Paul Fairie
@paulisci.bsky.social
Researcher, UCalgary
PhD, Political Science
Dr. Cronk, Historian of Complaints. I've written a book, The Press Gallery (release TBD).
Headline of the Year! Lots going on.
PhD, Political Science
Dr. Cronk, Historian of Complaints. I've written a book, The Press Gallery (release TBD).
Headline of the Year! Lots going on.
I can't tell if it's just me but I feel like general awareness in Calgary of this story is for some reason... low.
Jan. 6, 8:30 a.m. Update
Here is the latest update on the critical water main break along 16 Ave. N.W.:
🚨On Jan. 5, our water use reached 514 ML which is 29 ML higher than our sustainable level – where our treatment plants can provide each day while repairs are made.
Here is the latest update on the critical water main break along 16 Ave. N.W.:
🚨On Jan. 5, our water use reached 514 ML which is 29 ML higher than our sustainable level – where our treatment plants can provide each day while repairs are made.
January 6, 2026 at 6:20 PM
I can't tell if it's just me but I feel like general awareness in Calgary of this story is for some reason... low.
Canada's position in the world has never been stronger and we have America right where we want them:
We are now in the position to threaten to withhold season 2 of Heated Rivalry.
We are now in the position to threaten to withhold season 2 of Heated Rivalry.
January 4, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Canada's position in the world has never been stronger and we have America right where we want them:
We are now in the position to threaten to withhold season 2 of Heated Rivalry.
We are now in the position to threaten to withhold season 2 of Heated Rivalry.
Reposted by Paul Fairie
pics or it didn't happen
An instrument will allow people to hear and see each other over long distances
January 2, 2026 at 4:20 PM
pics or it didn't happen
Reposted by Paul Fairie
We do call it twenty twenty six is the thing
January 2, 2026 at 4:37 AM
We do call it twenty twenty six is the thing
Reposted by Paul Fairie
The only thread you need today, Friday 2 January (where has the year gone?!)
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
January 1, 2026 at 11:43 PM
The only thread you need today, Friday 2 January (where has the year gone?!)
Reposted by Paul Fairie
FIND ME A MUSEUM SPACE
yoooooooooo
who's running this exhibit in May? I wanna go to it
who's running this exhibit in May? I wanna go to it
People will read old newspaper clippings
January 1, 2026 at 9:28 PM
FIND ME A MUSEUM SPACE
Reposted by Paul Fairie
How did this one get basically the entire college student diet correct
January 1, 2026 at 9:23 PM
How did this one get basically the entire college student diet correct
Reposted by Paul Fairie
This is a delightful list consisting of equal parts:
- wrong
- right
- right (monkey's paw curls)
- gods, I wish
- wrong
- right
- right (monkey's paw curls)
- gods, I wish
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
January 1, 2026 at 8:38 PM
This is a delightful list consisting of equal parts:
- wrong
- right
- right (monkey's paw curls)
- gods, I wish
- wrong
- right
- right (monkey's paw curls)
- gods, I wish
Reposted by Paul Fairie
wonderful thread to start the year. I lol'd at the "buzz" one.
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
January 1, 2026 at 6:50 PM
wonderful thread to start the year. I lol'd at the "buzz" one.
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
January 1, 2026 at 5:13 PM
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Paul Fairie
R.I.P. 2025 (2025 - 2025)
December 31, 2025 at 8:05 PM
R.I.P. 2025 (2025 - 2025)
My wish for Canada in 2026 is that we make every sport gay. I will not be taking questions at this time.
January 1, 2026 at 3:38 AM
My wish for Canada in 2026 is that we make every sport gay. I will not be taking questions at this time.
FINAL 15 MINUTES
🎆🎇🎆2025 HEADLINE OF THE YEAR🎆🎇🎆
🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆GRAND FINAL🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆
After a seeding round and three rounds of voting, we have our finalists: Top seed Pretty Obvious will be facing off against 3rd seed Police Are Scrambling.
A reminder of how we got here:
🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆GRAND FINAL🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆
After a seeding round and three rounds of voting, we have our finalists: Top seed Pretty Obvious will be facing off against 3rd seed Police Are Scrambling.
A reminder of how we got here:
January 1, 2026 at 1:10 AM
FINAL 15 MINUTES
Reposted by Paul Fairie
THE CHOICE IS OBVIOUS
January 1, 2026 at 12:18 AM
THE CHOICE IS OBVIOUS
Reposted by Paul Fairie
Ultimately, I think puns have their place in lighter stories, as is the case for “Police are scrambling,”for which I hope you will vote!
-30-
-30-
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Ultimately, I think puns have their place in lighter stories, as is the case for “Police are scrambling,”for which I hope you will vote!
-30-
-30-
Reposted by Paul Fairie
I avoid puns unless they’re really fitting. Early in my career, an editor spiked a pun head for a serious piece I wrote about endangered shore birds — “Plovers in a dangerous clime.” That headline didn’t see the light of day for 15 years, but I finally got it into print at the Toronto Star!
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
I avoid puns unless they’re really fitting. Early in my career, an editor spiked a pun head for a serious piece I wrote about endangered shore birds — “Plovers in a dangerous clime.” That headline didn’t see the light of day for 15 years, but I finally got it into print at the Toronto Star!
Reposted by Paul Fairie
I suspect part of this is because SEO tended to reward more clinical, strait-laced heads that get to the point and contain a bunch of key search terms. As search engines change, maybe this will also go away.
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
I suspect part of this is because SEO tended to reward more clinical, strait-laced heads that get to the point and contain a bunch of key search terms. As search engines change, maybe this will also go away.
Reposted by Paul Fairie
The other thing modern headline writers are sometimes warned about is using puns or idioms. It’s another holdover from newspaper days that has faded a bit online. Puns, in my opinion, can be fun, but for some reason, they don’t do well in the digital world.
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
The other thing modern headline writers are sometimes warned about is using puns or idioms. It’s another holdover from newspaper days that has faded a bit online. Puns, in my opinion, can be fun, but for some reason, they don’t do well in the digital world.
Reposted by Paul Fairie
The long headline in the finals is clearly from a column or opinion piece, but it works really well to get the writer’s opinion across while still managing to contain some intrigue. The reason is “pretty obvious,” but you still want to know for sure what it is. So you’ll probably click through!
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
The long headline in the finals is clearly from a column or opinion piece, but it works really well to get the writer’s opinion across while still managing to contain some intrigue. The reason is “pretty obvious,” but you still want to know for sure what it is. So you’ll probably click through!
Reposted by Paul Fairie
Short headlines were valued in newspapers because of space constraints in print. That’s why you still see words like “eye” and “amid” in headlines today. (I try to keep those out of the ones I write.)
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Short headlines were valued in newspapers because of space constraints in print. That’s why you still see words like “eye” and “amid” in headlines today. (I try to keep those out of the ones I write.)
Reposted by Paul Fairie
Headlines have to do a lot of work in enticing reader interest, but they can’t reveal too much because otherwise, why would anyone read beyond the headline?
Headline writers are often taught to avoid writing long headlines because they get cut off on social media and look awkward online.
Headline writers are often taught to avoid writing long headlines because they get cut off on social media and look awkward online.
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Headlines have to do a lot of work in enticing reader interest, but they can’t reveal too much because otherwise, why would anyone read beyond the headline?
Headline writers are often taught to avoid writing long headlines because they get cut off on social media and look awkward online.
Headline writers are often taught to avoid writing long headlines because they get cut off on social media and look awkward online.
Reposted by Paul Fairie
ALL the headlines in the competition are great! They’re from a wide variety of outlets about wildly different topics, but they all have something in common: they make me want to read the story.
That, my friends, is why headlines are more important than ever and why editors REALLY focus on them.
That, my friends, is why headlines are more important than ever and why editors REALLY focus on them.
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
ALL the headlines in the competition are great! They’re from a wide variety of outlets about wildly different topics, but they all have something in common: they make me want to read the story.
That, my friends, is why headlines are more important than ever and why editors REALLY focus on them.
That, my friends, is why headlines are more important than ever and why editors REALLY focus on them.
Reposted by Paul Fairie
I look forward to this competition every year, but rarely do I get to say one of the finalists was written by a colleague, so vote for Police are scrambling!
I also wanted to talk about headlines in general, because the finalists break some rules that headline writers like myself often follow. 🧵
I also wanted to talk about headlines in general, because the finalists break some rules that headline writers like myself often follow. 🧵
🎆🎇🎆2025 HEADLINE OF THE YEAR🎆🎇🎆
🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆GRAND FINAL🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆
After a seeding round and three rounds of voting, we have our finalists: Top seed Pretty Obvious will be facing off against 3rd seed Police Are Scrambling.
A reminder of how we got here:
🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆GRAND FINAL🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆
After a seeding round and three rounds of voting, we have our finalists: Top seed Pretty Obvious will be facing off against 3rd seed Police Are Scrambling.
A reminder of how we got here:
January 1, 2026 at 12:04 AM
I look forward to this competition every year, but rarely do I get to say one of the finalists was written by a colleague, so vote for Police are scrambling!
I also wanted to talk about headlines in general, because the finalists break some rules that headline writers like myself often follow. 🧵
I also wanted to talk about headlines in general, because the finalists break some rules that headline writers like myself often follow. 🧵