Wikipedia:A headline is not a reliable source
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Do not use a headline to support content. Instead, rely solely on what is in the reliable source itself. |
 | This is now part of WP:RS following an RfC. See Wikipedia:Reliable_sources#Headlines |
Headline
editIgnore headlines when you write an article. Headlines are often written by specialists who are not themselves the researchers and journalists who write the articles,[1] therefore the content is verifiable, but not the headline or any ideas not supported by the article. The headline writer has a job to attract attention, generate click-bait titles to juice the number of readers, and for search-engine optimization.[1][2] Traditionally this was also done for space constraints which are sometimes less relevant in digital reporting.[1][3] They employ headlinese, an abbreviated form of news writing style used in headlines.[4]
"Slam" and sensationalistic words
editThe use of "slam" in headlines has attracted criticism on the grounds that the word is overused and contributes to media sensationalism.[5][6] The violent imagery of words like "slam", "blast", "rip", and "bash" has drawn comparison to professional wrestling, where the primary aim is to titillate audiences with a conflict-laden and largely predetermined narrative rather than provide authentic coverage of spontaneous events.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Hiltner, Stephen (April 9, 2017). "How to Write a New York Times Headline". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Carney, Timothy P. (October 31, 2014). "Let's stop arguing with headlines that the writer didn't write". Washington Examiner. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Why Writers Don't Write Headlines". Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ^ Headlinese Collated definitions via www.wordnik.com
- ^ Ann-Derrick Gaillot (2018-07-28). "The Outline "slams" media for overusing the word". The Outline. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
- ^ Kehe, Jason (9 September 2009). "Colloquialism slams language". Daily Trojan.
- ^ Russell, Michael (8 October 2019). "Biden 'Rips' Trump, Yankees 'Bash' Twins: Is Anyone Going to 'Slam' the Press?". PolitiChicks.