We have numerous lines on our palm. A palmist reads a palm very well and makes a number of predictions. A headline on a palm is one that runs horizontally from the middle of the palm to the heart line .It governs memory, intelligence and reasoning. What is referred here is not that headline. What is referred here is a newspaper headline. It is text at the top of a newspaper article. Headlines are written in much larger type size than the article text, and often in a different font entirely. Now a days newspaper headlines carry news that television or radio has announced earlier.
Media plays a major role in this modern world. Its influence over masses is immense. It is very powerful. It can do or undo anything.The role of the media in shaping public perceptions and opinions about significant political and social issues has long been the subject of both speculation and research. One of the medium of mass communications is undoubtedly a newspaper. A media organisation will be judged on the accuracy and reliability of the journalism it produces.World is so busy that people do not have enough time to go through an entire newspaper. They prefer headlines. Whenever there is no time one reads headlines only. Headlines suit very much present day world. One can keep themselves abreast of developments in this world by reading or listening to headlines. Even illiterates can listen to radio or television and digest headlines. Headlines are not only prime part of any news but also they are main attraction.They are catchy. They are brain -child of editorial teams of news papers. Anything without a headline is like anything with bottom without a top only. A headline is indispensable. A show too always begins with headlines that brief us what is going to be shown. Headlines are always prominent. Media play a lot of hype using headlines.
Headlines in a newspaper provide us news in a nutshell. Headlines summarize news. They are always in bold letters.We can glance at headlines and grasp news. Headlines are backbone of a newspaper.Headlines publicize news. Eye-catching headlines attract everybody. Everyday different headlines appear in newspaper.Yesterday's headlines become stale to-day and entirely different headlines occupy a newspaper instead. Thus, we find everyday headlines that are either additions to yesterday's news or some other news altogether. Headlines rise various kinds of feelings depending upon various kind of news that they depict. A headline is title of an article. Nothing would reveal the true democratic set up of a country more than what its media could do. There is generally no censorship of news of any kind in a truly democratic country. Is it not newspapers through their headlines brought to light various scandals like Bofors, Oil for Food scam, and Watergate scandals? What newspaper headlines will bring to light one cannot even imagine. Headlines briefly narrate us stories that have taken place in any nook and corner of globe. Headlines open our eyes. Media is eyes and ears of public. Media is a public watch dog. It is through a newspaper headline an unknown becomes known to the world. Media can blow up or curtail news. Everything is in the hands of a media. There are occasions when certain important news does not appear in headlines. As such they go unnoticed. Media should be as far as possible fair. Media should never be biased. Unfortunately, many times even if a trifle thing happens to very important people it appears in headline whereas even if something serious happens to a common man it does not appear in a newspaper at all. That is why American president Lyndon B. Johnson once said “If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: "President Can't Swim." ” Similarly, politicians capture headlines for reasons right or wrong.
It does not matter whether one is old or young or whether it is he or she every morning as soon as one gets up one eagerly awaits arrival of a newspaper to peep into headlines to know what has happened in this world. More enlightened a person is more is anxiety. In fact, it is a routine in case of majority of people now-a-days. Every true citizen unfailingly has this habit. Further, some people are so anxious; that they even do not brush their teeth. They come out with brush in their mouth to pick up newspaper. Paperboys voice headlines of a newspaper loudly to quickly dispose off stock of newspaper. Headlines become topics of a day. It is headlines that generally provide people matter to prattle. Headlines present us gist of news that need our immediate attention. Similarly, even in case of a television or a radio also people await relay of headlines. Headlines in major national daily newspapers carry more weight than the headlines carried by the local daily newspapers. Sometimes a headline appears to us like a bolt from the blues for sometimes it comprises of news which one has not even dreamed of. Sometimes, there is no unusual in headlines. We do not find any pepper or salt added to it. Headlines should be always like a hot cake that is just out of an oven. That is it should be afresh and contain minute details. It should be shocking and absorbing. It is headlines of a newspaper that catch one’ eyes more than other contents of a newspaper and spread the news quickly. It is headlines which create more and more interest in a newspaper. It is headlines that invoke reactions in every reader. Of course, reactions may not be same in all. They vary from person to person. It is coining of words and phrases of headlines and layout that impress and engage one’s attention. Writing headlines is a specialty. Headlines can be amazing, and fantastic. Writing a great headline is one’s first, and perhaps only, chance to make an impression on a prospective reader. Wording of headlines often raise eyebrows. One should be cautious while writing a headline. Writing headlines is playing on words. Headlines are to be worded properly. Otherwise, it may open a Pandora box. One may land in disputes or litigation also.
By and large whatever that are published in a newspaper paper as headlines are facts only.They are published only after ascertaining authenticity. Headlines carry important news that is either good or bad. It is a headline only that unfolds to public news that is either sweet or bitter. It does not make any distinction at all. Both failures as well as success appear in a headline. Unless news is authentic no newspaper would publish it in a headline. Generally all newspapers do not carry same headlines even though news which majority of them covers by and large remains same. Headlines differ from paper to paper. Daily we find different headlines in every newspaper. Newspapers are the strongest arm of a democracy. Of course, hot topics appear again and again as long as they engage public attention. Every newspaper has its own way of presenting news by means of its headlines. They do not leave a reader unaffected. In one way or other the headlines have an impact on a reader. It is difficult to imagine even what an impact a headline would have on public. Generally a public opinion is formed on account of news carried by a headline. As a result sometimes a minister quits a cabinet and sometimes government itself falls. It all depends upon how events would turn out subsequently. Generally, headlines of a newspaper remain in one’s memory for a longer period than any other contents of a newspaper. Sometimes cartoons accompany a headline to make it more illustrative, colorful and impressive. Generally, a newspaper carries either good news or bad news through its headlines only. Newspaper headlines many a times cause sensation in a reader. Headline must be phrased in a way to give it memory value.
There is a saying “Today's gossip is tomorrow's headline.” Even a donkey can make a headline in a newspaper. A donkey can be used for a protest. Recently, it was used by an organization at Kanchi, in Tamilnadu (India) with a placard hanging on its neck written 'district administration. It wanted to demonstrate that district administration was no good. Revenue officials of that place took strong exception to it. They registered a complaint and got seized the animal under the sections pertaining to prevention of cruelty to animals and defilement of public places. The Magistrate of place directed the police to keep the donkey in police custody and produce it in court next day as evidence along with the seized items. Police had to hire a van to produce the animal before the court. A headline appeared in the newspaper “Donkey faces court proceedings in Kanchi
One’s name in headlines of a newspaper may either bring them fame and name or make them infamous. Some people have a craze to appear in a headline. They always want to be in news. They want to become famous. It is known as hitting headlines. It is an ambition of many people too. If one’s name appears in a headline of a newspaper on a number of occasions, naturally they become famous. One gets a lot of publicity by appearing in headlines. Here it may be noted that individual’s name might have appeared in a headline for their great deeds or misdeeds. Some places hog headlines for wrong reasons. ”More a newspaper circulates more its contents spread.
Through newspaper headlines only names of politicians, eminent persons and dacoits, spread all over. All depends upon why the name has appeared in the headlines. As such, sometimes headlines cause happiness; sometimes they cause horror. Sometimes it is old wine in new bottle. Sometimes it is totally fresh news. In short, they are an important or sensational piece of news. It is headlines of newspapers that provide us a gist of important events that have taken place world over. One should never stop reading after having a glimpse at headlines. It is always better one goes through entire text that generally follows headlines to know the details.
Success or popularity of a newspaper depends on how best it presents news. A pen is stronger than sword. Different words and phrases are used to blow up or down news. Headlines should be suitably worded. Words are to be picked, coined and chosen in this regard. Headlines appear in the newspaper according to prominence of news. Whatever that has taken place in any nook and corner of this universe draws attention of public through headlines. Headlines carry everything that is important. It is headlines that always matter more in a newspaper. Headlines never allow one to neglect them. Many times it is headlines of a newspaper that are responsible for the change or changes that take place in a society or a country.
Recently, I read a headline in a newspaper. It was about a bank manager. It was reported that bank manager was not true to his salt. He had cheated the bank that had been providing him bread and butter to the tune of rupees 3 to 4 crores by mortgaging fictitious titled deeds to avail housing finance. He was promptly put behind the bars by the police on a complaint from one of the local branches of that bank. That branch manager was none other than the manager of that branch of a bank which was audited by me about two decades ago.
Naturally, the headlines made me to recollect that particular audit. I had to toil from morning to night during the course of that audit. Sometimes, during the course of that audit I went to bed even at 1 O'clock in the night. The audit lasted in that strain for several months for irregularities like flouting of laid down norms, procedures, etc were abundant. In such an atmosphere, an auditor is an unwanted guest. Every day, I used to send report of my findings to my higher authorities. My sole intention was to protect the interest of our beloved institution. Auditor’s job is a thankless job. I had carried out my duties sincerely and honestly without any prejudice. I had nothing against that branch manager personally.
It is difficult to remember the entire report word by word for it comprised over a thousand pages. One by one irregularity that I came across during that audit arose in my mind. No suitable action was initiated against that erring manager because he was very influential at that time. He continued to enjoy the blessings of higher authorities for several years even there afterwards without any stringent action and was promoted to a higher grade too. Evil never always triumphs. Ultimately, his services were terminated.
Whereas, I was sent to audit rural branches after that audit. In rural places , I suffered a lot without proper food and lodging facilities. Thus the captioned headline was a consolation to my hard work. Hard work never dies. A stitch in time would have saved nine. The institution would not have faced this ignominy that it has been facing to-day on account of that manager.
One pursues criminal activities because of their over confidence only. They consider themselves to be very intelligent and there is no possibility of them being caught at anytime. The branch manager did not realize even after his termination that honesty is the best policy He continued to be unscrupulous. Once one is behind bar for a criminal offense, they become infamous. Even their blood relatives distance themselves from them. Blood relatives feel ashamed to be recognized as a relative of a criminal too. They would never like to mention their relationship with criminal at all. This was repercussion that headline had too.