Headline news is a form of newspaper article that contains information about major events that have happened in the world and are likely to grab readers’ attention. It often has a picture and a short summary of the story. Depending on the subject, it may be a dramatic event, such as a murder or natural disaster, or it could be a political event, such as the resignation of a prime minister. It also may be an event that is controversial or of special interest to a particular group, such as the upcoming presidential election.
The ‘headline news’ term is also used for a television news program, usually broadcast in the United States, that is aired at various times throughout the day. The NBC television network’s late-night newscast Headline News is one example of headline news. Similarly, the CNN news channel’s “Headline” program is another. The original incarnation of the cable channel HLN, now called HLN Headline News, was founded in 1989 and featured the first ticker on television, which showed financial data, as well as the current day’s stock market indexes. In addition, the network offered a two-minute recap of that hour’s top stories, and at certain times featured local news capsules produced by local broadcast stations.
The best headlines are usually simple, and include the most important information. They should be brief and catch the eye; a line of headlines that is too long can make an article look heinous. A few key tips on writing headlines: Capitalize only the first word and, of course, proper nouns of people, businesses, teams and places; drop little helping words like articles (a, an, the) and, usually, conjunctions; and write in present tense.