On headlines

The Campaign Desk takes USA Today to task for a headline on its latest poll story: Poll: Bush leads by 8 points.

Wow! Eight points! That sure does seem like a lot. There's one problem, though -- and it comes in the fourth paragraph of USA Today's own piece: "Even [Bush's] lead among likely voters is on the cusp of the survey's margin of error."

They point to CNN's headline on the same poll as the way to do it right: Poll: Presidential race still tight.

Brian at the Olive Press blog points out a headline gaffe on ABC News' site: Winslet Scoffs at Rumors About Her Wait.

Come on, ABC News. So you picked up the story from the Associated Press. The least you could do is read the headline all the way to the end before running with it.

Hear, hear! (The head is fixed now.)

And Matt at Low Culture has beat the punny headline writers to the punch before NBC premieres the reality show "The Biggest Loser."

Since most TV critics are filing their reviews with their editors right about now, I thought I'd offer them some help with their inevitable shitty puns and fat jokes. Feel free to use any of the following phrases in your articles or headlines, or um, become a better writer:
·Fat Tuesday
·Weighty Matter
·Light-Weight Entertainment

The list goes on. (But I do like "well-rounded cast.")