Strong Headlines

Proverbs 25:11

A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.

What Is a Headline?

Imagine walking past a newspaper or scrolling through a news website. You see dozens of stories, but one headline catches your attention. You stop, read it, and suddenly you want to know more!

That is the power of a strong headline.

A headline is the title of a news story. It gives readers a quick idea of what the article is about and encourages them to keep reading.

Think of a headline as the front door to your story. If the door looks interesting, people will want to see what is inside!

But there is a catch. A headline must be truthful. We want readers to be interested in our stories because they are worth reading, not because we tricked them.

What Makes a Strong Headline?

A great headline has four important qualities.

Clear

Readers should understand what the story is about without having to guess.

Weak: "Something Amazing Happened!"

Strong: "Students Raise $500 for Local Animal Shelter"

Interesting

Give readers a reason to want to know more.

Weak: "Students Have a Class"

Strong: "Young Entrepreneurs Turn Everyday Problems Into Big Ideas"

Truthful

Never exaggerate, invent facts, or promise something your story does not deliver.

Misleading: "Students Discover a Million-Dollar Business!"

Accurate: "Students Develop Business Ideas in Entrepreneurship Class"

Short and Powerful

Remove unnecessary words. Every word should have a purpose.

Too long: "Our Photography Students Went Outside and Took Some Really Interesting Pictures of Things"

Better: "Photography Students Discover Beauty Outdoors"

The Power of Choosing the Right Words

Proverbs 25:11 reminds us that words spoken at the right time are valuable and beautiful.

As journalists, we have a responsibility to choose our words carefully.

A headline can encourage someone, inform someone, or make someone curious. But it can also mislead someone if we are careless.

Before publishing a headline, ask yourself:

Is this headline true?
Does it accurately represent my story?
Would I want to read this article?
Am I using my words wisely?

Our goal is not simply to get attention. Our goal is to communicate truth in an interesting way.

In-Class Activity: Headline Makeover!

10–15 minutes

You are now the editor of a newspaper! Your job is to turn boring headlines into exciting ones without changing the facts.

Read each boring headline and create a stronger version.

Headline 1

Boring headline: Students Take Pictures

Story facts: Photography students practiced taking pictures using the rule of thirds and creative angles.

Headline 2

Boring headline: People Played a Game

Story facts: Students worked with partners during a three-legged musical chairs challenge.

Headline 3

Boring headline: Students Make Websites

Story facts: Website creation students used Divi 5 to build home pages for their own websites.

Copy my headlines

After everyone finishes, we will share our headlines with the class. Listen carefully to the different ideas.

Can two students write completely different headlines about the same story and still both be correct? Absolutely!

Different headlines can highlight different parts of the same event, as long as they remain accurate.

Journalism Game: Three-Legged Musical Chairs!

How to Play

Choose a partner and have the tutor help loosely connect your inside legs with a soft band that can release easily.
Arrange the chairs in a circle, with one fewer chair than the number of teams. The tutor will make sure chairs are stable and spaced apart.
When the music starts, walk carefully around the chairs with your partner.
When the music stops, work together to find a seat. Both partners must be safely seated for the team to remain in the game.
The team without a seat is out for that round. Remove one chair and continue until one team remains!

Alternate version

How to Play

1. Choose a partner. The tutor will help loosely connect your inside legs using a soft band that can release easily.

2. The tutor will arrange chairs in a designated seating area. There will be one fewer chair than the number of teams.

3. All teams will begin at the starting line. The tutor will announce an item to find, such as a pencil, notebook, or something blue.

4. When the tutor says "GO!", you and your partner must work together to find the announced item.

5. Once you find the item, bring it back to the seating area and find an available chair. Both partners must be seated safely, with the correct item, to secure their spot.

6. The first teams to return with the correct item and secure a seat stay in the game. The team without a seat is eliminated.

7. The tutor will remove one chair and announce a new item for the next round.

8. Continue playing until only one team remains. That team wins!

Important Rules

Walk carefully! No running, pushing, or pulling your partner.
Stay together with your partner at all times.
Only collect items from the approved game area.
You must bring back the correct item to claim a seat.
Once a team has safely claimed a seat with the correct item, that seat is taken.
If you lose your balance, stop and regain your footing before continuing.