Focus
Credit: By Mark Hunter/ toolstop on Flickr. Some rights reserved.
Headlines are key in grabbing people's attention and while they're important in print, they're crucial online - the first few words can either hook readers or prevent them from clicking to read the article.  

Choosing the right one can be nearly as important as finding a good story, but of course that doesn't mean you should write sensational or inaccurate headlines just to draw people in.

This is why NPR's Eric Athas has put together a useful list of characteristics you should consider when writing a headline.

He advises making sure that a headline delivers on its promise of what the piece will be about and avoid using puns or forced cultural references that might confuse people when they read it.

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