Headline Writing With an NYT Guru

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.” 

The writer of that headline, Kyle Massey -- often called The Times’ reigning headline guru -- joins ProPublica Assistant Managing Editor Eric Umansky in this week’s podcast on what makes a good headline -- in The Times and elsewhere.