The Editor’s Desk

Editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the seventh in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: “I’M SORRY… SEND ME MONEY”

THE PUBLICATION: The Huffington Post

THE STORY: In September 2009, Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, caused a commotion when he shouted “you lie!” as President Barack Obama spoke to Congress. The fallout included an apology and a fund-raising effort by Wilson and his Democratic opponent in the 2010 election.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: This headline is more noteworthy for how it was done than what it said. The Huffington Post put out a call on Twitter, inviting readers to submit ideas for headlines for this story. Anyone on Twitter could offer a suggestion by using the hashtag #headlinehelp.

The winning submission was a hit because it generated about 100,000 clicks, according to HuffPo co-founder Arianna Huffington. She said that the site will continue to try “crowdsourcing” headlines on occasion.

Many readers seemed to like this approach to headline writing. “This is a good idea,” read one comment. “The headlines need improvement. I’d rather have a little snark than an overdramatized eye-grabber anytime.”

At least a few professional editors, however, may prefer “outsourcing” as the name for this practice. “How much are they paying?” asked Patrick LaForge, director of copy desks at The New York Times. Yes, he used Twitter and the hashtag to ask that question, which has apparently gone unanswered.

Editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the sixth in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINES: GOTCHA/Our lads sink gunboat and hole cruiser

THE PUBLICATION: The Sun

THE STORY: In 1982, Britain and Argentina fought a war over the Falkland Islands. In the war’s deadliest moment, an Argentine ship, the General Belgrano, was sunk by the British navy, killing more than 300 people.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: The “GOTCHA” headline is noteworthy for its pro-war point of view. The use of the first person (“our lads”) in the drophead makes it clear that the Sun was not a detached observer of the conflict, but a direct participant.

Roy Greenslade, a former editor at the tabloid paper, wrote in 2002 that the Sun’s leadership had promoted the idea of a British assault to retake the islands after they were seized by Argentina. Greenslade describes how jingoistic headlines played a role in that effort before and during the 74-day war. The newsroom became a war room, a fact epitomized by the “GOTCHA” headline.

Curiously, the Sun changed the headline between editions that day when the death toll became apparent. But “Did 1,200 Argies drown?” is not a significant part of British history. “GOTCHA” is. Indeed, that front page has become a museum piece in and of itself.

Copy editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the fifth in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power: Ruined lives. Lost fortunes. Federal crimes. Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam — and aiming for the mainstream.

THE PUBLICATION: Time magazine

THE STORY: In 1991, Time magazine published a lengthy article on the Church of Scientology. The story accused the church of being a money-hungry organization that uses Mafia-like tactics.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: In the days before the World Wide Web, information about Scientology was difficult to find, and the church regularly obstructed efforts by reporters to write stories about it.

Time’s award-winning story presented a view of the church’s operations to a national audience. “Ruthless global scam” became a shorthand for Scientology’s critics, and journalists such as Kurt Loder of MTV have referred to it in reports on the church.

The article led to a $416 million libel lawsuit from Scientology. The lawsuit was dismissed, and the “ruthless global scam” label lives on in search terms on Google.

Copy editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the fourth in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: BASTARDS!

THE NEWSPAPER: The San Francisco Examiner

THE STORY: On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners on U.S. soil, flying two into the World Trade Center towers and another into the Pentagon. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: Writing a headline about an event like the 9/11 attacks is a challenge. It’s a story that all readers know about when they pick up that issue of the newspaper. Yet it’s news of tremendous importance, and a newspaper front page — and its headlines — can show that. Plus, those front pages will be collected for posterity.

Some newspapers used quotes from President Bush or other newsmakers as their headlines. Other papers used their own words to convey a somber, day-after tone. The Examiner took a different route, tapping into the raw emotion of the moment. By using the all-caps headline, an inflammatory noun and a fiery image, the paper communicated a message of anger.

To be sure, that day was marked by a range of emotions, including anger. As the paper’s editor said at the time: “It fit the rage.” Some disagreed, but as seen here and here, “BASTARDS!” has maintained its power over the years.

Copy editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the third in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: The Filth and The Fury!

THE NEWSPAPER: Daily Mirror

THE STORY: In December 1976, members of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols were interviewed on a British television show. They insulted the host, Bill Grundy, and used foul language, leading offended viewers to complain. (Watch it here or read a transcript.)

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: As one of punk’s pioneering bands, the Sex Pistols thrived on shock and outrage — and publicity. This story’s prominent play on the front page and its headline played directly into that plan. The Daily Mirror furthered the band’s outrageous image, which was cultivated by manager Malcolm McLaren.

“The Filth and the Fury” was later used as the title of Sex Pistols documentary released in 2000. The Pistols used another newspaper headline, “Filthy Lucre,” as the name for their 1996 reunion tour. The cover of the inevitable live album from that tour consisted of a montage of newspaper headlines about the band, a fitting choice.

Copy editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the second in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: Dewey defeats Truman

THE NEWSPAPER: Chicago Tribune

THE STORY: Thomas Dewey was favored to defeat Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election. Truman, however, pulled off the win to secure re-election. He famously flaunted the paper with the inaccurate headline, a photo that is itself as memorable as the headline.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: This is probably the most famous headline blunder in U.S. history. It’s a product of early deadlines, among other obstacles and miscues.

It’s still a part of today’s politics, as John McCain showed in October 2008. Whenever a candidate is ahead in the polls and appears to be a shoo-in, someone will bring up this headline as a warning not to call an election over before it’s really over.

The Truman headline is also a common point of reference in popular culture as the object of parodies on “The Simpsons” and in The Onion. It’s even been monetized.

Copy editors at newspapers spend a great deal of time and energy on writing headlines. And for good reason — headlines attract attention, and some live on decades after they are written. This is the first in a series of posts on memorable headlines.

THE HEADLINE: Ford to city: Drop dead

THE NEWSPAPER: (New York) Daily News

THE STORY: In 1975, President Gerald Ford denied a request from New York City for a bailout. The city was struggling financially at the time and sought federal help.

ITS SIGNIFICANCE: This headline speaks to the power of the paraphrase. Ford didn’t use the words “drop dead,” but the headline writer summarized his position that way. The turn of words may have altered American politics; Ford said the “very unfair” headline cost him the 1976 election. Both Ford and the man who wrote the headline died a few years ago, but the “drop dead” phrasing continues to be a source of conversation and inspiration.