How do you headline an event which is a turning point in the nation’s history? How do you capture its momentous nature when its every data point and its implications have been reported, examined and dissected endlessly for 24 hours on news channels? How do you announce it to your readers who have interpreted it in their own way and given their verdict on social media?
It is a task that no newspaper editor would like to perform. But they have to. They have to report what is known to everyone, and yet make an impact.
One newspaper that rose to the occasion, and made everyone sit up and notice its creativity was Indian Express. It expressed the nation’s sentiments in one word: Modi. What made the headline stand out was its graphic representation. The election symbol was used in place of i to communicate the huge symbolism of the moment.
Indian Express
The Hindustan Times captured the emotion powerfully by using a tabloidish headline Hunkar Tally on its cover page. Inside, it ran a more traditional front page with an all-capital headline Modi Landslide Buries Congress.
The Hindustan Times
The majority of the newspapers relied on smart puns.
The New Indian Express punned on BJP’s right leanings to coin the headline NaMo turns India Right.
The New Indian Express
Mid-Day punned on Modi’s name to come up with the headline India Modified. The headline was impressive, but not original because the TV channels had been using this turn of phrase throughout the day.
Mid-Day
The Tribune
The Times of India ran a double front page to record the occasion’s significance. But its two headlines were average: India places its faith in Moditva and BJP Aandhi flattens Clan Gandhi.
The Times of India
The Statesman
The Hindu jumped the gun, and made Modi the Prime Minister. The effort clearly was to give a headline that was ahead of what the TV and Social Media had reported. But in doing so, the newspaper which is arguably India’s most conservative daily ran a calculated risk. The paper’s banner in all capitals announced Prime Minister Modi even before the coronation formally happened. This is not the Hindu style, but then the times are changing.
The Hindu
The Deccan Herald used a very mild, and routine headline: Modi powers BJP to majority. In fact, its Page 11 headline was more powerful, and should have ideally been run on the front page: Modi wave makes BJP a giant, shrinks Congress to a midget
Deccan Herald