How to write

Headlines

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We’ve all written headlines before…

“Hey! I can see it now!” you’ve said to your brother. “ ‘Boy drops dead from too much chocolate’. If you don’t quit eating all those Hershey bars, it’s going to be you.”

Actually, it’s not difficult to write a headline. There’s just a few rules.

• Use downstyle. This means only the first word of the headline and any proper nouns are capitalized.

Principal presents awardto Coach Smith

Headlines go against the left border.

• Most newspapers use headlines that are flush left. This means the headline sits squarely against the left side of the column, leaving the lines to run ragged on the right.

Junior runs over teacher with car

Our headlines use sans serif type.

• Because our newspaper is published on the Web, it’s easier for our readers to read a sans serif type, such as Arial.

• “Sans serif” means without serifs, or the little feet that extend from each letter.

Serif – Like this

Sans serif – Like this

Headlines are written in point size.• This is 18 point.

• This is 24 point.

• This is 30 point.

• This is 36 point.

•This is 42 point.•This is 48 point.

•This is 60 point.

Headlines are written in present tense.

• By writing a headline in present tense, it makes the story appear as if it just happened.

Miller wins $10 million prize

Not like this:Miller won $10 million prize

Headlines need a subject and a verb.

• Think of a headline as a sentence, but without many of the words.

• A headline such as Homecoming is just a label, it’s not a headline.Instead, write:Homecoming win leads to celebration (subject) (verb) (object)

Keep a prepositional phrase together in a headline.

• Instead of:Dog bites alien ontender spot

Write:Dog bites alienon tender spot

(“on” is a preposition)

Headlines don’t have hyphens.• Make sure when you write out

the headline, the computer doesn’t hyphenate any words. If it does, move the words around.

Smith discovers dino-saur remains in wall

Smith discoversdinosaur remains

A headline doesn’t need a period at the end.

• Headlines are not sentences. However, you may use other forms of punctuation in headlines when needed:

Did you ever think it would happen?

Fort Smith merges two high schools

You don’t need the name of the school or the school initials in a headline.

• The readers already know the name of your school. Instead, use the headline to tell what happened.Not so good: JHS students picket cafeteria

Better: 95% of students picket during lunch

Don’t use a, an or the except in special headlines.

• Good:Governor awards teacher with honorBad:The governor awards teacher with an honor

• It’s okay to use articles (a, an or the) in a headline such as a hammer or a wicket:

The ultimate put-downSeniors name skip day for principal

Only use your opinion in a headline for an editorial.

• News headlines shouldn’t contain any words that let the reader know what you think of the story.Don’t: We’re better than Fort Smith!Better:Team blows away Fort Smith, 42-0

In headlines, use single quote marks.

•Don’t:“Angel Baby” really a

detectiveDo:

‘Angel Baby’ really a detective

A headline should fill at least ¾ of the white space it occupies.

• If a headline is too short for the space, it looks strange.

Don’t:Boy wins meet

Do:Taylor nabs tournament

title

Headlines must cover the entire story.

• Don’t design a page with a headline over part of the story.

• A headline is like a roof of a house: It must cover the whole text.

Tornado!School closed for remainder of this

year

Use a comma in place of ‘and.’

•To save space, use a comma instead of the word ‘and.’

Don’t:Band and choir win awards

Do:Band, choir win awards

Use a semicolon to separate complete thoughts

Don’t:Legislature in session. Future of roads in

doubt

Do:Legislature in session; future of roads in

doubt

Use active verbs; omit forms of the verb to be

Don’t:Smoking is common, survey shows

Do:Survey reveals smoking is

common