![]() ![]() So why is the BBC so good when most others are so bad? Maybe it's in the BBC's blood: The news organization originated as a radio station, where word count is at a premium and you must communicate clearly to immediately grab listeners. To research such facts, people would typically start by searching for articles about the missile strike, and then scan one or two to get the numbers. But in this particular headline, the word works as well as the numeral because users aren't likely to be scanning the front page for data about the specific number of militants killed. That information isn't something people need to know at the headline-scanning stage an exception would be if a famous person or controversial source had claimed responsibility for the missile strike, in which case the attribution might be a reason for users to click.Īlso, using "4" might be better than using "four" given the general guideline to prefer numerals for online writing. To save space, the headline's writer might have deferred the attribution to the unnamed "officials" to the article itself. Readers would certainly know what happened, and would even get the general picture after the first 4 words. One breaking story, for example, had the following headline: "Suspected US missile strike kills four militants in tribal region in north-west Pakistan, officials say." The site's top news headlines warrant a few additional keystrokes. You'll click through to exactly those news items you want to read. Even better, each gives you a very good idea of what you'll get if you do click and lets you judge - with a high degree of confidence - whether you'll be interested in the full article. I'm rarely that concise.Įach headline conveys the gist of the story on its own, without requiring you to click. The amount of meaning they squeezed into this brief space is incredible: every word works hard for its living. ![]() The average headline consumed a mere 5 words and 34 characters. ![]() Ten arrested in UK anti-terrorism raids.On a recent visit, the BBC list of headlines for "other top stories" read as follows: Most sites routinely violate headline guidelines, but BBC editors consistently do an awesome job. predictable, so users know whether they'll like the full article before they click (because people don't return to sites that promise more than they deliver)įor several years, I've been very impressed with BBC News headlines, both on the main BBC homepage and on its dedicated news page.understandable out of context (because headlines often appear without articles, as in search engine results).front-loaded with the most important keywords (because users often scan only the beginning of list items).rich in information scent, clearly summarizing the target article.short (because people don't read much online).It's even harder to write Web headlines, which must be: To learn more and see the latest weather updates in Glasgow and across the UK, visit the website here.It's hard enough to write for the Web and meet the guidelines for concise, scannable, and objective content. However, there are weather warnings for snow and ice in place for other areas of the country today, tomorrow and Tuesday. It is likely to cloud over from the south during the morning, with a chance of light snow from the afternoon onwards."ĭespite the frosty temperatures, no weather warnings are currently in place for the Greater Glasgow area. Wednesday will be another cold and icy day with plenty of sunshine and some bands of high cloud. The forecast reads: "Tuesday is expected to be a mainly dry and bright day with long spells of winter sunshine. On Friday, March 10, heavier snowfall is expected to blanket the city, with the forecast for "heavy snow showers". READ MORE: Mortons Rolls closure means 'roll and sausage will never be the same' as customers 'totally gutted' ![]()
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