Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thursday / Friday November 19 / 20 headlines continued

Capitalization related comic:
REMEMBER THAT YOUR SENIOR EXIT INTERVIEWS ARE ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 FROM 2:30 TO 5:30. DO NOT MAKE ANY PLANS. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE TIME.

Also, anyone who did not receive their edited essay will have it by this Sunday. They are required for your interviews.  A couple people did not give me anything; so if by Sunday, I have not received your essay, you will be visiting with Ms. Aspenleiter. 

Please read the following rules very carefully, as this material applies directly to the practice assignment.
This assignment is due at the end of class on Friday, November 20
send along, as usual



What to Capitalize in a Headline

Copy editors notice a lot of little stuff that other people might not. The online news sites and articles that continue to nudge out traditional news outlets often contain tiny hints that they’re being produced by people who aren’t as well versed in language and style as older forms of media.
 Know and follow capitalization style for headlines: It just looks more professional, even to readers who are not consciously focusing on capitalization.
So here’s a simple system offered by AP (Associated Press) that you should consider for any headlines you write:
Capitalize the first word of every letter except articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions of three letters or fewer. There’s one exception: Any word that is the first word in the headline or the last word should be capitalized, regardless of its part of speech. So that last headline, in AP style, would leave one “to” lowercase and capitalize the other:
Knowing Which Loved One to Make Your Will Out To

The biggest problem writers have with this simple system is remember that is and it, unlike in, are not prepositions. Is is a verb and it is a pronoun. So they’re always uppercased in AP style headlines.
For example: Candidate Asks What It Is





























Learning target: I can recognize and correct ineffective headlines and create original headlines that accurately follow the parameters of effective headlines.                

HEADLINE RULES
Learning Target: analyzing contemporary headlines.

1.  Sell the story. A good head involves readers 
much like a clever ad. 

2. Tell the facts. Precise and specific heads inform 
readers instantly of what they may or may not 
want to read. 

3. Be accurate. All facts, names, numbers, whatever 
must be correct. 

4. Be objective. Donʼt editorialize. 

5. Simple but precise. No fancy words. No weird 
constructions. Find the right word to communicate 
the meaning. 

6. Make tone fit content. Serious story. Serious 

headline. Funny story. Funny headline. 

Kinds of Headlines 

• 1-line-headline

Bricklayers engage in mortar combat

• 2-line-headline 
Backers hot for chili 

as U.S. official food

• 3-line-headline 
Principal adds 
six electives 

to summer school 

• Main/secondary headline 
Standing tall

5ʼ-4” guard rises to challenge of leading Tigers

• Main/secondary headline 
Driven to destruction

Police play game 
of cat and mouse 

with illegal racers 

• Main/secondary headline 
Whole new ballgame

Nolan Ryan makes smooth transition to job 

helping oversee stateʼs parks, wildlife areas 

• Main/Secondary headline 
Up to date 
Senior makes over dad 

for online auction 

• Be as specific as possible in your headline. 
Get to the heart of the news. 
(not good) 

School board discusses items 

at heated Tuesday meeting 

(better – more specific) 
2 board members walk out 

over budget argument 

• Avoid semicolons. The headline should be a 
single sentence, not a collection of sentences. 

Hurricane strikes; 
school swamped; 
pep rally cancelled 

Better: 
Pep rally cancelled 
after hurricane 

slams into school

• Donʼt pad headlines with school initials or 
dates. Also, avoid initials and abbreviations in 
headlines. 
Too vague…
2011 MHS FFA plans 

to hold annual rodeo 

• More specific…
Willie Nelson to appear 

at FFA rodeo Saturday

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line 
avoid be verbs and linking verbs. Action. Shoot 
for present tense or future tense.

(weak) 
Spongebob will 
attend Mensa meeting 
purely as spectator 

(better) 
Spongebob to attend 
Mensa meeting 
purely as spectator 

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line 
Strive for present/future tense, action verbs 

(weak) 
Nichols will 
not appear 
in court 

(better) 
Nichols avoids 
district court 

appearance 

• No articles. Use a comma instead of “and”

Heat wave blisters California, Texas 

• No clichés.

Swimmers dive into season 
Golfers swing into action 
Exchange students say ʻHasta la vistaʼ
Math Club multiplies 
Football team tackles opposition 
Drama Club acts up 

Military recruiters say, ʻI Want Youʼ

• Do not repeat key words or phrases 

from the main headline into the secondary headline 

wrong
Pocket lasers banned
Authorities ban laser pointers

( Just in case you didnʼt 
catch it, the repetition is 
the word “laser” and 
“ban”)

better
Pocket lasers banned
Principal cites injuries, class disruptions 

(This headline provides 
twice as much 
information in the 
same amount of 
space! )

• Avoid "headline-ese" either in the form of simplified 
spellings or odd synonyms. 

Board to meet Vball team destroys 

Tuesday nite Southside in finals 

Senior play 
to continue 
thru Easter 



• Avoid initials or abbreviations, unless the initials 
are instantly recognizable. 

From the UT-AustinʼDaily Texan: 
ACLU considers 
lawsuit for SFAʼs YCT 

• Avoid passive verbs in headlines. 

Nope:
Internet fraud is 
cause of worry 
for administrators 

Better: 

Internet fraud 
concerns 
administrators

• It is permissible to use implied passive verbs.

Mosquitos (are) biting into summer fun 
Federal grant (is) renewed 

• Put all parts of a verb on the same line 

(weak) 
Big surprise: Nader will 
run for president again 

(better) 
Big surprise: Nader to run 
for U.S. president again 

• Do not end a line with a preposition 

Baseball team ready for 
playoff game, coach says 

• Do not end a line with a preposition 

No love lost between 
Longhorns, Sooners 

• When separating two sentences in a headline, 
do so with a semi-colon.

Bardwell named Educator of the Year; 
experts call it sign of plunging standards 

• The main headline should never be dependent on a kicker or other secondary headline. 

(incorrect) 
If elected in November, Obama 
Says he will get U.S. out of Iraq 

(correct) 
Getting out 
Obama promises to end Iraq war 

• Alliteration in headlines should be used sparingly and in appropriate situations.

Acceptable: 
New Planetary Puzzlers

A distant, oversize world causes cosmic confusion 

Take ʻmeowtʼ 
to the cat show

Annual festival of felines begins today 

• Unacceptable: 

Cheneyʼs chest chink 

Vice presidentʼs thumper goes thud

• The headline should reflect the mood of the story. 

Band itching for practice 

as soon as mosquitos killed



• Be careful of word use and misinterpretation.

Bears capture playoff birth 

Bush, Kerry 

butt heads

Panda mating fails; 

veterinarian takes over

Police Say Man Hid 

Crack in Buttocks 

A few more rules …
• Avoid contractions 

• Do not end a headline with a period 

• Avoid names unless they are easily recognizable 

• Always use single quotes in headlines 

Headline style


Do not center headlines
Start headline flush left on column

Double or triple headlines should be close to the same length

NOW SOME PRACTICE; apply the above rules to the following:
Write a headline for “3 bears” news story.


1. Remember the story of The Three Bears.  Who were the characters?  What happened?  What was the climax of the story? 

 Write 3 possible headlines for that story, if it were to be written as a news story. Include a secondary headline.

2. 
Change these titles to headlines

1.  The Three Little Pigs
2.  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
3.  Indiana Jones
4.  Tool Time

3.Here is a short story.  Write a headline  and secondary headline for it.
CAMP DOHA,
             Kuwait -- The battle for Baghdad began Tuesday night as 
U.S. ground forces entered the "Red Zone."
            U.S. Army and Marine ground forces advanced on separate 
axes into the swath of territory around Baghdad that is defended by 
the Republican Guard and has been characterized by U.S. 
commanders as the most strategically vital and treacherous of the 
war.
          Although still 50 miles or more from the capital, the attack 
brought the U.S. military one step closer to its ultimate objective:
 the capture of Baghdad and the toppling of the government of 
President Saddam Hussein. 

4. 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 fee. The trio clasped hands to form a ring while the Rev. Brown conducted the ceremony.  

5.  What’s wrong with these headlines? Using the above rules, in a complete sentence, write out what is wrong with the sentence and then rewrite and correct the headline.
  

lWife charges husband killed her for money
lMan who shot himself accidentally dies

lBoy chasing fox found rabid

lAndalusia girl improved after drinking poison

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