Headlines, numbers and plain words

The headline is the most-read part of any story, and often the only part. It must be accurate: it may not promise more than the story delivers.

## Honest headlines
- Do not state as fact what the story attributes to someone. If a minister says prices will fall, the headline says "Prices will fall, says minister" — not "Prices will fall".
- Avoid question headlines that suggest something the story does not support ("Is this the end of …?").
- No clickbait: "You won't believe …" tells the reader nothing and costs their trust.

## Numbers that readers understand
- Round sensibly: "about 2.4 lakh" rather than "2,41,873" — unless the exact number matters.
- Give a comparison: per person, per year, against last year.
- Write lakh and crore consistently, and give the international figure for readers abroad where useful (₹1 crore = ₹10 million).

## Plain words
- Short sentences. One idea per sentence.
- Active voice: "Police arrested two men" — not "Two men were arrested by police".
- Explain official words the first time: say what an FIR is, or what "repo rate" means.
- Avoid jargon from press releases: "operationalise", "stakeholders", "in a big boost".