Headlines

Should encapsulate the story and attract the reader to the story or the paper.
They need to bear in mind the different readers and the different ways they are going to consume the publication. ( read every detail, or skim and cherry pick).
The lead story may not necessarily be such as it is the most important news item. It may be the most scandalous and the most likely to attract readers and therefore increase sales of the tabloid.

Headlines are written, not by the writer of the article but by a team of specialist writers, they use short, attention grabbing words that are often not found outside of journalese.

Techniques such as:
1. linguistic jokes or puns are frequently used as is ambiguity, homonyms ( words with more than one meaning), polysemes ( several linked meanings).
2. Intertextuality- refer to popular culture or sayings- eg 'Babes in the Woods"
3. Phonology-alliteration & similar sounding words.
4. Loaded words with emotive, strong connotations eg 'butchered'.
5. Reorganising standard order of words or missing words out.
6. Graphology- the headlines stand out more than the rest of the copy.
7. Conveying information in an economical way- who, what , where and how ( the why is dealt with in the article).