Category: Headline writing

Commas in headlines

Nicole muses on the right and wrong reasons to put commas in headlines. For those of you who don’t write heads for a living: a comma implies “and”: Scores of angry ducks, geese infest City Hall Nicole’s point is that…

Sponge for ridicule

I am speaking of yet another example of Poynter Institute silliness, this time praising so-called prize-winning headlines. I could link to the list but I prefer the outpouring of invective over at Testy Copy Editors.

A thread on heads

Blanp rails yet again on people’s lopsided notions of “good” headlines. My favorite riposte: Nearly all winners in headline contests are puns. Usually, they aren?t even funny. Copy editors see this and draw the lesson that they are supposed to…

‘Got Him’ and so forth

Testy Copy Editors mull the headlinage on Saddam’s capture. Consensus is that “Ace in the Hole” was a bad idea.

No still-ness around here

The post below reminded me of a story Brian Throckmorton used to tell. He was our features desk copy chief at the Mercury News until he got a better gig back in Lexington, Ky., running the copy desks at the…

On the genius of Dr. Seuss

… and how we do ourselves few compliments by trying to walk in his shoes. Nicole and Clay agree we’re not exactly clever when we get all Seussian in regards to the “Cat in the Hat” movie. In deference to…

Worst headline foul-ups

Array of them revealed at Testy Copy Editors. Even the mighty Blanp has some doozies. I also liked this comment. I find that it’s usually the most productive, strap-the-newspaper-on-their-back copy editors who make these shockingly embarrassing mistakes. That’s because they’re…