Head

line

W

riti

ngFunctions of the

Headline

1. Attract Attention

The first step in all communication is to attract the attention of the one to receive the message.

2. Grade the newsBe sure to have good headline because only few of the readers read all the pages and contents of a newspaper.

3. Sell the storyThe head, lead and body should employ

all the necessary appeals to attract thereader.

4. Tell the factsHeadline words must be

precise and have headline utility.

Ex. Yap to head Lions Club

5. Dress up the pageUse the boldface subheads to relieve the monotony of the body type.

EXAMPLE:

Christmas in jail for Arroyos seen

The Qualities of a Headline Writer

1. Possess a keen sense of news value.

2. Able to pick out significant thoughts

3. Expert with words- expressive, active, and short words.

4. Accurate in grammar.5. Clever in expression.

Classes of Headline According to Purpose

1. Headlines designed to inform.

Ex. House okays P350M aid

2. Headlines designed to intrigue.

Ex: GMA, Mike A face unbailable poll raps

How to construct headlines

The usual practice among headline writers is to take their headlines from the lead, especially from a straight news.

The headline writer should try to put up an accurate headline, short telegraphic sentence and the headline should reflect the story.

Steps in Writing Headline

1. Underline the key words from the lead.

2. Using these key words from the lead, write a short telegraphic sentence summary of the news (omit articles, unnecessary, auxiliaries, prepositions, details)

3. Divide according to units of thought into the number of lines required.

4. Substitute simple, effective synonyms to reduce the width within the limits of the space allocated.

Illustration on how to write headline:Lead:

President Corazon C. Aquino signed yesterday a sweeping and highly controversial land reform program aimed at redistributing large acreage to millions of landless peasants.

The steps on how the headline is constructed:1. President Aquino signs controversial land reform

program.2. President Aquino signs land reform bill into law.3. Aquino signs land reform law4. Aquino inks land reform law5. Land reform law passed6. Land reform law enacted

Illustration 2:

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel”Mike” Arroyo, may be detained without bail if the joint investigating panel of the Department of Justice and Commission on Elections (Comelec) find probable cause that they masterminded the rigging of the 2007 senatorial polls in Maguindanao.

The appropriate headline:

GMA, Mike A face unbailable poll raps

Illustration 3:Lead:

Will it be Christmas in jail for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo?

Appropriate headline:

Christmas in jail for Arroyos seen

Rules in Writing Headlines1. Write a headline that is easy to read. The simple

declarative subject-predicate sentence is easy to read and write.

Ex. Partisan disputes block senate action2. Give the main idea in the first line the “ who-

what” angle.Ex. NBI arrests 2 suspects in swindle case3. In a head with two or more decks, make the top

tell the most significant points of the story.

4. Avoid heads that can have double meanings.Poor: Age fight pension plan for future

Better: Aged group fight new pension plan5. Write nothing in the headline that isn’t in

the story. Avoid repeating key words or ideas, in a headline with two or more decks.

Poor: GSIS strike settled; strikers back to work

Better: GSIS dispute ended; strikers back to work

6. Don’t use names unless persons are well-known

Poor: Dimitri Vinogrendor asks asylumBetter: Soviet scientist asks asylum

7. Be specific. Avoid generalitiesPoor: Student given scholarshipBetter: Nava wins Ateneo grant

8. Don’t editorializePoor: Midgets make good showingBetter: Midgets win 3 out of 4 games

9. Make a complete statement, don’t use labels. Every head should have a verb.

Poor: MedalistsBetter: 35 medals awarded

10. Reflect the tone of the story. Features should have feature heads.

Poor: QC boy “lost” downtownBetter: Police help Jimmy find “lost”

mama

11. Use forceful, dynamic verbs.Poor: Greenies beat all-Americans, 52-30Better: Greenies crush all-Americans, 52-30.

12. Omit articles (a, an, the) and weak verb if clearly implied

Poor: Agoncillo is next student council headBetter: Agoncillo next student council head

13. Use present tense for the past tensePoor: Senate passed budgetBetter: Senate passes budget

14. Don’t begin a headline with a verb, it may sound imperative

Poor: Destroy school property worth P16,000Better: P10,0000 worth of property destroyed

15. Use only common accepted abbreviations.DepEd, COMELEC, UN, PNRC

16. Don’t end a line with preposition.Poor: Students vote for SSG officersBetter: * Students vote for SSG Officers

* Principal bats for (two-word verb) moral values

18. Use any of the following headline styles, but be consistent once you have adopted one.

a. All caps – Ex. P-NOY INKS LAND REFORMb. Cap and Lower (CLC) P-Noy Inks Land Reformc. Down Style – (DS) P-Noy inks land reform

Example headlines for straight news:

Car sales dip (increase)Comelec acts to nip frauds (stop)P-Noy praises Filipinos (lauds)Scribes hone up for Press tilt (writers

prepare for journalism

contest)