The Art of Headlines

It may seem a trivial preoccupation, but I’ve long been fascinated by newspaper headlines. Blogging has certainly increased my respect for the headline writer; distilling the essence of a story into a short phrase that is editorially faithful to the story, draws in the reader and even shows some wit and ingenuity – that’s tough work. Today brings a great example from a NYT story on research showing that those who feel guilty crave antiseptic wipes: “Lady Macbeth Not Alone in Her Quest for Spotlessness”.