Analysis of headline writing techniques in tourism news articles

This study investigates the headline writing techniques of tourism news articles on the TAT News website in 2023 under the Press Release category. A total of 119 headlines were analysed using the frameworks of Swan (2005) and Bowles and Borden (2004). The techniques examined include verb tenses, infinitives, voices, non-sentence phrases, omission of the verb to be, omission of auxiliaries, omission of articles, strong action verbs, abbreviations, and punctuation marks. The results indicate that active voice and omission of articles were most frequently used, each accounting for 16.92% of the data. Present simple tense (16.58%) and strong action verbs (14.93%) were also common. Certain punctuation marks such as commas, semicolons, and question marks were absent, while others like clipping, colons, and omission of the verb to be were used infrequently. All techniques were employed as assembled elements. Notably, the combination of active voice and present simple tense appeared most frequently. The findings highlight a strategic use of verb tenses, voice, and other elements to craft compelling headlines. The choice of techniques depends on the writer's style and the content of the news article. These results can guide writers in creating engaging and consistent tourism news headlines, thereby enhancing the website's credibility.