Let’s Have a Grand Grange Gathering
By Walter Boomsma
207 343-1842
Communications Director
“Train With Hazardous Materials Derails in Rural Maine “ was a recent headline in a mainstream media outlet. Since a small forest fire developed, the Maine Forest Service was involved. A subsequent report by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry included this statement, “Additional rail cars transporting hazardous materials did not derail.”
There might be a lesson in communication here. Or at least in journalism. The media headline is not inaccurate and will pass the fact-checkers. Is it a “good” headline?
A headline is, according to Wikipedia, “the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it.” There’s actually a bit of science involved that includes grammatical rules. No, we’re not going down that path, interesting as it might be.
Headlines became commonly used in the late 19th Century as competition between newspapers increased. Thus, they became “attention-getting devices.” When people stood at the newsstand, they picked up the paper with the most interesting headline. As readers paged through the purchased copy, they often decided which articles to read based on the headline.
In the electronic world, we use the term “click-bait” to describe a headline that captures interest to the point we click a link, often to be disappointed. As a writer, I find it disappointing that we aren’t having more conversations about the ethics of headline writing. I’m willing to concede that there’s a difference between writing a headline for an advertisement versus a news story. An online ad recently offered “Save a Life—Free CPR training.” To their credit, in the fine print, they disclosed a fee for the certificate or completion. Much like the news example, the headline was not inaccurate. A number of folks took them to task for what they considered “misleading.” It might be a shame that we aren’t taking the media to task for some of the headlines they write. “The Training Is Free. The Certificate Is Not,” might have been more accurate, but a lot less attention-getting.
I’ve been tempted to create a lecturer’s program that would involve critiquing current headlines using some sort of accuracy scale. The program might be more about critical thinking than headlines.
When we send Grange news and program information to media outlets, we certainly don’t want to be misleading. But I think most would agree we can and should be more “attention-getting.” It may not be easy because you’re forced to really think about why someone should read your story or come to your event. A good day for a reporter includes a report where the headline just writes itself, but it rarely happens. One of my memorable ones happened when I was writing a press release announcing a local school concert. “Kids Raise Voices and Lift Spirits.”
One way to improve our headlining ability is to read other headlines critically. Be especially alert to headlines that might be adaptable to the news and events you are trying to promote. I love alliterations—they tend to “stick” in people’s minds. Let’s have a Grand Grange Gathering!
► FACT: Your MSG website was viewed over 1,500 times during March 2023–if you aren’t submitting your events and news, you are missing an opportunity!