Windowsill

Part 1. Find three examples online of poor headlines used as links and suggest a fix:

Headline: Shagging downtown
Problem: This headline can easily be offensive to someone who only knows the British slang term ‘shagging’ and not the beach music dance style. This can cause off-topic curiosity, but it is inappropriate and doesn’t give enough information.
Solution: Downtown building renovated for beach music.

Headline: Spiked eagles tale set to fly
Problem: This headline did get my attention, but it was confusing and didn’t give enough information to make me click. Is it about the Philadelphia Eagles? Is it a play on the word eagle’s tail? What does spiked mean?
Solution: Salacious Eagles memoir to be released

Headline: Bulla scout hut returns
Problem: This headline was confusing for me. What is a Bulla Scout? Most people wouldn’t know it was named after a person or know what a scout hut is.
Solution: Local scouts get their cabin back

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Part 2. Find an article that could benefit from the use of lists.The following example is from the full version of an article at Press Mediawire. The article does utilize keywords, but the thrust of the article is about John Edwards steps for piece. Therefore, I added an ordered list to highlight the main point of the article and to aid in scannabilty.An excerpt from the article in its original form:Edwards believes we should work with NATO, one of the world’s most effective security organizations, to make sure the U.N. process will be as rapid, tough and effective as possible. We saw the success of NATO in the Kosovo operation under President Clinton. Edwards believes a combination of U.S. and NATO actions will accelerate the peacekeeping process and stop the genocide. Edwards has called for the following steps:
Convene an emergency NATO meeting. We should call an emergency meeting of NATO’s leadership to support and accelerate the deployment of 26,000 U.N. peacekeeping forces to Darfur. Deploy our extraordinary assets to support peace.Lead a NATO support effort. America should lead NATO countries to support the deployment of U.N. troops with logistical, operational and financial support. Establish a no-fly zone. The U.S. should work with NATO to establish a NATO-led no-fly zone over the region to cut off supplies to the brutal Janjaweed militias and end Sudanese bombing of civilians in Darfur. Implement new sanctions. We should work with NATO member countries to impose new multilateral sanctions on Sudan’s government and individuals complicit in the genocide. Lead a divestment effort. The U.S. should lead an effort by the American federal government, by American states, by American companies, and by individuals to divest holdings from companies and countries that do business with the Sudanese government. We should deploy American airlift capabilities, logistical support and intelligence operations to assist U.N. and African Union peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.

My edited version of the article using an ordered list:

Edwards believes we should work with NATO, one of the world’s most effective security organizations, to make sure the U.N. process will be as rapid, tough and effective as possible. We saw the success of NATO in the Kosovo operation under President Clinton. Edwards believes a combination of U.S. and NATO actions will accelerate the peacekeeping process and stop the genocide.Edwards has called for the following steps:

1. Convene an emergency NATO meeting. We should call an emergency meeting of NATO’s leadership to support and accelerate the deployment of 26,000 U.N. peacekeeping forces to Darfur.
2. Deploy our extraordinary assets to support peace. We should deploy American airlift capabilities, logistical support and intelligence operations to assist U.N. and African Union peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.
3. Lead a NATO support effort. America should lead NATO countries to support the deployment of U.N. troops with logistical, operational and financial support.
4. Establish a no-fly zone. The U.S. should work with NATO to establish a NATO-led no-fly zone over the region to cut off supplies to the brutal Janjaweed militias and end Sudanese bombing of civilians in Darfur.
5. Implement new sanctions. We should work with NATO member countries to impose new multilateral sanctions on Sudan’s government and individuals complicit in the genocide.
6. Lead a divestment effort. The U.S. should lead an effort by the American federal government, by American states, by American companies, and by individuals to divest holdings from companies and countries that do business with the Sudanese government.

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Part 3. Rewrite the headline from your writing sample. My original title and subhead:
Happier
By Tal Ben-Shahar.
Reviewed by Todd Pendergast for JOMC 711


My rewrite aims to attract the reader’s attention and better summarize the content of the article by focusing on the fundamental question of the book being reviewed. This also helps to set the mood and tone of the piece. I also tried to make it more quickly understood by not having two author’s names in the same headline and subhead. I think it is clearer now that I mention the book reviewer and then wait to first mention the book’s author in the opening paragraph. The headline rewritten:

Can we ‘learn’ to be happy?
Book review: “Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment”
Reviewed by Todd Pendergast
For JOMC 711

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Part 4. Write 3 headlines for a news story from week 7 module.

Headlines:

China blocks imports amid criticism of its exports

China blocks imports of U.S. meat

China responds to criticism of its exports:
Blocks imports from major U.S. meat producers