Editing for multimedia

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Editing for multimedia

• Tips and tricks

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Headlines for the web

• Importance of headlines on the Web
• Why print headlines dont work
• How headlines affect traffic
• Link vs headline on story

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Headlines R Us

• One small screen, too many choices
• Risk a click?
• Most readers scan, stealing time
• We already (heard/saw/read) it all
• Headline may stand alone on page

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Why print headlines dont work

• No context No photo, caption, label, subheads in
  most cases
• Too long or too short for web design
• Written awkwardly to fit print space
• Keywords are left out (eg. Miami, Dolphins)
• Clever often doesnt informative

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Headline writing affects traffic

• Search engines rank stories higher if keywords
  are in headlines
• Readers tend to search for topic and location
  eg. schools in Miami
• Details can lure a reader to click eg. Store
  broken into vs. Burglar gets stuck in grocery
  store vent
• Inform, then entice

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Blurbs, dropheads, labels

• Very limited space keep them SHORT
• Never use anecdotal lede as your blurb
• If your paper uses a secondary headline,
  considering using that for the blurb
• Remember a web layout might include titles or
  labels make the display type work with them,
  not repeat them

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Headline examples

• Original Ripe for growth
• Rewritten Wine superstore sign of industry's
  growth
• Original Divorce was out of the question,
  husband says
• Rewritten Divorce never an option, Terri
  Schiavos husband says in new book

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Style issues for online

• Many sources of content
• AP automated feeds, 3rd-party
• Geographic references
• Where is here?
• Time references
• Today vs. day of week vs. date

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Flash slideshow packages

• Editors must have Flash or be able to edit in
  html or xml
• Editors sit with designers programmers
• Or just print out pages, edit the old-fashioned
  way

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Always a place for copy editors

• Words are still king RSS, search, txt, WAP,
  email newsletters
• Many online journalists started out as techies or
  designers. They need us
• Be flexible fearless Editing in a spreadsheet,
  xml file, content management system is just
  editing