Writing headlines Not titles There is a difference between headlines and titles. This slide show will explain those differences. You will be asked to write several things down during the slide show. You will e-mail those exercises to the teacher once you finish. You may want to type them directly onto an e-mail, or in a file, so you don’t have to re-write them later.

Basic rules of headline writing Never write a headline without reading the entire story first. If the story has a surprise ending, don’t give it away in the headline. A headline writer must understand the whole story, before capturing the key elements in the headline. Reporters aren’t necessarily the ones assigned to do this. Other members of the staff sometimes have this task.

Basic rules of writing headlines Draw headline information from near the top of the story. Build the headline around key words, those that must be included. Build on words in the story, paraphrasing but not parroting. Do you understand what paraphrasing is? It is when you tell the same information, but in totally different words.

Headlines show action and contain a verb Which of these samples are headlines and contain a verb? The roaring lion A lion’s tale D. Cop requires stitches after lion attack E. A dangerous lion F. Lion bites policeman Which of the samples contain action verbs, and are complete thoughts? This is question/exercise #1 1. Write down the verbs.

Are these the headlines you wrote down? Cop requires stitches after lion attach. (Requires is a verb) Lion bites policeman. (bites is a verb) Wrong: The roaring lion: Roaring is used as an adjective, not a verb, and this is not a complete thought.

Write a headline for a story surrounding “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” Discuss the basic facts Write 2-3 possible headlines in your notebooks. Remember the story of The Three Bears. Who were the characters? What happened? What was the climax of the story? Exercise #2 Write 2-3 possible headlines for that story, if it were to be written as a news story. Show facts on Elmo or overhead

Possible Headlines Bears’ house vandalized Parents cited for neglect, Child damages home Charges filed against girl for breaking and entering Other ? Here are some possible headlines that would work. Make sure your suggestions have a strong action verb included, and contain a complete thought.

Change these titles to headlines Titles usually do not have a verb. Change these titles to headlines. 1. The Three Little Pigs 2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 3. The Hunger Games On your own, brainstorm ideas for the Obit Profile! Here are the titles of some stories and movies you may know. Based upon what you know happened in the story, change these to headlines. This is exercise #3.

Possible headlines for stories Wolf boiled alive by three pigs Apple causes teen to fall into coma Tribute volunteers in place of sister Taylor takes tumble on Tool Time Do your headlines you wrote contain verbs, and complete thoughts? You can’t use your teacher’s ideas. Write your own.

Basic rules of headline writing When you write a headline remember: Include a subject and a verb Use present tense of verb Eliminate articles (the, an, a) Don’t use “is” or “are” Use comma to indicate “and” or a semicolon Do not mislead the reader Be consistent with the tone of the story More things to remember

Headline writing style Headlines do not end with a period Most papers use “down style” Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized Sample Headlines Emotions run high as Dole retires from Senate Eight local schools keep students indoors this summer Farrakhan praises Cuban schools Which of these three stories is probably the most important and at the top of the page. Question #5. Dole story-- Farrakhan and school story in middle of The Universe

Write three possible headlines for this story. Brad Jones and Kim Smith always said the sky was the limit as far as their love was concerned. Last week they proved it by getting married--in midair. Jones and Smith and a daring pastor, the Rev. Charles Brown, strapped on parachutes Saturday morning and jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet. The trio clasped hands to form a ring while the Rev. Brown conducted the ceremony. Exercise #7. Write three different headlines for this story.

Enjoy some headline humor -Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge   -Deer Kill 17,000     - New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft - Kids Make Nutritious Snacks - Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy    Here are some humorous headlines, which were probably unintentional. When you finish, e-mail your responses to each of the 8 tasks in this slide show.