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Bad headline writing

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:38 pm
by Nanohedron
"Suspect's body found after two Memphis cops shot by wanted man barricaded in burning house"

- MSN.com is a reliable source of both badly composed and deliberately misleading headline writing. Couldn't swear that the above is the worst for poor writing, but I'd say it's way up there.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:22 pm
by mutepointe
I don't want to read that story. Could one of the grammar police please fix that headline so that I know what the story is actually about?

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:42 pm
by Nanohedron
mutepointe wrote:I don't want to read that story. Could one of the grammar police please fix that headline so that I know what the story is actually about?
I only linked it to prove I didn't make it up, really. An easily better headline would have been, "Gunman sets fire to his holdout in fatal standoff". It's a bit wordy, but I think there may be no avoiding that. I'm sure someone could improve on it. Cops being shot, while unfortunate, is not headline material in this case. In a standoff, getting shot is a statistical likelihood for a cop, and further detail in the bigger story. "Wanted" really isn't necessary, either. Of course he's wanted. Would the law be after him otherwise? I would say that the best distillation of the story is found in four points: gunman, standoff, setting fire to his own shelter, and death of it.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:58 am
by fearfaoin
Isn't that pretty much how John Wilkes Booth ended up?
Wonder how those headlines read?

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 6:46 pm
by carrie

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:35 pm
by Nanohedron
Here's another:

Why Denise Richards Reportedly Wants to Give Up Custody of Charlie Sheen's Twins Is So Incredibly Sad

Again, no need to read the actual article. Your life is probably much the better for it if you don't. Just maintaining veracity by means of the link.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 2:10 pm
by Innocent Bystander
Apparently the "Foot Heads Arms Body" headline was real. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foot

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:40 pm
by Nanohedron
"10 inured in fish attack"

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:03 pm
by MTGuru
Nanohedron wrote:"10 inured in fish attack"
Fish attack us once, shame on them. Fish attack us twice ... C'mon you finny suckers, bring it on!

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:39 pm
by kkrell
Nanohedron wrote:"10 inured in fish attack"
I've grown accustomed to your plaice.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:15 pm
by MTGuru
kkrell wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:"10 inured in fish attack"
I've grown accustomed to your plaice.
We have a winner! :thumbsup:

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:01 pm
by Tunborough
Cyndi Lauper hit 'Kinky Boots' to get Canadian production from Mirvish

Not clear from the story why she hit them, or why she wanted to get the production away from Mirvish.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:50 am
by Seonachan

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:40 pm
by fearfaoin
That's... that's a strange bookmark.

Re: Bad headline writing

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:47 pm
by oleorezinator
What else would one keep there?