Headline Writing ( 10,001 and Over Multi-Day,5,001 - 10,000 Multi-Day,Under 5,000 Multi-Day)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Marshall Independent Entry Title: Trey strikes Gold - headline writing Entry Credit: Mike Lamb, Cindy Votruba, Sam Thiel Judge Comment: "Trey strikes gold" is a gem of a headline (ha!) But seriously, this is the perfect example of a play on words done well (not a design category, but great work there, too) I’m not even a football fan, but the headline and presentation would make me stop and read. Great job!
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Alexandria - The Echo Press Entry Title: Headline writing Entry Credit: Echo Press Judge Comment: "A lot of jingle": I love this headline for a lot of reasons, but it would've been really easy to have some cliched Christmas reference here, and you skipped it. I like the "a lot of jingle" that refers to both change/money and the event. Very clever without being over-the-top. "Soaking up festival fun" is the perfect hed for that fun photo; "In 2020, anything can happen" with the snow for the record books -- isn't that the truth? Great job -- it's clear you have fun writing these when it's appropriate but are still able to strike a balanced tone.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Duluth News Tribune Entry Title: Headline writing Entry Credit: News Tribune staff Judge Comment: "I felt let down": With a sensitive story like this, it's a great choice to let the subject tell her own story instead of paraphrasing it; "King of K" -- now that's a great baseball headline! I love the marathon special section overall, but I'm super impressed with the restraint shown on running puns. "More tacos on the horizon" is one of those headlines everyone is going to read, plus it's stylized in a cool way. One of the strengths I see throughout these papers: An emphasis on “Why you should care” headlines, such as in the marathon section, “Minnesota made.” Love it.
Competition Comment: This was a tough category with many other great entries, so I had a couple more comments.
* Rochester Post-Bulletin: There are really good centerpiece heds, but there are also great off-lede and panel heds, too: Sheriff: 'They are selling guns like crazy" (who wouldn't read that?) and Pine Island native isn't your typical social justice advocate. That's a real score there; getting people to look beyond the main story. You've done a great job.
* Bemidji Pioneer: The man in the window touched many with a smile and a wave -- lovely, simple headline that works perfectly on this story; Out of the ashes -- could verge on being cliche, but instead totally works here with the old photo and sub hed. Queen of 8A with that amazing photo -- LOVE IT.
* Mankato the Free Press: Effective use of teasers up top of Page 1; agriculture-centric headlines are interesting enough to draw in non-farmers. But, yikes. Do not love the COVID headlines in the Sunday, March 14, edition. "A year gone viral" is ill-advised at best, but "An early exit" for a hammer hed on an obit of a young pandemic victim? Nope. The tone is all wrong: It comes across as flip and without empathy -- which is not how the story reads at all.
