Keys to crafting headlines for online news web sites. @frankwords

1. CRAFTING COMPELLING
HEADLINES
Frank Mungeam
Director of Digital Media, KGW.com

2. Overview
 What Headlines Do & Why They Matter
 5 Keys to Crafting Great Headlines
 Headlining in a Google world

3. WHAT DO HEADLINES
DO?
Exercise:
List at least 3 things a headline does

4. Functions of Headline
Communicate Story Importance

5. Functions of Headlines
Concisely convey essence of story

6. Functions of Headline
Grab Attention

7. Functions of Headline
Convey tone of publication

8. Elements of Great Headlines
Clear
Concise
Capture the
Story essence

9. Elements of Great Headlines
Creative
Catchy
Draw the
reader in

10. Writing Clear Headlines
Identify the 5 W’s and H to clarify:
 Who is the key subject?
 What is the key action?
 What is the essence of the story
Craft a headline that contains the key subject,
a key action verb, and story essence

11. Crafting Great Headlines
Include distinctive detail
One-car crash closes freeway
Driver pried from flipped car on I-84
Police stop man from suicide
Police stop suicidal man from setting
himself on fire

12. Crafting Great Headlines
Location, Location Location
Child hit by school bus
Child hit by school bus in Portland
Man charged in teen’s rape
Beaverton man charged in teen’s rape

13. EXERCISE
Headline-crafting practice

14. How would you headline?
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Washington state man was
arrested after an early morning foot chase by Oregon State
Police troopers who found cocaine during a traffic stop in the
Portland area.
Troopers found more than 2 ounces of cocaine and more
than $9,500 in cash during the Monday stop of a car traveling
about 90 mph in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 5 near suburban
Tualatin.
The suspect fled and two troopers chased him across
freeway lanes, where the man was nearly struck by traffic. The
troopers used a stun gun to stop the man when they finally
caught up to him after about half a mile.
Twenty-one-year-old Logan Rix of Lacey, Wash., faces drug
charges and charges of resisting arrest and disorderly
conduct.

15. How would you headline?
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Washington state man was
arrested after an early morning foot chase by Oregon
State Police troopers who found cocaine during a traffic
stop in the Portland area.
Troopers found more than 2 ounces of cocaine and
more than $9,500 in cash during the Monday stop of a
car traveling about 90 mph in a 55 mph zone on
Interstate 5 near suburban Tualatin.
The suspect fled and two troopers chased him across
freeway lanes, where the man was nearly struck by
traffic. The troopers used a stun gun to stop the man
when they finally caught up to him after about half a mile.
Twenty-one-year-old Logan Rix of Lacey, Wash., faces
drug charges and charges of resisting arrest and
disorderly conduct.
LOOK FOR:
•Key actor
•Key action
• Essence of
story
•Vivid details

16. Possible Headlines
Police arrest man for cocaine possession
Lacey man arrested for cocaine possession
Lacey man caught with cocaine after high-speed
chase
Lacey man with cocaine leads police on chase by
car and on foot before being tased
Lacey man tased, caught with cocaine after
freeway chase by car and on foot

17. Headlining in the Digital Era
In Search of the News

18. Headlining in Digital Era
One-third of news stories are
found through search engines

19. Headlining for Search
Search engines look for “Key Words” like
names and proper nouns
What 2-3 words would you search for?
Local designer wins reality show
Portland fashion designer wins Bravo’s
Project Runway

20. Crafting Great Headlines
Key words are key
Man beaten after placing online ad
Pair beat Tigard man who placed
Craigslist ad
New hotel opens for business
The Nines hotel opens in Portland

21. HEADLINING FOR
SEARCH
Exercise:
Headline this story with SEO in mind

22. Release: New restaurant opening
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland’s Pearl District
neighborhood has taken on a new flavor – Indian, to be exact.
Andina Restaurant opened Thursday to rave reviews from
locals and out of town visitors alike.
The menu specializes in authentic Indian food, rich in flavor
and spices. Be sure to have a glass of water on standby, just
in case. But don’t worry. The restaurant offers mild as well as
spicy versions of all their dishes.
Andina is open for dinner seven nights a week.

23. Andina Indian restaurant opens in Portland’s
Pearl District
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland’s Pearl District
neighborhood has taken on a new flavor – Indian, to be exact.
Andina Restaurant opened Thursday to rave reviews from
locals and out of town visitors alike.
The menu specializes in authentic Indian food, rich in flavor
and spices. Be sure to have a glass of water on standby, just
in case. But don’t worry. The restaurant offers mild as well as
spicy versions of all their dishes.
Andina is open for dinner seven nights a week.

24. SUMMARY

25. Function of Headlines
Convey importance
Summarize essence
Create interest
Convey tone of publication

26. Writing Great Headlines
 Identify key subject and essence
 Identify key action, using vivid verb
 Identify story location
 Include distinctive detail
 Key words are key, use 2-3 you’d search for

27. Good Headlines are Catchy!

28. CRAFTING COMPELLING
HEADLINES
Frank Mungeam
Director of Digital Media, KGW.com