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Put the headline in the present tense if the events are happening now.
The headline should have a time element so it is clear to the reader when the event is taking place. If the event occurred in the recent past and is considered breaking news, for example, Austria Finds Up to 50 Bodies Thought to be Migrants in Truck, you can use the present tense.[14]
You likely will not create a headline for an event that happened in the distant past, unless there are new developments in relation to the event. You can use the past tense or the present tense for the headline.
For example, Robert Durst Murder Case Reopened in Light of New Evidence or Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence.
Whenever possible, remove articles like “an”, “a”, “the” and connecting terms like “because” or “due to” in the headline. These are considered padding in a headline and are not necessary to get the key points of the article across.
For example, The Robert Durst Murder case will be reopened because of new evidence can be shortened to Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence.
Action is a must. A good headline is driven by good action verbs, which are verbs that describe something a person does in a clear and convincing way.
Often, simple action verbs are more effective than complex action verbs, for example, “use” instead of “utilize” or “show” rather than “demonstrate” or “model”.
Prevent confusing your reader by sticking to action verbs that will appeal to the average reader and will not muddle the overall meaning of the headline. As well, you should never start a headline with a verb. The headline should begin with the subject of the article, whenever possible.
Avoid verbs like “think”, “believe” or “feel”, as these are not verbs based on fact or statements. The headline should use only factual evidence from the article and should not be based on emotion or uncertainty.
An effective headline should also be written with logical sentence structure and a strong present tense verb. Using the active voice will make the headline feel immediate and draw your reader in.
Although for decades the golden standard of journalism has been the neutral and restrained language of the likes of NYT and BBC, the media landscape is evolving towards publishers with their own, distinct voices. Another important factor is our desire to drive traffic from Facebook, where restrained headlines don’t tend to perform too well.
Key features:
adverb+adjectives
Adverb+powerful verb
emotional addition – last phrase
Here’s a list of adverb+adjective you can use with your headlines to make them colourful and more appealing to your audience:
For shocking content use adverb+adjective: Totally, Absolutely, Slightly, Deeply, Perfectly, Mildly, Сruelly, Insanely, Horribly, Accurately + Appalling, Horrifying, Dreadful, Awful, Frightful, Terrible, Horrible, Scandalous, Outrageous, Disgraceful, Vile, Abominable, Ghastly, Foul, Monstrous, Abhorrent, Hideous, Atrocious, Repellent, Odious, Repulsive, Repugnant, Disgusting, Nauseating, Sickening, Grisly, Offensive, Startling, Overwhelming, Bewildering, Gory, Raw, Gruesome, Violent.
The list is virtually endless and is by no means confined to these words only.
That one time…