{"id":3011,"date":"2017-05-01T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T11:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newswire.com\/blog\/?p=3011"},"modified":"2018-12-21T10:42:26","modified_gmt":"2018-12-21T15:42:26","slug":"the-headline-writing-process-that-journalists-use-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newswire.com\/blog\/the-headline-writing-process-that-journalists-use-2","title":{"rendered":"The Headline Writing Process That Journalists Use"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professional writers, bloggers, media representatives, and journalists all learn their craft differently. They approach the writing process with a unique goal. And they often have a structure to work within. You\u2019re familiar with the structure part of the writing process. When you write a list article or a press release, there\u2019s a structure to the content that you have to work within.<\/p>\n

\"get-started-newsroom\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, the writing process itself and how you approach the content may vary. Journalists learn specific strategies and approaches to their writing process. And of course, one of the key components to any magazine or newspaper article (and for any online article as well) is to craft a compelling headline.<\/p>\n

Now different media channels and outlets approach to headline writing differently. For example, you\u2019ll probably find that Huffington Post headlines are different than headlines in the New York Times. Yet, while the format of the headline may be different, the journalists and editors go through a similar headline writing process. Learning this process may help you not only feel more confident writing your own headlines, but yield better results.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the Content About?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first thing a journalist will do is think about how they\u2019d summarize their story. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re talking about a puff piece or hard-hitting news (or your own press release). The summary is where the headline will come from. And to be honest, most headlines are concise summaries of the content. They aren\u2019t fantastic pieces of prose, but they get the job done. The job is to motivate someone to read the article. So, the first step is to write a summary of your content.<\/p>\n

How Can I Make This More Concise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking at your summary, how can you make it more concise? Look to narrow your summary down to ten sentences or less. The fewer the words, the better. You may not be able to pare back on the first try. However, after a few attempts, you should be able to get your summary down to a handful of words that tell readers what your content is about.<\/p>\n

Simplify the Language<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now taking a look at your headline, what words need to be simplified? How can you make sure that everyone who reads your headline knows what you\u2019re talking about? That means no jargon and no complicated words. If someone has to open a dictionary to understand the words in your headline, it\u2019s probably too complicated. Make it simple.<\/p>\n

Check Your Verbs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ideally, you\u2019re going to have a verb or two in your headline. Identify your verb. Is it strong enough? Is there a better, stronger, verb that you can use? And are your verbs in the right tense? Make sure.<\/p>\n

Finally, journalists always check their spelling and grammar. They don\u2019t use spellcheck because it can miss things. Read your headline out loud. Have someone else read your headline. Make sure it says exactly what you want it to say.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it. That\u2019s the process that journalists use to write their headlines. It\u2019s not fancy, but it works. Give it a try the next time you\u2019re working on a headline for your content.<\/p>\n

Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Professional writers, bloggers, media representatives, and journalists all learn their craft differently. They approach the writing process with a unique …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3012,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[367,17,216],"class_list":["post-3011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outreach","tag-effective-press-release-writing","tag-pr-writing-tips-2","tag-press-reiease-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Headline Writing Process That Journalists Use | Newswire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Professional writers, bloggers, media representatives, and journalists all learn their craft differently. 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