Writeyness :: Info to snack on

As I mentioned in a previous post, headlines are important. And it’s interesting to see how traditional news outlets handle the unique challenges posed by the Web. Many, such as The Guardian, will put a factual, to-the-point, more Web-friendly headline on the main page, and use a longer, more detailed, creative or amusing one on the actual story page.

Others, such as CNN, use subheads on the story page to expand on the main headline. (Subheads are also a great tool for stressing secondary benefits in sales copy.)

Of course, when it comes to headlines, you should try to avoid any embarrasing slip-ups, like these:

• “Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant”
  “Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge”
  “Stolen Painting Found by Tree”
  “Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Space”

While the Web and clever headlines may not always be a good fit, puns are still alive and kicking in the print media. And by far the best proponents of puntastic headlines are the British tabloids. Love ‘em… hate ‘em… eat your fish and chips off ‘em… the old Red Tops can spot a pun coming a mile off.

So, to end with, here’s the best headline in the world ever (in my opinion), from — who else? — The Sun. It appeared after Inverness Caley defeated Celtic 3-1 in a Scottish footballing shock result:

Genius. (And, just in case any of you didn’t see Mary Poppins as a child, this link should clarify things.)