Gretchen Harrington, eight, was abducted by a family friend during a Bible camp in 1975, police say.
    • moistclump@lemmy.worldEnglish
      8·
      1 year ago

      Agreed. Had to click in to understand. Maybe that’s part of the point of bad titles. Anyway, here’s the subtitle which makes more sense:

      A retired US church pastor who presided nearly half a century ago at the funeral of a kidnapped eight-year-old girl has been charged with her murder.

    • sin_free_for_00_daysEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      It’s hard to put three thoughts into one headline. 1) Girl was kidnapped and murdered in 1975 2) The local pastor attended the funeral 3) THE PASTOR DID IT!!

      I’ll try:

      Pastor arrested for 1975 kidnapping and murder of young girl

      That left out that he attended the funeral

      Pastor who attended 1975 funeral of kidnapped and murdered young girl arrested for the crime.

      Too long, and just as awkward.

      I don’t know, should be a 2 sentence headline (which I don’t think clickbait likes), or just go with the simpler

      Pastor arrested for 1975 kidnapping and murder

      Seems like that would get the drift and the other facts could be filled in quickly in the first paragraph of the story.