One thing I have learned during this week’s study of
headlines is that headlines are extremely complicated. Think about it, a
headline is only a few short words long. However, it is the most read and one
of the most complicated to write pieces of literature. There are many rules and
suggestions to keep in mind as a simple headline is written.
In this blog I would like to suggest one rule that was new
for me. The rule is: the headline should show how the story affects the reader.
Previously I had thought that a headline was designed to provide a quick
caption regarding the topic of the story, however, after learning this rule I
would suggest that a headline goes much deeper than a preview of a story.
Making a headline pertinent to the reader is extremely
important. No reader will want to stop and read an article if it is not going
to affect him/her, or mean something to him/her for one or another reason. Once
a reader see the relevance in his/her own life then he/she will spend the time
to read and find out the pertinence thereof.
For this reason, I would suggest that to know an audience is
the single most important element of writing. The technique of a writer is
great, the style draws the reader once he/she has started reading, but to truly
know the audience can grab their attention from the beginning. Once, the
audience’s attention was captured the reader could appreciate the technique and
style of the writer.
Editing mistake for the week:
How am I supposed to answer this problem? Note in exercise 5.10 the question suggests the reader name each of the blue elements. However, unfortunately for the reader there is no possible way to get this answer correct as there are no blue elements.
I agree headlines can be difficult and complicated. As you mentioned they are the most read part of a story and if they are not written well they can due little justice to the story.
ReplyDeleteWhen a headline affects me, I open the article. That is such a good rule for headlines!
ReplyDelete