Crazy Headlines

In my news editing class, we've been talking recently about how to write a good headline for a news story. This doesn't seem like a difficult task at first glance--write a complete thought that tells the reader about the main thrust of the article. Easy enough, right?

Well, in some cases, copy editors and page designers who create headlines accidently write ones that have more than one meaning or seem just plain silly. In my Creative Editing textbook, the authors list several "ambiguous and confusing" headlines that were actually printed in newspapers across the country. Check these out:

In the category of stating the obvious, we have:

• "War Dims Hope for Peace"
• "If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While"
• "Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures"
• "Farmer Bill Dies in House"

Funny Claims:

• "Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors" (7-foot doctors or 7 podiatrists?)
• "Eye Drops off Shelf" (I'd like to see that)
• "Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge" (avoid that bridge at all costs)
• "Air Head Fired" (hahahaha)

How could you read these and not stop and think about it?

• "Include Your Children When Baking Cookies"
• "Kids Make Nutritious Snacks"
• "New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group"
• "Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead"