Read the entire story; give the readers an idea of: What the story is about What kind of story it is (i.e. breaking news or feature) Summarize the story Summarize in one line MUST include a specific subject and an active verb Show how this particular story differs from others Use headline style Eliminate unnecessary words (i.e., a, an, the) Omit forms of the verb ‘to be’ (is, are, was, were) Use numerals Abbreviate days of the week and months Use present tense verbs, aka ‘historical present tense’ Use strong verbs but avoid commanding verbs Follow a subject/verb-object structure Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized Don't use a period at the end Use single quotes to quote material Use a comma as a substitute for "and" Use specific details if they are available Use only widely known acronyms and abbreviations Only use names when they're prominent and use only notable nicknames Determine headline "fit" Use the correct form and length to ensure it fits into the given space on the page where it will appear Use a headline designer to identify the layout and design as not to exceed the maximum character count for publishing To lengthen or shorten a headline, you may need to eliminate or substitute words, or change its focus entirely; ask these questions: What words could the headline live without and still make sense? What other words might convey the point equally well? Am I retaining the rules of headline writing style, such as using historical present tense and omitting articles?