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Completing Your Copy: With Captions and Headlines
Completing Your Copy: With Captions and Headlines
E T I N G Y
C O M P L
I O N S A N D
I T H CA P T
W EADLINES
H
e a
Y ITEr b o o k
SU
Captions & Headlines - Student Version.indd 1 6/25/14 7:36 AM
Copyright 2014 by Walsworth Yearbooks
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
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800-369-2965
For more information about this curriculum guide or any other Walsworth products and
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Acknowledgments
Renee Burke, MJE, Yearbook Adviser, Boone High School, Orlando, Fla., and unit author
Sabrina Schmitz, Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative
Alex Blackwell, Vice President of Communications and Marketing
Kristin Mateski, Manager, Yearbook Marketing
Jamie Chambers, Design and Creative Concepting Supervisor
Casey Green, Graphic Designer
Elizabeth Braden, CJE, Communications Editor
Evan Blackwell, Copywriter
T. Edward “Blaze” Hayes, Area Sales Manager
Mike Taylor, Journalism Specialist
Consultants
Cheryl Franzmann, CJE, Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative
Mary Czech, Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative
Lisa Green, Walsworth Yearbooks Sales Representative
O U R C O P Y
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CO M P L E T S A N D
HC A P T I O N
WIT EADLINES
H ENT WORKBOOK
STUD
ATTENTION BASIC
GETTER INFO
An attention getter (A) is like a Basic information (B) is a
mini headline. It’s a direct link present-tense sentence telling
from the caption to the photo it who is in the photo (name up to
is describing. seven people) and what he or
they are doing.
COMPLIMENTARY DIRECT
INFO QUOTE
Complimentary information (C) is A Direct quote (D) should be a
a past-tense sentence telling the unique quote from someone in the
reader something he cannot see photo discussing an aspect of the
from the photo itself, like how much event in the photo. This should not
money was raised in the fundraiser be a fact. Get quotable quotes.
or who won the game. How did the person FEEL?
• Identify from left to right, but don’t write that as part of the caption
HELPFUL HINTS
• Attend the event and know what you are writing about
• Write the caption as soon as possible after the picture was taken
• Identify everyone in the photo
• Describe what is happening in the exact moment of the photo
• Give your photo a timeframe
• Avoid passive voice
• Don’t add unnecessary phrases such as “left to right” or “pictured
above”
• Check and recheck the spelling of the names and text
• NEVER make up information – it is journalistically wrong!
CAPTIONS
or go to an online news site. Find three
photos with captions. Write down the
captions and respond to the two items
CAPTION 1:
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CAPTION 2:
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CAPTION 3:
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1. Critique the captions. How could each caption be improved? Is anything missing
from the captions?
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2. Rewrite the captions with the information provided in the current caption and/or the
accompanying story. Remember to keep them factual.
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WRITE THE
CAPTIONS
Here are two photos with background information
provided so you can write the caption. Remember
your ABCDs. Write your caption on the lines provided.
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CAPTION 2 – ACTOR
__ Makes a creative caption/photo connection (Attention getter)
__ Present tense sentence identifies who (everyone in photo) and describes what is
happening in each photo. (Basic info)
__ Past tense sentence takes reader beyond moment of photos. (Complimentary info)
__ Quotes are interesting and not facts. (Direct quote)
__ Caption is factual.
__ Avoids editorializing, school name, and terms like: this year, apparently, seemingly
__ Written in third person (no you, us, we, our)
__ In active, not passive voice verb.
__ Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct.
__ Doesn’t begin with name or -ing
__ Overall captions are positive and interesting.
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3.0 I can demonstrate an ability to write an effective caption that includes all four parts. I can...
a. select and integrate relevant facts and concrete details into clear and
coherent sentences that tell the story of the picture
b. use sensory language and details to create lively, colorful sentences that
engage the reader and communicate the message of the picture
I can demonstrate a command of the conventions and mechanics of standard English and can
apply this understanding to writing concise and complete story-telling captions.
2.0 I understand the purpose of a caption, but I still struggle to complete all parts of the caption
effectively, including how to organize and synthesize all the information into sentences that tell
one cohesive story.
1.0 I don’t understand the purpose of a caption or the parts of an effective caption.
You need a headline that grabs the reader’s attention. It should be creative,
catchy, visual, understandable and powerful. You want the “wow factor” on
each one.
• Try to have a subject, verb and direct object, but not prepositional
phrases, which often make headlines too long
OK
OK TEAM SEEKS STATE TITLE
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NOT
TEAM RUNS TOWARD STATE TITLE NOT OK
OK
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Spend time brainstorming, just like you do for the actual copy:
Is there a clever play on words you can use?
OLE MIStake – Story about the Gators loss to Ole Miss in an error-filled
game
EYE have amoeba – Story about a student who got amoeba in her eye
from swimming in a lake and had to have it treated
Alliteration?
Students spent Saturday saving school – Story about club members
who spend a Saturday cleaning up campus after a storm
Quote?
‘Pray for rain’ – Story about players who practice in 100-degree August
heat and want afternoon relief from the rain – taken from player quote
• And – replace it with a comma (example: Staff, students choose longer school day)
• Label leads (example: Girls soccer earns title – it’s the girls soccer page, obviously you
aren’t writing about the football team on this spread.)
• Periods – they stop a reader. A headline is meant to pull people into the story quickly.
HEADLINE TYPES:
Other types of headline styles include kickers, slammers and hammers.
KICKER – A kicker headline has a word or phrase that labels the topic and leads into the
main headline. The items leading the reader in are usually smaller in font size and weight.
JELLIN’
Twenty years after their debut, plastic shoes are fashionable again
SLAMMER – A slammer headline uses a boldface word or phrase that leads the reader
into a contrasting main headline. There is usually a colon after the initial words.
FIND HEADLINE
EXAMPLES
Look through the daily newspaper or a magazine. Find a good example
of a headline with each of the following:
ALLITERATION
QUOTE
Paste these below or on to a sheet of paper and add to an idea file to keep for future inspiration.
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CRITIQUING
HEADLINES
Wait, what did that just say?
Yep, these really happened. These are real headlines found in a variety of
newspapers or ads. What’s wrong with them?
1. WE GIVE OUR PATIENTS H1N1
I CAN WRITE IT
BETTER
Critique each of the following headlines. What error did the writer make that
should be avoided for a better headline?
NOTES!
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3.0 I can demonstrate an ability to write a concise and effective headline that can be used in
various styles and can convey the essence of the story.
I can...
b. use sensory language and details to create lively, colorful phrases that
engage the reader and communicate the message of the story
vv write positive headlines that are either derived from quotes or utilize
alliteration or word-play
I can demonstrate a command of the conventions and mechanics of standard English and can
apply this understanding to writing attention-grabbing, fact-based headlines.
2.0 I understand the purpose of a headline to hook a reader, but I still struggle to understand the
headline styles and how to communicate a complicated message in such a concise format.
1.0 I don’t understand the purpose of a headline or how to write an effective headline.