Why Headlines Matter more than you think

 Dylan Westmeyer

dw330019@ohio.edu

Headlines have been a staple in the journalism world since the beginning. Writers need a hook to pull readers in to make sure they sell their products and make money. How does the hook affect the readers of the articles, though?

Curtesy Shutter-stock

We have seen through the years that headlines for both paper and online news have gotten wilder and wilder to get clicks or copies sold. These hooks can be harmless when it comes to specific stories, but when the headlines for crimes, they can paint a picture of how the media may want someone to look.

News organizations, even if unknowing, have painted suspects and victims of crimes who are not white in a very different way than they have painted the suspects and victims of white descent. They tend to make the white victims look like good people while the minorities look as though criminals, as seen in a few examples showcased by the Huffington Post.

These headlines can lead the public to be in the wrong state of mind while reading the articles. We live in a country where people who enter the court system are innocent until proven guilty, and even if someone sadly was killed by an officer, we must look at the story that they were doing nothing wrong until we can find out what occurred. 

Along with using headlines to make people look specific ways, the media can also choose not to headline a significant incident and headline a story that isn't as important to downplay certain events. The way headlines are worded can also show what certain media outlets want the public to see, as shown in The Atlantic. 

The future of headlines looks crazier and scarier with the need to get clicks on articles to produce revenue for the writer and the affiliated media. With these crazy times soon to come, newer journalists need to decide to either change where the current trajectory is headed or hop on board. Good headlines are always needed, and those who can change the public's mindset with only a few words are extremely powerful. Though with the changing of the times, I have hope and trust in the future journalist to do the right thing and learn from other journalists' past mistakes.