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Basic Public Affairs Specialist CourseFeature Writing

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Principles | Types of Headlines | Punching up a Headline

Feature headlines have the same general purposes as news headlines, give the reader some idea of what the story is about.

They also advertise the story. Readers do not normally have to read features to get important news. You must entice them into a story, and strong feature headlines are an important hook.

Another function of the feature headline is to dress up the page’s design. Features do not have the rigid look of news. Feature page designs employ more white space and graphic elements than news pages. Feature headlines allow for both these things.

Feature headlines

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Headline principles Headlines are a must for straight news stories, but it is usually best to not use it for features. A key to a feature headline is fresh expression, which headlines preclude. Descriptive language, a must for any good feature story, should also be used when writing a feature headline.

Feature headlines should be clear. It’s OK to tease or arouse curiosity, but don’t be so vague or misleading that you confuse or misinform the reader.

The best test of a feature headline is to ask the question: Does it get the reader into the story? If this task has been fulfilled without offending your audience or journalistic sensibilities, the feature headline has passed the test.

There are many ways to create feature headlines. You are limited only by good taste and your imagination. Feature headlines should reflect the tone/subject of the stories they are written for, both in look and content.

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Types of headlines Features headlines fall into three general types. These types define what the headline content is meant to do:

The super lead headline has the same characteristics as a straight news headline (noun-verb-object, W’s/H, factual). It tells the story in a nutshell and leaves no doubt as to what the story is about. Generally, this type of headline is best for news features.

A feature summary headline gives the gist of the story by highlighting one or two W’s — enough to entice the reader into wanting to find out more. It is usually more conversational than a news headline.

Summary headline examples:

Walkers run into problems

Almanac gets you through year ahead

Woman gives pit bulltaste of his own medicine

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The teaser headline is designed to tease or slightly deceive readers about the content of the story to draw them in.

Remember: No matter which type of headline you choose, it must fit the tone and focus of the story. You wouldn’t use

a teaser headline for a feature about a double murder. Nor would you necessarily use a super lead headline for a story with a strong humorous or poignant focus.

Let’s take a look at a couple teaser headlines.

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Punching up a headline Writers can use several devices to help give a headline a feature twist, thereby luring the reader to read the story. The term “devices” refers to making the headline look or sound out of the ordinary, beyond the purpose of its content.

Alliteration is a device that refers to the “sound” a headline makes when the reader reads it. Alliteration uses the repetition of a particular sound to create an effect. Used correctly, it sets a mood for the story; usually a story with an unusual twist.

Rhymes also refer to the way a headline “sounds.” They create rhythm, quicken the pace, and inject humor. They work best for somewhat whimsical stories, such as a feature about a child care center -- from the possible point of view of one of the children.

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A play on words usually involves double meanings or puns. They can be either light or serious. These can be considered bonuses for the readers; a play on words tweaks their curiosity to get them to read the story and find out what the writer really meant.

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Typographical tricks refer to the way a headline looks. Tricks such as setting part of a headline upside down or drawing ice or snow atop a headline for a blizzard story help the reader notice the headline. Typographical tricks work best when the trick you use has something to do with the story idea.

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Conclusion

Basic Public Affairs Specialist CourseFeature Writing

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It is easy to become TOO creative with devices. It’s not always a good idea to do something just because you have the imagination to think it up or the technology to do it. There must be a good reason to use devices such as alliteration or rhyme or they will sound forced. The device must not conflict with the tone of the story. Using an earlier comparison, you would probably not want to use a typographical trick in a headline about a double murder.

Being creative is key when writing your feature headlines. The best test of a good feature headline is to ask the question: Does it get the reader into the story?

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References

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Hay, V. (1990). The essential feature. Columbia University Press

Williamson, D. (1975). Feature writing for newspapers. Hastings House Publishers, New York

Ruehlmann, W. (1978). Stalking the feature story. Writers Digest Books

Itule, B., & Anderson, D. (2002). News writing and reporting for today’s media (6th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies

Alexander, L. (1975). Beyond the facts: A guide to the art of feature writing. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, TX

Patterson, B. (1986). Write to be read: A practical guide to feature writing. Iowa State Press

Harrower, T. (2005). The newspaper designer’s handbook. The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Rich, C. (1999). Writing and reporting news: A coaching method. Wadsworth Publishing, Florence, KY.

Harrigan, J. & Dunlap, K. (2003). The editorial eye. Bedford/St. Martins, New York, New York 10010

DINFOS Policies and Procedures Manual (2008)

Feature writing handbook (2008)