Example (8) is a drop-line head in three parts. The first line is a statement that ends in a semicolon. It says | TRUST WEAKENS; |. That line is followed by another statement split over two more lines and says | DEALERS PROMISE | 8-CENT MILK SOON |. Displayed as a single line, the head says | TRUST WEAKENS; | DEALERS PROMISE 8-CENT MILK SOON |.
Example (9) is also a drop-line head in three parts. The first line quotes a source who says | “DON’T BUTT IN” |. As it is a quotation, it is correctly enclosed in quotation marks. The other two lines of the head state who that quote is directed at. Those lines says | MEXICO IS TOLD | IN POLITE WAY |. Displayed as a single line, the head says | “DON’T BUTT IN” MEXICO IS TOLD IN POLITE WAY
Methods of Building Headlines. The editor or copy-reader who is constantly writing heads comes to think unconsciously in headline units; that is, his daily practice makes it possible for him to frame readily statements of the essential facts that will fulfill the requirements of each deck of the head. Nevertheless, he always counts the units to be sure that the number is correct. For the beginner the process of building up the several decks of a typical headline is analyzed at some length in the following pages, in order to demonstrate the methods pursued.
The story selected for showing the process of headline writing has been taken from the Chicago Record-Herald, which gave it a headline constructed on the following plan:
The image above is of a headline constructed of four decks, each separated by a short horizontal rule. The font size and weight differs between decks and to the left of each line in a head is the number of headline units that line contains.
The first deck is a drop-line head in two parts and displayed in a large, weighted, font. Each of the two lines contains 18 unit letters and say | FOREST RESERVE ACT | IS DECLARED INVALID |.
The second deck is in a smaller, mixed-case, font of lighter weight. It is a pyramid head in three parts that contains 10 words. Each part contains, respectively, 30, 25 and 15 unit letters. The parts say | State Supreme Court’s Decision | Puts Tax Assessing Depart- | ment In Dilemma. | Displayed as a single line without the division of words, the head says | State Supreme Court’s Decision Puts Tax Assessing Department In Dilemma. |
The third deck is a cross-line head in upper-case displayed in a font of medium weight and smaller than that used in the first deck. It contains 23 unit letters and says | MAY ENJOIN THE OFFICIALS |.
The fourth deck is similar to the second deck being a pyramid in three parts and displayed in the same font. It also contains 10 words. Each part of the head contains, respectively, 30, 25 and 15 unit letters. The parts say | State’s Attorney Wayne Threat- | ens Action if Attempt is Made | to Collect Levy. | Displayed as a single line without the division of words, the head says | State’s Attorney Wayne Threatens Action if Attempt is Made to Collect Levy. |