Writing Briefly + Headlines

Andrew Huff

Writing Briefs
Two types of briefs:
summarizing a longer story Sharing a tidbit

Mostly just the facts Most details left out

Writing Briefs
Two types of briefs:
summarizing a longer story Sharing a tidbit

Mostly just the facts Most details left out

Briefs are reliant on links

Good Brief Writing

Include the basics (or link to them) Whet the readers appetite for more Be succinct; no words wasted

Lets look at some examples

WSJ Gapers Block Daily Beast Cheat Sheet Coudal Partners TPUTH

HEADLINES

What is a Headline?

Just kidding.

But wait, what is a Headline?

Readers first introduction to the story Search engines first intro to the story (SEO)

Headlines are challenging

Similar to briefs but even shorter Must be informative yet meet space constraints Must draw readers in so they click

What is a good headline?

If a reader only reads the headline & nothing else, would he/she know what the story was about? Coherent Concise Unambiguous Interesting

What is a good headline?

Man bites dog
Headless body found in topless bar

Sticks Nix Hick Pix

Super Cally go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious

What is a bad headline?

Uninformative Ambiguous

Misleading
Too clever Opinionated
unless thats the point.

What is a bad headline?

Uninformative Asheville Art Museum group plans event Chet Coppock is Right What is going on?

What is a bad headline?

Ambiguous or Misleading Dont be deliberately opaque in headlines for the sake of clicks. Suburb voted best place to live

As the word count drops, the likelihood of ambiguity increases.

John Russial, Strategic Copy Editing

Chicken heads an All American Meal Chicken heads an All American Meal

What is a bad headline?

Crash blossoms William Safire Violinist Linked to JAL Crash Blossoms MacArthur Flies Back to Front Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim Gator Attacks Puzzle Experts Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge

What is a bad headline?

Too Clever NY Post: Close but no cigar WSJ: Apple Facing Jobslessness?

Press release: Carlo Rossi is 4 LitersNot Followers

What is a bad headline?

Opinionated unless thats the point. New York Times: Obama Closes In on Big Wins in Lame-Duck Congress

Politico: Democrats concede budget fight to Republicans.

Differences between Print & Web

Print: Photos lend context Type size gives impact Subheads provide further detail Headlines appear in only one place Web Headlines appear all over, out of context, divorced from story No/minimal control over headline size Rarely subheads Headlines can change online

What is a good headline?

Headlines should be based on the main idea of the story Avoid repetition Dont repeat keywords in the headline Dont use exact phrasing from the story itself Conventional headlines should include a noun and a verb Use active voice, present tense verbs For future, use infinitive form: to go, to be Avoid articles a, the and and as much as possible Avoid questions?

What is a good headline?

Betteridge's Law of Headlines Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word, No.

On the other hand

What is a good headline?

A solution to too clever [Play on words]: [Substantive info]

Innovation Incubation: A Look Inside the Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center A Rising Trend: Green Elevator Initiatives Cooking With Gas: Loyola University Brews Up Biodiesel

What is a good headline?

SEO friendly: Key words
Matt Damon Speaks Out About Global Water Crisis

Vampire Face-Lifts Sound So Crazy They Might Actually Work

This May Be The Beginning Of A Mass Extinction 7 Ways Print Magazines Are Using Social Media to Engage Readers

#SEO fail
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