I try to stay current on community issues. Some issues prompt me to send a letter to the editor of the newspaper. In order for a letter to be published, the writer must include his or her address and phone number. I keep my letters short and, hopefully, to the point.
Recently I sent a letter to the editor asking for civil discourse in political campaigns. I cited the actions of one candidate, who printed and distributed wanted posters about his opponent. "What happened to ethics?" I asked. From my viewpoint, the focus of my letter -- civil discourse -- was clear. But when my letter was published the heading was about the posters.
I understand that headline-writing is a special talent. James Glen Stovall, author of Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How, thinks this type of writing is an intellectual challenge, as intellectual "as solving a complicated math problem." In the journalism field, he goes on to say, headline writing carries great prestige.
Ross Collins, associate professor of communication at North Dakota State University, lectures about headline writing. "If you can get the reader through the lead," he explains, "chances are fairly good he or she will read the rest of the story." Collins says headlines fall into two general categories, standard and label.
The standard type is written in the present tense and includes action verbs. The label type, similar to labeling a file folder, do not have verbs. Collins uses "A Season of Christmas Carols" as an example of the label type.
When I complained to a friend about the headline above my letter, he responded with, "Don't worry about it. Nobody reads the headlines." That may or may not be true. All I know is that within a few hours, the misleading headline appeared on the Internet. I wondered if the headline writer understood the point of my letter.
James Russell, of the University of Oregon, has developed tips for creating effective headlnes, and describes them in his article, "Guide to Writing Headlines." Tip one is to do no harm. "Imagine the subject of your story is your neighbor or family member," he advises.
Tip two is to make sure the big type doesn't contradict the little type. Apparently the person who wrote the headline for my letter hadn't heard of this tip, because it didn't represent my letter accurately.
Tip three is to use humor or cleverness to get readers' attention. This tip can be tricky because sappy humor may do the opposite. Tip four is to stay away from cliches, a tip that is often violated.
Bottom line: I am disappointed in my local newspaper. How would the headline writer feel if his or her photo appeared on a wanted poster? If you have written a letter to the editor, or are thinking about writing one, I have some suggestions for you.
1. State the purpose of your letter first. For example, "Below is my letter about civil discourse in political campaigns."
2. Include your own headline above the letter. Some journalism experts think the writer should have the headline before generating copy and I think this is a good idea.
3. Make sure your letter matches this headline. Write the draft, put it away for a few days, and then check it for errors and matchability. Thank you for caring enough to write the letter!
Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson
http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years, is the author of 31 published books, and hundreds of articles. Her recent work focuses on grief recovery, including "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life after Loss" and "Help! I'm Raising My Grandkids: Grandparents Adapting to Life's Surprises." Please visit her website and learn more about this busy grandmother.
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