Have you ever read a headline and thought: “I really need to read this article?” Or have you read a headline and said to yourself: “Self, it’d be a waste of time to read any farther?” Headlines can make or break a story. Like back cover blurbs on a book, a headline has to grab attention and elicit feelings of wanting to know more.
Sometimes I read a headline and think I already know what information the story contains. Sometimes I read a headline and make an assumption about what the article’s about. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder what that title has to do with the news story.
The ones I love the most are the hilarious ones. Whether on purpose or by mistake, the funny ones are by far the most interesting to discover. Sometimes editors give a title that’s a little play on words and that’s clever. I like that creativity. Like this clever opening: “Shih Tzu Thought You’d Never See: Fearful Dog Saves Cat From Racoons.” Or this one: “Soaring pork prices hog headlines and sow discontent in China.” See how clever those are.
But, other times, editors should be fired. Here are some examples of those editors:
“Federal agents raid gunship – find guns.” (Well, at least they knew they were in the right place then.)
“State population to double my 2040, babies are to blame.” (Well, technically sex is to blame, but whatever.)
“Forecasters call for weather on Monday.” (Uhhh, okay.)
“Amphibious pitcher makes debut.” (I’d buy tickets to see that.)
“Cows lose their jobs as milk prices drop.” (Poor cows.)
“Breathing oxygen linked to staying alive.” (Well, that’s why I’ve lived this long then.)
“Most earthquake damage is caused by shaking.” (You don’t say. That’s hard to believe.)
“Safety meeting ends in accident.” (Now see, that one’s funny.)
“Utah poison center reminds everyone not to take poison.” (Well darn, there go my weekend plans.)
“Bugs flying around with wings are flying bugs.” (I wonder how they discovered this.)
“Students cook and serve grandparents.” (So did Jeffrey Dahmer.)
“Alton attorney accidentally sues himself.” (I hope he wins.)
“Hospitals resort to hiring doctors.” (What a novel idea.)
“Farmer using cannon to protect watermelons.” (Now there’s a story I can’t wait to read!)
“Museums full of history.” (Damn museums.)
“Goat accused of robbery.” (Another intriguing tale. Tell me more.)
“Homicide victims rarely talk to police.” (Well that’s weird.)
“Voters to vote on whether or not to vote.”
Have you run across any silly headlines? Do you often read or skip an article based solely on the headline? Wouldn’t it be fun to be a headline writer? There’s a job I think I’d have some serious fun with.
Word of the Day: Rubefacient
Fun fact about me: Here’s my favorite: “Man wakes up dead.” That’s how I wanna go out.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, June 2021. Images by Google and giphy.com
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I love clever editors who bring you in with the headline and then the story lives up to the headline. But all too often, I just shake my head. I have tried to apply catchy titles to my blog posts, but sometimes i come up short. Take care and have a fabulous week at the inn and in town. things should be hopping this week! Peace.
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I try to find clever, catchy titles for my blogs too, but sometimes I fall short. Sometimes I come up with a clever title but no material to back it up. I’m not sure what that says about me, but that’s what happens.
We are full for the weekend so that’s a good thing. I can’t wait to get our international travelers back. Then we’ll be 100% normal. Fingers crossed that’ll happen soon.
Take care. Enjoy your week.
Patricia
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Again, my comment couldn’t be posted, although the website did accept my “Like.” I don’t understand this and may just give up on reading your blogs, although I do enjoy them.
David N. Walker
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I’m sorry David, I wish I could help you with the connectivity issue. I’m not sure what’s going on. Perhaps try unsubscribing to my blog and then re-subscribing next Monday. That’s the only thing I can think.
I’m glad you persist. I’d hate to lose you but I understand your frustration. Sometimes just liking a post is enough. At least I know you’ve been here.
Have a wonderful week.
Patricia
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Those are some pretty great headlines, and I’d definitely want to watch the amphibious pitcher in a game. 🙂 I just pray I never slip up in a brain dead moment and write something like that in one of my books! Of course, that’s what line editors are for…so I can blame them. Have a great week!
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When I was writing this post I wondered if I had any of those moments in my books as well. I’m pretty sure someone would have caught it, but you never know. Or, maybe they were there and readers just found them amusing and thought it was intentional. Yeah, that’s probably it.
Thanks for visiting today. Try to find a cool spot. I hear you guys are cooking up there.
Patricia
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LOL! I’m almost done with newspapers. I usually find typos in mine!
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Susie – I find typos in EVERYTHING!! It’s the writer in me.
Good to see you. Have a great rest of the week.
Patricia
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You too!
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LOL those are good! I often see headlines that look interesting on Facebook, but most of the time I skip them, because they’re usually clickbait and have so many ads they’re unreadable. Ask me how I know.
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Yeah, I’ve found that out as well. Sometimes the stories are intriguing but every other page is an ad that takes 30 seconds to load. So annoying.
Good to see you. Hope you’re doing well. Enjoy the rest of your week.
Patricia
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