UEH UNIVERSITY

FALCUTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ASSIGNMENT

\\ BUSINESS INTERPRETATION
Topic Analysis of English press headline

Lecturer Dr Phạm Văn Nga

Class AV003 – K47

Group members

1. Nguyễn Quang Huy 5. Phan Huyền Trân

2. Đỗ Huyền Trang 6. Nguyễn Ngọc An Thư

3. Trần Thị Ngọc Mai 7. Võ Thị Ngọc Liên

4. Huỳnh Tiên Kim

Friday 1st March 2024, Hồ Chí Minh

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................2
II. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................2
III. FINDINGS............................................................................................................................2
3.1. 8 Primary Press Headline.................................................................................................2
a) News Headlines...............................................................................................................3
b) Feature Headlines............................................................................................................3
c) Opinion Headlines...........................................................................................................3
d) Entertainment Headlines.................................................................................................4
e) Sports Headlines..............................................................................................................4
f) Financial Headlines..........................................................................................................5
g) Human Interest Headlines...............................................................................................5
h) Tabloid Headlines...........................................................................................................5
3.2. Headline Grammar And Syntax.......................................................................................5
a) News Headlines...............................................................................................................5
b) Feature headlines.............................................................................................................6
c) Opinion headlines............................................................................................................7
d) Entertainment Headline...................................................................................................7
e) Sport headline..................................................................................................................8
f) Financial headlines...........................................................................................................9
g) Human Interest Headlines...............................................................................................9
h) Tabloid Headlines.........................................................................................................10
IV. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................10
V. RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................11
5.1. Headline convention.......................................................................................................11
5.2. Clarity and Brevity.........................................................................................................11
5.3. Keyword and Action Words Empowerment..................................................................11
5.4. The 5 Whs......................................................................................................................12
5.5. Tone................................................................................................................................12
5.6. Target audience..............................................................................................................12
5.7. Engagement....................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................13
 CONTENT

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the constantly shifting context of media and journalism, headlines serve as the
first stage of contact between readers and the massive amount of information supplied
through various press outlets. They are the first thing readers see, providing insight
into news, views, entertainment, sports, money, personal tales, and tabloid drama.
Each sort of headline has a distinct style that is intended to capture attention while also
conveying information quickly and concisely.

This research investigates eight basic headline styles, each tailored to particular
reader interests and publication forms. Headlines connect content with readers,
whether it's breaking news, in-depth articles, persuasive viewpoints, amusing updates,
exciting sports moments, financial insights, inspiring human stories, or shocking
tabloid stories. Furthermore, headlines follow some grammatical rules and styles
relevant to their respective genres. Headlines use active language, evocative pictures
with interesting questions, and smart wordplay to connect with a wide range of
audiences and keep them interested in a rich information environment. In the last
section, the report will show some recommendations for making effective headlines
that help people understand the complexities of headline composition as well as allow
us to better understand how these brief sentences catch attention, deliver information,
and stimulate curiosity in today's rapid media landscape.

II. INTRODUCTION

This report will look at

● 8 primary press headline

● Grammar and syntax of these kinds of headline

● How can a writer create an impressive title

III. FINDINGS
 III.1. 8 Primary Press Headline

Press headlines can differ significantly depending on the news or information

being reported, the intended readership, and the writing style of the publisher. Here are
a few examples of typical press headlines for each common kind of news that we can
see daily.

a) News Headlines

News headlines provide the most recent information about events, developments,
or breaking news. For examples"Government Suggests Curfew to Reduce COVID-19
Spread" , "Company Announces Weekly Earnings Report". A newspaper headline
usually needs to be factually correct and link to ordinary readers. It attracts attention
using active language, and suits the vibe of the article. Its readers are willing to read a
headline with factual information to solve the problem they might have, or to answer a
question. For instance, the headline"Trade Talks Between U.S. and China Stall,
Escalating Trade War Fears"

‘The war has begun' would catch audience who read it in 1860, as it provided
answers to their question “What is going on with the civil war in the United States?”.
Then, acuracy is, indeed, extremely important in this case. A short or 1 to 3 noun
phrase headline is prioritized to communicate clearly with the audience.

b) Feature Headlines

These are headlines for feature articles with more detail and frequent analysis or
storytelling that go into a specific subject. For instance, we’ve got some feature
headlines "Inside Look Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Coastal
Communities", "Profile The Life and Heritage of a Pioneering Scientist". The
headline for a feature article is also aimed to hook readers and summerise what the
artical is about.This type of healine is usually written in large block letter in order to
keep standing out on the page. Their words used are simple and superlative-free. Great
feature headlines give audience an edge and convince them to respond to the article.
Most jounalists use numbers and statistics to catch their readers’ attention. By listing
those figures, the writing would seem more factual or authoritative.
 c) Opinion Headlines

Opinion headlines convey the author's perspective or analysis on a particular

topic; these are frequently seen in debates and opinion sections. For examples
"Opinion Why Education Reform Should Be the Government's Top Priority",
"Editorial Holding Corporations Accountable for Environmental Damage"

d) Entertainment Headlines

Frankly, Entertainment headlines are about the entertainment industry, covering

events, celebrities, music, film, and television. For instance "New Film Release Breaks
Box Office Records", "Celebrity Couple's Split Sends Shockwaves Through
Hollywood". Unlike the mentioned styles, entertainment headlines prioritize the
enjoyment but the acuracy. Entertainment news might be superfuous or ligitimate but
they must be enjoyable. The entertainment terms is broad. It does not limit to
celebrities, films, or TV shows but other fields such as books, game, hobbies, fashion,
and so on. The laguage used to draw entertainment news readers in can be alliteration,
rhyme, or puns. Let’s take “Zendaya Zaps Zara with Zesty Zingers” as an example.
The effect achieved is a more memorable phrase. Readers can be impressed and then
keep the headlines in their mind much longer. Key words, names, or trends are often
used to target the audience and optimize the search engine. “Celebrity News - Latest
Celeb News, Exclusives & More” is a typical example.

e) Sports Headlines

Sport headlines are about sporting events, scores, highlights, and news about
athletes, teams, and sporting events. For examples "Team Wins Championship Title in
Thrilling Overtime Victory", "Star Player Injured, Team Faces Tough Playoff
Challenge". The key in sport headlines writing is the basic gist of an event. Journalists
need to understand all what the reporter said about the event to take out the most
engaging feature of the game. Using key words is their favorite style. Search engine
optimization (SEO) styles can really help boost readership for digital headlines. But
for traditional ones, it is important to cover as much of the basics as possible. Usually,
sports fan knows the results of the events, so the useful writing style is to “say a lot
with a little”. A hemingwayesque touch is preferred in terms of writing a sports
headline.

f) Financial Headlines

Financial headlines cover financial markets, business news, equities, investments,

and economic data. For instance "Stock Market Rebounds After Federal Reserve
Announcement", "Tech Company's IPO Generates Record-Breaking Investor Interest".
Finance headlines writers need to balance clarity, credibility, and curiosity while
avoiding jargon, hype, and confusion. Using numbers and data in headlines, as
mentioned before, can make them more credible. For example, instead of “How to
Save Money on Your Taxes”, “10 Tax Deductions You Might Be Missing Out On”
can gain more attention. Short and simple headlines style is of interest in this field.
The writers often eliminate unecessary words and use active verbs. We can take the
headline “How to invest in Stocks A Simple guide” as an example.

g) Human Interest Headlines

Headlines featuring personal stories, human experiences, and uplifting or

inspiring news. For examples "Local Hero Saves Family from Burning Building",
"Community Comes Together to Support Homeless Shelter"

h) Tabloid Headlines

Sensationalized headlines are often found in tabloid-style publications,

focusing on celebrity gossip, scandals, and sensational news. There are some headlines
like "Shocking Affair Scandal Rocks Hollywood Star", "Exclusive Celebrity's Secret
Plastic Surgery Revealed". Taboid healines, just as digital content headlines, often
include humor, puns or cultural references. Specific details are needed as the headlines
should avoid vague information and archetypes. It is much more effective to write
“HR in the finance industry” instead of “HR”. The more specific the taboid headline
is, the likelier they are to draw their audience in. Then, negativity can be use to create
a little fear or anxiety to the readers, which mostly catch their attention. For instance,
readers are more inclined to choose a piece on “10 Ways to Avoid Getting in Trouble
with the IBM” than one on “How to do IBM”.

III.2. Headline Grammar And Syntax

a) News Headlines.

The grammar and syntax of news headlines should follow the conventions and
rules to ensure the information can be conveyed clearly and effectively. There are
some features in the grammar and syntax of news headlines. News headlines often use
the present tense to convey immediacy and relevance. Moreover, typical of news
headlines use active voice to make the subject of the sentence unambiguous and
conspicuous. One of the features of news headlines is the non-verb structure to place
the most important information at the beginning of the headline. For example,

"President Signs Executive Order to Address Cybersecurity Threats"

To describe an action by the subject, the headline uses the active voice
("President Signs") and the simple present tense ("Signs").The word "President" is the
subject, "Signs" is the verb, and "Executive Order to Address Cybersecurity Threats"
is the object, all of which are supported by the infinitive phrase in this headline's
subject-verb-object structure.

b) Feature headlines.

Descriptive language is frequently used in feature headlines to draw readers'

interest or present a clear image of the content. Feature headlines also use questions
and curiosity to draw the attention of readers to the article. Action verbs can be used in
feature headlines to suggest investigation or activity. One of the common features is
using gerunds to show ongoing and constant action. In addition, emotional language
can be used in feature headlines to create curiosity or feelings. The thing that we must
mention is wordplay or alliteration to create memorable and catchy headlines. Parallel
structures can be used in feature headlines to establish rhythm and balance.

When it comes to grammar and syntax, feature headlines are generally more
flexible than news headlines. To make the headline interesting and memorable, they
frequently use innovative approaches, ask challenging questions, use emotive themes,
and use descriptive language to interest readers. For example

"Unveiling the Mysteries of the Amazon Rainforest"

The word "Unveiling" in the headline refers to continuous action or investigation.

Because it is in the present participle form, it suggests ongoing activity. "Unveiling" is
the subject of the headline, and "The Mysteries of the Amazon Rainforest" is the
object complement.

c) Opinion headlines.

Active verbs are frequently used in opinion headlines to clearly convey the
opinion or posture. Besides that, modal verbs like "should," "must," or "ought to" are
frequently employed to convey duty, need, or judgment. In addition, infinitive phrases
are sometimes used in opinion headlines to show purpose or intention, and, possessive
nouns are employed for allocating an opinion or viewpoint to a certain entity or
person. Moreover, subordinate clauses are sometimes used in opinion headlines to
provide further background or explanation. Some headlines also be in question format
to engage readers and provoke thought. Opinion headlines frequently employ parallel
structures to provide balance and emphasis. They also use adjectives and adverbs to
convey their opinions or viewpoints more vividly. These factors work together to
make opinion headlines more successful in effectively articulating a specific point of
view or analysis on a given topic. They are written to be independent, compelling, and
thought-provoking to generate discussion and debate among readers. For instance

"Why Governments Should Take Immediate Action on Climate Change"

The headline begins with the conjunction "Why" to explain the reasoning behind
the statement. To express recommendation or counsel, the subject "Governments," the
modal verb "Should," and the base form of the verb "Take" are used. The noun phrase
"Immediate Action on Climate Change" adds specificity. Like the first example, this
headline uses a Subject-Verb-Object structure, with "Governments" as the subject,
"Should Take" as the verb phrase, and "Immediate Action on Climate Change" as the
object.
 d) Entertainment Headline.

Entertainment headlines frequently employ active language that suggests

enthusiasm and involvement. Headlines typically use dynamic verbs to describe
actions in entertainment news. Additionally, entertainment headlines must use
descriptive adjectives, adjectives are employed to add detail and excitement to
headlines, frequently characterizing characteristics of entertainment content or people.
In the entertainment headline, present participles (verbs ending in -ing) denote
continuous acts or happenings. They frequently incorporate catchy words or hooks that
attract readers. Abbreviations or acronyms relating to entertainment entities or events
may be used for simplicity. For example

"Taylor Swift Wins Grammy Award for Album of the Year"

The headline is in the active voice and past tense. The subject is Taylor Swift, the
active verb is "wins," and the object is the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It
follows a Subject-Verb-Object structure, with "Taylor Swift" as the subject and
"Wins" as the verb referring to the action of accepting the award.

e) Sport headline

To capture the spirit of the event, begin with a subject noun, usually the name
of the primary team or athlete. For example, "Manchester United Wins Premier
League Title" briefly describes the famed football club's achievement. Second, strong
and active verbs are critical in expressing the main action of the sporting event, giving
the headline vigor and dynamism. For example, in "Serena Williams Dominates
Wimbledon Final," the verb "dominates" eloquently depicts the tennis icon's
overpowering performance. Furthermore, sports headlines are noted for their brevity,
providing a concise summary of important information. For instance, "Golden State
Warriors Defeat Cleveland Cavaliers" encapsulates the outcome of a significant NBA
matchup with clarity and efficiency. Finally, the addition of descriptive adjectives like
"historic," "record-breaking," or "dramatic" adds mystery and excitement to the title,
drawing the reader in. For example, in "Lewis Hamilton's Historic Victory at the
Monaco Grand Prix," the term "historic" emphasizes the magnitude of the Formula
One driver's victory, conveying a sense of grandeur and excitement. In essence, the
skill of writing sports headlines consists of effortlessly blending subject nouns, strong
verbs, succinct summaries, and descriptive phrases to produce titles that engage with
readers and capture the excitement of athletic exploits.

f) Financial headlines

Financial headlines are quick accounts of key events in the financial world,
often formatted in a specific manner. They frequently begin with a subject noun,
which is typically the name of a company, financial index, or noteworthy event in the
financial business. For example, the phrase "Apple Reports Record Profits in Q4
Earnings" conveys the essence of a great financial achievement. Following the subject
word, a strong action verb describes the primary action or result of the financial event.
One example is "Stock Market Plummets Amid Global Economic Uncertainty," which
effectively depicts the gravity of a market downturn. A complement or sentence may
then be added to provide detailed information about the event or financial results, so
interpreting the headline. For instance, "Bitcoin Hits New All-Time High, Surpassing
$50,000" elaborates on the significant milestone reached by the cryptocurrency.
Furthermore, descriptive adjectives such as "record-breaking," "historic," or
"significant" are frequently employed to highlight and characterize financial events,
adding depth and emphasis. Furthermore, descriptive adjectives such as "record-
breaking," "historic," and "significant" are frequently employed to highlight and
characterize financial events, adding depth and emphasis. For example, "Gold Prices
Reach Historic Highs Amid Inflation Concerns," in which the term "historic"
underlines the magnitude of the price increase. In essence, financial headlines use a
methodical technique to convey crucial information and catch readers' attention in the
fast-paced world of finance.

g) Human Interest Headlines

Human interest story headlines usually start with a descriptive term that conveys
the story's subject matter. For example, "Local Hero Rescues Stranded Kitten from
Storm Drain." They may employ a strong action term to express what occurred, such
as "Community Rallies to Support Families Affected by Tragic Accidents." They can
offer additional information to provide context, such as "Elderly Couple Celebrates
60th Wedding Anniversary Despite Challenges." They could also stir readers' attention
by posing questions like, "What inspired a young artist to paint murals across the
city?" Finally, they use comparative or descriptive adjectives to help tell the story,
such as "Inspirational Teacher Goes Above and Beyond to Impact Students' Lives."

h) Tabloid Headlines

In tabloid headlines, brevity is essential, with titles presenting information

quickly and clearly. For example, "Hollywood Star's Secret Affair Exposed" gets right
to the point. Strong verbs are used to create an effect, as demonstrated in "Shocking
Scandal Rocks Political World." Descriptive adjectives are used to emphasize and
comment on occurrences, such as "Explosive Interview Reveals Startling Truths."
Special words and statements are used to pique interest and excitement, such as "You
Won't Believe What Happened Next!" Quote marks are widely used to offer more
information or significance, as seen in "Celebrity Couple's Shocking Split (Exclusive
Details Inside)." Overall, tabloid titles use vivid language and flair to entice readers
and create anticipation for upcoming events.

IV. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, based on an in-depth analysis of numerous sorts of newspaper

headlines and their related styles, it is clear that headline writing is a craft customized
to certain reader interests, content genres, and publishing forms. Each headline
category serves a specific purpose, such as breaking news, enticing readers into feature
articles, expressing opinions, highlighting entertainment, showcasing sporting
achievements, delving into financial matters, narrating human interest stories, and
embracing tabloid sensationalism.

In essence, the findings of this study emphasize the significance of headline

accuracy, clarity, conciseness, and engagement. Headlines play a significant part in
shaping reader perceptions and driving audience engagement, whether they use active
language for news headlines, descriptive language for feature articles, advocating
viewpoints in opinion pieces, capturing entertainment attractiveness, summarising
sporting outcomes, elucidating financial dynamics, narrating human interest stories, or
embellishing tabloid stories.
 In addition, understanding the grammatical and syntactical nuances particular to
each headline category allows journalists and writers to create grabbing and successful
headlines that appeal to the audience they are targeting. Headlines, which use active
verbs, abbreviations, acronyms, descriptive adjectives, special words, and attention-
grabbing techniques, serve as openings to the rich tapestry of journalistic subject
matter, appealing to readers to investigate, think about it, and immerse themselves in
the tales they represent. Thus, in the ever-changing environment of media and
journalism, headline creation is a critical component of effective communication.

V. RECOMMENDATIONS

The strength of headline will determine how many people visit your post. All the
other marketing efforts you undertake will be a complete waste of time if you can't
make it compelling. To do this, headline convention is extremely essential when
making headlines.

5.1. Headline convention

Headline convention refers to the formatting and style guidelines followed for
creating headlines in various forms of media, such as newspapers, articles, blog posts,
or advertising. It includes a set of rules for capitalization, punctuation, length, and
phrasing to make headlines concise, informative, and attention-grabbing. The purpose
of headline convention is to effectively convey the main idea of the content and
capture the reader's interest while adhering to the specific style guidelines of the
publication or platform.

5.2. Cla
r
i
t
y

a
n
d

B
 r
e
v
i
t
y

As internet users, we are all too aware that the majority of readers only scan the
text. Because consumers have limited attention spans, excessively long headlines are
not the greatest choice because they are commonly ignored or cut off.

You must thus make sure that your headlines are clear and succinct. We advise
aiming to maintain your headlines between 50 and 60 characters as a best practice to
avoid having them truncated

5.3. Ke
y
w
o
r
d

a
n
d

A
c
t
i
o
n

W
o
r
d
s

E
m
 p
o
w
e
r
m
e
n
t

Utilizing strong keywords and action words can go far in empowering

individuals to click your titles. They can help contact individuals' feelings and make a
need to get going to make a move to click your headlines. Instances of significant
words are terms like "fundamental," "must-have," "secret," "astonishing, etc. You
should put your attention on making people feel like they are missing out on
something significant if they don't click through and getting them excited about your
content, and make your headline more engaging and encourage readers to delve into
the analysis.

5.4. Th
e

W
h
s

Writers ought to incorporate the 5WHs - who, what, when, where, and why to
give individuals essential news. While making headlines for advanced advertising and
online entertainment, we don't frequently have a lot of room. In this way, you should
5WHs. This doesn't guarantee to mean you want to incorporate explicit words for each
of these. It implies clarifying who your substance is for, what the reason for your
substance is, and why they ought to draw in with it.

5.5. To
n
e
 The tone of the title is one of the most crucial factors to take into account. It's
important that the tone of the title matches the overall tone of the article. Depending on
the situation, it could be serious, analytical, or even mildly provocative. For instance,
you might want to use a more official and courteous tone when writing the headline
for a blog article about a serious subject as opposed to a social media post about a
funny meme. Titles that don't accurately capture the essence of the piece may irritate
and alienate readers. Therefore, writers should define genre, target audience and
purpose of the press before publishing this article.

5.6. Ta
r
g
e
t

a
u
d
i
e
n
c
e

Analyzing potential audiences is essential to determining what should be

included in any piece of writing, especially in creating its headline. Understanding
your audience is the foundation for determining the style and tone of the title. If you
are writing a magazine with teenagers, you need a witty tone with some funny slang
that are trending. Conversely to an article relating to political topics that may grab the
attention of middle-aged people, the title must be professional, neutral and restrict the
use of dialect.

5.7. En
g
a
g
e
m
 e
n
t

Let the reader interbeing in the article plays an important role in the survival of
the writing. To do that, the author can spark the reader's curiosity with headlines.
Asking intriguing questions or making compelling claims can pique readers' interest in
learning about the context further. For example, instead of using the normal and a bit
boring title for an environmental news "Earth is being destroyed by the greed of
humans", the writer can replace it with a rhetorical question"Is the survival of our
planet truly what we have in mind?"
 REFERENCES

How do you write persuasive headlines with your tone of voice? (2023, September
28). www.linkedin.com. https//www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-do-you-
write persuasive-headlines-your
CoSchedule. (2023, March 27). 25 headline examples for every type of content you’ll

write. CoSchedule Blog. https://coschedule.com/blog/headline-examples

Colbert, A. (2020, February 2). Today is the first global palindrome day in 909 years.

Another one won’t happen for 101 years. Mashable.

https://mashable.com/article/palindrome-day-02022020?europe=true

How do you write persuasive headlines with your tone of voice? (2023, September
28). www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-do-you-
write-persuasive-headlines-your