Podcast- Headline Writing With an NYT Guru

[ABX]

When retired New York Post editor Vincent Musetto died this month, the Internet fondly revisited his famous 1983 headline on a story about a grisly New York City crime: HEADLESS BODY IN TOPLESS BAR. The New York Times obituary for Musetto even evoked his turn of phrase with its headline: “Vincent Musetto, 74, Dies; Wrote ‘Headless’ Headline of Ageless Fame.” ....

http://www.propublica.org/podcast/item/headline-writing-with-nyt-guru/

[jmyrlefuller]

The Times always had a peculiar way of writing their headlines.

On top of the whole preposition thing (which is mentioned in the podcast), they always use periods after every abbreviation or acronym. Thus, instead of "NFL" as most people right, it's invariably "N. F. L." in a Times headline.