The Secret to Writing Great Headlines for News Stories

Youve edited a news story for grammar, AP Style, content, and so on, and are laying it out on the page or preparing to press Upload. Now comes one of the most interesting, challenging, and important parts of the editing process: writing a headline. Writing great news story headlines is an art. You can bang out the most interesting article ever written, but if it doesnt have an attention-grabbing headline, its likely to be passed over. Whether youre at a newspaper, news website, or blog, a great headline (or hed) will always get more eyeballs on your copy. A Challenging Endeavor The challenge is to write a headline thats compelling, catchy, and detailed while using as few words as possible. Headlines, after all, have to fit the space theyre given on the page. In newspapers, headline size is determined by three parameters: the width (defined by the number of columns the hed will have), the depth (whether it gets one line or two, called single deck or double deck, respectively), and the font size. Headlines can run anywhere from something small—like 18 point—all the way up to banner front-page heds that can be 72 points or bigger. So, if your hed is designated as a 28-point, three-column double-decker, you know that it will be in a 28-point font, running across three columns, and with two lines. That means youll have a lot more room to work with than if you were given a larger font or only one line. Unlike newspaper pages, stories on websites have fewer restrictions since space is less of a consideration. Still, no one wants to read a headline that goes on forever, and website headlines need to be just as catchy as ones in print. Plus, headline writers for websites must consider search engine optimization, or SEO, to try to get more people to view their content. Guidelines for Writing News Headlines Be Accurate This is most important. A headline should entice readers, but it shouldnt oversell or distort what the story is about. Always stay true to the spirit and meaning of the article. Keep It Short This seems obvious; headlines are by nature short. But when space limitations arent a consideration (as on a blog, for instance), writers sometimes get verbose with their heds. Shorter is better. Fill the Space If youre writing a headline to fill a specific space in a newspaper, avoid leaving too much empty space at the end of the head. This is called white space and it should be minimized. Don't Repeat the Lede The headline, like the lede, should focus on the main point of the story. However, if the hed and the lede are too similar, the lede will become redundant. Try to use different wording in the headline. Be Direct Headlines arent the place to be obscure; a direct, straightforward headline gets your point across more effectively than something overly creative. Use the Active Voice Remember the subject-verb-object formula for news writing? Thats also the best model for headlines. Start with your subject, write in the active voice, and your headline will convey more information using fewer words. Write in Present Tense Even if most news stories are written in the past tense, headlines should almost always use the present tense. Avoid Bad Breaks A bad break is when a hed with more than one line splits a prepositional phrase, an adjective and noun, an adverb and verb, or a proper noun. For example: Obama hosts WhiteHouse dinner Obviously, White House should not be split between the two lines. Heres a better way to do it: Obama hosts dinnerat the White House Make Your Headline Appropriate to the Story A humorous headline may work with a lighthearted story, but it most definitely wouldnt be appropriate for an article about someone being murdered. The tone of the headline should match the tone of the story. Know Where to Capitalize Always capitalize the first word of the headline and any proper nouns. Dont capitalize every word unless thats the style of your particular publication.

Nature vs. Nurture Essay - 2498 Words

Nature vs. Nurture The dubious history of the heredity environment controversy can be easily traced as far back as the start of the present century with at least some historical evidence placing the roots of this dispute in the time of John Locke. This controversy has continued despite continual reiteration that the critical question is not how much of a trait is due to heredity and how much is due to environment, but rather how environment transact to influence development. ( Wachs , 1983, p. 386). This paper will focus on the nature/nurture controversy and the extent to which an individuals intellectual level is determined either by inborn intelligence or by environmental factors. The relative powers of nature†¦show more content†¦Vermon (1979) concludes that we may attribute 60 percent of the determination of IQ status to heredity, 30 percent to environment and 10 percent tot he combined effects of the two. David Layzers (1976) study indicates that the more relevant a given task is to an individuals specific environmental challenges, the more important are the efface of this interaction. A child grown up in circumstances that provide motivation, reward and opportunity for the acquisition of verbal skills will achieve a higher level of verbal proficiency than his twin reared in an environment hostile to this id of development. According to Layer if two egg twins are reared together we cannot assume the environmental factors are the same for bot h. If one twin has a greater verbal aptitude he will devote more time and effort to this kind of learning than his twin. So test results on verbal proficiency will not reflect genetic difference, only, but differences between the ways in which the genetic endowments of the twins have interacted with their common environment. Longitudinal studies have also found the influence of heredity on intelligence increases with age. Among 500 pairs of twins, identical twins became more and more alike in IQ from infancy to adolescence, while fraternal twins became less alike. The home environment had some impact, butShow MoreRelatedNature Vs Nurture : Is The Nature Or Nurture?1300 Words   |  6 PagesAoS 3: Student Directed Research Investigation Unit 1 Psychology - Megan Rodrigues RESEARCH QUESTION How is the nature vs nurture debate related to a consideration of the mental disorder, schizophrenia? INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is categorized by thoughts or experiences that seem abnormal with reality, disorganized speech or behaviour and decreased participation in regular daily activities. Difficulty with memory and concentration are sometimes also present. The two hit hypothesis generally refersRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature Or Nurture874 Words   |  4 Pages Nature or Nurture. Nature may be all of the genes and hereditary factors with which influence them to become who they are such as physical appearances and personality characteristics. Nurturing impacts people’s lives as well as how they are raised and all the environmental factors. In combination, these qualities can be the true identity of oneself. Many people may argue that nurture appears to a play huge factor in the two, but others may think otherwise. Not having both as a characteristic canRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature And Nurture1821 Words   |  8 PagesNature and nurture are usually seen as very different things, but they are actually somewhat similar and even integrated. There is a huge debate over which holds more influence over how people develop and whether they behave based on genes or their environment. In Sincero’s article Nature and Nurture Debate she discusses arguments for both sides, saying behavior may be completely in a person’s genes, or it could come from experience and influence. Many people believe â€Å"that the criminal acts, tendencyRead MoreNature And Nurture : Nature Vs. Nurture1780 Words   |  8 PagesAs Nature Made Him: Nature vs. Nurture Human behavior is determined by both biological and environmental factors. Psychologists are interested in learning which of these factors is a greater influence on human behavior and identity. Although psychologists today generally agree that both nature and nurture play a role in conditioning behavior, there is still disagreement about the part that each of the factors have in determining behavior. The nature versus nurture debate focuses around the extentRead MoreNature Vs Nurture : Nature And Nurture1821 Words   |  8 Pages Nature and nurture are usually seen as very different things, but they are actually somewhat similar and even integrated. There is a huge debate over which holds more influence over how people develop and whether they behave based on genes or their environment. In Sincero’s article Nature and Nurture Debate she discusses arguments for both sides, saying behavior may be completely in a person’s genes, or it could come from experience and influe nce. Many people believe â€Å"that the criminal acts, tendencyRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nurture1405 Words   |  6 PagesDecember 2015 Nature vs. Nurture Very few people know that the nature vs. nurture debate actually began early on with famous Greek philosophers such as Plato and Descartes. These two theorized that certain things were inborn and occurred naturally regardless of environmental factors (Cherry 1). Most people began to witness this debate in 1896 when the phrase â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture† was coined by English polymath, Francis Galton (â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture†Origins 1). At this point the nature vs. nurture debate grewRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nurture901 Words   |  4 Pagestime the proverbial nature vs. nurture question has sparked quite a debate. I hold the belief that nature vs. nurture is a zero-sum game. We essentially enter this existence, a lump of clay that needs molding in order to take form. So, I believe my creative abilities can be attributed to the sum of our genetic predisposition, the nurture of our mind, and the dynamic of both nature and nurture, with nurture being the predominant influencing factor. In psychology, nature refers to the inheritedRead MoreNature Vs Nurture And Nurture1777 Words   |  8 Pagesformed and cultivated through nature or nurture. This psychological anomaly is why I am writing this paper. Ever since I have enrolled in, and taken, a psychology class during my junior year, I have questioned whether every little emotion and action is because of nature or nurture. No topic is more widely explored and researched than morality. It cannot be scientifically or psychologically proven or tested, making any claim highly controversial. This idea, of nature vs nurture, that I had previously researchedRead MoreThe Nature Vs. Nurture1463 Words   |  6 PagesT What can we define as Human Nature and Nurture? The Nature vs. Nurture has been a long never ending debate for some time now. Nature vs Nurture has been so profoundly debated, that now it’s unclear whether what makes us who we are and what we do, nature or nurture. For purposes of this essay Nature is going to be defined as characteristics we acquire through our genetic and biological factors, while that Nurture is going to be defined characteristics we acquire through our interactions and influencesRead MoreNature Vs. Nurture : Nature Versus Nurture1337 Words   |  6 PagesNature vs. Nurture There are many different ways that behavior can be explained, especially on the terms of nature vs. nurture. Aggression is a behavior that has been extensively analyzed in a complex manner and the causes of it can be explained many different ways. Aggression can be defined as hostile or destructive behavior that can cause injury or destructive outlook especially when caused by frustration. Nature can be defined as aspects of behavior that have been inherited or are genetic, while

Kimble s Theory Of Learning Essay - 1494 Words

Kimble’s theory of learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality that occurs as a result of reinforced practice. The five aspects or parts of Kimble’s theory of learning are the following: First, the change in behavior. The result of learning must always be translated into measurable behavior. In other words, after learning, learners do something that they did not do before learning took place. Second, this behavioral change is relatively permanent; that is, it is neither transitory nor fixed. Third, the change in behavior does not occur instantly following the learning experience. Even though there may be a potential to act differently, this potential to act may not be translated into behavior until a later time. Fourth, the change in behavior results from experience or practice. Finally, the experience must be reinforced; that is, only those responses that lead to reinforcement will be learned. The authors of the text advocate for a modified definition of Kimble’s original definition of learning because it still stresses the importance of experience, but leaves it to the theoris t to specify the kind of experience they feel are necessary for learning to take place. This modified definition of learning state that learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior or in behavioral potentiality that results from experience and cannot be attributed to temporary body states such as those induced by illness, fatigue, or drugs. Define andShow MoreRelatedPerspectives Paper1467 Words   |  6 Pagesare a response brought on by another stimuli John B. Watson, an American psychologist, became a prominent figure in the field in the early 1900’s. This is a man who got his start by studying the behavior of animals, which lead of course to his later studies on human behavior. Studies, which dealt with the relationship between sensory input and learning and behavior. By 1913 Watson had published his views on what would become better known as behaviorism. One of the goals that he believed regardingRead MoreEssay on Cognitive Maps in Rats and Men1374 Words   |  6 Pagesmany significant findings to the studies of learning , memory and motivation. By todays standards he would be considered a behaviorist. â€Å"He is best remembered for being a pioneer in cognitive psychology during a time when behaviorists dominated the field. Tolman made several significant contributions to the field of psychology. At Berkeley University he created a cognitive theory of learning, which became his trademark to the field. He thought of le arning as developing from bits of knowledge and cognitionRead MoreThe Mission Of Siena Heights University1083 Words   |  5 Pagesand ethical through a teaching and learning environment which respects the dignity of all (Mission and vision, n.d.). The concepts of leadership, â€Å"to assist people to become more competent, purposeful, and ethical,† (Mission and vision, n.d.), fit within the mission of Siena Heights University because the institution fosters the growth of leaders by incorporating skills outside of the classroom. Educators have long known that a significant portion of student learning in college occurs outside the classroomRead MoreCognitive Maps in Rats and Men1456 Words   |  6 PagesCognitive Maps in Rats and Men Edward Chance Tolman made many significant findings to the studies of learning, memory and motivation. Today Tolman would be considered a Cognitive Behaviorist, he developed his own brand of behaviorism which emphasized the purposeful nature behind an organisms actions, taking into account its goals and motivations. â€Å"He is best remembered for being a pioneer in cognitive psychology during a time when behaviorists dominated the field. Tolman made several significantRead MorePsychology vs Common Sense1521 Words   |  7 PagesPhenomena are such things as we call feelings, desires, cognition, reasoning, decisions and the like† (p. 2). Data is collected through careful, systematic observation; then attempt to explain what was observed by developing theories; make new predictions based on those theories and then systematically test those predictions through additional observations and experiments to determine whether it is correct. Where as common sense describes beliefs or propositions that seem, to most people, to be prudentRead MoreSoft Thinking and Intellectual Capital3247 Words   |  13 Pagescapital it is necessary to understand the concept of Soft Systems Methodology and how this methodology can be used to foster teamwork, communities of practice and social learning, and whether these learning outcomes adds knowledge to employees, and leads to improved professional practice and efficacy. 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Whether knowledge is seen as absolute, separate from the knower and corresponding to a knowable, external realityRead MoreCommunities of Practice (Cop)3461 Words   |  14 PagesWhile Lave and Wenger coined the term in the 1990s, this type of learning practice has existed for as long as people have been learning and sharing their experiences through storytelling. This approach views learning as an act of membership in a â€Å"community of practice.† The theory seeks to understand both the structure of communities and how learning occurs in them. Groups whose members regularly engage in sharing and learning, based on common interests—can improve organizational performanceRead MoreFactors That Affect the Academic Performance of the Students Staying at Pic Dormitory3023 Words   |  13 PagesChapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Student’s academic performance occupies a very important place in education as well as in the learning process. So to have better classroom performance and lower drop out incidence, many colleges require students to stay in school dormitories especially those students who live far from school like Cavite, Tarlac, Laguna, Batangas etc. It is widely believed that living in campus dormitory can acquire some benefits in their academic performanceRead More THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES65118 Words   |  261 PagesDurham E-Theses THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES LEE, SHIUAN,EN,CHRIS How to cite: THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at LEE, SHIUAN,EN,CHRIS (2009) Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/242/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal

Character Is Lost, Everything Is Lost Essay Example For Students

Character Is Lost, Everything Is Lost Essay If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. But, if character is lost, everything is lost. The importance of our character and personality transcends any other measure of success of our existence. Let us think of past and present leaders. It is apparent that each famous leader is a person of strong character. Over ones lifetime, character has to be developed painstakingly. It is strength of character that makes a person truly great. What is character? It means that you operate from a base of integrity, which means that you operate within your moral code, even when no one is watching you or there to reward you. It means that fear and guilt are temporary and occasional visitors to your life who simply appear to help you make amends when necessary but dont stay long. It means that you have nothing to hide, which in turn gives you the freedom to achieve success to its fullest. Some people call this the golden rule, whereby they treat others as they would want to be treated. Every day, you have a chance (or more than one) to practice this rule for yourself. For example, if at work you are tempted to steal credit for someone elses idea so that youre the one who receives the promotion, this is at best a hollow victory and not really yours. Rather, practicing the golden rule means giving credit where credit is due and that means taking it (with modesty) when its yours as well. Only then will the goals you reach be truly yours and be worth your pride. On the other hand, if you step on people to get where youre going, you can only expect that the same is going to happen to you by others. In short, you get what you give. For a better life, try treating people as you want to be treated. Treat them with respect, honesty and courtesy. Appropriate anger is okay, but losing your temper is not. Of course, most of us have at one time or another regretted losing our temper or something similar in a situation, but this happens to everyone; if this happens, apologize and then move on. People can usually tell when youre someone with a short fuse who expects to intimidate people as a matter of course, versus someone who simply has had a bad day, has taken responsibility for his or her actions, and has put it to rest. If you have character and integrity, you recognize as well that success comes from not just your own efforts, but because people helped you along the way. It then behooves you to return the favor and offer somebody else in need the same helping hand you were given at one point.