This is the weekend edition of TheMarioBlog and will be updated as needed. The next blog post is Monday, March 16
In the midst of our unparalleled disruptive media environment, there is no doubt that we learn something different everyday.
In some cases, we must “re-learn” things, too, as I am finding out right via my Columbia University class.
This is a tale of editing as I knew it and how it perhaps does not make much sense anymore.
I have spent considerable time, when evaluating my students’ projects in front of the class, calling attention to some editing “sins” that I remind the students may become an issue during a portfolio review for a job interview.
What are some of these issues?
Do not split compound verb forms at the end of a headline:
For example, don’t write:
Obama promises to
investigate Hillary
Do not leave dangling prepositions at the end of lines:
Obama offers his views on
Hillary Clinton’s emails
Do not split adjective from its noun
Physicians debate Obamacare
package before election
I have noticed that my teaching assistant and millennial mentor (all of us of a certain age need one of these), Reed Reibstein, has little patience for these interruptions in the midst of the evaluations, and so I finally asked him why he does not think that these remarks are of any importance anymore.
His explanation makes sense to me:
In the multi-platform world of responsive design, headlines naturally break differently on different screen sizes. So a perfectly written headline for one platform may end up with a dangling preposition on another through no fault of the headline writer.
So, what’s the use of trying hard to avoid split compound verb forms and dangling prepositions on a headline that may change the positioning of words beyond our control?
I promise not to spend another second of class time on revisiting rules of another era.
It is all about disruption and change, two banners that I always carry with gusto in all my presentations.
But when you are in the business of teaching the marvelous benefits of change and disruption, you must also submit yourself to the volcanoes that erupt with change and disruption.
I got it, Reed. This disruption will certainly lead to positive change.
I stand disrupted.
But Reed pointed out one thing that will never be disrupted: The importance of writing memorable, persuasive headlines that entice readers to enter a story.
Related: here are the same rules via the University of Iowa stylebook
According to the styleguide from the University of Iowa
End lines only in appropriate spots. Avoid splitting phrases — words that belong together because readers comprehend them as a single linguistic unit.
Common phrases that should go on the same line of a he’d if possible include prepositional phrases; modifiers and the word they modify; compound nouns; and compound verbs. (This is harder than it sounds, especially in narrow, multi-line heds.)
BOO (split prepositional phrase):
Police search for
robbery suspect
YAY:
Robbery suspect
eludes capture
BOO (split compound verb):
UI tuition likely to
rise, regents predict
YAY (well, not great, but still better):
UI tuition increase
likely, regents say
BOO (adjective split from its noun):
House passes gas
tax on to Senate
YAY:
Gas tax heads
for Senate vote
Of related interest
An expanded version of today's blog post appeared in Medium.com under the headline: Why you may need your own “millennial mentor”
For your new storytelling palette
TheMarioBlog post # 1705
Great how The New York Times does it. Via Twitter, a simple message and visuals tell the complete story. Want more? Click and read.