The Language of Newspaper Headline

When a newspaper gets its material from its own reporting staff or from outside contributors, it is the responsibility of sub-editors to provide such headlines to the stories that might convey their contents in the shortest possible way. To acquire the skill of looking through headlines and comprehending the idea of an article quickly is important for a diplomatic officer whose job may be connected with reading the press of the country he is assigned to. Popular newspapers often use slang and punning references to the content of the article, while quality papers tend to provide more information in their headlines. In creating headlines sub-editors are guided by some particular rules and use common jargon words to make them brief, catching the eye and understandable.

Here are some rules:

1. The articles, personal and demonstrative pronouns and the verb ‘be’ are deleted.

   US NETWORKS UNDER THE GUN	= The US Television is criticized.
   MAYOR HIRES BROTHER	= The mayor has employed his brother.

2. The Present Simple tense is often used for Present Perfect or Past Simple.

   WITNESS DESCRIBES ACCIDENT	= A witness described the accident.
   US PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN PERU	= The US president has arrived in Peru.

3. Participle I stands for Continuous tenses.

   DEMOCRATS GAINING IN POLLS	= The Democrats are gaining in opinion polls.
   ARRESTED WAITING FOR SENTENCE FOR MONTHS	= The arrested people have been waiting for a sentence for several months.

4. Participle II used in a headline means a passive idea.

   BANKER ACCUSED OF FRAUD	= The banker was accused of illegal manipulation with money.
   ISLAELI GENERAL DISMISSED	= An Israeli general has been dismissed.

5. Infinitive shows reference to the future.

   OPERA COMPANY TO VISIT SWEDEN	= The opera company is to tour Sweden.
   SCHOOL COUNCIL TO BAN VIDEO GAMES	= The school council will ban video games.

6. Nouns are used as adjectives.

   PEACE MOVES IN DOCKS	= Some steps toward an agreement have been taken in the port.
   FISH TALKS IN COPENHAGEN	= There have been talks between the fishery ministers in Copenhagen.

7. The names of organizations, institutions, posts, famous people, some geographical names are abbreviated or initialed, and honorary titles and ranks are dropped.

   FBI AND CIA JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT CRIME	= The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have joined forces to fight crime.
   PM TO VISIT US	= The prime minister is going to visit the United States of America.
   MAGGIE TO LAND IN NY	= Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret is to land in New York.

8. Puns (humorous use of a word or of different words sounding alike so as to play on the various meanings) and play on word are used.

   HAVE THE NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS LEARNED THEIR LESSON?	= Have the National Union of teachers made conclusions?
   NAVY ON THE CREST OF WAVE	= The navy is very popular.

9. There are a lot of words that are specifically used in headlines because they are short, sometimes old-fashioned or too modern, sound dramatic and attract attention.

Here are most frequently used words and their meanings:

AID	Assistance – помощь
AIDE	assistant – помощник
AXE	to dismiss, to cut, to dispense with
BACK	to support, support
BAN	Prohibition, to prohibit, to forbid
BAR	to prevent
BID	attempt, to attempt, to offer
BLAST	to explode, explosion
BLAZE	fire out of control (пожар)
BLOW	Disappointment
BOOM	sudden beneficial growth
BOOST	to promote, to speed up
BUG	virus, disease
CLASH	argument, conflict, to disagree
CROOK	Criminal
COUP	Overthrow
CURB	Restriction, to restrict
CUT	to reduce, reduction, to lower
DASH	quick movement, to rush
DEAL	Agreement, bargain
DRIVE	Campaign
DRAMA	incident or accident
FLEE	escape, run away
GAG	to censor, censorship
HAIL	(to) welcome, praise
HAUL	quantity of something stolen or seized
HIT	to affect negatively, to reach the top position
HOLD	to arrest
HURDLE	difficulty, obstacle
HOST	to entertain
LINK	Connection
LOOM	approach of something threatening
MOVE	an action, a step, a measure
VOB	a crowd of people
NET	to capture, to amount to
NUKE	nuclear weapons
ORDEAL	Unpleasant experience
PARLEY	Negotiations, talks
PERIL	Danger
PLEDGE	to promise, promise
PLUNGE	dramatic fall
PLEA	strong request
PROBE	to investigate, investigation
QUIT	to resign, to leave the post, to stop
QUIZ	to question, to interrogate
RAP	a strong criticism, to criticise
RIDDLE	Mystery
ROW	Disagreement, quarrel, argument
SCARE	Alarm
SLAM	to criticize severely, sharp criticism
SMASH	to break, to destroy
SNUB	to turn down, to reject
SORE	to increase dramatically
SPARK	Cause
SPUR	to move ahead
SWOOP	Raid
TOLL	the number of people killed (victims)
URGE	to strongly recommend, recommendation
VIGIL	a period of waiting, by an ill person’s bedside or in protest at smth
VOW	to promise, promise, threat
WEIGH	to consider
WOO	to try to win somebody’s favour

Exercise 16

Match these headline words to their meanings and then use them to complete the headlines below:

BID	a. unpleasant experience, lasting some time
BOOST	b. argument
DASH	c. attempt
ORDEAL	d. inquiry
PLEA	e. questioning by police
PROBE	f. fast journey, with an uncertain result
PLEDGE	g. emotional request
QUIZ	h. a period of waiting, by one’s bedside, in protest of something
ROW	i. promise
VIGIL	j. increase in numbers or in confidence, morale, etc.

1. GLENDA KEEPS ____ AT INJURED SON’S BEDSIDE. Actress Glenda Jackson left hospital last night after spending the day at her son’s bedside.

2. LIVERPOOL EURO ____ . Liverpool last night received a European lift when UEFA confirmed that Welsh international Jan Rush will no longer be classified as a foreign player.

3. MAN FACES ____ ON WIFE DEATH. Detectives were waiting by the hospital bedside of a man to question him about the death of his wife.

4. NIGEL’S _____ . World champion Nigel Mansell took a lingering look across the Portuguese grand Prix track which has caused him both heartache and joy yesterday before declaring: “I will never come back here again – I’m finished for ever with Formula One.

5. OLYMPIC BOSS IN BRIBE ____ . The head of the Olympics is threatening legal action over a TV documentary alleging his officials are corrupt.

6. ____ TO ‘DIVORCE’ BID GIRL. The mother of a teenager who has taken court action to ‘divorce’ her parents pleaded last night for her to come home.

7. PILOT IN BRITISH PLANE ____ . A British airliner has made an emergency landing in southern England after a cockpit window shattered and the pilot was almost sucked out.

8. PRIVATE HEALTH PRICE FIXERS FACING ____ . Fees charged for private medical treatment are to be investigated by monopoly watchdogs.

9. SRI LANKA PEACE ____ . A Sri Lanka government negotiator is expected to try to reopen talks with the Tamil Tigers today in an attempt to end the outbreak of fighting between Tigers and the Army.

10. TEENAGE PAIR KILLED IN _____ ACROSS M-WAY. A teenage judo champion and a girl were killed in front of friends as they took a short cut across a motorway.

Exercise 17

Match the headline with their equivalent sentences as they would appear in an ordinary news announcement.

1. ‘POLLS RIGGED’ CHARGES

2. CABINET RESHUFFLE URGED

3. TWO SOUGHT AFTER BREAK-OUT DRAMA

4. SERVICE CHIEFS GAGGED: TWO QUIT

5. JEMS HAUL SEIZED IN SWOOP

1. Allegations have been made that the results of the election were falsified.

2. Jewels have been seized as a result of a raid.

3. The police are hunting two men who have made a daring escape from prison by helicopter.

4. The news edited by the news service chiefs was censored and two of them had to resign.

5. The Prime Minister was insistently asked to make some changes in his cabinet.

Exercise 18

Match each of the following words from the headlines above with its meaning.

CHIEF DRAMA RESHUFFLE GAG SWOOP POLLS QUIT RIG JEMS HAUL

Jewels Goods stolen in robbery or taken by opposite to falsify raid director, high-ranking official to silence, to censor exciting events election to rearrange to resign

Exercise 19

Find the story which goes with each of the headlines below.

Find an adjective to describe the content of the article, for example, serious, important, dramatic, etc.