Headline Writing,
As Readers See It
Date: Friday, April 29
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Place: NIU Naperville
Campus, 1120 E. Diehl
Road, Naperville,
IL 60563. MAP
Cost: $25 for attendees
from NINA member
newspapers or individual
members; $50 for
nonmembers. Pay in
advance or at the door.
To register: Contact Jim
Killam, 815-753-4239 or jkillam@niu.edu.
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Behind the headlines
April 29 workshop will sharpen your skills What kinds of headlines resonate with readers? Which ones leave them turning for the comics page?
Find out April 29 during the NINA workshop, “Inside Readers’ Heads,” at Northern Illinois University’s Naperville Campus. Attendees will sharpen their headline writing abilities and hear from a panel of newspaper readers from various walks of life, from teens to retirees. The readers will be shown real headlines and then will be asked two questions about each: What do you think this story is about? Would you read this story?
Panelists will include longtime readers, casual readers and potential readers that newspapers are trying to capture.
“Many workshops tell you how to write strong headlines and offer theories on what readers will like, but hearing reactions directly from readers will give reporters and editors the kind of feedback you need to make real improvements,” said Colin O’Donnell, vice president/director of operations and planning for the Daily Herald and the workshop’s organizer.
Following the discussion with readers, Teresa Schmedding, news editor for the Daily Herald and Ron Smith, deputy copy chief/days for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will lead a discussion with the audience on writing headlines that capture readers, new approaches, outdated traditions and the future of headline writing.
“Headline writers need to be proactive and lead their newspapers in the battle for readers, who are busier than ever,” O’Donnell said. “No matter what changes newspapers are making to meet the increased competition from the Internet, those efforts will fail if headlines don’t evolve as well.”
The April 29 workshop is one of several low-cost events planned by NINA this year. Potential topics include a grammar-for-journalists session this summer, and an election-related offering for fall. Watch for details in future newsletters and on our Web site.