Good and bad headlines

Not so good headline:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061024/a_contractors24.art.htm

“Crooked builders hit storm victims”

I think the wording in this headline is awkward and conveys little meaning. This story is about unlicensed contractors who are using Katrina victims by collecting down payments for home repairs and then fleeing. Do the builders make crooked homes? Do these crooked homes fall and hit the victims? Do the criminal builders physically hit the victims? After reading the headline the reader doesn’t know what the story is about. I think a word besides “crooked” would be better suited to describe an illegitimate worker. And the word “hit” often times has a physical connotation.

Good headline:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061027/a_earlyvoting27.art.htm

“More voters aren’t waiting for Election Day”

This headline is concise and meaningful. The gist of the story is clearly stated—more people intend to vote before the actual election day of Nov.7. It also makes the reader curious of why there is a jump in early voting.