A headline is the large, prominently placed text that grabs the reader’s attention in a newspaper or online. It serves as a summary of the story and can determine whether a story is read or skimmed. Headlines should be clear and specific, avoiding repetition of information in the lede. They should also be interesting enough to draw the reader in. They can be in a variety of formats and styles including news, blog and ad headlines.
Good headlines are often more difficult to write than the actual story, as editors strive to be lively and entertaining while retaining accuracy. Generally speaking, writers of stories, reporters, don’t write their own headlines; instead they suggest ideas for a headline and then must be creative, pithy, and as accurate as possible in limited space. Reporters sometimes get the blame when a headline is inaccurate, although it isn’t their fault; editors must decide what is most important to include in a headline given the size limitations of the newspaper.
In addition to the word limit, a headline’s size is determined by the column width and type size of the publication. To count the likely size of a headline, consult the newspaper’s count guide (called the hed sked). For example, a 2-36-2 head indicates a two column, 36 point (pt) head.