Bad headline writing

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Bad headline writing

Post 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.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post 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?
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post 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.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by fearfaoin »

Isn't that pretty much how John Wilkes Booth ended up?
Wonder how those headlines read?
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by carrie »

/cf
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post 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.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by Innocent Bystander »

Apparently the "Foot Heads Arms Body" headline was real. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foot
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by Nanohedron »

"10 inured in fish attack"
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post 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!
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by kkrell »

Nanohedron wrote:"10 inured in fish attack"
I've grown accustomed to your plaice.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by MTGuru »

kkrell wrote:
Nanohedron wrote:"10 inured in fish attack"
I've grown accustomed to your plaice.
We have a winner! :thumbsup:
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post 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.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by Seonachan »

'Se SUV a th'anns a' chànan eile agam
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by fearfaoin »

That's... that's a strange bookmark.
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Re: Bad headline writing

Post by oleorezinator »

What else would one keep there?
Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
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