CHAPTER XI
THE WRITING OF HEADLINES
The Function of the Headline. Headlines as
developed by the American press during the last half-century
have come to be, next to the news itself, the
most important part of our newspapers. From mere
labels to indicate the kind of reading matter to be found
in the columns under them, headlines in this country
have developed into bulletins giving the substance of
the articles to which they are attached. By presenting
conspicuously in large type the important facts of the
story which it precedes, the headline serves a double
purpose: it makes possible rapid reading of the news
thus outlined in the head, and it becomes an advertisement
of the news to attract the purchaser.
Heads Promote Rapid Reading. As concise summaries of the facts of the news, headlines fill an important place in contemporary American life, for, by reading only the headlines, the busy man or woman can get in brief outline the news of the whole world. The size of the type and the arrangement of the parts of the headline aid in a marked degree this rapid reading. Well-written heads that give clearly and accurately the information of greatest significance in the stories under them are an integral part of the newspaper, the function of which, as has been said, is to give the readers in a clear and interesting form the news of the day.
How Heads Advertise News. By their form and position, likewise, the headlines act as advertisements for what the paper contains. Like all good advertise-
