a banner headline. While it is a large headline, it does not span the entire width of the page, but it does run across all the columns of the story it pertains to. The cross-line headline is one of the simplest types of headlines, consisting of a single line and one or most often more columns in width. It can run flush on both sides of the paper or it can have the words centred over the columns. This type of headline is generally used to produce a formal look. 100-130 points
Eg: Shashank agreed to head BCCI
The Drop-line:
This type is also known as the 'step line' or 'step head' because the lines in this type are indented and step down uniformly and progressively from the left. It usually consists of two or three lines.
Eg: Fake visa racket
Busted at IGI
The Inverted pyramid:
This form is usually employed more as a subordinate deck in a headline. It generally consists of three lines, with the top line exceeding all the way across the column. The next two lines are set to be shorter than the one above, with words centred according to the count or measure. It is one of the difficult forms of headlines as it takes more time of the sub-editor's time in setting. Still it is one of the most widely used forms of headlines.
Eg: Drinking Age: AAP goes
for debate, BJP goes
for moral science
The Hanging intention:
The desire to include more lines into the headlines has resulted in this type of headline. Like most of the smaller types of headlines, this type is also
used as a subordinate deck. The first line is set to flush on both the sides; and the other lines that follow are indented from the left with an even amount of space.
Ex: From Sunday, INA Delhi Haat to get Free wifi
The Flush left:
This is one of the more modern headline forms in use. It consists of two or three lines of headline, each one set flush left to the left side of the space. The design is simple and allows freedom in writing the headline. No rules govern the writing of the flush left headline; however a uniform style for better results is generally adopted. This type of headline is popular because it is easy to write, allows flexibility in unit count and provides a feeling of airiness to the page with the white space.
The Spread:
A headline or deck, which extends over two or more columns in length, is known as the 'spread'. The flush-left, the drop-line and the cross line are the most common headlines used in the spread.
The above-mentioned forms of headlines are very popular and most commonly used in most of the newspapers and magazines. There are various other headline forms or styles, which are less commonly used or out of use. Some such forms of headlines are listed to know the variety in headline forms.
Eg: Class X textbook says Working women cause unemployment
The Astonisher:
It belongs to one of the recent trends in headlines. In this type, a smaller line is set in a smaller type above the main deck. This smaller typed line is a striking statement or facts or idioms, which are intended to gain the attention of the reader. Occasionally it reads into the main deck. This is also called the 'read in' headline, 'over line' headline. Or 'whip-lash'.
Ex: Haj Crush 15 Indians killed, 9 from Gujarat
The Rocket:
In the rocket style of headline, the lead itself starts with a headline and takes the reader into the story. It is the most unorthodox form of headlines. It is called so because of the 'stream-lined' principle involved. Making use of the flush-left, the first word is capitalised and all the others, which follow, are handled the way they appear in ordinary composition writing. To write such headlines reporters require training and rewriting leads to different stories that will make the headline impractical.
This type headline not seen in the Indian Newspapers both English and Telugu.
Eg :Great trouble
has developed
In view country
Over the naming of
New officers who are
To handle distribution
Of funds collected for use in
Feeding and clothing victims
Of the recent storms and floods
Which swept over the area two
weeks ago
The Jump head:
Long articles or stories make it difficult, sometimes to print the stories in the same page. This becomes more difficult if we want a pleasing page-design.
Most papers carry their stories over the other pages in order to pass the reader inside the paper. When part of the story is continued to another page, it is accompanied by what is called a hump head to help the reader to find the material carried over.
Eg: Respiratory diseases on strike
Continued on Pg6
Respiratory Disease cases rose by 5m since 2012: govt
Boxed heads:
Borders or lines are drawn around a headline to give it prominence. Such deadlines are called boxed heads. Box heads are losing their importance, as there is heavy stress in using headlines, which are as simple as possible. But still in some newspapers we find usage of box heads. If lines on all four sides do not surround the headline, then it is called the 'modified Box head'. To separate a story from another story box head is used in the same column.
Sub heads:
To break up long columns of big stories, subheads are used for every two or three paragraphs to throw some light on the importance of various aspects of the story. The most common type of sub-head is a single straight line with capital letters, set centred in between the columns.
Eg: Gurgoan shows the way : car-free
Tuesdays to control maniac traffic (CROSS LINE)
3 columns
2 sub heads: 1. Air pollution level drops 21% in cyber city
2. Delhi to follow with no cars on oct 22
Headline Technical Writing Process
Writing a headline involves both the literary and technical aspects. Font size, positioning of text, font style, width of the text and presentation are some of the technical considerations one must keep in mind while writing the headlines. Selection of words, sentence structure and the headline type are some of the literary aspects.
Display and Point Size
Headlines have to be designed to fit into the allotted space. Thus, in a three column (3-col) story, the headline must occupy three columns of type only. In larger publications, generally one of the editors is assigned the job of determining the headline size, while others decide the headline content. A shorthand communication as 2-36-2 (two- thirty six-two) means that the story has two columns requiring a 36-point (pt) head arranged in two lines.
Such a headline is also known as a double-decker head in the newsroom or the production department. Shorthand for headlines is written in the following sequence: number of columns, the type size and the number of lines. The height of type size is measured in points while its width is measured in picas. The type sizes are standard. A type size, which is equal to or smaller than about 12 pt., is best used for body text and is rarely used for headlines. Larger than this point is used for headlines that follow a font size in the range of 14-84. Such headlines are also known as display type.
Width, Weight, and Style
Width of a headline is decided based on the newspaper columns allotted to the news story. When a headline is bigger than the column space provided, double decker headline is used i.e., it is split in two lines instead of one. Setting the distance between letters, known as kerning the text, also helps reduce space between the words, allowing the headline to fit into the given width. The bolder the font the greater is the weight of the headline.
Weight of a headline suggests the priority given to the news story by the editor. Weight is also related to the font style chosen for writing the headline, e.g., a story written in Light /Semi Light style has lesser weight than that written in Condensed or Bold. Similarly, the font style also helps to decide the weight of a news story. The headlines in sans serif font styles are soft news or feature news stories. The headlines in serif fonts have more weight. Newspapers using sans serif fonts only, opt for a font family providing them a variety of font styles and weights.
Deciding News Angle
Generally, News Angle means perspective based on some element or point of the story. For example, a story can be written from the perspective of the people or Headline and Lead Writing.
Writing the Headline
The best way to write an attention-grabbing headline is to understand the storyful. Thus, having got a good idea of the story, the sub-editor is able to reflect it correctly in the headline. Under headline pressures, most sub-editors/copy editors only read the opening lines of the story to come up with a headline. At times, a fact or a figure buried in the body text can also be used as a selling point in the headline. After writing the headline, one should always get a third-person to check it for its language and impact. Headlines using redundant words are best-dropped. Similarly, ambiguity has no place in headlines. Moreover, headlines contradicting the story are not to be used at all.
Rules For Writing Headlines
Writing the headlines is considered of prime importance because it is these headlines that make the news appear more interesting. According to him there are certain essential points, which are to be taken note of while writing headlines. -
a) The main points of the stories sent by the reporters are to be grasped and understood carefully by the sub-editor as quickly as possible and develop a headline.
b) The headline should be written in such a manner that it is properly fitted into the space allotted to it.
c) Usage of articles should be avoided.
d) Active verbs could be used because their usage becomes necessary
c) Usage of auxiliary verbs like 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', ' to be' etc, should be avoided.
f) The units of the letters and their type sizes should be taken note of while writing headlines. Proper count of units of letters is very important to utilize the space provided for headlines.
g) Good editing of the report is necessary, which provides the sub-editor to give a good headline.
h) The headlines have to be written with considerable clarity, which makes the reader understand the inner content of the story easily.
i) It should always be noted that there should be good relation between the headline and its content.
j) Small and simpler words should be used in headlines.
Ex: 'go' or 'left' is better than 'departed', 'saw' is better than 'witnessed', 'talks' is better than 'consultations' and 'start' or 'begin' is better than 'commence'.
k) Different forms of headlines should be used according to the page makeup so that an attractive page could be worked out.
l) Exclamation marks and question marks should be avoided as far as possible.
