The Birth of the Headline Heard ‘Round the World

At a tabloid known for headlines, it was the most famous of all: “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD.”

The message was clear and direct, like a punch in the nose. Far less clear, however, is how those words came to be splashed across the Daily News front page. Several people claim credit, but here’s what we know:

On Oct. 29, 1975, then-President Gerald Ford nixed a federal bailout for New York City, which was flirting with bankruptcy. His decision sparked outrage.

“We knew this was a crucial moment for Ford and the city,” says Joe Kovach, who was in charge of writing headlines. “The Daily News had a lot of power and influence, and on that day we wanted to use it like a hammer.”

But which words to choose? A typical front page consisted of five to six words in large type and a killer photo. Something to grab readers on the street.

The resulting headline made history. Ford was bitterly attacked for his decision and the News front page--which became a household phrase--was widely considered a factor in his losing New York state in the 1976 election.

William Brink, then-managing editor, claimed he wrote the headline, recounting the experience in a 1991 special edition of the News: “I was heading for the can when the words drop dead came to me,” he said. “I played around with it in my mind and eventually I wrote it out on a piece of paper . . . ‘Ford to New York’ was too long and ‘Ford to NYC’ might make people think of the New York Central. Finally, I simply wrote ‘Ford to City’ and showed it to Joe Kovach, who said, ‘Great, run it.’ And we did.”

That’s not how Kovach remembers it.

All afternoon long, he says, Brink and others came up with flat, wooden headlines that failed to deliver a knockout punch. Kovach kept telling them to try again. As deadline approached, an exasperated Brink turned to Kovach and said, “What do you want to say, ‘Drop Dead’?”

Kovach’s eyes lit up. “That’s it!” he answered. “That’s exactly what we should say!”

Minutes later, then-Editor Michael O’Neill--who has also claimed partial credit for writing the headline--says he came by and eyeballed the rough draft.

“Not bad!” he exclaimed. “Run it!”

Looking back, O’Neill and Brink concede that Kovach’s account rings true. “So many of those headlines were collaborative efforts,” O’Neill says. “And Joe was a big force behind the scenes. He deserves a lot of credit.”