SYSTEMATIC NEWSPAPER TITLE MISMANAGEMENT IN CROATIA (July 8, 2012)

Croatian newspapers are the pits of journalism. As I browse through online editions of several leading newspapers, which I do almost every day in search of big stories, I am often stunned by article titles. “Youngster Ate His Mother,” would be a good example. “Fistfight Ends Parliament Session,” would be another. Having read such a title, I sometimes want to know where the event described has taken place. Croatia? Rwanda? Tajikistan? But the only way to learn is to look into the article itself. Neither the title nor the subtitle will tell you anything about the venue. Although I am not eager to spend any time admonishing Croatian newspapers about titles, or anything else for that matter, the title of this piece provides an example to follow. Barking up another wrong tree, it goes without saying.