报刊CHAPTER_TWO

CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER TWO NEWSPAPER HEADLINES I. INTRODUCTION As mentioned in Chapter One, a newspaper headline is the head​ing printed in large letters above a story in a newspaper. It is the most important part of a news story for several reasons. Firstly, it usually summarizes the lead which summarizes the whole sto​ry. So the hurried reader can get the gist of the story at a glance. Secondly, the headline draws the reader's attention to the story. A good headline should be attractive, and be able to catch the reader's attention once his eye falls upon it. Therefore, the ap​peal of a story largely depends upon the headline. Thirdly, the headline helps the reader evaluate the news. Since the headline summarizes the story, it expresses the theme, topic or subject of the story. By reading the headline, the reader can decide whether the story is interesting, or whether it is worth reading. There are different types of headlines, and different forms as well. These varieties help make the whole layout of the newspaper diversified, striking, proportionate and harmonious, thus achieving the desired effect. A TYPES OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINES There are different types of newspaper headlines. The following are commonly seen in most English language newspapers. 1. Straight Headlines Straight headlines simply tell the main topic of the story. They are commonly used and are the easiest to understand, e. g.: Massive funds for green project Beijing firm on one-China policy Multipolarity better than unipolarity 2008 Games won't depend on private pockets Putin accepts arms compromise with Bush Exhibition focuses on evil nature of cults European leaders to press Bush on Kyoto pact UN extends Iraq's oil-for-food deal Delegation in Moscow for final Olympic push WTO entry talks completed Unilateralism isolates US further 2. Headlines That Ask a Question Most question headlines are not real questions. They are state​ments followed by a question mark. The question headline can suggest a future possibility or some doubt about the truth or ac​curacy of the story. The question headline suggesting a future possibility: Steel price to rise? (It is possible that the steel price is to rise. ) New cabinet today? (It is possible that a new cabinet will be chosen today. ) The question headline suggesting some doubt about the truth or accuracy of the story: Woman had six at one birth? (It seems somewhat impossible that a woman had six babies at one birth. ) Police allowed jailbreak? (It seems somewhat impossible that the police allowed pri​soners to escape from the prison ). Now see some other examples: Human Rights Just Politics? Whither US-Russian Relations? The World Can Be Unipolar? Man can go to Heaven after death? China threat? ABM Treaty out-of-date? 3 Headlines That Contain a Quotation A quotation sometimes is used as a headline when it simply tells the main topic of the story, e. g. : Deng: Dare to experiment This is the headline of a story carried by China Daily (April 2, 1992). The story is about Deng Xiaoping's visit to Shenzhen on January 19-23, 1992. During the visit he gave important in​structions for the city's development and the economic development of the whole nation. He emphasized the importance of experimentation and said that the nation should be bolder in reform and in opening to the outside world. A quotation headline can help the reporter begin a story with an unproven statement, e. g. : Health Survey: New Yorkers fitter, slimmer Here the reporter himself didn't say that New Yorkers were becoming fitter and slimmer than before. He simply reported the health survey results. Quotation marks can be used to indicate a direct quotation and can also be used to tell the reader that a word word文档格式规范word作业纸小票打印word模板word简历模板免费word简历 or words are being used outside their normal meaning, e. g. : Sasser says "China threat" groundless The quotation marks are used here to indicate that the so-called China threat is groundless. Now see another kind of quotation headline: Philippine volcano may see eruption again, experts say 4. Feature Headlines Feature stories should have feature headlines. The feature head​lines are marked by language that can touch a reader's curiosity, amazement, skepticism or humor. They reflect the tones of the stories rather than summarize the facts in them, e. g. : Life is mountains, yaks, wine This is the headline of a feature story describing the life of a group of Tibetans living in Yaoji Township, Ya'an Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Their houses are built on the top of a moun​tain. Each of the families has at least 40 yaks and when the men there get together they keep drinking their home made wine until they are drunk. Once-destitute (utterly impoverished) village weaves straw into gold This is the headline of a feature story describing how the vil​lagers in a small village have become very rich since they started weaving articles from straw in 1984. Yogi's students put town at ease When you read this headline you can detect the tone of the story. The reporter uses it on a feature story about yogi's students who en​couraged the people of the town to do the yoga exercise. And as a re​sult, the villagers became relaxed and happy. B. FORMS OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINES There are different headline forms in English language news​papers. This is, of course, to achieve varieties in newspaper de​sign to attract the reader's attention, avoid dullness and save space. The lines of a headline must not appear too crowded with type or too empty, or grossly unbalanced. If a headline is made up of several different forms, each part should be a full state​ment and should stand alone. Moreover, phrases consisting of nouns and adjective modifiers, prepositional phrases and verb phrases should not be split between lines. According to the columns they occupy, the headlines can be divided into one-column heads, two-column heads, three-column heads, etc. , and according to the lines they occupy, they can be divided into one-deck heads, two-deck heads, three-deck heads and so on. The most frequently used headline forms are as fol​lows; 1. Crossline This is the most traditional headline form which occupies only one or two columns arranged in one single line. Usually it is rec​ommended to mark a brief news story, e.g.: WTO terms all met US media blamed Talks fruitless Beijing urges 3-links Globe finance net Glass works display Taiwan shares end lower Auto fair to be held Airlines awarded City woos foreign funds 2. Drop Form The drop form headline is divided into two or three parts of about the same length arranged in two or three lines which drop gradually from the left to-the right, e. g. : Many New York clubs and office buildings violate fire laws Centennial industries purchases 150 acres for Springdale plant 3. Inverted Pyramid Form This is a headline set in three or four lines. The top line is the longest, and other lines are shortened in proper order, so that it looks similar to an inverted pyramid, e. g. : Win-win and all-win situation for China and the world The secret of China's economic success in the face of a global recession 4. Flush-left Form In this case, no matter how many lines the headline occupies, they are all flush-left without considering the margin on the right. The flush-left headline is the most common in modern newspaper typography, e. g.: For NATO bombing was a military smash but a moral fizzle APEC Benefits Shanghai Taiwan's bid to split culture slammed Nation appears unharmed by Code Red virus 5. Overline The overline or the "kicker" is a short head, sometimes under​lined, above a larger main line. It is approximately one-half the type size of the main head, e. g. : Second trainless Monday The tube will ease pain for Londoners Why things are Oh, don't be so picky 6. Banner Headline or Streamer This is a big headline which runs across the whole printed page. It is used to denote the most important news, e. g. : APEC Leaders Display Confidence in Growth Prospects China's WTO Membership to Benefit the World Airlines Reeling from SEP. 11 Terrorist Attacks Beijing Warms Up for the Olympic Games Falun Gong Followers Wake Up from Nightmare Funds Tallied Up for SARS Control and Prevention A CLOSER LOOK AT "10 +3" AND "10 +1" MEETINGS Implementing the Strategy for Western Region Development 7 Jump Head There are some news stories that are not completely carried out on one page. Instead, they are continued on other pages. In such a case, another headline should be added. This kind of headline is called a Jump Head e. g. : on page 1 Jiang arrives in Moscow to kick off 5-nation tour on page 2 Ties: Economic co-ops highlighted on page 1 Fresh racial riot rattles British town on page 2 Riot: New Violence erupts Newspaper headlines vary not only in form, but also in the size of the letters, that is the types. All the letters in a headline may be capitalized, e. g. : BOTTELIER: CHINA'S WTO ENTRY BENEFITS EVERYONE However, tests have shown that all-cap headlines are diffi​cult to read. Headlines can be in caps and lowercase. The standard style of this type is to capitalize the first letter of each word. Some headline schedules require that prepositions of three or fewer let​ters and definite and indefinite articles be lowercase, e. g. : Stepping up Digitalization for 2008 Olympics Many students of English find that newspaper headlines are especially difficult to understand. This is because the language of headlines is characterized by a very condensed structure and words chosen for their brevity and / or their dramatic quality, which the foreign student may not be familiar with. The headline writer is influenced by the fact that in a very limited space he must give the reader some idea of what the article is about. Once the special way of writing has been understood and the special vocabulary mastered, newspaper headlines become easier to com​prehend. II. LANGUAGE FEATURES OF NEWSPAPER HEAD​LINES The language of newspaper headlines is special and has its own characteristics on the lexical, grammatical, and rhetorical level. It is characterized by its brevity, clarity and attractiveness. The brevity of a headline is achieved through the use of short words, abbreviations and acronyms; sometimes words are even omitted; its clarity is achieved by using exact words and avoiding involved, confusing or ambiguous ones; its attractive​ness is achieved by using vivid, fresh language and avoiding dull and trite words. These language features pose a great challenge to foreign learners of English when they begin to read English language newspapers. A. LEXICAL FEATURES 1. Preference for Short Words English language newspaper headlines often use short words to replace long ones. You have certainly seen many of the words before, but when they are used in newspaper headlines they car​ry meanings that are quite unfamiliar to you. The following un​derlined words are frequently used in newspaper headlines: Accord possible today (agreement) Governor to axe aide (dismiss) (assistant), Tenants back council plan (support) Plea to back drug ban (forbiddance) Last-minute slip bars win (prevents) Bid to open border (attempt) Clerk bilks city of $ 1 m (cheats) 3 die in hotel blast (explosion) Sales boom (increase rapidly) Exports boost (increase) Bug kills babies (disease) Bombs claim 40 (kill) Clash over budget (argument) Cop in car chase drama (policeman) Imports curb (control, restriction) Bank rate cut (reduction) Trade deal (agreement) Peace drive (campaign) American envoy (diplomat) Border feud danger to regional peace (dispute) Attendant foils train disaster (prevents) Actress loses gems (jewels, valuable stones) Year's biggest fire guts 178 homes (destroys) Suspects held (arrested) New hurdle to peace (obstacle, barrier) Thailand, Malaysia ink / pen sea treaty (sign) Lab of open policy (laboratory) World Bank lauds China for reducing poverty (praises) Bush man in China (representative) Gang leader nabbed (captured) Police net escapees (capture) Government no to wage rise (refusal) Minister seeks nod for oil saving plan (approval) UN to OK oil-for-food deal in Iraq (agree to) Voters oust incumbents (take power away from) US-China pact a win-win deal (agreement) Flu peril (danger) Plea for blood (strong request) Union pledges support (promises) Violence, fraud mar (damage) Sri Lanka's regional poll (election) Voters go to the polls in Japan (voting stations) Police probe (investigation) Iran quake kills 22 (earthquake) Director quits (resigns) Safety commission raps auto companies (criticizes) BBC boss quits in row (argument) VIP sacked for cover-up (dismissed) US slammed by partners (criticized severely) Economy is improving but snags still remain (difficulties) Ticket sales soar (increase) New stance toward power cuts (attitude) Rainy season stems refugee exit (prevents) Government storm (violent disagreement) Toll rises to 100 (number of people killed) Killing triggers riot (causes) Irish top ranks vie for office (compete) China vows to step up reform and open policy (promises) Actress to wed for 8th time (marry) Bush weighs safety measures (considers) Now see some other short words that are commonly used in newspaper headlines: end (finish), alter (change); map (work out), nix (deny, disapprove), swap ( exchange ), ace (champion), aid (assis​tance), Dem (Democrat), loot (money stolen), talk (confer​ence), co-op (co-operation), kick (abandon), opt (choose), spark (encourage), woo (seek to win), snub (neglect), cool (uninterested), key (essential), ties (relations), eye (watch, observe), moot (discuss), rock (shake), voice (express), mar (damage), body (committee), flop (failure), set (ready), tiff (argument), dip (decline), name (appoint), top (exceed),nuke (nuclear weapon), arms (weapons) , down (decrease), pit (coal mine) , Tory (the Conservative Party) , etc. 2. Wide Use of Abbreviations and Acronyms Abbreviations and acronyms are frequently used in newspaper headlines. The following are some of them. Acronyms: Afr.—Africa, African App—appendix Ave.—avenue Capt.—captain Chem..—chemistry Colloq.—colloquial Dz.—dozen Encl.—enclosure Fem.—feminine Govt.—government Hist.—history Hon.—honorary Incl.—including Lat.—latitude Ltd.—limited Medit.—Mediterranean Sec.—second Sq.—squre Voca.—vocabulary Yd.—yard Amt.—amount Approx—approximately Boil—biology Cent.—centigrade Co.—company Dept.—department Econ.—economics Fahr.—Fahrenheit Grad.—graduate Hr.—hour Lang.—language Mag.—magazine Lit.—literature Prof.—professor Soc.—society Univ.—university Wt.—weight Abbreviations AFTA---Atlantic Free Trade Area Asian Free Trade Area APCC---Air Pollution Control Commission APEC---Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APF---American Pacific Fleet ASAN-Association of Southeast Asian Nations BBC---British Broadcasting Corporation BIRPI--- United International Bureau for the Protection of Intellectual Property BOAC---British Overseas Airways Corporation CIA---Central Intelligence Agency CPLA---Chinese People's Liberation Army EAC---East African Community EEC---European Economic Community EFTA---European Free trade Association EIB--European Investment Bank EMA---European Monetary Agreement EMF---European Monetary Fund ESCAP--United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific EU--European Union FAO---Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na​tions FBI---Federal Bureau of Investigation FIFA---International Football Federation FRS---Fellow of the Royal Society GB--Great Britain G8—Group of Eight G7 7—Group of 77 IADB--Inter- American Development Bank IEA---International Energy Agency IAEA IBA---International Bar Association ICAO—International Civil Aviation Organization ICJ---International Court of Justice IDA---International Development Association IFC---International Finance Corporation IFG---International Federation of Gymnastics IFHR---International Federation of Human Rights IFT---International Federation of Translators IGF---International Genetics Federation IIB---International Investment Bank ILO--International Labor Organization IMF---International Monetary Fund IMO--International Maritime Organization INTELSAT-- International Telecommunications Satellite Organization IOC--International Olympic Committee IOM---International Organization for Migration IPPF---International Planned Parenthood Federation IPU---Inter-Parliamentary Union IRC---International Red Cross IRO---international Refugee Organization IRU---International Relief Union ITU---International Telecommunication Union IUAPPA--International Union of Air Pollution Prevention Associations IUS---International Union of Students LACM---Latin American Common Market LAFTA---Latin American Free Trade Area MP--Member of Parliament NAFTA---North American Free Trade Area NATO--North Atlantic Treaty Organization OAU--Organization of African Unity OECD-- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Devel​opment OPEC—Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries OSCE--Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe SEATO--South East Asia Treaty Organization SUNFED--Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development UNCD--United Nations Conference on Disarmament UNCED--United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCITRAL--United Nations Commission on International Trade Law UNCSDHA--United Nations Center for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs UNDC--United Nations Development Corporation UNDP--United Nations Development Program UNECA-- United Nations Economic Commission for Africa UNEDA--United Nations Economic Development Adminis​tration UNEF-- United Nations Environment Fund UNEP--United Nations Environment program UNESCO--United Nations Educational Scientific and Cul​tural Organization UNFDAC--United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control UNFPA--United Nations Fund for Population Activities UNIDCP-- United Nations International Drug Control Pro​gram UNICEF--United Nations Children Fund UNIDO--United Nations Industrial Development Organiza​tion UNILC--United Nations International Law Commission UNO--United Nations Organization UNRRA--United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Admin​istration UNTDB--United Nations Trade and Development Board UNTPC-»Trade Promotion Center of the United Nations UPU--Universal Postal Union WB-*World Bank WCHR--World Conference on Human Rights WCO--World Customs Organization WFC--World food Council WFTU--World Federation of Trade Unions WHO-World Health Organization WIDF-»Women's International Democratic Federation WIPO-»World Intellectual Property Organization WMO-»World Meteorological Organization WPC—World Peace Council WTO-»World Trade Organization 3. Frequent Omission of Certain Words Headlines generally leave out certain words, especially articles, personal pronouns, this, that, and verb to be. The word "and" is often replaced by a comma, e. g. : Fan kills wife (A sports fan killed his wife. ) Charles, 32, seeks bride (Prince Charles, who is 32 years old, is seeking a bride. ) Chinese, Pakistani presidents hail ties (The Chinese and Pakistani presidents hailed the ties be​tween the two countries. ) Terror drive cabby jailed (A cabby, who drove terribly, has been jailed. ) Bankers silent as dollar falls (The bankers keep silent as the dollar falls. ) Cox Report sheer fabrication (The Cox Report is a sheer fabrication. ) Russia: Keep ABM treaty intact (Russia says the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty should be kept intact. ) Shanghai APEC: A focus of world attention (Shanghai APEC is a focus of world attention. ) Pompeii reported seriously damaged (Pompeii is reported to have been seriously damaged. ) Sleepwalker puts 2 in hospital (A sleepwalker put two people in the hospital. ) Woman Kills husband, self (A woman killed her husband and herself.) Shanghai to do business on net, including B2B, B2C (Shanghai is to do business on the net, including" business to business" and "business to consumer". ) Globalization not all good (Globalization can be both beneficial and harmful,, world po​litical an