1. Dark secrets
online overlords
of the

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

7. what I will dwell on:
sensibility
&
desire

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

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. lifehacker.com I. Package, repackage, repeat

14. packaging reinforces

15. packaging extends
reach

16. stock and flow

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

18. popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

19. popurls.com II. Numbering is narrative.

20. theatlantic.com II. Numbering is narrative.

21. lists promise
specifics

22. lists promise
limits

23. lists promise
hierarchy

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

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

26. “
“
Imagine you're writing a
headline for a magazine
… rather than a newspaper.
source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

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

28. focus on implications,
not events

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

30. parsability and authority

31. 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

32. 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

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

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

38. content gets
assigned

39. content gets
curated

40. content gets
edited

41. content gets
promoted

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

43. “
“
When remotely possible,
turn news into explanation.
source: Gawker founder/CEO Nick Denton

44. slate.com VI. Explain, explain, explain.

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

46. voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein VI. Explain, explain, explain.

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

48. huffingtonpost.com VII. Illustrate everything.

50. A transportation blog?!
Really?

51. *actual transportation blog headlines VIII. Illustrate everything.

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

53. images courtesy of roadguy VII. Illustrate everything.

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

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

56. andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com VIII. Compete through co-optation.

57. npr.org VIII. Compete through co-optation.

58. huffingtonpost.com VIII. Compete through co-optation.

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

60. [Noun] [verb]:
[Blockquote]

61. A reader writes:
[Blockquote]

63. marginalrevolution.com X. Sully ledes.

64. marginalrevolution.com X. Sully ledes.

65. it’s quick

66. it demands listening

67. it evokes a conversation

68. it triggers awareness

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

72. E
mpires beat castles.
Flickr photo courtesy of user

73. MediaSite™ You wish your ads were this pretty.
Your local news source.
NEWS ARTSPLASH SPORTZBUZZ YOURVOICES HOMESLICE GO!
Real-Time News
Memorial Garden dedicated
ArtSplash
YourVoices
SportzBuzz

74. brandcastle
n. A media experience purporting to offer content and storytelling, but
in reality obsessed primarily with how a media entity thinks of itself.

75. brands ! content

78. brand empire
n. A collection of brands of various shapes and sizes that represent the
many (often overlapping) fan constituencies an organization serves.

79. huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

80. huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

81. huffingtonpost.com IX. Empires beat castles.

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

83. city room and l.a.now IX. Streams, not stories.

84. gothamist network IX. Streams, not stories.

85. city room vs. gothamist IX. Streams, not stories.

86. feed > post

87. subscriber > visitor

88. nytimes.com IX. Streams, not stories.

89. talkingpointsmemo.com IX. Streams, not stories

90. 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