We read this headline last week in the business section of the Austin American-Statesman newspaper:
“Bank of America to cut branches”
(click here for the real story)
What comes to your mind?
Here’s what came to ours:
Too bad money doesn’t grow on trees!
Grammar Police a.k.a. GrammarCops 
I challenge anyone to find a different headline for that story that would fit the space exactly without changing the size of the header.
The standard for newspapers is that the headline should neither exceed the space allotted nor leave blank space.
For example, “Bank of America to downsize” is not long enough and isn’t necessarily accurate (the article doesn’t explicitly state that the closures would prompt layoffs.)
Here’s the actual headline matched up with three other ideas, two of which are worse than the original. The last one’s merits are debatable.
Bank of America to cut branches
Bank of America branches to go
Bank of America to close banks
Bank of America to consolidate
The typeset is obviously different, so I can’t be sure how long my suggestions would actually be in print, but they’re close enough.
Anyhow, that’s my roundabout way of saying I think the criticism was unmerited.