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Discuss functions of headlines in print media

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1. Headlines attract attention
In a study conducted by the Poynter Institute, a school for journalists and journalism teachers, it was determined that headlines play a big role in helping readers navigate through a page. The study found that readers take in 80 percent of the artwork and 75 percent of the photographs in the paper. They see 56 percent of the headlines, but they are aware of only 25 percent of the text, and they read just a portion of that. With that said, it stands to reason that
headlines serve an important role in getting readers to look at your stories.

2. Headlines summarize Stories
Most headlines that appear over news stories are designed to inform, not entertain, so the headline that simply summarizes the story as concisely and accurately as possible is the bread and butter of the headline writer. A newspaper with headlines that get right to the point is a
newspaper that is easy to read. The reader knows what the story is about and can make an intelligent decision about whether to read more.

3. Headlines help readers index contents
If the headlines on a page do a good job of summarizing the stories, the editors have created for their readers an index to the page. This also helps the reader determine what to read and what to bypass. While this may seem counterproductive to the newspaper’s objectives, it is realistic to recognize that a reader will partake of only a small percentage of the newspaper’s offerings.

4. Headlines set the mood for a story
The straightforward news headline indicates the story it accompanies is a serious one. Similarly, a headline above a how-to story should reflect the story’s content. Setting a mood is even more important when writing headlines for humorous stories.

5. Headlines set tone of a publication
Headlines probably reveal as much about the tone, or character, of a newspaper as anything it contains. If the top story on the front page is headlined “Royals order DNA test on Harry” and the second story carries the headline “Shaq’s nanny wants to marry him,” there can be little doubt about the nature of the publication.

6. Headlines provide design elements
Headlines also provide typographic relief. They separate Stories on a page and relieve the tedium that would exist with masses of text-sized type.

NatalieR answered the question on June 16, 2022 at 06:07

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Discuss functions of headlines in print media

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