How To Write Good News: 10 Examples Of Great Headlines

News is a fast-paced business, and even the best writers are sometimes forced to make do with a limited amount of time. That’s why writing good headlines is so important. 

Not only do they help you get noticed in the digital world, but they also help you keep readers engaged from start to finish. 

In this post, we’ll look at 10 examples of great headings taken from real news articles published on any topic imaginable: politics news stories, celebrity deaths, tragedies involving children…even sports! 

As you read through these examples (and yes there are more than 20), think about how each one conveys its message differently yet effectively tells us something interesting about what happened with just a single sentence or phrase.[#ENDWRITE

How To Write Headlines – 5 GREAT Headlines You Can Steal
Takeaway
1. Crafting good news headlines is crucial for grabbing readers’ attention.
2. Use these 10 examples of great headlines to inspire and improve your headline writing skills.
3. Focus on creating captivating and relevant headlines that resonate with your target audience.
4. Incorporate power words, numbers, and actionable language to make your headlines more compelling.
5. Experiment with different headline styles and conduct A/B testing to identify the most effective ones.

1. News Is Not Always Good

Good news is important. It’s inspiring, and it makes people feel good.

However, not all news is good and that’s okay! There are plenty of instances where the world needs a little more bad news than usual. As a journalist, you need to know how to write about bad things that happen without making people feel worse than they already do.

Writing captivating headlines is essential to grab readers’ attention. If you want to learn how to write good news and create headlines that stand out, check out our guide on 10 Examples of Great Headlines for inspiration and tips to make your content shine.

2. The Right Angle Can Make A Story Interesting

If you’re writing a news story, your headline can be used as an angle. The right angle can make a story interesting. The angle should be relevant to the reader and/or the story and/or the topic, but it also needs to fit with your headline.

For example: “Google Home Teaches Kids How To Google.” This is an excellent use of a headline because it relates directly to what people might be looking for when they click on this article.

Information about how their children could potentially use Google products in the future (without their parent’s permission). It also makes for an interesting read.

3. Make Sure You Have All the Facts To Support Your Angle

Before you start writing, you need to make sure that your angle is supported by facts and a story. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Make sure you have the facts. Facts give credibility to any story or argument. You don’t want to be seen as someone who is making stuff up, so be sure that all your information is verifiable. 

If it’s not, then don’t include it in the article at all! It’s better for everyone involved if you leave out false information than risk being caught lying later on down the road (and potentially losing readers).

Make sure there’s a narrative arc behind each factoid that means that each one should be connected with another part of the narrative through cause or effect; 

This makes reading easier on both sides because there will always be something happening (whether this is seen visually through images like charts/graphs etc., or verbally through sentences). 

An example would be a series where someone has done research into how many times they’ve been quoted in various places over time; they might write something like: “I’ve been quoted five times per month since 2006.” 

Then they could go on talking about what was happening during those years individually before ending with what happened after 2006; 

Then maybe even mention briefly how much more often people started quoting them after this point went up again until 2008 when we saw just how frequent they were now getting quoted (because these dates are important)

Are you interested in breaking into the world of news writing and getting paid for your articles? Discover the secrets to crafting engaging news pieces in our comprehensive guide on writing news articles and getting paid. Learn the techniques to make your work stand out and attract readers.

4. Keep Current Events In Mind When Creating Headlines

One of the best strategies is to keep current events in mind when creating headlines. While all headlines are topical, some are inspired by current events that have nothing directly to do with the article itself.

For example, let’s say you’re writing an article about how to make your lemonade at home. 

There isn’t anything newsworthy about this topic you’re simply writing a recipe post and providing instructions on how to prepare lemonade using common kitchen appliances and ingredients.

In this case, you could take inspiration from an event happening in the world around us (like someone famous or noteworthy doing something interesting) and use that as your headline: 

“You Won’t Believe How Easy It Is To Make Lemonade!” This would draw readers who want to see what celebrity-made lemonade looks so easy!

5. Every Headline Needs A Promise Of Value

You should always be thinking about what the reader will get out of reading your content. When you write your headlines, think about how the headline can give someone an idea of what they’re going to get from reading it. 

What benefit does the article hold for them? Is there something in this piece that will help them achieve their goals?

Use Action Words

When writing headlines, use verbs and adjectives that imply action so that readers will see themselves as doing something when they read your content.

Breaking news stories require a unique approach to keep readers informed and engaged. Want to master the art of writing impactful breaking news articles? Check out our guide with examples and tips to help you convey the latest events in a compelling way.

6. Keep It Short, Yet Powerful

You want to keep your headline as simple and as direct as possible. Use short sentences and words; avoid long, complicated ones that take multiple readings to understand. 

Keep your paragraphs brief too, too much information packed into one paragraph can make readers feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to process before they can get to the point of your article (which is presumably why you’re writing it in the first place).

7. Simplify Your Words And Sentences

The best way to simplify your writing is to use short words and sentences. The average length of a sentence should be between 10 and 15 words, and each paragraph should contain no more than three sentences.

In addition, it’s important to use active voice rather than passive voice whenever possible. For example, “The dog was hit by a car” is an active sentence whereas “The car hit the dog.” 

This may seem like common sense, but few people understand how much this can affect their writing!

Finally, keep in mind that using action verbs will help you simplify even further by getting rid of unnecessary words such as “that” or other filler phrases like “in fact” or “actually.” A good tool for finding potential wordiness issues is Hemingway App – we’re big fans!

8. Try To Appeal To The Audience’s Emotions With Your Headline

Think about your audience, and what emotions they’re likely to have. Then, use words that will evoke the appropriate emotion.

For example, if you’re writing for a sports team site and want people to sign up for your newsletter:

  • Urgency words: “Win a chance to meet the players!” or “Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!”
  • Emotion: “You won’t believe how close you are…” or “We can almost taste it…”
  • Nostalgia: “Remember when [player] used to wear his hair like that? Cute! Check out these photos of him right now it looks nothing like those old pictures! (But still cute.) 
  • You won’t believe how much he’s changed in just two short years… (And his face was never cuter than it is now.)”

Writing articles that resonate with your audience is key to successful content creation. Learn the essential elements of article writing in our informative guide, The Unofficial Guide to Writing Articles. Discover how to captivate readers and deliver valuable insights.

9. Use Intrigue To Inspire Curiosity In Readers

You can also use intrigue to inspire curiosity in readers.

Use a question: A question headline is one of the most effective ways of getting your audience’s attention. “How to Write Good News” is a good example of this, as it encourages the reader to wonder what exactly that would mean for them.

Use a statement: Another great way of getting people interested in what you’ve written about is by making bold or controversial statements but only if they’re true! Take this article from The Guardian titled “The 10 Most Important Pieces Of Advice For Writing A Novel.” 

It may seem like an exaggeration at first glance, but based on the facts presented by these ten authors’ experiences and observations, it seems more than plausible that they’ve seen everything there is to see when it comes to writing novels.

Use surprise: A surprising headline is designed not just for curiosity-seekers but also for people who want quick answers or solutions without having all the details spelled out for them (like those looking for fast reads). 

In The Huffington Post’s article “5 Tips For Writing Better Headlines,” author Jeff Bullas explains how he uses surprise and shock value in his headlines, with titles.

Like “Why Your Headline Should Be Shorter Than Your Title” and “A Case Against Long Headlines That Don’t Deliver Value” headlines which are surefire ways of grabbing someone’s attention right away!

10. Take Advantage Of The Format And Structure Of The Headline

When you’re setting goals, it’s helpful to define the problem before starting on a solution. The headline is your opportunity to do that the first thing people read when they come across your content, so make it count!

Imagine this: Your goal is to lose 15 pounds in three months. You can set yourself up for success by writing an article that outlines exactly what achieving this goal will look like. For example: “How I Lost 15 Pounds in Three Months by Eating One Healthy Meal per Day.” 

This headline sets up clear expectations and gives readers practical advice whereas if you were simply trying to lose weight without any context or explanation (like “I Lost 15 Pounds”), there’s no indication of how you did it or how others could replicate your success.

Photography plays a crucial role in news storytelling. If you want to enhance your photojournalism skills, explore our list of 13 Photojournalism Tips to capture more impactful images and add depth to your news articles.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to write good news headlines, it’s time for you to put your knowledge into action! Remember, the key is practice. 

The more often you work on creating compelling headlines for your content, the better at it you will become over time. So get started today!

Further Reading

WordStream: Headline Examples to Boost Your Click-Through RatesDiscover effective headline examples that can significantly increase your click-through rates and improve your content’s performance.

Neil Patel: Powerful Headlines That Drive Traffic and ClicksLearn how to create powerful headlines that drive traffic and attract clicks to your website or blog with insights from Neil Patel.

CoSchedule: Headline Examples for Crafting Compelling ContentCraft compelling content by exploring a collection of headline examples to capture your audience’s attention and drive engagement.

FAQs

How can I write attention-grabbing headlines for my content?

Writing attention-grabbing headlines involves using strong and descriptive language, incorporating numbers and actionable words, and addressing the readers’ needs and interests.

What impact do headlines have on click-through rates?

Headlines significantly influence click-through rates, as they are the first impression of your content. Engaging headlines can entice users to click and read further.

Are there any tools or resources to help me analyze headline performance?

Yes, there are various headline analysis tools available that can provide insights into the effectiveness of your headlines, such as click-through rate analysis and A/B testing tools.

How can I test and optimize headlines for better results?

A/B testing is a valuable method to test different headlines and identify which ones perform better with your audience. By analyzing the results, you can optimize your headlines accordingly.

Should I consider SEO when crafting headlines?

Yes, incorporating relevant keywords in your headlines can improve your content’s visibility in search engine results and attract organic traffic to your website. However, always prioritize readability and user engagement.