Headline headaches
Family and friends got excited when I started this blog. Comments and suggestions poured in, most of them good ones. I’ve been saving them up for those times when the muse takes a vacation. This is one of those times.
Mom Badger sent the following headlines, clipped from her newspaper in Wisconsin’s North Woods, both from the same edition:
New attorney
for Ashland
man accused
of pushing
teen over cliff.
Federal officials assist in
alleged Virginia kidnapping.
The new attorney isn’t accused of pushing the teen over the cliff, of course, and federal officials aren’t helping kidnappers.
Headline writing is like walking a tightrope: One slip, and you’re in big trouble. Sometimes, the slips are funny, sometimes embarrassing, sometimes hurtful. It all depends on your perspective.
Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) headline snafu? Bonus points for local or at least Wisconsin headlines.
Jul 30, 2011 at 6:39 p.m.
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Thats a funny one tommyray!
Jul 30, 2011 at 5:03 p.m.
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A long while back I worked with a parenting publication. They were horrified when the spellchecker didn't catch the typo... "New child care center nueters children"... when it should have read "nurtures".
Jul 30, 2011 at 2:29 p.m.
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Frank, I've written a few myself, a very few, because it was quickly apparent that I didn't have much headline elan ... which is why I begged someone else to do it. But that was back when puns were all the rage in headers and I hated it.
Jul 30, 2011 at 12:43 p.m.
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With the current political climate in Wisconsin, I think headlines regarding the passing of beloved community leaders should not include the word "recalled".
I know it's supposed to mean the deceased is remembered fondly, but it sounds as if they've instead been removed from office.
Jul 30, 2011 at 11:48 a.m.
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My favorite was years ago. "Republicans Choose to Compromise."
Jul 30, 2011 at 10:29 a.m.
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Here are a few good ones. Not all headlines, but all funny.
http://www.dumpaday.com/index.php/2011/0...
Jul 30, 2011 at 8:41 a.m.
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I once read a headline in Florida was hilarious. The story was about a runner who's last name was Dong and he went to Douglas High School. the headline; " Douglas' Dong Breaks School Record".
Jul 29, 2011 at 5:27 p.m.
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I've written my share of headlines, back when I was an editor. It is not easy being clever when you're trying to get six things done at the same time with a deadline looming.
-- the Badger
Jul 29, 2011 at 3:16 p.m.
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A friend told me a story of her small hometown newspaper that ran a last minute front page story around the end of October with the headline something like "Former City Councilman Passes Away Unexpectedly". Also on the front page they ran a picture of a local Halloween display in someone's yard that included an open coffin with a vampire in it.
Jul 29, 2011 at 2:39 p.m.
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Oh. Those are rich. The only thing I have to say about Gazette headlines, Frank -- and this does not fall upon you, of course, but feel free to bring it to someone's attention -- is that punny headlines are so last millennium, and unless clever in the extreme (and I have yet to see one here that falls under that description), should be entirely avoided. Blecch, some of the ones I've seen lately ...
Jul 29, 2011 at 2:26 p.m.
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Frank, My favorite was for a story about a two friends who created a baked snack for horses. It said: Women Make Tasty Horse Treats.
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