Making Headlines

Nationwide front page headlines of print and digital media바카라�studded with photos of BJP, Con­gress and JD(S) leaders바카라�cried hoarse about fears of 바카라�horse-­­trading바카라� after the results of the Karnataka state elections decl­ared a hung assembly last week. Readers of The Telegraph in Calcutta and other eastern cities woke up to a startling sight on its front page on May 19바카라�a four square column photograph of the forest brigand Veerappan, his moustache twirled in defiance, the brown belt of his AK-47 slung over his left shoulder. 바카라�Veerappan Test Today바카라�, leapt out the accompanying headline, drawing a bold parallel between the smuggler of animals with the kind of 바카라�poaching바카라� prevalent in Indian politics. 바카라�Nearly 14 years after the death of the Karnataka-born brigand who hunted elephants,바카라� read the caption, 바카라�Veerappans in whites are said to be on the prowl to poach MLAs.바카라� The next day, when BJP바카라�s Yeddyurappa resigned, the front page loudly exclaimed 바카라�Ouch Din바카라�, choosing to pair that story with a picture of the royal wedding at Windsor castle. the unifying strap­line: 바카라�No option, Yeddy, but to abdicate and let prince kiss the bride.바카라� The Telegraph was probably trying to live up to what seems its ideal about headlines바카라�provocative, witty, campy, often aud­a­cio­usly over-the-top, always eye-catching.

바카라�The idea is to be catchy,바카라� avers Tarun Ganguly, former bureau chief at The Telegraph. 바카라�Such headings are associated with tabloid journalism than  broadsheets. However, since they are more 바카라�fun바카라� they are preferred by some news-editors.바카라� Though Ganguly, who once headed the newsdesk since The Telegraph바카라�s inception in 1982 himself avoided 바카라�sensational바카라� headings, he feels they do stand out.

The words 바카라�Aunty National바카라� stared back in large bold fonts along with a photo of then Union HRD minister Smriti Irani from the front page of the newspaper바카라�s February 25, 2016 issue, ostensibly taking a swipe at her 바카라�insensitive comments바카라� on the suicide of Rohit Vemula and conflating it with the perceived know-it-all attitude associated with the stereotypical 바카라�aunty바카라�. All this while punning on her party바카라�s branding any rival an 바카라�anti-­national바카라�. While the headline did its work바카라�it became a national talking point바카라�it was rou­ndly criticised for being flippant, misogynist and sex­­IST. Packed with inn­uendo and punchy parody, Telegraph바카라�s (often lab­oured and affected) hea­­­­d­­­­lines convey the news­­paper바카라�s points of view.

바카라�These headlines started when Aveek Sarkar was editor-in-chief,바카라� says a former editor of The Telegraph. 바카라�He preferred the shock-factor to the staid and thought these would...have more impact.바카라�

The media baron was, according to his closest associates, inspired by the 바카라�classy casualness바카라� of certain Western publications which eschewed standard journalistic protocol for effect. One oft-quoted example of this  school of headlining is from the April 15, 1983 issue of the New York Post: 바카라�Headless Body in Topless Bar바카라�.

바카라�There was no in-house style policy about headings,바카라� says Ganguly. 바카라�I preferred not to editorialise in the news pages...but there was never any pressure to change that.바카라�

But 40 years after 바카라�new바카라� and 바카라�gonzo바카라� journalism, many baulk at such strict adh­erence to journalism stylebooks. Former Telegraph news editor Dipayan Chatterjee says editorial comment in news pages, if it happens at all, should be fact-based.

But do 바카라�creative바카라� headlines, as opposed to 바카라�straight바카라� ones, lead to greater circulation? The Telegraph vice-president Dhr­ubo Mukherjee says there are no ind­­icative market surveys. 바카라�The editorial team does not work in collusion with the business side. The headlines are decided by the production desk people and it is their discretion. We gauge responses in the market and find that certain headings have created an impact.바카라�

The Telegraph newsdesk declined to comment on their 바카라�gems바카라�, as one of them called them. A former employee attributed them to the brilliance of current editor R. Rajagopal. The nation바카라�s readers keep their eyes peeled for the next salvo on The Telegraph; their wordsmiths sit ready, hammer and chisel in hand.

By Dola Mitra in Calcutta