"Before thumbs scrolled screens for news headlines, they turned paper pages; given that bookstores and supermarkets still have newsracks, they may still. A clever headline can stop those thumbs, and eyes. Wait, what? For headline composers and the author of the articles beneath those heads, Ahas! mean mission accomplished - a reeled-in reader. Last week, ACES: The Society for Editing honored people excellent at stopping visual traffic: the winners of its annual headline contest."
""I'm a big proponent of having fun with our work," Widlowski wrote in a postconference email. "I think if we have fun and are as playful as is appropriate for the story's subject matter, our bond with readers is stronger and, ultimately, they have more fun reading the story." Here's a look at a few of the winning heads, with winners' behind-the-scenes comments."
ACES: The Society for Editing honored winners of an annual headline contest, recognizing headline writers who effectively stop visual traffic. Winners included David Bowman, Rhiannon L. Root and Tom Widlowski in individual categories, and Natalie Canalis in the student category. Winners were announced Sept. 19 at a virtual conference and discussed headline motivations and craft. Judges rewarded creative wordplay, playfulness, and audience-aware phrasing. Widlowski described using playful wordplay and bee-related terms to craft a headline about honeybee advocates. The contest categorized entries by staff and audience size and highlighted headline-writing as a craft that strengthens reader engagement.
Read at Poynter
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