What Makes a Headline Work
Headlines are the first — and often only — thing a reader sees. If yours doesn't land, the rest of the piece doesn't matter. That's not dramatic; it's just how reading works online and in print.
The gap between writing and editing
Most journalism students spend 90% of their time on the body copy and treat the headline as an afterthought. Working editors do the opposite. The headline often gets more revision time than any individual paragraph because it carries the entire weight of the story's value proposition.
This course focuses specifically on the craft of news headlines — not listicle titles, not SEO keyword stuffing, but actual journalistic headers that tell a story in eight to twelve words.
What you'll be working through
We go through the mechanics: active vs. passive voice in headers, the role of strong verbs, when to use a question format (rarely), and how to write for both print and digital contexts where character limits differ significantly.
A headline isn't a summary. It's a decision about what matters most in the story.
Real examples, not hypotheticals
Every session uses real published headlines — good ones, bad ones, and confusing ones. You'll look at front pages from Reuters, AP, and regional papers and understand why a desk editor changed a reporter's original header.
There's also a section on breaking news headlines, where speed and accuracy pull against each other and small word choices carry legal and ethical weight.
By the end, writing a clean headline won't feel like guesswork.
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Session 1 — The anatomy of a news headline
Verb placement, subject clarity, and why most first drafts are too long. We look at 20 real examples and dissect what the desk editor was thinking.
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Session 2 — Active voice and strong verbs
The difference between "Floods Hit Downtown" and "Downtown Hit by Floods" — and when passive voice is actually correct. Practical rewrite exercises included.
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Session 3 — Digital vs. print headline conventions
Character limits, SEO considerations without sacrificing accuracy, and how homepage placement changes headline strategy.
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Session 4 — Breaking news headers under pressure
Writing accurate headlines when facts are still developing. The ethics of hedging language like "reportedly" and "claims."
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Session 5 — Common mistakes and how to spot them
Ambiguous phrasing, unintentional comedy, legal risk from careless word choice. Real-world desk correction examples.
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Session 6 — Editing your own headlines cold
Techniques for reviewing your header 10 minutes after writing it. Peer review structure and feedback framework.