a note about headlines

Although they are titles in one right, they aren't like book titles... they are active and direct...

don't mislead your readers...


• HEADLINES - taken from http://web.ku.edu/~edit/heads.html

Making an impact — accurately
Apply the following rules when writing headlines. The best way to write a good headline is to keep it simple and direct. Be clever only when being clever is called for. Puns are good, but only on “punny” stories. (For examples of the good, the bad and the ugly, go to Good headlines and Problem headlines after you read these tips on “Writing Effective Headlines.”)

• Use the active voice: Effective headlines usually involve logical sentence structure, active voice and strong present-tense verbs. They do not include “headlinese.” As with any good writing, good headlines are driven by good verbs.
  
• A “capital” idea: The first word in the head should be capitalized as should all proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters. Do not capitalize every word. (Some publications do capitalize the first letter of every word; the Kansan and most other publications do not.) In most cases, do capitalize the first word after a colon. (In some cases, when only one word follows the colon, the word would not be capitalized. Use your best judgment.)
• Number, please: Numbers often go against AP style in headlines. For example, you may start a sentence with a number and, even though that number is below 10, you do not have to spell it out. (Note: For best results, please view in the full-width of your computer screen.)
  Example:
  3 die in crash
  However, whenever possible, follow AP and Kansan style rules.
  To the left: Write all headlines flush left unless told otherwise.