Headline Caption Writing

Headline & Caption Writing:When and when not to break the rules!

Elizabeth Pearson, Andrew Scott

Types of Headlines

Direct Headlines

Pure silk blouses – 30 percent off

Indirect Headline

Fresh bait works best

News Headline

My exclusive interview with Steve Jobs

How to Headline

How to build a house of cards

Question Headline

Do you close the bathroom door even when you’re the only one home?

Command Headline

Subscribe to the DM today!

Reason Why Headline

Two hundred reasons why open source software beats Microsoft

Testimonial Headline

‘I read Copyblogger first thing each morning,’ admits Angelina Jolie

Rules for Headlines

Use the active voice

Effective headlines usually involve logical sentence structure, active voice and strong present-tense, active verbs.

A “capital” idea: Moving on

Do not capitalize every word. Do capitalize the first word after a colon.

Number, please

Example: 

3 die in crash

To the left, to the left

NO exceptions unless told otherwise!!

It’s XXX-rated?

Examples:  Lincoln, Douglas to debate UNACCEPTABLEat new KU Dole Centerxxx

Lincoln, Douglas to debate BETTERat KU’s new Dole Centerxx

Lincoln-Douglas RULE EXCEPTIONdebate todayxxxat Dole Center

Punctuation normal — mostly

Examples: 

Single QuotesLincoln: ‘The war has begun’

Paraphrase Lincoln: War inevitable; victory essential

Lincoln says war inevitable; Davis agrees

“And” punctuation replacement

Examples: 

(awkward)Lincoln offers compromise, Davis Declines

(better)Lincoln offers compromise; Davis declines

(best)Lincoln offers an ‘out,’ but Davis declines

Even more on punctuation

Examples:  Clinton says there was no affair UNACCEPTABLEwitness should ‘to tell the truth’

Clinton says no affair, that BETTERwitness should ‘tell the truth’

Clinton: No affair; Starr: His probe RULE EXCEPTIONproves it happened more than once

Speaking of ambiguity, double entendres

Example:  Textron Inc. makes offerto Screw Co. stockholders

Who (and what) is whom (or what)?

Examples:  Jones to fill Who is Jones?vacancy oncity council

Lincoln-Douglas Gooddebate todayon K.C. radio

Other Rules

AbbreviationsNot acceptable in stories, yet great in headlines KS, MS

Polly want a cracker?Don’t rip-off the writer’s headline!

More to avoideditorializing, exaggeration, generalizing or long words

No ‘a’ or ‘and’ or ‘the’?Avoid unless needed for clarity

Don’t be cute, unless called for

Example: 

Skywalkers in Korea cross Han Solo

     Kwon Won-tae of South Korea participates in the first World High Wire Championships in Seoul, in which participants cross the Han River on a 1 km (0.62 miles) wire, May 3, 2007. The event is part of the annual "Hi Seoul Festival" organised by Seoul City which began April 27 and lasts ten days.

Finally, the ‘doo-dah’ rule

Example: 

City’s singers “doo-dah”in good tune “doo-dah”

Practice Time!

Take two stories given and create your own headline!

Caption Writing

Hot tips for Caption Writing

Check the facts. Be accurate! Avoid stating the obvious. "Dennis Rodman smiles as he kicks

a broadcast photographer in the groin." Always identify the main people in the photograph. Don't let cutlines recapitulate information in the head or deck or

summary. Avoid making judgments. "An unhappy citizen watches the

protest..." Can you be sure that he is unhappy? Or is he hurting. Or just not photogenic. If you must be judgmental, be

sure you seek the truth.

Hot tips for Caption Writing

A photograph captures a moment in time. Whenever possible, use present tense. This will creates a sense of immediacy and impact.

Don't try to be humorous when the picture is not. Descriptions are very helpful for viewer. The person dressed "in

black," "holding the water hose," "sulky from chagrin," or "standing to the left of the sofa, center" are helpful identifying factors.

Be willing to allow for longer captions when more information will help the reader/viewer understand the story and situation.

Use commas to set off directions from the captions to the picture. "Kachira Irby, above,..."or "Kennetra Irby, upper left..."

Hot tips for Caption Writing

Don't assume. Ask questions in your effort to inform and be specific. Be willing to contact and include the visual reporter.

Avoid using terms like "is shown, is pictured, and looks on." If the photograph is a historic or file photo, include the date that

it was taken. Mayor David Dinkins, 1993. Conversational language works best. Don't use clichés. Write

the caption as if you're telling a family member a story. Quotes can be an effective device, be willing to use them when

they work.

References:Poynter Institute Onlinehttp://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4355

Copy Bloggerhttp://www.copyblogger.com/how-to-write-headlines-that-work/

Writing Effective Headlineshttp://web.ku.edu/~edit/heads.html