Headlines
Definition of Headlines
The headline is a phrase, which provides a brief summary of the news in detail. In Telugu headlines are generally referred as 'Siirshikalu'.
In newspapers we find a lot of news that are printed in a uniform type and font size. Headlines do not have more than one or two sentences and are helpful in taking a rapid glance at the news since their main aim is to help the reader to get an idea about the news within a few seconds.
Headlines must also be catchy, thereby being bold and clear and must also occupy less space and concise as they are short lengthwise. The point is to get the attention of the reader and draw him into the story.
Functions of Headlines
● To divide the news in the pages clearly and make it easier for the reader.
● To create a sense of interest in the reader by projecting the news.
● To highlight the news according to fields they belong to. For example: politics, reports, culture etc.
● To give a brief outline of the news making it to the point, quick, easier and concise.
● To create a visual index of the news printed in the papers.
Importance of Headlines
● The headline is the most important part of any piece of writing - whether it is an article, newsletter, sales copy, blog entry, web page, email or business report.
● Headlines do not have more than one or two sentences and are helpful in taking a rapid glance at the news since their main aim is to help the reader to get an idea about the news within a few seconds only.
● Headline can also be defined as a title for an article in a newspaper, usually one line or sometimes even more, which is set in larger and bolder font type than the body of the article and indicating the subject matter or content of the article.
● Headlines must also be catchy, thereby being bold and clear and must also occupy less space and be concise. The point is to get the attention of the reader and draw him into the story.
● Garst and Bernstein (Mardh 1980, as cited in Bharani,1996) stated that, “headlines are governed essentially by the requirement of utility”. This statement means that headlines help in creating interest and curiosity among the readers, headlines play a crucial role, as their language has its own grammar. It can also provide a brief summary of the text.
● It is the choice of the reader, whether to read the whole text or not. Straumann (Bharani, 1996) called headlines 'block language' which includes various other natural languages like posters, labels, and telegrams. Block language has grammatical units lower than that of a sentence or clause. Headlines are, in a sense, the results of the ellipsis since they are modified and limited to noun phrases. For example, there is omission of articles etc.
● Without a good headline the rest of the news or article will not be read. Busy people keep their lives manageable by deciding almost instantly whether something is worth their time or not. The headline is the first and sometimes the only chance to draw in people to particular news.
● 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 bottom line: To achieve higher sales.
Types of Headlines
1. Direct Headline
A direct headline is a straight-to-the-point headline. It is very specific and very serious. No jokes. No wordplay. It is not dull, but it is direct. But if you choose this kind of headline make sure you have it all that suffice what the headline tells.
“Hands-down, the best content slider on the web.” – SlideDeck. (Online)
2. Benefit Headline
Benefit headline is another type of headline that compels the attention of the readers. This is often very promising. If you are writing a headline for Online-publish, you must know your audience well, so you can offer them a compelling reason to believe.
“Never miss a sale, Free Apps and Card Reader” – Online
3. Question Headline
A question headline is a type of headline which is best for segmentation experiences. This enables the readers or audiences to get involved into the conversation funnel or read the entire article for they want to know the answer of the question given in the head.
“Types of Headlines – are these important?”
4. Attention-Grabbing
Attention-grabbing headlines can be provocative, shocking or use a play on words. This might be any of the above types of headlines listed. However, attention-grabbing headlines, especially when printed in a newspaper, is risky, because there might be audiences that misunderstand what you really mean about it, maybe because of the words used or any other factor. In using this type of headline, there must be some element to consider, be careful not to offend your reader, keep an eye to the words used.
“Get paid for 50 cents, fast, online, secure!” – (Online) Intuit
5. How-To headline
How-to headlines often constitute the ideals of step-by-step information given in a specific article. This headline tells the readers that you are willing to help them “how-to” the thing.
“Link your AEON Visa card with your Paypal account.”
“How to make a delicious salad this summer.”
6. List Headline
This is the best approach for a “how-to headline.” List headline tells the specific number of things provided in an article. This informs the readers the things listed inside the article that they might need to know.
“7 Types of Headlines a Journalism Student Needs to Know.”
7. News Headline
Lastly, the News Headline, a journalistic headline that conveys authority and is straightforward without being plain.
“Journalism student earns $1000 per day”
Types of headlines depend on how the writer uses his creativity or how he would grab the attention of the reader to promote his written news or article.
Devon Willis
Devon Willis started writing in 2002. He has worked for publication houses like Edward Elgar Publishing and Nelson Thornes in Gloucestershire, England. He has a B.A. in journalism and a M.A. in mass communication from the University of Gloucestershire and London Metropolitan University, respectively.
By Devon Willis, eHow Contributor
Headlines are meant to summarise news content in a sentence.
Different types of headlines are used in journalism; the specific type used is based on the structure of the news story. Print media is geared toward informing the public on various topics. An important aspect in getting and holding the attention of the public is through the use of attractive headlines, no longer than one, two or in some cases three lines. Headlines should summarise in a few striking words the news story featured under it. Writers think that about half the total time spent on writing a journalistic piece should be spent on writing a headline that gets attention.
1. Flush Left Headline
o 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.
2. Banner Headline
o 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
● ·Eg: PM’S NO LOSS GAME WITH G4 GAMBLE
3. Inverted Pyramid Headline
o 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.
4. Cross-Line Headline
o 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.
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
Online or Print Media – What are the types of Headlines Used Effectively?
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.
Eg: Won’t ban
Hindu Outfit:
Goa CM
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.
Subheads:
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
The 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 the weight of the headline.
The 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.
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