Headlines and deadlines and by-lines of The BEAT

Newspaper editors oftentimes have the power to “save” a weak story with a brilliant headline.

To the contrary, reporters often whisper to each other that editors also have the stupidity to “kill” a good story with a lukewarm headline.

At The BEAT we often bounce off a number of headlines, especially for the front page, before coming to a decision.

With this in mind, the headlines you loved or hated over the year 2019 were a collective effort by the editorial team.

In January we ran with the headline “What went wrong”, backed up by pictures of weeping newly-registered Grade 1s at schools around the region.

In February we experimented with the cheeky headline, “Ons vir jou”, ahead of the general elections.

The main headline for the month of March was “Operation stun grenade”, based on allegations that members of a police patrol discharged a stun grenade into a crowd of revellers at a venue in the
township in Bela-Bela.

In April one of the headlines we ran with went like “Pre-poll heating up”, ahead of the general elections.

The headline of choice for the month of May was “Grim finale”, following the damage to a pre-poll banner of the ANC, put up at a Bela-Bela township space normally used by the EFF.

“Double tragedy”, declared a headline for the month of June, after two Mookgophong learners, Tlaleng Maluleke (18) and Oupa Masubelele (20) died within minutes of each other.

“Ice cold death” was one of the headlines for July, based on the tragic drowning of a homeless man who leapt into the downtown dam in Modimolle.

“Spring has sprung” was one of the headlines in September, with “Go, gogo, go” leading the pack during the month of October.

In November we ran with “Wet, wet, wet”, while our best choice for December was “Waiting for Monada”.

— The BEAT