August 24 2009

10 funniest news headlines

When you write a news release, don’t forget that a strong headline can grab the reporter’s attention. Make it relevant and catchy, 10 words or fewer is good (you can add a sub-head if you need to expand on it). And a catchy headline is useless if it doesn’t actually summarize the information in your release. Sounds easy, but sometimes even reporters get it wrong. On occasion, a headline will make it into print the defies all reason. Here are 10 of my favorites:

1. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

2. Queen Mary has Bottom Scraped

3. County to Pay $250,000 to Advertise Lack of Funds

4. Safety Expert Says School Bus Passengers Should be Belted

5. Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case

6. Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies

7. Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years at Checkout Counter

8. Stolen Painting Found by Tree

9. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

10. Patient at Death’s Door, Doctors Pull Him Through

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PR Briefs is a blog of tips, resources and case studies for the public relations professional and the PR novice. Feel free to comment, re-post or ask questions—I hope you enjoy your experience here.

PR and marketing have been the focus of my career for the past 30 years. As an ad agency client during the early years, I got to experience a birds-eye view of agencies and the experience wasn't always a good one. When Ideaworks opened in 1995, we were determined to break the mold, and after 15 years, more than 300 awards and hundreds of client referrals, I think we're starting to get there.
—Caron Sjoberg, APR, CPRC

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