Life, 1919-02-27 · page 13 of 38
Life — February 27, 1919 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This article critiques newspaper headline writing. The author argues that headline writers often choose wrong words to fit column space, prioritizing fit over accuracy and sense. When the correct word doesn't fit, they select an inappropriate substitute—the "worst" practice in journalism. The examples show actual headlines that absurdly misstate meaning: "Near His Sentence; Almost Escapes" (conflating execution with escape) and "History Society Needs Funds" (where "Natural History Society" was truncated). The accompanying cartoons illustrate social awkwardness resulting from poor word choice—appearing to show conversations where someone's malapropism or misstated remark creates embarrassment. The satire targets the carelessness of newspaper editors who sacrifice accuracy for layout mechanics, damaging both truth and readability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“NOW, DO TELL THE STORY OF YOUR WOUNDED ARM.” “IT ISN'T EXACTLY WOUNDED—J UST SORT OF STRAIN The Worst of Display Heads RECENT display-head in a newspaper read: “ Near His Sentes Aumost Escapes.” What the prisoner was near was not his sentence, but execution, but “ execu- tion” had one too many letters in it to fit the line. Another headline said: “ History Society Neeps Funps.” he concern that was hard up was the Natural History Society, but the column could not hold its full name. Dreadful are the offenses of headline writers against truth and language, especially language. When they are put to choose between a word that fits the sense of an ticle and a word that fits the column space, they choose r spac id let sense shift for itself. If the right word doesn't fit, and a very wrong word does fit, the wrong word gets a boost in print in the most conspicuous place in he paper. And this last is the worst of it—that the most conspicuous writing in the newspapers should be the least ound by the obligations of good writing. INE legs are sore mit stiffness.” “No vonder. You haf atrophy of der goose-step “PLEASE’M, ONE 0’ THE PIPES IS BURST, AN’ THERE'S TWO FOOT 0’ WATER IN THE CELLAR, AN’ THE PLUMBERS IS ON STRIKE,” ‘ RUN OVER AND GET THAT YOUNG MAN NEXT DOOR, SUSAN, HE'S BEEN SHIPWRECKED TWICE,” comicbooks.com