Total housecat material. Image: David Williss
A headline can be the difference between a reader clicking on an article or just scrolling past. We’ve had some good ones this year.
As part of our end-of-year reflection, we’re shining the spotlight on a handful of 2016’s best headlines with some analysis on what we think makes them great, in no particular order.
Ohio court says bobcat can be a housecat
There’s a reason why this was our most viewed and shared article this year. The story is a great read, but without such a pithy headline it may not have been nearly as accessible.
Metal heads and body burdens: Lake Michigan turtles can’t get the lead out
Wordplay can be an entry point for readers. This headline stokes the reader’s imagination by suggesting turtles can be metal heads, but also communicates the crux of the story.
Peering beneath Great Lakes ice
Another imagination-stoker. What goes on beneath Great Lakes ice, and how do we find out? The word “peering” speaks to a pioneering curiosity that draws the reader in.
Great Lakes cities swallow streams
Succinct, alliterative and visual. In just four words, this headline piques interest and communicates the story’s main point.
Air conditioner thief faces long spell in the cooler
A good pun can go a long way. Sometimes even a bad pun can, if your reader has a sense of humor. This one signals a story that will be fun to read.
Siren song for lamprey closer to Great Lakes use
Headlines are a great place to use a familiar concept, like a siren song, to describe more complex matters, like how a pheromone can be used to curb lamprey populations in the Great Lakes. Plus, more alliteration!
A sound strategy: blasting carp from the Great Lakes
This is a subtle pun that begs the reader to ask, how can sound be used to control invasive carp? Explosive imagery with words like “blasting” also piques interest.
These birds of a feather lost their feathers
This one is both a play on a common phrase and an appeal to the heart. Birds losing their feathers? That sounds sad, and the reader wants to know why it’s happening.
Field trip: everyone into the (vernal) pool
The exclamation “Everyone in to the pool!” invokes a childlike enthusiasm that’s germane to this story. Ideally, it also made readers excited to dive into the article.