How to Write a Newspaper Headline

Understanding the Purpose of a Newspaper Headline

Understand the key elements of a newspaper headline. A good newspaper headline will be factually correct, connect to ordinary readers, attract attention using active words, and match the tone of the article. Accuracy is very important when writing a newspaper headline, as you do not want to create an unintended meaning or confuse your reader. Avoid exaggerating or embellishing the content in the article by using an overblown headline. Instead, aim to communicate clearly with your reader through a short, one to three word headline.

Try to solve a problem or answer a question. The headline will be in large letters on the page and will likely be the first thing a reader will see when they open up the newspaper. You want to draw your reader in by using the headline to pique their interest or curiosity. The headline should motivate the reader to read the rest of the article. Often, readers will be willing to read a headline that provides factual information that will solve a problem they might have or provide the answer to a question. For example, the headline: Lincoln: ‘The war has begun' would be of interest to people reading the newspaper in 1860, as it would answer their question: What is going on with the civil war in the United States? As well, a reader may continue reading an article with a headline like: Make Your Car Engine Sparkle if she is looking to solve the problem of cleaning her car engine.

Use search engine optimization if you are writing a headline for an online newspaper. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key element of any headline that will be published online. Your headline should contain focus keywords to make it easier for the headline to be found by search engines. Online newspaper headlines should only contain keywords and be no more than 70 characters, as additional words are considered too long for search engines to index. Keep in mind the expectations for newspaper headlines for online publications have shifted from more traditional rules of newspaper headline writing. Many websites will sacrifice accuracy and information for headlines that over promise or exaggerate a news story. Online newspaper headlines, and some print headlines, are also using emotion to tap into a reader’s curiosity and encourage the reader to read the rest of the article. For example, headlines like: The Cutest Otters on the Internet and You’ll Never Believe Who Prince Harry is Dating Now contain very little actual information and are full of hyperbole. However, these types of headlines are very common in online publications and some current print publications. You may also come across headlines that telegraph emotion, or tap into the reader’s emotions, such as: Daughter Comes Out to Father in Video. His Response Will Make You Cry, or Images of Men That Will Make You Happy on a Monday. These types of headlines appeal to a certain audience and are usually used for light news stories. Hyperbolic headlines are not recommended for breaking news stories about local events, world events, and social and political topics as they can weaken the professionalism of the article. Rather than appeal to emotion or exaggeration, focus on creating newspaper headlines that inform your reader and that are based on fact.

Writing a Newspaper Headline

Identify the key terms in the article to create the headline. Read the article in full and make note of the details in the first paragraph of the article. The key details of the story should be in the first one to three sentences of the article, so look for the key terms in these lines. For example, in an article about migrants found dead in a truck in Vienna, the first sentence of the article might read: “The decomposing bodies of as many as 50 people assumed to be migrants being smuggled across Europe were found in a truck abandoned on a highway east of Vienna on Thursday, the police said.” You may then highlight key details that should be included in the headline, such as the location of the incident (Austria), the number of people dead (as many as 50), who the people were (migrants), and where they were found (in an abandoned truck). Your headline may then be: Austria Finds Up to 50 Bodies Thought to be Migrants in Truck. Another example is an article on Google and the European Union’s antitrust laws, with the first sentence: “Google on Thursday rejected claims from the European Union’s top antitrust official that the company favored some of its own search results over those of rivals, saying there was significant competition in the region’s online search market and that the company’s services increased choice for local consumers.” You may then come up with a short, clear headline that identifies the subject of the article (Google), the action the subject is taking (denying or rejecting), and who the subject is reacting to (European Union’s accusations of violating antitrust laws): Google Denies Europe’s Antitrust Accusations.

Use action verbs and the active voice in the headline. A good headline is driven by good action verbs, which are verbs that describe something a person does in a clear and convincing way. Often, simple action verbs are more effective than complex action verbs, for example “use” instead of “utilize” or “show” rather than “demonstrate” or “model”. Prevent confusing your reader by sticking to action verbs that will appeal to the average reader and will not muddle the overall meaning of the headline. As well, you should never start a headline with a verb. The headline should begin with the subject of the article, whenever possible. Avoid verbs like “think”, “believe” or “feel”, as these are not verbs based on fact or statements. The headline should use only factual evidence from the article and should not be based on emotion or uncertainty. An effective headline should also be written with logical sentence structure and a strong present tense verb. Using the active voice will make the headline feel immediate and draw your reader in. For example, a weak headline in the passive voice, with weak verbs, might be: No affair, says Clinton, suggests witness should ‘tell the truth’. A better headline in the active voice, with action verbs, might be: Clinton claims no affair, urges witness to ‘tell the truth’. The second headline is much clearer and the subject of the article (Clinton) is stated first in the headline. You should also avoid using words that could be read as either a noun or a verb. For example, in the headline Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms, the verb “blossom” can be read as a noun or a verb in the context of the rest of the headline. The reader is not sure if “crash blossoms” refers to the noun “blossoms” or the verb “to blossom”. If you read the article, you will understand the headline is referring to a violinist. Her father dies in a crash, but her career blossoms. The headline only makes sense once you read the article, which means the headline itself is confusing and not useful to the reader.

Put the headline in the present tense if the events are happening now. The headline should have a time element so it is clear to the reader when the event is taking place. If the event occurred in the recent past and is considered breaking news, for example, Austria Finds Up to 50 Bodies Thought to be Migrants in Truck, you can use the present tense. You likely will not create a headline for an event that happened in the distant past, unless there are new developments in relation to the event. You can use the past tense or the present tense for the headline. For example, Robert Durst Murder Case Reopened in Light of New Evidence or Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence. Whenever possible, remove articles like “an”, “a”, “the” and connecting terms like “because” or “due to” in the headline. These are considered padding in a headline and are not necessary to get the key points of the article across. For example, The Robert Durst Murder case will be reopened because of new evidence can be shortened to Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence.

Do not use jargon or slang in the headline. Headline jargon, also referred to as “headlinese”, can be confusing for your reader. Often, headline jargon are also too vague and do not provide the reader with useful information. For example, Syrian head visits Senate. In this headline, “head” is a headlines, as it is not clear if the headline is referring to an actual head of a Syrian or a Syrian who is the head of a department or office. Similarly, the headline FBI probe expected in hijacking case is confusing as it uses the headline jargon “probe”, but this term does not give the reader any clear information about the actions of the FBI. A stronger headline might be: FBI investigation expected in hijacking case.

Include humor or puns in the headline only when appropriate. Most news stories on local or world events do not justify a headline that contains humor or a double meaning, such as Austria Finds Up to 50 Bodies Thought to be Migrants in Truck. But some news stories lend themselves to a humorous headline or a headline that contains a pun and it may be appropriate to use a humorous headline for an article that does not involve murder, death, or a catastrophe. Often, optimistic news stories or lighter news stories will use headlines that use humor or double meanings. When it is done properly, a humorous headline can work to draw your reader into the story and give the headline some punch. For example, a news story on a former environmental disaster zone in Hungary that use reinvented itself as a center for sustainable energy might have a headline like: Town hit by red sludge goes green. This headline works because it is factually accurate, and uses a simple pun (red to green).

Do the TACT test. Once you have completed your headline, you should run it through the TACT test to confirm it is print ready. The TACT test is Taste-Attractiveness-Clarity-Truth. Ask yourself the following questions in relation to your headline: Is it in good taste? Is there anything possibly offensive in the headline? Can anything in the headline be taken the wrong way? Is it attractive to the reader? Can it be improved so it is more engaging and interesting, without sacrificing accuracy? Does it communicate the key points of the article? Is it clear and simple? Does it use the active voice and active verbs? Are there any odd words or double meanings that could confuse the reader? Is it accurate? Are the proper words or terms from the article used in the headline? Is the headline factually correct? If you answer no to any of these questions, you will need to rethink the headline and adjust it so it meets the TACT criteria.

Formatting the Headline

Capitalize the first word of the headline. The first word of the headline should always be capitalized, as should all proper nouns in the headline. Some publications capitalize every word of the headline, and some publications do not capitalize every word, just the first word of the headline. You should follow the formatting guidelines for the publication you are writing the headline for. All headlines should be flush to the left and should not take up more than one to two lines in the publication. In general, shorter headlines are best.

Do not spell out numbers in headlines. You can start a headline with a number and you do not need to spell out any numbers for most publications. For example, 3 dead in car crash, or 20 dead in explosion.

Use punctuation properly in the headline. Most headline punctuation follows the standard punctuation rules, with two exceptions: periods and single quotes. Use periods for abbreviations only in headlines. For example, U.S. fights Iranian government. Use single quotes for any double quotes in the article. For example, Lincoln: ‘The war has begun’, Clinton urges witness to ‘tell the truth’. You can also use a colon as a substitute for the word “said” in a headline. For example, Lincoln: War inevitable, victory essential.