headline wring - uwosh.edu€¦ · omro man dies after car plunges into fox river wednesday, april...

Headline Wri+ng

Dr. Vince Filak

Adviser, Advance‐Titan

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

What A Headline Does


• Lets you know what you want to read University raises tui+on by 80 percent




• Lets you know what you DON’T want to read Jus+n Bieber releases country album





• Lets you know what you should read Diet Coke linked to cancer





• Lets you know what you should read Diet Coke linked to cancer

• Shows importance of a topic Terrier wins dog show or

WAR



Examples of a main head


Examples of heads with decks


Examples of hammers


Here’s the kicker…


Fill the hole


Fill the holeSchwartzenegger ends California’s pre-kindergarten classes



Arnold bans pre-kindergarten



Arnold bans pre-kindergarten

Gov. endsstate’s K-4 programs


Headline Characteris+cs


Headline Characteris+cs

• What’s new?

• What happened?

• What are the facts?

• What ISN’T right?

• What is the feel of the piece?


Good headlines


Good headlines

Katrina slams Gulf Coast

Freshman 15 not a myth, researchers say

Brewers take two from Mets; head home to face Cardinals

Mayor apologizes for failing to follow proper procedure during meetingTourney starts today


Grammar and style changes


Grammar and style changes

7 dead, 2 woundedin Elm Park shooting

Wis. man arrested; charged with murder

N. Fond du Lac to get $1.5 mil. in s+mulus funds

Sox, Mets advance; Indians eliminated

Omro man dies after car plunges into Fox River


Not‐so‐good headlines


Not‐so‐good headlinesOmro school board to hold mee+ng

Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say

Man fatally slainPlans go the way of the dodo for area developer

Needing more nurses

Smith defeated by Jones for city council seat


Read the headline out loud


Read the headline out loud

Ill. Man denies Mass. Murder

Player helps blind woman

Smith gets shot at U.S. Open

Disciples of Christ choose new leader


Good breaks


Good breaks

Obama, McCaindead evenin state polls

Witness to murderbelieved to be drunk

Clinton refutes allegations of cheating;Starr presses for answer on Lewinsky


14

Bad breaks


14

Bad breaks

Poten=al witnessto murder drunk

Obama, McCain deadeven in state polls

Clinton: Iʼm not a cheat; Starr: Yes, he is; Judge: Both sides must remain decent and calm

Governor togive Senatebudget plan

Voters rush to the polls for state elections


Tone and feelRight: Doctor’s assistant uses own health status

to teach AIDS pa=ents to cope with disease

Wrong: Aide with AIDS Aids AIDS victims

Right: Ryan Braun cri=cally injured in car wreck

Wrong: Cri=cally injured Braun going, going… gone?

Right: 500 die in Peru earthquake;Thousands more missing

Wrong: 500 die in Peru earthquake;Thousands more missing


Watch out for bad exchanges


Watch out for bad exchanges

Atomic Bombers Upset Over Enola Homosexual Exhibit


Think like a 12‐year‐old boy


Know what you’re talking about



Va+can elects first



Va+can elects first non‐Catholic pope


Don’t even think about it


What to emphasize?


What to emphasize?

• Time: Focus on the presentTornado kills 230UWO professor wins Pulitzer


What to emphasize?


• Freshen older ideas with links to the presentMom killed six, police sayEx‐employee shot manager, jury concludes


What to emphasize?


• Freshen older ideas with links to the presentMom killed six, police sayEx‐employee shot manager, jury concludes

• Future gets a present‐tense +e‐inU.S. will prevail in Iraq, Bush saysGov. to propose more budget cuts


What to emphasize?


What to emphasize?

• People: Prominence is a news valueObama addresses congress

Doyle sells Superior to Canada


What to emphasize?

• People: Prominence is a news valueObama addresses congress

Doyle sells Superior to Canada

• People: “How do I know that guy?”Pizza Hut owner convicted of fraud

Omro librarian wins $450 mil in lofo


headline wring - uwosh.edu€¦ · omro man dies after car plunges into fox river wednesday, april...

Documents