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NewsBiscuit gets a facelift

(18 posts) (12 voices)

Started 3 years ago by editor
Latest reply from Sir Lupus

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editor

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So as we enter our tenth year in existence, you will have noticed that NewsBiscuit has had a bit of work done, a nip and a tuck here, bit of botox and liposuction there etc. The site can now be easily viewed on smart phones and some stupid ones as well. Enormous thanks are due to TechGuy and NiceAdminLady who have done tons of work for free - many of you have expressed your gratitude already, so thank you.

Our ambition is finally to get ourselves up to where we deserve to be in terms of reach - NewsBiscuit was Britain's first daily news website but we were overtaken by others who copied our idea of copying The Onion and then did the non-comedy promotion and marketing stuff much better than us. We have people working on that stuff, and on the advertising so that we can afford to give Writers of the Month the odd T-shirt or mug from time to time and lots of other things happening behind the scenes so we can continue to provide free comedy and an outlet for new writing.

However where I think we can do better on the writing front is submitting strong impactful headlines that are inherently funny. That's what makes people click on a link, if they are smiling when they read just those first few words...

So for example, there was a story posted this week entitled 'Man discovers extra parking button on new car' which made it as a news in brief story when it was given the headline 'Hazard lights renamed 'parking like a twat' button'. Not subtle I know, but just a question of taking a gag that was in the text and shoving it right under people's noses.

So if there is a great joke inherent in your submission, don't wait till paragraph three to detonate it. This is the digital age, we can't wait that long, give it to us in the headline, and then people can be disappointed when they click on the actual link and read the rest of it. That's what the internet is all about.

One other thing - do make the most of the marking system... seems like some half-decent stories are getting no stars at all, which is a bit demoralising for people who make the effort to post stuff in the Writers' Room.

Also, please do not take food from the fridge that is not yours and wash up your mugs.

Onwards and upwards...

Posted 3 years ago #
Dun Dunkin

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i'm not demoralised at all......

Posted 3 years ago #
Wrenfoe

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Aye, aye, Boss.

Posted 3 years ago #
throngsman

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Wash up the mugs? Now that's irony. I'm not sure what the rest of the post was about though, stopped reading by second line.

Posted 3 years ago #
Dun Dunkin

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whose this editor bloke?

Posted 3 years ago #
harrypalmer

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I agree about the headlines, the Daily Mash are great at having headlines which are pretty blunt and often laugh out loud funny and which make you want to read the story, the one below from yesterday being a good example. It might not be to everyone's taste but its bold and (I think) instantly funny and that seems to be what is needed to get people reading:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/look-what-came-out-of-my-fanny-says-facebook-mum-20160204105896

The Facebook feed seems a bit sporadic and I don't think this helps, if you like the Mash, Newsthump, Onion etc on FB then you generally get about half a dozen stories everyday whereas with NB it might be just one story which easily gets lost in amongst all the other click-bait and pics of people's dinners.
I think having regular features might also help get people looking out for specific things e.g horoscopes, letters page, agony aunt etc. These might not be original ideas but if they're funny enough and published on a regular basis, maybe even on the same day each week then I think it would get people reading more regularly. I'm sure that there are enough decent writers to make it work. I realise of course that this may not be logistically possible given that the whole enterprise appears to be run on a voluntary basis

By the way I think the Left Alert slot seems a bit lost on the new front page, its seems quite easy to miss on the bottom right. Otherwise I like the new layout and thanks for all the fish, sorry effort.

Posted 3 years ago #
S J Roe

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This site definitely deserves to be up there with the others-I really do think the quality here is as good as, if not better sometimes, than similar sites. The makeover seems more modern,too. I shall try to be more punchy with headlines although I think this is an art in itself. I am trying, though, e.g. Farage challenges Juncker sounds better than Nigel Farage challenges Jean-Claude Juncker.
Oh and thanks for the site-it has been a delight to find it.

Posted 3 years ago #
Sinnick

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re the headline/title

I'm no expert (obviously), but the title (usually) needs to be pared down to the absolute minimum to get the message across. So, "Boris" is funnier than "Boris Johnson", and is much funnier than "Boris Johnson, Mayor of London" - though the last of these is a joke in itself

It's the same as when you write a management briefing, or an advert intro, or a brand strapline - every word, every letter needs to be optimised - otherwise, the reader moves on after the first couple of words

Posted 3 years ago #
S J Roe

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Perhaps using a person's first/ last name is only possible if they are recognisable by it only. So Boris fits the bill as does Farage.
It also seems a bit (appropriately) disrespectful to only use surname (though doing so can be an affectionate thing but not with satire pethaps) too which seems really right sometimes but obviously not other times e.g a murdered person would not usually be called by their surname in a news article.

Posted 3 years ago #
beau-jolly

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Have to be able to read the key word from a moving car. Does that help?

A pedant writes: DD. You meant to write who's. obvs a typo.

Posted 3 years ago #
Des Custard

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Agreed. And then, following Sinnick's theme, summarise the entire story in the first sentence. Tabloid headlines use a kind of shorthand, so 'That nice girl who may have been abducted that everyone's talking about' becomes Kidnap Girl (or simply Maddie) and terms like Love Nest, Porn Baron or Paedo Vicar put you instantly in the picture. The difficult bit is getting an original funny idea in the first place.

Posted 3 years ago #
beau-jolly

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True Des. See also, Love Rat, Bonking, Scrounger & Muslim.

It might be fun to do a sub with all the cliches in the title and then a story about a pet rodent. Not sure how the other words work there though.

Or maybe a competition to see how many cliche words you can fit in a headline:
Bonking love rat Muslim scrounger, Maddie suspect.

Posted 3 years ago #
Al OPecia

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Rip Off Rev says Piss Off Prof.

Posted 3 years ago #
Ironduke

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How about 'Love Rat Editor in Sick Spanking Love Triangle with Choirboy Techguy and Vice Queen AdminLady'

Posted 3 years ago #
Des Custard

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Nice. It's still missing a Brexit-type word. How about 'Love Rat Johnno Farrexit after Sick Spanking Love Triangle with Choirboy Techguy and Vice Queen AdminLady'

Posted 3 years ago #
Ironduke

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Could do with a migrant in there too...and a politician.

Have you noticed how the press have cottoned on that it sounds a bit Alf Garnett yo rant about immigrants, but if you drop the 'im' then they're fair game?

'Migrant MP Farrell Exits Sick Spanking Love Triangle with Choirboy Techguy and ViceQueen AdminLady'

(I realise the 'MP Farrell' bit is a touch far-fetched)

Posted 3 years ago #
Al OPecia

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Ouch.

Posted 3 years ago #
Sir Lupus

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here's some more cliches to cram in:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/10288967/My-shameful-secret-Ive-learnt-to-love-cliched-journalese.html

Posted 3 years ago #

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