Have Your Hed Examined

Newspapers were the source of the modern headline/deck relationship.

Why is it called a “headline?”

If you don’t know the answer, don’t feel bad. It’s not an exciting tale: Pre-19th century printers referred to the top of a page as its “head.” The “line” component originally referred to what we now would call the “folio,” which was usually found at the “head” of the page (versus any notes, which would be found at the bottom, or “foot” of the page; we think you can see where this is going). As the newspaper wars heated up toward the end of the 19th century, publishers appropriated the term to describe the short and punchy titles given to multiple articles, all jockeying for attention on overstuffed front pages.

The new prose styles of these headlines, often eschewing definite articles or using colorful abbreviations in place of familiar terms, demanded the creation of a new hierarchy of information. After the “hed” (to use a deliberate misspelling that was created as an instruction to pressmen from their editors), we would now find a “deck.” The etymology of “deck” is less settled; it might tell us that the information was intentionally stacked, like a deck of cards, or it might be a truncated version of “deckhead,” about which the less said, the better. In any case, the “hed” is meant to draw your attention; the “dek” succinctly describes the content of the article.

It’s worth reminding ourselves of these origin stories from time to time because the pace of modern publishing sometimes causes us to overlook the legitimate reasons that we assemble content the way we do. The hed/dek custom has a specific purpose, even if fewer and fewer people experience the format in its original source — newspapers. In magazines, it’s still (or should be) the dominant article structure. 

Why so? The hed/dek custom serves two purposes that have outlived its origin:

1. A good headline attracts readers. All readers, independent of background, appreciate humor, controversy and intrigue. Headlines don’t have to incorporate all three, but they should incorporate at least one.

2. A good deck sells your content. The headline grabs attention; the deck keeps it by putting both the headline and the article into the proper context. The very best decks will provide the rejoinder to the headline, creating a conversational dynamic that keeps the reader engaged.

But there’s an important caveat: This only applies to the printed version of the magazine. If/when the content moves online, it’s time to jettison the clever wordplay in favor of SEO-friendly descriptors. In most cases, both the headline and deck should be rewritten.

Sometimes, the old ways are more fun.