Specifics of functioning of headlines in regional media (on the example of the newspaper «Podolianyn»)

Abstract

Introduction. The article deals with the types and functions of headlines in regional media. The problem of a successful headline has always been relevant in the media. The importance of the headline is due to the fact that the probability of reading it is more than 90 %, because the eye automatically notices all the words written in large bold on the strip. Relevance of the study. The role of headlines is even greater in online editions, where readers are guided only by the titles and do not see the full texts until they open the relevant article. Therefore, journalists use a number of architectural, lexical and semantic, stylistic and psychological techniques to create a perfect headline. The problem of studying the peculiarities of regional periodicals remains highly topical in modern journalism. That’s why to find out the functional load of the headlines in the articles of Kamianets-Podolskyi edition «Podolianyn» is the purpose of the research. The methology. The following methods were used in the study: content analysis, synthesis, systems analysis, specification, comparison, generalization, and also methods of empirical knowledge: observation, description. Results. 20 % of headlines are informative, which journalists use in materials dedicated to the events of the city. 15% of headlines are persuasive and direct, in which there is a direct appeal to citizens about their responsibilities in society. Journalists of «Podolianyn» often raise issues that concern people of Kamianets, as evidenced by the problematic headlines, the use of which is 30 %. Ascertaining and descriptive also account for 30% of the total number of titles. Such headlines are characterized by the descriptive nature of an event that took place in the Kamianets-Podilskyi region. Advertising and intriguing headlines in the newspaper are the least used (5 %). However, the following headlines of the edition are mostly devoid of the element of mystery and surprise, and are presented in the form of a regular ad. Conclusions. The largest groups of headlines in the regional edition «Podolianyn» are problematic and indicating and descriptive, which depict real problems that concern people of Kamianets, draw attention to urgent issues concerning Kamianets-Podilskyi community. The headlines in «Podolianyn» are mostly thematically simple which represent a whole system of functions, the provision of which together contributes to the success of the media product through the formation of its positive image and the involvement of a wide readership.