Oregon Exchanges
For the Newspaper Men of the State of Oregon
SHORT WORDS IN HEAD-LINES; WRITING HEADS THAT “BARK"
HEAD-LINE writers are receiving a good bit of advice these days. Some of it is good. Much of it is trite. Per haps the most unless bit of advice is. that he stick to short words, “monosyl lables,” in his headwriting. This is usual ly accompanied by an exhortation. abounding in Latin derivatives, to stick to the good old Anglo-Saxon.
A good two-thirds of this kind of advice is unnecessary. The exigencies of the “count” in head-writing—the short ness of the line-—wi1l attend to the matter of short words. No trouble about that. We don't need that advice to use short words. What we, perhaps, do need is encouragement to use the right word— preferably short. perhaps, but longer it‘ necessary to bring out the exact shade of meaning. The meaning of the head must be clear. and it must coincide with the meaning of the story. Meaning is not always pre served by the short words employed by headwriters. Nothing is better than clear ness—not even interest. A recent article on the subject of headwriting eliminated the word chrysanthemums from a head on a flower show in which these polysyl labic beauties were featured. This seems natural enough when one regards the long-drawn-out name of the flowers. One’s feeling changes. however, when one notes the substitute suggested for this distinctive word. “ Wonder Mums Drew Crowd" is the suggestion made by this particular writer. This line, of course, is clear enough to those who have read the story it covers. But, unfortunately, most readers glance at the head first, in an efiort to learn what the story is about. This writer also suggests a.n effort to obtain words that will “bark,” “onom atopoeic” words, whose sound suggests the sense. But how about heads that bark when a milder kind of sound is de manded‘! The head “Rousing Commercial (‘lub Meeting Interests Farmers” was changed to read “Talk Farm Problems at Commercial Cli1h_Ral{_' " ,{}I§“ay be seriously questioned‘ whether a meeting at which serious problems are considered can prope “be talked ‘ i i “ rally. ” And there i s the opening word “talk,” which may be either a verb or a noun. (‘hance there of confusing the reader. This i s not to be taken as a bit of ad vice to headwriters to use as many long, Latin-derived words as possible. The point perhaps may be stated thus: The meaning and the tone of the head must not be sacrificed either to short words or to mechanical count. The short word i s not necessarily the best; a “controversy” i s not necemarily either a “fight” or a “row.” It i s pos sibe to make a head bark louder than the story; but i t i s not advisable, and the careful headwriter will seek to preserve the unity of tone between the two.
