Most Indian newspapers shovel the entire report – text, headline and picture – online. You wonder if this is the right practice. Does it make sense to use the same headline on the net? Don’t headlines play a different role on the net?
Here are five differences between newspaper and web headlines:
Difference 1
A newspaper headline is placed over the news report. This allows the reader to go through a news report even when the headline is dull; the reader does not have to make any special effort to reach it.
In the case of web headlines a user has to physically click on a headline to reach a news report. This will happen only if a headline is exciting enough. In other words, web headlines are virtual gateways to news reports.
Difference 2
A newspaper reader uses the typographical attributes of a headline to judge the relative importance of a news story. These attributes are: point size, width and weight of the print headline. Every newspaper reader knows that the larger the point size used to write a headline the more important is the news. The reader also knows that a headline spread across multiple columns signifies that the news story is relatively more important than a headline run in small points across a single column.
In contrast, the web headline is not used to establish the news value of a story. Instead the headlines are published one above the other. Very rarely they are used to establish the relative importance of news reports.
Difference 3
The print headlines are set in large display type. This reduces the number of words that an editor can use to write the headline.
In contrast, the web headlines are written in a small point size. This allows the online editor to use more words to convey the important points in a story.
Difference 4
The positioning of print headlines depends on the news value of reports. The most important news reports are positioned on top of the page.
The web headlines are mostly displayed in chronological order, with the last headline coming first.
Difference 5
The print headlines at times use a shoulder headline or a flag to prop up the main headline. The shoulder or flag is a small headline that is placed on top of the main headline. This gives the print editor a few more words to bring out the main points in a headline.
Web headlines don’t use props because they are written in small point size. They also create a hyperlinking dilemma; the online editor has problems deciding which part should be hyperlinked – the shoulder or the main headline.
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