Las Vegas Review-Journal copy editor Matthew Crowley has graciously agreed to judge Ricochet’s headline writing competition.

Crowley won the American Copy Editors Society “Best Headlines of the Year” contest in the newspapers with circulations between 100,001 and 250,000 category.

Judges gave his work special citation, saying:

In a time when newspapers need more than ever to shake off the stiff, stentorian conventions of the past and work harder to connect with readers, Crowley’s heads make the reader feel as if he or she is dropping into the middle of a coffee-shop conversation. And they make the reader want to dive into the stories and continue the conversation.

See Crowley’s winning portfolio and take your own crack and headline writing in the Hed to Hed competition.