Tombstoning

How it is used

A newspaper design criticism; separate unrelated headlines so readers do not read them as one statement.

Example sentences

1. Tombstoning made the court headline appear to describe the photograph in the next column.

   Visual proximity can create a misleading relationship between separate items.

2. The page editor prevented tombstoning by changing the height of the second headline.

   Staggering adjacent headings helps readers keep the stories separate.

Common collocations

• avoid tombstoning
• headline tombstoning
• prevent tombstoning

Related terms

• headlineThe title printed above a news story in large letters, or written at the top of an online article, that tells readers quickly what the story is about.
• front pageThe first page of a newspaper, where the most important stories and pictures of the day appear; also the home page of a news website.

More terms: Headlines and News Language

• caption
• standfirst
• allegedly
• according to
• probe
• slam
• jump line
• stop press