LibGuides: How to Write a News Article: Headlines (2024)

FAQs

LibGuides: How to Write a News Article: Headlines? ›

Headlines should be short and preferably snappy. They should come out of information in the body of the text and not present new information. Headlines are usually not in past tense; a headline about a past event is generally in present tense; one about a future event generally includes to (to meet, to decide, etc.)

Headlines should be short and preferably snappy. They should come out of information in the body of the text and not present new information. Headlines are usually not in past tense; a headline about a past event is generally in present tense; one about a future event generally includes to (to meet, to decide, etc.)

A newspaper article should contain these five main components: a headline, a byline, a lead/lede paragraph, an explanation, and any other additional information. A newspaper article should not include topic or closing sentences.

The headline generally should tell "who" and "what," and perhaps others of the 5 W's. If more than one deck is used, succeed- ing decks give additional facts. (An exception is the headline for a suspended interest feature story. It should suggest what the story is about, but should not reveal the surprise ending.)

Use Interesting Words

Using words like “new,” “affordable,” “exclusive,” or “profitable” can make the readers feel like the blog or article can benefit them, but only if they click right away and maybe even share the content with others. Interesting words often work best when paired with certain types of headlines.

A good headline should make the reader interested in the story and want to know more. This can be achieved through tried-and-tested techniques. These include using provocative language, posing questions, or adding a strong hook that makes the reader curious to learn what the story is about.

A good headline should tell the reader why they should read the piece that follows. It should make explicitly and uniquely clear what value will be gained from the work.

A simple headline formula looks like this: How to [Achieve Result] in [Number] Simple Steps. Naturally, you replace the elements in brackets to fit your content, creating headlines such as “How to File Your Tax Return in 7 Simple Steps” or “How to Fix a Zipper in 12 Simple Steps”.

What not to include in a newspaper article? ›

Facts or statistics can be used to support your points and avoid using your own opinion. Avoid chatty, friendly language in your report as it should be written to inform. Newspaper reports are written in the third person using the names of those involved and pronouns such as 'he', 'she' or 'they'.

A “byline” is simply a credit to the reporter or journalist who wrote the article…as is “written by…” A headline is the title above the article (or on the front page) that summarizes the piece.

This activity will allow them to flex their creative muscles and write a fictional newspaper report, using the 5 W's which are Who, What, When, Where and Why.

Your feature headline should hook in your reader, summarise why your article is important and why they should read it. To help your students come up with a good headline for their feature article, why not ask them to pretend that they are talking to their friend.

Best practice: To avoid getting your head cut off, keep your web head to 8 words or fewer, according to research by The American Press Institute. But online, shorter is better. My personal preference is headlines of 6 words or less, or about 30 characters.