Archives: headlines

Exercise: Headline writing for the web 01

May 21, 2013 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: exercises, headlines, teaching journalism.

Instructions Instructors: The purpose of this exercise is to provide students with some practice in writing headlines for the web. Headlines, in the words of Jakob Nielsen, should be “pearls of clarity.” Students: In the spaces on the right, write headlines for the stories below. You should read Headline writing for the web before starting • Read More »

Headline writing for the web

May 21, 2013 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: editing, headlines.

Some of the most important words a journalist will write for the web are the headline. A headline has always been very important for print media. It is vitally important for the web. Because headlines appear in lists as links rather than with the body of the story, they are the reader’s first introduction to a story. If they do not sell the reader immediately, the reader is unlikely to click on the link to go to the story.