The master thesis analyses the effect of the transition to the web on the linguistic characteristics of headlines and how the typology of online headlines differs from the typology of newspaper headlines. A comparative language style analysis was carried out on 469 headlines of the media outlet Večer, a newspaper that is also published online. The analysis is complemented by in-depth interviews with Večer’s online editor and a journalist. The main goal of online headlines is to attract clicks. Therefore, a number of the analysed headlines entail clickbait elements, but fewer have the elements of sensationalism. The main goal of online headlines being to attract clicks, the headlines do not include all information, but still more than hardcopy headlines. This is reflected in the frequent use of punctuation marks and the disappearance of more complex stylistic features. Online headlines are comprised of fewer units than hardcopy headlines. Most of the headlines in the online edition of Večer are comprised of a large headline and a synopsis, referred to as subtitle in the newsroom. Some headlines feature only a large headline. Online headlines are supported by visual features: in addition to a photograph, a large headline is the only element of the article visible to the reader before clicking on it.
|