A great headline can help you figure out what your story is about, pitch it to your editor, and get more eyeballs on it once it's out there. Yet many of the best reporters remain mystified about what goes into a good hed/dek combo. As Smithsonian.com's science editor and a former headline-writer at Slate, Rachel Gross aims to make you love writing succinct, snappy, clever, and sometimes punny headlines-- or at least, not dread them.
This HOW session will also feature a hands-on section, where participants will try out newfound headline skills on a story that needs help putting its best foot forward. Then the heds will be collected (anonymously), and we'll discuss what works and doesn't work. In light of Facebook's new rules, we'll also touch on what is and is not clickbait--and you won't believe what happens next!
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