Come and Get Me More Readers!

Readers of newspapers, magazines, and websites always look at the images first. Keeping them engaged with an article afterward is the task of the caption, as the lines of text beneath an image spark the interest to continue reading. But what really matters when writing captions, and what mistakes should be avoided?

According to a study by media scientist Michael Haller, nine out of ten newspaper readers look at the photos first. Similar values can be assumed for magazines, but images also play a significant role in online publications—and thus captions do as well.

This conclusion is supported by Danish-American usability researcher Jakob Nielsen, who was dubbed "the guru of Web page usability" by the New York Times. Even though captions on online pages are generally noticed later compared to print media, their importance is highly significant because: When readers quickly "scan" the webpage and stumble upon the images and corresponding captions, the content often provides the decisive incentive to continue reading. In professional circles, this is referred to as a "hinge function" that captions generally fulfill.

We would like to explain to you below what desired characteristics a caption should have, what journalistic rules apply to creating captions, how to avoid so-called "text-image discrepancies," and what examples of "bad" and "good" captions might look like.

Characteristics

According to Henri Nannen, the long-time publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine Stern, the caption serves exactly one purpose: "The caption reads the image to the reader." Specifically, this means: The caption conveys the mood of the image and may evoke emotions. Fundamentally, the caption should draw attention to the special features or symbolically interpret an image—or the people, objects, etc., depicted in it. In trade journals, captions primarily serve to precisely illustrate complex issues.

Rules

To ensure that captions meet these desired characteristics, certain "writing rules" must be followed, and various "no-go's" should be avoided. The following overview lists 5 do's and don'ts each, which are particularly crucial for creating high-quality journalistic captions.

What to avoid:

Captions should be as concise as possible, but they should not sound like telegrams or machine guns. Unlike headlines, they should include all articles and conjunctions.
The author should never make assumptions about what someone in an image is thinking or try to interpret the person's feelings. The reader must decide that for themselves.
The writer should avoid characterizing an image as beautiful, dramatic, gruesome, or with other terms that are clearly visible in the photo. Following the motto: "Avoid the known, explain the unknown."
Caption writers should ensure that the words accurately reflect the image. Inaccuracies, opinions, and assessments should be avoided. The photo should speak for itself. The caption serves only as an emphasis.
Authors must pay careful attention to correct spelling, especially with names. For example, it should not say John Smith in the caption but John P. Smith in the body text.

What to adhere to:

The caption must explain the subject of the image and put it in the correct context. Who or what is depicted, and in what context does the who or what act?
The caption should always answer all questions the reader has about the image, such as: What is the person doing? Where was this? When was the image taken and for what reason? What does the subject mean? Is there a deeper symbolism?
The caption should be short, clear, and understandable. So no long, convoluted sentences. However, the caption can be original, witty, or even ironic. Just be sure to match the tone of the overall text.
A caption should not assume too much prior knowledge from the reader. Instead, it should be as informative and detailed as possible. Generally, it should be written simply and vividly in the present tense.
The caption should not repeat what is already in the lead-in (teaser) or the text. Rather, the author has the opportunity to enrich their captions with information for which there was no room in the body text.

Text-Image Discrepancies

Even if authors adhere to the general writing rules, so-called "text-image discrepancies"—asymmetries between the depicted subject and the text below—can still occur. If the caption does not directly refer to the subject, it appears arbitrary. The reader is then expected to make a transfer of understanding that the author cannot know if the reader can or will make.

A text-image discrepancy also arises when the caption refers to statements in the text that are not supported by the image. The worst discrepancy occurs when the caption describes something that is not or hardly visible in the image. Anyone who then attempts to manipulate the image is committing—pardon the expression—a sacrilege.

Image source: Tagesspiegel

Examples

The examples provided here are intended to offer the opportunity to form your own impression of correct and incorrect captions.

Image source: Wikimedia.org

Good caption: Harmonious impression: Putin and Schröder shake hands in greeting.

Bad caption: When Putin smiles so mischievously, it can't mean anything good.

Good caption: Putin and Schröder met at a conference in Moscow. The encounter was described as "cordial" by attending journalists.

Bad caption: Will the Chancellor use his good relations with Putin if he loses the upcoming election?

Conclusion

Captions may be so-called "small texts," but their significance is great. Unfortunately, in the journalistic field, one often hears the demand: "Quickly write the caption, then publish the article." Every author should be aware: If the reader is already put off by a boring caption, then all the work on the article was in vain.