Abstract:

This paper details the findings of an empirical study designed to investigate just how powerful newspaper headlines might be in terms of: 1) communicating signals that allow the reader to identify the title, in the absence of any other, formal, identification cues, and 2) attracting potential readers. The paper reviews the achievements of three national daily newspapers in terms of their ability to speak with a clear, consistent, identifying accent - and discusses how key editorial and journalist personnel might benefit from such findings.