How to write a Caption Correctly the First Time
A caption is a title, short explanation, or description accompanying an illustration or a photograph.
The importance of a caption is to relate to the reader what the picture or illustration is and how it ties into the article.
Writing a caption takes knowing when the picture was taken or what the artist of the illustration was going for as far as what they wanted to relate to their reading audience.
I. Write out the questions every reader/viewer normally asks:
Who (Who did it?)
What (What did they do?)
When (when did they do it?)
Where (Where did they do it?)
Why (Why did they do it?)
How (How did they do it?)
So What (Why should this be considered news? The six classic news values: Proximity, Prominence, Timeliness, Conflict, Impact, Novelty.)
II. Write the answers to the questions next to the questions as follows:
Who—Jolena Schmo
What—played clarinet
When—at the harvest festival concert
Where—in the cornfield
Why—aspires to be the world's best cornfield clarinet player
How—has practiced playing clarinet in the cornfield every day since 5th grade.
III. Unite the questions and answers into a single paragraph-like form.
IV. Clean up the paragraph making coherent sentences.
Robert Mercer taught journalism this fall at Lutsk Liberal Arts University as a Fulbright Scholar. He lectured in English using PowerPoint slides, video camcorders and Adobe software. He is the fourth Fulbright Scholar to teach at Lutsk Liberal Arts University.
SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS FOR CAPTION SCRIBING
Photo captions are an integral part of newspaper storytelling, but they are often the most underdeveloped element in the mix of words, graphics, and photographs in a newspaper. A poorly executed caption can destroy the message of a photo or the story package of which it is part. The reader/viewer expects nothing less than accurate, complete, and informative information, including captions. Here are a few suggestions to follow when writing captions.
-Check the facts. Be accurate!
-Avoid stating the obvious. "Joe Schmo breathes in and out while holding the bat during the baseball game."
-Always identify the main people in the photograph.
-Don't let captions recapitulate information in the head or deck or summary.
-Avoid making judgments. "An unhappy citizen watches the protest..." Can you be sure that he is unhappy? Or is he hurting. Or just not photogenic. If you must be judgmental, be sure you seek the truth.
-Don't assume. Ask questions in your effort to inform and be specific. Be willing to contact and include the visual reporter.
-Avoid using terms like "is shown, is pictured, and looks on."
-A photograph captures a moment in time. Whenever possible, use present tense. This creates a sense of immediacy and impact.
-Don't try to be humorous when the picture is not.
-Descriptions are very helpful for viewer. The person dressed "in black," "holding the water hose," "sulky from chagrin," or "standing to the left of the sofa, center" are helpful identifying factors. (Photographers must ferret out this kind of material.)
-Be willing to allow for longer captions when more information will help the reader/viewer understand the story and situation.
-Use commas to set off directions from the captions to the picture. "Kachira Irby, above,..."or "Kennetra Irby, upper left..."
-Quotes can be an effective device, be willing to use them when they work.
-Conversational language works best. Don't use clichÈs. Write the caption as if you're telling a family member a story.
(from http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4355)
Readers love captions, so it’s important to get them just right. They are often the ‘entry point’ – the first thing a reader looks at on the page. Captions should simply say exactly what is in the picture and when it was taken.
They should also have a ‘slug’ or ‘kicker’ no more than one or two words long. Don’t underestimate the power of these words – a funny or clever kicker adds professional polish to the finished product. For example: 'Hair we go: Fundraisers shave their heads for charity'.