Monica Gokey/APRN December 2015 THE RADIOHEAD’S GUIDE TO HEADLINES LESSON 1: Write headlines with the active voice Here are some examples of what not to do: DOD studying economics of drawdown NOAA investigating Steller sea lion deaths near Cordova Obama announcing icebreaker plans The implied verb in all those headlines is "is." The DOD is studying. Obama is announcing. ​ ​ ​ ​ A better way to write these headlines is to drop the "­ing" from those verbs and make 'em active: DOD studies economics of drawdown ​ ​ NOAA investigates Steller sea lion deaths near Cordova ​ ​ Obama announces icebreaker plans (OR, "Obama to announce icebreaker plans" depending on the story) ​ ​ ​ ​ Now it's your turn! Can you improve these headlines? (Just do it in your head.) ● Reporters complaining about web editor's pesky emails ● Public radio station mourning impending loss of Bagel Friday ● NPR seeing need for more crunk on airwaves ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 2: Label heds (aka "title heds") Last week we learned about avoiding ­ing verbs for a more active headline. (Bad: NOAA investigating sea ​ ​ lion deaths. Good: NOAA investigates sea lion deaths) ​ ​ Label heds are dull and immobile. What's missing? A verb. And, by golly, do we love our verbs. Some examples of 'meh' title heads: "President Obama's historic Alaska trip" "Emporer goose subsistence hunting from a local hunter's perspective" "South Fairbanks shoot out" Not all title heds are bad. But they should imply the gist of the story, and it's neat if they have a double­meaning. Or, they should really make you want to click that story. Examples of good title heads: "A policy package of presidential proportions" "Anger and paranoia: A public transit story" "A new law, a bag of reefer and three angry cops" Label heds: Know them well enough to avoid them. Unless you're feeling particularly clever. Then let 'er rip. NEXT WEEK: Correctly using quotes in headlines.... quote me on it! ​ ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 3: Correct use of quotes in headlines (is that a label hed, or what?!) ​ Last week we learned to identify label heds (Bad: President Obama's historic Alaska trip. Good: A policy package of presidential proportions) PART 1: THE ‘HOW’ Quotes in headlines should always be single quotes ('Xxx'). No doubles ("Xxx"). So the subject line on this email? ...... It should be: 'Quote me on it,' web­itor says. PART 2: THE ‘WHEN’ Quotes should only be used when they add something specific and important to the meaning of a headline. ​ ​ Here are some not­so­good examples: Seawolves hit ‘rock­bottom’ in 10­0 defeat against No. 5 Huskies Anchorage To 'Revisit' Knik Arm Bridge 'No Turning Back,' FBI charges Wasilla man with North Pole abductions Let's look at that first one... the Seawolves coach says his team hit "rock bottom." So what? The expression "rock bottom" isn't novel, unique or very interesting. But what if the coach said something like.... Seawolves coach calls Huskies loss 'lowest point in my lowly career' WOW! That man is SAD! Someone help him, please! That quote has some umph behind it. ​ ​ In summary, some things to keep in mind when you consider adding quotes to a headline: ● Is the headline the same if I take the quotes out? (Ex: Anchorage to revisit Knik Arm bridge) ​ ● Does the quote make sense if someone hasn't read the story? (Ex: 'No Turning Back,' FBI ​ charges Wasilla man with North Pole abductions) ● Does this quote add something meaningful to the headline? ..... yes? Consider adding it! ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 4: Slenderize your headlines. Channel your inner Richard Simmons, people! ​ PART 1: Cut the pronoun­al fat It's AP style to not include articles (a, the), possessive pronouns (his, her), or forms of "to be" (is, was) unless necessary to the meaning of a hed. Heds aren't meant to have the fluidity of speech. They're meant to be summaries. Bad hed: Pope says his visit to the US was a hit ​ Better hed: Pope calls visit to US a hit ​ PART 2: Word choice: Keep 'er tight Can you get the same idea across with fewer words? Always opt for fewer words. (Hint: this means you'll need better words.) ​ ​ Bad hed: Online cemetery mapping to ensure Juneau always knows where the bodies are buried ​ Better hed: Online map keeps tabs on Juneau's cemetery plots ​ Care to flex a word­wrangling muscle? Here are some sentence­y heds with room for improvement. GO! Communities learn how much money they might receive for hosting LNG line An innovative Wasilla plan has helped homeless teens get off the street and into housing In Dillingham, silver salmon earns spot in history as the fish that spawned on the president’s shoe NEXT WEEK: ....something on verb choice or the magical semi­colon.... ​ ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 5: Two ideas, united by a semicolon Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two independent ideas, united in headlinear matrimony by the use of a semicolon. GOOD EXAMPLES: Study says climate helps skeeters grow faster; Caribou feel added bite Activists say 'keep it in ground'; Jewell calls it simplistic Floodwaters recede in Willow; Houston officials eye Little Su WHEN TO USE A COMMA INSTEAD.... use a comma if two ideas aren't independent of each other. All of ​ the following headlines have two parts, but the latter doesn't make sense without the former (because the subject is only here once… with the semicolon heads, you get two subjects!). Think of the comma like an "and" in these cases: Aleutians monument fought as threat, derided as ‘straw man’ Fairbanks gets first major snow, braces for reduced maintenance Governor declares disaster in Sitka, opening new lines of relief funds The semicolon is there for you. Learn it. Use it. Love it. ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 6: Numbers, money and periods Quick grammar lesson today: PART 1: If you include acronyms like "U.S." and "B.C." in headlines, drop the periods (US, BC).Yes, it looks ​ ​ weird. But it's AP style. Bad: B.C. meets with Tulsequah Chief Mine owner Good: BC meets with Tulsequah Chief Mine owner PART 2: Numbers in headlines ­­ they should be digits, not spelled out: ​ ​ Bad: Two in custody after Subway rampage ​ Good: 2 in custody after Subway rampage ​ PART 3: Use capital "M" and "B" for million and billion. And "K" for thousand. Don’t spell out ​ million/billion/thousand in headlines. Bad: With $4 million at stake, lawmakers ready for war ​ Good: With $4M at stake, lawmakers ready for war ​ Grammar police, 10­4, over and out. ________________________________________________________________________________ LESSON 7: Boring but important ­­ editorializing Editorializing is to make comments or express opinions rather than just report the news. Sometimes it's easy to see: ​ Hip hop brings positive change to Anchorage Who says hip hop engenders positive change? The reporter? A better way to write that hed is something like: Teen says hip hop brings positive change to city ​ Editorializing isn't always so clear: ​ It’s 2015, but state boards and commissions still skew male 2­1 The parts "it's 2015, but" and "still" imply whoever wrote this thinks change is overdue (perhaps it is!). You almost expect to see, "c'mon!" at the end of the hed. Here's a better take: Alaska boards, commissions skew male 2­1 Boring? Definitely. Here are some other heds to mull: Assembly should reconsider waste management bid Proposed Anchorage anti­discrimination ordinance will protect LGBT community City moves aggressively on 'Giordian Knot' of homelessness problem Better versions of those heads: Assembly to reconsider waste bid; Assembly seeks to add LBGT clause to ​ anti­discrimination code; City hires homelessness coordinator with state funds. .