Headlines for online stories need to fit in the space allotted. In the "old days," a count system was used to ensure that the lines fit in the space. Click on the graphic at right to enlarge.Writing headlines
These headlines are for a Top Story space. The first is for a Top Story on the full width of the page.
PASS program aims to
raise Accuplacer scores
The above headline doesn't fit.
This one does fit. If you are counting, each line should be no more than 22.
PASS program aims to
up Accuplacer scores
Using the Thesaurus on your computer, type in "raise" and find a shorter word. Either "up" or "fix" will work, but "fix" doesn't sound right.
Printing services will be
outsourced
This head doesn't fit and it doesn't tell the complete story. What "print services" are you talking about? Also, the secondary (some would call it the major) point is that 11 employees eventually will be out of a job.
So, here's the new headline:
be outsourced, jobs axed
This fits and tells the whole story.
It takes a bit more time to fit a headline into the space, but it will be more likely to be aligned evenly on the right and the left if some kind of count is made.
If at first you don't fit the headline exactly, you can always go back in and work on it until it does fit.
