JRHS Writing BLOG

Man Explodes Randomly in the Streets

The above title, Man Explodes Randomly in the Streets, probably instantly caught your attention and is likely the leading reason you are reading this article right now. This article, however, is not about a man spontaneously exploding in public, but rather about the importance and power of headlines. Just how much does the first impression matter?

Journalists own quite an extensive toy box when it comes to tricks that help sell their articles. Pictures, links to other articles, key words, dramatic wording, paraphrasing, and commenting on the work of others are only some of the tactics that lay at their fingertips - tactics that help journalists greatly when it comes to making their article the one that stands out. But perhaps the most powerful among all of their tools is the overlooked, but deadly, secret weapon: the headline.

What exactly does the headline do? Well, it instantly captures the reader’s attention and summarizes the article in a few words. If it is interesting enough, just a glimpse may be enough to inspire the customer to read the entire article. It creates a first impression - and if you don’t create a positive one, then it is unlikely you will ever succeed, no matter how excellent your article may be. The power of the headline is immense - even if your reader has begun to read your article, they may lose interest if they weren’t brought in with a big enough hook.

The headline of this article, a shocking and completely untrue statement, while ridiculous, caught your attention. Would you be reading this if it was titled “Headlines”? Perhaps, but it’s less likely than you’d like to think. The headline is truly of the most vital importance.

this is true i would not have stopped to read this article if it was names “headlines” i saw a man exploding in the streets and i stopped to read it. its pretty good i like it
good work

Isn’t this a needlessly cynical view of what a headline is? A headline is a merely a useful device that allows me to determine if I want to read the first paragraph of an article. The first paragraph tells me whether the information I want lies deeper still in the article. At any time, I can stop reading, or read on. The choice is mine.

If the headline is needlessly inflammatory or deceitful, it is usually because I am reading a publication that resorts to such tactics. In this case, I should not be surprised. If it is part of an advertisement (as opposed to editorial or journalistic content) I interpret those headlines differently, and make my assessment of the article accordingly.

It is better, perhaps, to think of headlines as having varied degrees of utility, for both the editor and the reader. The “power” of headlines is not so much a sinister magical power, but along the same lines as the “power” of a well put summary in a phrase. Any emotional trappings that the headline carries are often brought to it by the reader, and so the reader should not blame the editor for the baggage the reader himself carries in.

Oh...one more thing. How does one “explode randomly?” I should like to see that. One might imagine several people, exploding at random intervals in time. One might even venture to picture a person exploding unexpectedly, without apparent cause or warning. But to see one person, a single man (or even a married woman), exploding “randomly.” I’m not sure what that would look like. I’m sure a clear explanation would teach me something I have not known before.

As I said, I should like to see it.

Denis, I see your point, but I don’t think you’re entirely right. This article could be seen as a commentary on the social commercialization of today. People want entertainment, and they want it fast. Flipping through fast-paced television shows during commercials, selecting only the most interesting titles from the list, selecting a book based on the cover and judging it by the first sentence, flicking our fingers impatiently as the light refuses to turn green; we’ve all been there. There is no doubt that today there lies a demand from the public for exciting, fast-paced entertainment.

I don’t believe that the news, then, is exempt from attempting to meet that demand. At the end of the day, they are selling to the public, after all. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve flipped on the local news station to witness a commercial with an exaggerated message. Just last night one popped up that stated: “Record breaking snow tomorrow! Big storm ahead!” But when the program began, the snow was only record-breaking for the month of December, and that was in the total amount of snow estimated for the month, not the amount given by the single storm. What’s more, the “storm” was 1-3 inches that would snow down overnight and clear up in the morning. I’m writing this under clear blue skies and nearby solid roads.

Now, perhaps the paper acts differently than the television in its representation of headlines. But I think that a lot of headlines today aren’t completely innocent of exploiting certain word and grammar usage to grab the attention of the public. This action isn’t always a sin or manipulation; if the headline correctly describes the article, the truth isn’t stretched. But “Man Falls off Bridge to His Death” sounds more exciting than “Bridge Claims Fatality,” and I think many reporters and editors are aware of that fact.

So, if you think I’m not entirely right, then this means that I am mostly right? Thank you.

Let me refine my point a bit.

Your thesis is twofold. a) headlines attract attention. b) headlines are used illicitly by a nefarious cadre of power hungry, manipulative mass media moguls whose goal is to force, by means of deceit and verbal sleight of hand, hapless readers into swallowing information whole without the ability to resist their crafty schemes to dominate the public mind.

I believe we agree on point a. You may take exception to my characterization of point b. But before your umbrage becomes too great, please read the following quote from your original post:

“But perhaps the most powerful among all of their tools is the overlooked, but deadly, secret weapon: the headline.”

Your use of emotionally loaded language does not aid your case. You already made your point by using an emotionally loaded headline to demonstrate how such headlines work. Very well. Point taken.

But then you go on to vilify “the media” for the misuse of the power of headlines, as if you, the reader, had no complicity in the drama. I used the words “needlessly cynical” and I stand by that characterization (as you apparently stand by yours). Instead of assuming that news editors (print or broadcast) are attempting to manipulate you, why not assume that the vast majority are trying only to provide a useful service and save you time to giving you the key info you need to decide FOR YOURSELF whether to read the article, or not.

There certainly are broadcast channels and publications that do as you claim. I would suggest you vote with you feet and with your money, and stop reading or purchasing those publications. Channel 7 in Boston comes to mind, as does the New York Post and Weekly World News (now sadly defunct). Sensational manipulative headlines are exceptional and tend to be found only in certain publications where that is their style. This makes them easy to avoid.

This is the responsibility of the reader. Leave the broad brush defamation to the tabloids and avoid responding in kind.

Thanks for the give and take. I’m enjoying the conversation.

Denis - a talented author will not have to use the headline as an excuse for an uninteresting article. It is, however, impossible to say that the headline cannot be abused, and in today’s commercial world which lacks all subtlety, it rarely sees proper use.

The headline, to the talented author, could be viewed as a helpful summarization tool. But to newspapers and websites today, it is often nothing but a gimmick. Not only do many headlines bend the rules of the article, but many even break them. Countless times have I read a headline that contains shocking information that strictly contradicts the content of the article - obviously a marketing scam.

And to answer your question about people exploding at random, I believe this phenomenon is known as “spontaneous combustion.” Although we have no proof of it thus far, I agree it would be quite the sight to see.

awwww, i thought a guy just randomly combusted.  Well good headline “monks”...lol. caught my attention

"It rarely sees proper use.”

Rarely? Just what publications are you reading? Seriously, if this is such a problem in your reading, you need to upgrade to more dependable news sources. In the course of my life, I have had occasion to make the personal acquaintance with several professional journalists. I have found that they take very seriously their obligations, as journalists to write accurately, and with as much objectivity as possible.

Also, you seem to be operating with the understanding that the authors of articles write the headlines. This is not so. The editors write the headlines. When writing an article, an author will use a working title for convenience. It is called a slug. When the article is laid out on the page, the editor writes the headline based on the content of the article, the importance of the story and the space available on the page.

I know this does not counter your point, but you may wish to redirect your ire toward the publication, rather than toward the author. Most writer as simply assigned a story, write the story, and then submit it. The editors take over from there and my cut portions, or rearrange, correct or even rewrite short portions depending on the demands of the publication. The writer really have nothing to do with the thing you are most upset about.

I am MUCH MUCH more concerned with the used of biased phrases, twisted statistics, and omitted facts within the story than with the headlines. But as a DISCERNING READER I read with critical awareness so that I know what I’m getting.

I would suggest that an internship at a local newspaper might be really useful to you. Instead of being angry at the faceless media hordes, put some faces of real people to your assumptions, and see how it is actually done.

While it’s true there are more manipulative methods besides the misleading headline, its existence cannot be denied - this is what my original argument was focused on and your sidestep into the entire dehumanization of the media could be considered untopical.

My point with this article was not to make people fear newspaper headlines and look at them with alarming mistrust, but to simply show the power of the headline. My statement about the headline as a “secret weapon” didn’t refer to it as some kind of a tool of destruction but simply as a effective tool of attracting attention to your article and generating buzz.

You seem to think that I have some kind of general, misdirected hatred towards the media - this is completely untrue, as I love the media and wish to become a part of it later in my life. However it is hardly a holy grail that cannot and should not be criticized - and while I agree with you that there are much, much more important issues in today’s media such as censorship and countless others, this article was not meant as an entire debate against the media itself and rather as a short commentary on the power of the article headline.