Headline Writing

Book excerpt: The importance of a headline for a news item hardly needs to be emphasized. It is perhaps the single most important factor that draws the reader`s attention to a story. Thus, while writing a compelling headline is a priority for anyone working on a news desk, this task is not easy to accomplish. This book treats headline writing as a craft that can be learnt, a skill that can be honed and perfected. It examines in detail the basic elements of a headline and explains the best way to assemble them in order to write an arresting one. Sunil Saxena carefully examines the different kinds of headlines and the advantages and disadvantages of each style of writing. The book instructs the reader in: - The functions of a headline - The way to write a headline - The different kinds of headlines - The do`s and don`ts of headline writing The author also focuses on writing headlines for the Internet, a skill that is essential in the age of new media and technology. The book is well illustrated by examples and images from newspapers and news magazines. All these have been taken from the Indian media, so that readers can relate to the subject more easily. Exercises and highlighted points at the end of each chapter are useful tools for students of journalism to whom this book will appeal primarily. It will be equally useful for professional journalists.