Use and modification of headlines sent by press offices

Abstract

The headline is the most important part of a press release, as it grabs the attention of the reader and highlights the most relevant aspect of the piece of news. However, some public relations experts do not recommend spending too much time elaborating one sentence that will probably be changed by the journalist anyway. In this research, the headlines of the press releases sent during four years by the Atapuerca Foundation (Spain) have been analyzed, as well as their repercussion in six different newspapers. Even if journalists may not employ the same headline, the main idea remains the same in many cases, although simplified and with shorter words. The headline should highlight the most newsworthy aspect, and it should be constructed with verbs and simple and short words.