A headline either gets you to read a story, because it makes the article sound interesting, important, or both; or it loses you, as boring or not too important, or else we would have trumpeted it in the headline.

No, a blah headline is usually a good clue you can get by without spending two or five minutes reading that story. I know because sometimes I write blah headlines. Oh, I still hope you read the story. I just don’t like a headline to over-promise: It’s kind of like a movie with good actors, an interesting title and an entertaining trailer. When the film falls short, you wish you hadn’t spent your time and possibly money on it. You wish the trailer had been a truer reflection.

A movie trailer has to advertise the movie in its best light, to attract viewers or theater-goers. (I remember when I was a theater-goer, movies and plays – I don’t think I will be again anytime soon, but I can’t wait for the day I feel safe doing so.)

But headlines shouldn’t follow the ad-like edict, partly because readers remember when they have wasted their time; moreover, a paper has a responsibility in headlines to not make the reader think they will learn more than they will, or enjoy an article more than they will.

It’s a line we walk, encouraging people to read something or, on our websites, to click on a headline to get to the article, but not setting them up for disappointment.

The other night, a headline on our online sister paper, penbaypilot.com, caught my eye: “Take a deep breath. Relax. It’s all going to be all right.” At first I thought it might be an ad, for something people could sign up for that I don’t have time for. But the headline spoke to me, I clicked on it and it turned out to be a Bill Packard column. I had never read one of his. After this one, I will again. It was a case of a headline not overselling the piece. The column delivered, no more, no less than the headline implied. And it was a good read.

So, when you see a headline that just says a board talked about a given issue, that’s probably all the board did or else the headline would have likely stated the decision, because that would have been the news out of the meeting. And if you don’t see a quote or partial quote in the headline – a device I like to use, but sparingly – it may well be there was no quote of the night, nothing that summed things up or otherwise stood out. Or else, yes, it would have been in the headline.

We value and respect your time. That being said, if you feel you have just wasted yours reading this editorial, I apologize for the headline.

Week’s somewhat positive parting thought: With no Patriots or Tom Brady to root for, I will not be watching the Super Bowl Feb. 13, because I value my time. And that’s a win. How will you spend your Super Bowl Sunday?