Hyphen coupled compound adjectives are gramatically considered as one unit.
The words in a compound adjective (a single adjective made up of two or more words) can be linked together by hyphens to show they are one grammatical unit (i.e., one multi-word adjective). For example:
- I have sent you a three-page summary.
(The words in the compound adjective "three-page" are linked with a hyphen to show they are part of the same adjective.)
Why Should I Care about Compound Adjectives?
Punctuating compound adjectives correctly will not only showcase your writing skills but also help your readers to absorb your words more easily. When a compound adjective is not grouped to show it's one grammatical unit, it can cause your readers' scan to stutter momentarily as they group the words into a single entity themselves.
It follows that your interpretation of the compound adjective as two separate words, an adverb and an adjective which change the meaning of the headline, is incorrect.
Thanks,
Your local grammatically knowledgeable non-pedant.