Good and Bad Headlines

Bad Headlines

1. "Bird Flu victims to be buried in plague pits" Life Style Extra (UK), April 2, 2006
First, it's unclear whether "victims" refers to birds or people with the disease. Secondly, it implies that the victims are already dead, whereas the article is actually talking about pits that would be used in case of a mass outbreak.

2. "Storms Bring Wind, Rain to Metro Area" The Oklahoman
I'm pretty sure the people reading the story already know that. It could've been more descriptive.

3. "Tornado saftey a priority in Oklahoma" The Oklahoma Daily, March 31, 2006
...but apparently spelling is not. Readers might let a little typo in an article slide, but it's ten times worse when there's one in a big headline.

Good Headlines

1. "Gaining a Dose of Humility, One Washed Foot at a Time," Washington Post, April 2, 2006
This headline was catchy, with a feature story-ish feel, although it was a news story. It was straight and to the point, and I think it's clear that the story it accompanies is about the religious practice of foot-washing.

2.. "'Basic' Sharon sinks like stone," New York Daily News, April 3, 2006
Although this paper isn't known for its great headlines...or great journalism for that matter, I still thought this was pretty catchy and a nice play on words.

3. "Why Buy Wi-Fi?" Washington Post Sunday Source, April 2, 2006
Again, I thought this was a simple, catchy, creative feature story headline. Even though it's short, it is still clear what the story is about.