1. Dark secrets
online overlords
of the

5. very important things
I won’t dwell on:
• social media
• news judgment
• technology
• SEO
• cat photos

6. what I will dwell on:
sensibility
&
desire

7. P
ackage, repackage, repeat.
Flickr photo courtesy of user scmgee.

8. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

9. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

10. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

11. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

12. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

13. packaging reinforces

14. packaging extends
reach

15. stock and flow

16. N Umbering is narrative.
Flickr photo courtesy of user svenwerk.

17. popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

18. popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

19. theatlantic.com II. Numbering is narrative.

20. lists promise
specifics

21. lists promise
limits

22. lists promise
hierarchy

23. examples of guides from different sites II. Numbering is narrative.

24. H
Eadlines are hooks.
Flickr photo courtesy of user minifig.

25. “
“
Imagine you're writing a
headline for a magazine
… rather than a newspaper.
source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

26. Vs.
wired.com vs. gawker.com III. Headlines are hooks.

27. focus on implications,
not events

28. Vs.
Vs.
nytimes.com vs. google news vs. gawker.com III. Headlines are hooks

29. parsability and authority

30. 1. Discover
2. Easy
3. Guarantee
4. Health
5. Love
6. Money
7. New
8. Proven
9. Results
10. Safety
11. Save
12. You
12 most profit-producing words III. Headlines are hooks

31. 1. Top
2. Why
3. How
4. Will
5. Guide
6. Best
7. Secret
8. Ultimate
9. Your
10. Worst
11. New
12. Future
12 most arresting headline words III. Headlines are hooks

32. C
Omments are content.
Flickr photo courtesy of user

33. ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

34. ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

35. ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

36. ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com IV. Comments are content.

37. content gets
assigned

38. content gets
curated

39. content gets
edited

40. content gets
promoted

41. E
Xplain, explain, explain.
Flickr photo courtesy of user Pip R. Lagenta.

42. “
“
When remotely possible,
turn news into explanation.
source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

43. slate.com V. Explain, explain, explain.

44. voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein V. Explain, explain, explain.

45. voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein V. Explain, explain, explain.

46. I Llustrate everything.
Flickr photo courtesy of user movimente.

47. huffingtonpost.com VI. Illustrate everything.

49. A transportation blog?!
Really?

50. *actual transportation blog headlines VI. Illustrate everything.

51. “The word that came to mind was ‘brazen.’”
blogs.startribune.com/roadguy VI. Illustrate everything.

52. images courtesy of roadguy VI. Illustrate everything.

53. C
ompete through co-optation.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. military.

54. andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com VII. Compete through co-optation.

55. andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com VII. Compete through co-optation.

56. npr.org VII. Compete through co-optation.

57. huffingtonpost.com VII. Compete through co-optation.

58. F irehoses beat front doors.
Flickr photo courtesy of user Mr. T in DC.

59. huffingtonpost.com VIII. Firehoses beat front doors.

60. wbur.org in 2009 VIII. Firehoses beat front doors.

61. wbur.org VIII. Firehoses beat front doors.

62. content is king

63. S
treams beat stories.
Flickr photo courtesy of user Mr. T in DC.

64. city room and l.a.now IX. Streams beat stories.

65. gothamist network IX. Streams beat stories.

66. city room vs. gothamist IX. Streams beat stories.

67. feed > post

68. subscriber > visitor

69. nytimes.com IX. Streams beat stories.

70. talkingpointsmemo.com IX. Streams beat stories

71. M inimal is magical.
Flickr photo courtesy of user Stuck In Customs.

72. [Noun] [verb]:
[Blockquote]

73. A reader writes:
[Blockquote]

75. marginalrevolution.com X. Minimal is magical.

76. marginalrevolution.com X. Minimal is magical.

77. slate.com X. Minimal is magical.

78. nytimes.com X. Minimal is magical.

79. it’s quick

80. it suggests ubiquity

81. it demands listening

82. it evokes a conversation

83. it triggers awareness

84. I have so many fascinating things to tell you.
I must hurry.

88. speedy visual fun explanatory focused
straightforward authoritative
hierarchical conversational engaging
continuous simple efficient
comprehensive concise adaptable
collaborative ubiquitous social
economical arresting networked creative
aggressive engaged serial bi-directional
ebullient forceful filtered digressive bold
cathartic curatorial steady data-driven