Headline writing is a challenge as these 100+ examples prove. By S. Griff Singer, May 2022.

1. Headaches
Some from the ’70s,
some from
a few days ago.

2. Headaches
A 50-plus year
collection of
headlines . . .

3. Headaches
. . . Some good, some bad
. . . Some funny
. . . Some sad
. . . Some with awful double
meanings.

4. Headaches
Note headline construction
changes over the years.
Printing limitations in days
of old required headlines be
no more than 1 column wide.

5. Headaches
Can you imagine if the Civil
War were happening in 2022
that it would be proclaimed
in a 1-column headline?

7. Headaches
Or that Lincoln’s death or
the Union victory would
have been treated in similar
fashion?

19. The classic,
the end-all
headline from
New York . . .

23. Doo Dads
Gadgets, widgets and pure power
make fathers smile on their day

24. Be earnest in your
hemming ways

25. Baked Alaska
90 in Anchorage is hottest
on record — by 5 degrees

26. Ice sidelines hockey team
Harper, Doss crews keep
squad warm after bus incident

27. CORONAVIRUS
DSO forced
to change tune
Concerts shortened
after key players test
positive for COVID

28. Husband goes ape
over new pet monkey

29. Winter storm aftermath
Pipe, hardware shortages
are plumb frustrating

30. Acupuncturist gets
stuck with bill — twice

31. Jerked to Jesus

32. ‘Initialitis’ = trouble:
Ill. man asks Pa. to join
Miss. in Mass. protest

33. So does “headlinese”
Solons flay unit head
at span parley

34. So does “headlinese”
Farmer Bill
Dies in House

35. Headaches
Say that again?
Court Rebuffs Biden
Administration’s Bid
to Lift Block Against CMS
COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
— The Epoch Times

36. Headaches
Mission improbable
Wife charges
husband killed
her for money

37. Headaches
Mission improbable
Relatives served
at family dinner

38. Headaches
Woman hit
by vehicle in
intensive care

39. Headaches
Mother kills her
daughter and self,
then burns home

40. Headaches
Household hint:
You can put
pickles up
yourself

41. Headaches
Pickle demands
apology

42. Headaches
Glacier Lake
still up in air

43. Headaches
Exhibit gets to
bottom of body’s
functions
No . . . .

44. Headaches
Time for papal blessing
Prostitutes appeal
to Pope

45. Headaches
Time for papal blessing
Pope says God
forgave her
for killing parents

46. Headaches
Enraged cow
injures farmer
with ax

47. Headaches
Hitler, Nazi papers
found in attic

48. Headaches
New obesity study looks
for larger test group

49. Headaches
Panda mating fails;
zoo vet to take over

50. Headaches
Kicking baby
considered
to be healthy

51. Headaches
Dangers of cellphone
use fall on deaf ears

52. Headaches
Typo terrors:
Parking lot floods
when man bursts
(make that “main”)

53. Headaches
More typo terrors:
Chinese consider
Bush a fiend
(story says he’s a “friend”)

54. Headaches
More typo terrors:
Missippi’s literacy
program shows
improvement

55. Headaches
More typo terrors:
Mizzouri holds
off Alabama
Mizzery loves company

56. Headaches
Akerasee’s the watchword
in Austin these days
Blocking sail of oil, gas
exports will punish Russia

57. Headaches
New electric car
would run on
gasoline

58. Headaches
Children not likely
to inherit infertility

59. Headaches
Milk drinkers are
turning to powder

60. Headaches
America’s got scallops:
catches have increased,
but consumers shell out

61. Headaches
Chronic fatigue
support group unable
to get up for rally

62. Headaches
Patients feel
doctors’pinch

63. Headaches
The hell you say. . .
Damn construction
92% complete
at Brushy Creek

64. Headaches
Could there be more?
Man with two
broken legs saves
one from drowning

65. Headaches
Auctioneer
going, going
to world meet

66. Headaches
Plurals = Problems
Flies to attend
wedding of son
That’s Mr. & Mrs. Fly

67. Headaches
CITY ORDINANCE
Plano lets hens roost
but many squawk
Residents can
apply for permits,
can’t keep roosters

68. Headaches
Boy chasing fox
found rabid

69. Headaches
Belt may have
saved dead man
Let’s drink to that

70. Headaches
Two accused
of kidnapping
slain man

71. Headaches
Small Medill girl
returns to family
still in coma

72. Headaches
No gas leak
found at
Taco Bell

73. Headaches
Police say helpful
neighbor may have
killed six women

74. Headaches
Youth born in U.S.
in Polish uniform

75. Headaches
Don’t let it bug you.
Call the circus folks
Disgruntled guard
hijacks jet, fleas

76. Headaches
Cards get
Fingers from
Padres

77. Headaches
Doberman bites 3
men who got off
Greyhound

78. Headaches
A hyphen here and there’s important
Squad helps dog
bite victim

79. Headaches
Survey: Most prefer
clergy to lay
professionals

80. Headaches
White glue and
toothpicks solve
screwing problems

81. Headaches
Newly wed trouble on North 40
Bulls
honeymooning
in Ruidoso

82. Headaches
More trouble on the North 40
Goats make
ranchers,
cattlemen happy

83. Headaches
Sick people have
sexual needs, too

84. Headaches
Contraceptives:
Men take it
in the nose

85. Headaches
California sperm
banker tight-lipped
about donors

86. Headaches
Dr. Ruth to talk
about sex with
newspaper editors

87. Headaches
Boston broad
jumps 27 feet

88. Headaches
Tampa may
stay in Florida

89. Headaches
Blarney chip
denounced as
sham rock

90. Headaches
Stiff opposition
expected to
casketless
funeral plan

91. Headaches
Smokers are
productive,
but death
cuts efficiency

92. Headaches
Death causes
loneliness, feeling
of frustration

93. Headaches
Deadly obit headlines
Death ends life
of Sen. Cummings

94. Headaches
Deadly obit headlines
Dentist fills last cavity

95. Headaches
Deadly obit headlines
Martin Dies dead at 72

96. Headaches
More deadly obit headlines
Journalist dies
from Illinois
We have a new virus?

97. Headaches
Mildred Screws
Not any more
Problems with a name-only death notice

98. Headaches
Drunk gets
9 months
in violin case

99. Headaches
Survivor of
Siamese twins
joins parents

100. Headaches
Never withhold
herpes infection
from loved one

101. Headaches
Blind woman gets
new kidney from
dad she hasn’t
seen in years

102. Headaches
Stolen paintings
found by tree
Resourceful limbs

103. Headaches
Iraqi head
seeks arms

104. Headaches
Bare it all
Woman strips,
robs man

105. Headaches
E-cigarettes
FDA lights up
Juul’s claims
Company blasted over
marketing, unproven statements

106. Headaches
A comma’s missing
Victim tied, nude
policeman testifies

107. Headaches
Bare it all
Judge to rule
on nude beach

108. Headaches
Wasted ammo,
bad online translation
Cops shoot dead
attacker after
Jerusalem stabbing

109. Headaches
Complaints about NHL
referees growing ugly

110. Headaches
Police discover
crack in Australia

111. Headaches
Caribbean
islands drift
to left

112. Headaches
Women’s
movement
called more
broad-based

113. Headaches
FAA: Love growth
means more noise

114. Headaches
Pandemic forces
airlines to wing it

115. Headaches
Coronavirus
Cooped up Americans
flock to raising chickens

116. Headaches
Texas Legislature ’21
High hopes
for marijuana

117. Headaches
Misleading, confusing
Venezuela
Socialists assume
control of congress

118. Headaches
Walk softly, carry big stick
Men recommend
more clubs
for wives

119. Headaches
Cameras blamed
for increases
in Houston wrecks

120. Headaches
Two convicts evade
noose; jury hung

121. Headaches
Grandmother of
eight makes
hole in one

122. Headaches
Sir Francis Drake’s
rehabilitation
raises concerns

123. Headaches
Woman who joined
cheerleader squad
pleads insanity

124. Headaches
Fearful U.S. monitors
hijacked ship

125. Headaches
Gay couples rush
to alter before
election
Something needs to be “altared”

126. Headaches
Australian stables
take in women

127. Headaches
Schools will have
to improve
dropout rates

128. Headaches
An oxymoron?
Qantas hires
Virgin veteran

129. Headaches
Shuttle is carrying
Destiny’s new toilet

130. Headaches
Flaming stud sets
Hooters on fire

131. Headaches
3rd man held over
2 bodies in
burning Dallas car

132. Headaches
Woman gets shot
on lottery show

133. Headaches
Girl Scout
robbed of
cookie dough

134. Headaches
Pandemic Funding Victim
Girl Scouts’ cookie
sales crumble

135. Headaches
Bra firm is
flat busted

136. Headaches
A few oppose
golds for the blue
Texans say Dems politicized
measure to honor officers
who resisted pro-Trump mob
Beware of getting cute with serious topics

137. Headaches

138. Headaches

139. Headaches