CAMPUS JOURNALISM HANDOUTS

Topic 1: Journalism and Campus Paper

Journalism was defined by different scholars by how they see events being crafted into writing to
reach people in the community. Below are few scholars with their own definition of journalism.

Definition Proponent

Journalism is a form of writing that tells Robert Niles

people about things that really happened,
but that they might not have known about
already.

The occupation of writing for publication in Noah Webster

newspapers and other periodicals.

Something that embraces all forms in which Fraser F. Bond

or through which the news and comments on
the news reach the public.

Functions of Journalism to keep the public aware and knowledgeable about things concerning them.

Political Function The press has the obligation to provide the public with information
that they need to make political decisions. All information concerning
the government where the public belongs should be covered by this
function of journalism.

Economic Function All transactions concerning buying and selling of goods and/or
services contributes to the overall economy. Journalism has the
function to keep the public updated about everything that the
consumers may purchase and/or sell.

Sentry Function One responsibility of the media is to keep the public informed of
current and upcoming problems. The press must report what is
happening today, but also what is likely to happen tomorrow based on
scientific predictions.

Marketplace Function Journalism provides a venue for fora and discussions on certain
issues. It becomes a marketplace of ideas where people may show
their support or disagreement on a specific issue. For example, if a
group of people is against the implementation of a certain bill, they
turn to the media to show disagreement.

Record-Keeping Function The media should keep accurate records of all pertinent happenings in
the history, which includes local, national, and global events.

Entertainment Function Part of the function of keeping the public informed, journalism also
caters to the satisfaction of human interests by providing
entertainment through videos, images, or graphics.

Agenda-Setting Function Journalism has the power to set what the public will think about and
address as a nation by how events are crafted. It is one of the most
crucial functions of journalism as it implicitly directs the public to
 focus on a specific issue.

The Campus Paper

 Campus Paper is the academic institution’s version of the national newspaper. It is the free
newspaper of the students, by the students, and for the students to circulate within the
academic community.
 Through the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, also known as Republic Act Numbered 7079,
the establishment of school publication in basic education and in higher learning institutions
has been legalized.

Parts of a Campus Paper

Major sections of a campus paper:

 Front Page - serves as the banner page of the campus paper. The most important news story
for a specific volume can be seen in the front page.
 News Page - it is where all news written concerning the students in the campus can be read.
 Editorial Page - it is the page where the Editor gives reliable opinion regarding a chosen
issue.
 Feature Page - News stories better-written through an artistic approach can be seen in this
page.
 Community Development Page - it is the page where articles about the campus’
participation to off-campus community-activities can be read.
 Science and technology Page- features stories about students’ discoveries, inventions,
experiments, research projects, and all others concerning science or technological
development.
 Sports Page - contains stories featuring the students’ participation on any sports event
inside the campus or representing the institution in off-campus sports fest.

Parts of the Front Page

 Nameplate
 Ears
 Banner(Head)
 Running Head
 Headline
 Deck
 Lead
 News Story
 Columns
 Column Rules
 Fold
 Byline
 Box
 Cut
 Cutline
 Over line
 Kicker
 Hammer
 Credit Line
 The Publication Staff

1. Chief Editor

2. Associate Editor

3. Managing Editor

4. Circulation Manager

5. Section Editors
News Editor
Filipino Editor
Feature Editor
Exchange Editor
Layout Section Editors

6. Layout Artists

7. Reporters

8. Photojournalists

9. Cartoonist

Topic 2: Principles of Journalism

Principles of Journalism
1. Truthfulness - Journalistic truth is the 2. Loyalty to the citizens -
process that begins with accuracy and Journalists must maintain allegiance to the
verification of facts. Truth is the first citizens and the larger public interests
obligation of journalism taken in a more above any other. Commitment to citizens
practical sense than philosophical one. Part of also means journalism must present a
it is the transparency of sources and representative picture of all constituents
information for the audience to make their groups in the society.
own assessments and decisions.

3. Objectivity by verification - Journalism 4. Independence of spirit and mind -

mainly relies on the discipline of verification. Independence of spirit and mind,
From the concept of objectivity, it does not rather than neutrality, is the principle
imply that journalists should be free of bias, that journalists must keep in mind
because in reality, they can’t. It is rather a because it is the cornerstone of
consistent method of testing information to reliability. In the case of an editor's
have that transparent approach to evidences. column or a commentator’s
Thus, the method is objective, not the statements on pertinent issues which
journalists. are definitely not neutral, the source
of their credibility is accuracy,
intellectual fairness, and their ability
to inform.

5. . Independent monitoring of power - 6. Fairness - Journalism has the

Journalists have the capacity to serve as a obligation to serve as a venue for
 watchdog for those whose power or position public discussions. It is very
may highly affect the citizens. With this, they important to understand that these
have the obligation to protect this watchdog discussions should present facts and
freedom by not demeaning it or exploiting it not prejudices and suppositions. It
for personal gains. should strive to fairly present all
varied viewpoints and interests in the
society.

7. . Making the significant interesting and 8. The moral compass - As earlier

relevant - In journalism, it is very important mentioned, journalism provides a
to note that it is storytelling by nature. For it bigger picture of the society they are
to survive, it must balance what the readers in. Sensationalizing events, neglecting
know they want with what they can’t expect other information, stereotyping, or
but need. being disproportionate negatively
affects the reliability of the picture
being presented, thus affecting
truthfulness.

9. Comprehensiveness and Proportionality -

Every journalist must have a personal sense
of ethics and responsibility wherein he is
willing to voice out his opinions, despite the
differences, for healthier discussions.

Topic 3: Campus Journalism Act of 1991

 The Republic Act 7079, also known as the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, was enacted in
recognition of the vital role the campus press played during the Martial.
 It was approved on July 5, 1991 by the late former president Corazon Aquino.
 Currently, there is House Bill (HB) 1493, introduced in the 16th Congress by former
Kabataan Party-list Representative Terry Ridon, that seeks to remedy the flaws of CJA 1991.

Eighth Congress
REPUBLIC ACT No. 7079
APPROVED July 5, 1991

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. – This Act shall be known and referred to as the "Campus Journalism Act of 1991."
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and protect the
freedom of the press even at the campus level and to promote the development and growth of
campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical values, encouraging critical and creative
thinking, and developing moral character and personal discipline of the Filipino youth. In
furtherance of this policy, the State shall undertake various programs and projects aimed at
improving the journalistic skills of students concerned and promoting responsible and free
journalism.
Section 3. Definition of Terms. –
(a) School. – An institution for learning in the elementary, secondary or tertiary level comprised of
the studentry, administration, faculty and non-faculty personnel;
(b) Student Publication. – The issue of any printed material that is independently published by, and
which meets the needs and interests of, the studentry;

(c) Student Journalist. – Any bona fide student enrolled for the current semester or term, who was
passed or met the qualification and standards of the editorial board. He must likewise maintain a
satisfactory academic standing.

(d) Editorial Board. – In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be composed of student
journalists who have qualified in placement examinations. In the case of elementary and high
school levels, the editorial board shall be composed of a duly appointed faculty adviser, the editor
who qualified and a representative of the Parents-Teachers' Association, who will determine the
editorial policies to be implemented by the editor and staff members of the student publication
concerned.

At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser at the option of its
members.

(e) Editorial Policies. – A set of guidelines by which a student publication is operated and managed,
taking into account pertinent laws as well as the school administration's policies. Said guidelines
shall determine the frequency of the publication, the manner of selecting articles and features and
other similar matters.
Section 4. Student Publication. – A student publication is published by the student body through
an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected but fair and competitive
examinations.

Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies
and manage the publication's funds.

Section 5. Funding of Student Publication. – Funding for the student publication may include the
savings of the respective school's appropriations, student subscriptions, donations, and other
sources of funds.

In no instance shall the Department of Education, Culture and Sports or the school administration
concerned withhold the release of funds sourced from the savings of the appropriations of the
respective schools and other sources intended for the student publication. Subscription fees
collected by the school administration shall be released automatically to the student publication
concerned.
Section 6. Publication Adviser. – The publication adviser shall be selected by the school
administration from a list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The function of the
adviser shall be limited to one of technical guidance.

Section 7. Security of Tenure. – A member of the publication staff must maintain his or her status
as student in order to retain membership in the publication staff. A student shall not be expelled or
suspended solely on the basis of articles he or she has written, or on the basis of the performance of
his or her duties in the student publication.
Section 8. Press Conferences and Training Seminar. – The Department of Education, Culture and
Sports shall sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences and training seminars in which
student-editors/writers and teacher-adviser of student publications in the elementary, secondary
and tertiary levels shall participate. Such competitions, conferences and seminars shall be held at
the institutional, divisional, and regional levels, culminating with the holding of the annual national
elementary, secondary or tertiary School Press Conferences in places of historical and/or cultural
interest in the country.
Section 9. Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, in
coordination with the officers of the national elementary, secondary or tertiary organizations or
official advisers of student publications, together with student journalists at the tertiary level and
existing organizations of student journalists, shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary
for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 10. Tax Exemption. – Pursuant to paragraph 4, Section 4, Article XIV of the Constitution,
all grants, endowments, donations, or contributions used actually, directly and exclusively for the
promotion of campus journalism as provided for in this Act shall be exempt from donor's or gift tax.

Section 11. Appropriations. – For the initial year of implementation, the sum of Five million pesos
(P5,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the savings from the current
appropriations of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Thereafter, such amount as
may be necessary shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
Section 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Topic 4: Identifying Contents for News

Types of News Stories

 News stories may fall under any of the following types according to:
Scope or origin

Local news – Report of events that take place within the immediate locality.

National news – News that takes place within the country.

Foreign news – News that takes place outside the country.

Dateline news – News preceded by the date and place of origin or place where it was written
or filed: Tokyo, Jan. 20(AP)
Chronology or sequence

Advance or anticipated – News published before its occurrence, sometimes called dope or
prognostication. The reporter foretells events expected to occur at a definite time in the future.
Spot news – News that is gathered and reported on the spot. It deals with unscheduled
information demanding immediate publication. The reporter himself is an eyewitness to the event
that took place.
Coverage news – News written from a given beat. Both spot news and coverage news are
good examples of first-hand reporting.

Follow-up news – A sequel to a previous story. Having a new lead of its own, it is a second,
third or subsequent chapter of a serial.

Structure

Straight News – News that consists of facts given straight without embellishment. Its main
aim is to inform. It uses the summary lead and is written using the inverted pyramid structure.
 News-feature (Featurized news distinguished from a feature article) – It is also based on
facts, but it entertains more than it informs. It uses the suspended interest structure like the
narrative; thus, it cannot meet the cut-off test. In writing a news-feature, the writer may give his
impression, may describe and narrate, but without resorting to biased opinion; i.e., without
editorializing. The reporter’s by-line usually appears with his story.
(1) Single-feature or one-incident story – The story deals with an isolated event. A single fact is
featured in the lead and is explained further in the succeeding paragraphs. The story breaks
logically at every paragraph; thus enabling the reporter to cut or lengthen it as space dictates.
(2) Several-feature, multiple-angled, or composite story – Several facts are included in the lead
in their order of importance.

Treatment
Fact story – This is a plain exposition setting forth a single situation or a series of closely
related facts that inform. It is written in the inverted pyramid design.

Action story – A narrative of actions involving not mere simple facts but also of dramatic
events, description of persons and events, perhaps testimony of witnesses, as well as
explanatory data. Sports games, competitions, accidents, and war reports are examples of
action stories.
Speech report – A news story usually written from a public address, talks, and speeches.

Quote story – Speeches, statements, and letters, and to some extent, interviews when
reported, are regarded as quote stories. All are based on recorded information, either written or
spoken, and transcribed by the reporter in the form of news.

Interview story – A news report written from an interview.

Hard news– events, such as killings, city council meetings and speeches by leading
government officials, are timely and are reported almost automatically by the media.

Soft news – events, such as a lunch to honor a retiring school custodian or a boy scouting
jamboree are not usually considered immediately important or timely to a wide audience.
Minor forms
News brief – A short item of news interest, written like a brief telegraphic message, giving
mainly the result with details.
News bulletin – It is similar to the lead of a straight news story. Its aim is just to give the
gist of the news.

News-featurette – This is a short news feature usually used as filler, e.g., “Quirks in the
news.”

Flash – A bulletin that conveys the first word of an event.

Topic 5: The News Lead

Lead
- Is the news story’s opening statement. It can be a word, a phrase, or a sentence that
attracts and sustains the reader’s interest.
- The rule of thumb for writing a lead is that “a lead should be like a miniskirt, short
enough to be attractive but long enough to cover the essentials.”
 - The main concern of writing the lead is to get hold of the readers until they’ve read all the
important information from the news story.
Major Classifications of Lead

Summary Lead - It answers the five W’s and one H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How). In
a straight news, the story is presented in an inverted pyramid form where the most important data
are in the first and second paragraph.

The Grammatical-Beginning Lead - This classification of Lead paragraphs still give

emphasis on the logical importance of the details but is equally concerned with its grammatical
structures.

Unorthodontox Lead or Novelty Lead - This is best used to attract reader’s attention, to
arouse his/her curiosity and to sustain his/her interest. It is used in writing news feature or a
feature article.

Kinds of Grammatical-Beginning Lead

1. Prepositional Phrase Lead - a phrase is introduced by a preposition.

2. Infinitive Phrase Lead - it starts with the preposition “to” plus the main verb.

3. Participial Phrase Lead - This is signaled by the presence of the present or past participle of the
verb, acting as a modifier.
4. Gerundial Phrase Lead - This lead is introduced by a gerund -- a verbal ending in -ing which
acts as a noun.

5. Clause Lead - This lead begins with a clause, which may become either an independent or
subordinate, or may transform as either a noun or an adjectival or adverbial clause.

Topic 6: News Writing for Various Media

In writing news, either for broadcast or for print, newspaper articles require a style of writing
different from what is used when writing a story. For you to understand it better, below are the five
basic parts of a newspaper article:

a. Headline - a short, catchy statement about the article. It serves as the title of the article.
b. Byline - is the name of the writer or writers of the article.

c. Lead Paragraph - This is the introductory paragraph of the article.

d. Major Details - includes those important information which are not yet written in the lead
paragraph.

e. Minor Details - all the remaining information about the issue.

When writing news, there are many differences as to what platform it will be published. Look at
the table of comparison below:

BROADCAST NEWS PRINT NEWS

Written for listeners and viewers turning in with Information is structured to be reread.
their ears and sometimes eyes

Sentences should be 10-15 words for easy Sentences are between 20-25 words to save
understanding of consumers. newspaper space
 Stories are structured for multi-tasking Stories are written mainly for reading
consumers. consumers.

Stories are written in dramatic unity structure: Stories are written in Inverted Pyramid
lead in then the climax of the story followed by structure: the most important details are placed
the cause and effect. Other details are at the on top of the article.
last part of the news, if will be included.

Leads are mostly simplified by using fewer Leads in print are more detailed and answers
words and contractions. most of the five W’s and one H.

Sentences should be as simple as possible for it Sentences can be longer in print news because
cannot be listened to or watched again once consumers have the opportunity to reread the
broadcasted. article.

Topic 7: Introduction to Editorial Writing

Editorial - is a concise expression of facts and opinions or an analytical interpretation of significant
and timely topics or issues.
- It is a formal writing where the paper has the chance to write what it thinks about a
certain issue affecting the readers. B

Characteristics of an Editorial
1. It follows a pattern. It is an essay written like a feature story. The editorial article should have
an introduction, body, and conclusion.

2. It simplifies an issue. It should be an objective explanation of the hottest issue within the
coverage of the paper’s release. It simplifies an issue by eliminating extraneous parts of the news.

3. It provokes opinions from the opposing viewpoints. Although an editorial presents the
paper’s stand on an issue, it always attempts to be objective by presenting other views.
4. It shows evidence delivered in a professional and formal manner. Good editorials engage
issues, not personalities. It is written with formality including the use of language and the style of
argumentation.
5. It offers alternative solutions. Aside from criticizing the chosen issue, a good editorial presents
alternative solutions to address the mentioned concerns.

6. It proffers a solid and concise conclusion. A good editorial ends with a powerfully summarized
opinion. It gives the readers an unforgettable line that they can live by.

Functions of Editorial

1. Explain or Interpret - Editorials are often used to explain the way the newspaper covered a
sensitive or controversial subject.

2. Criticize - Editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions, or situations. When an editorial

criticizes, it provides solutions to the problems identified.
3. Persuade - Editorials primarily aim at driving the readers to go with the paper’s stand. It has a
goal of encouraging others to take a specific positive action.
4. Praise - Editorials are used to commend people and organizations for their contributions to
progress, development, or peace.
Types of Editorial

1. Editorial of Criticism - The editorial points out the faults of the situation or in an issue
mentioned in the news. It uses a scientific method by defining the problem, examining the
evidences available and then, perhaps suggesting a solution.

2. Editorial of Interpretation - The main aim of this editorial is to put the news in its proper
perspective. The paper may take a neutral stand on the specified issue and may give responsibility
of choosing a side to the readers themselves.

3. Editorial of Commendation or Tribute - This editorial is used to praise a worthy deed done by
a person, a group or an organization, or by the institution. This type of editorial must clarify how
such contribution impacts on the lives of the reading public or the academic community.

4. Editorial of Argumentation or Persuasion - This is the most common type of editorial which
takes a stand in a controversial issue and tries to convince the readers to adopt that stand.
5. Editorial of Entertainment - Some editorials also discuss issues lightly but present serious
points.
6. Editorial of Crusade - This editorial usually endorses a thought or course of action. It promotes
a concept, an idea or an advocacy. This is also called campaign editorial.

7. Editorial Liners - These are short, witty paragraphs, either serious or light.

Topic 8: Writing an Editorial Article

Writing Editorial Article: Sample Structure

Start with the Present your Directly refute Provide more Conclusion with
news peg. A news opposition. Use the opposition’s original reasons a punch! Give
peg is a brief facts or beliefs. After or analogies. To solutions to the
statement about quotations to presenting the defend your problem or
the news event or objectively state strongest stand, give challenge the
issue upon which the opinions of argument of the reasons from reader to be
the editorial is the opposition. opposition side, strong to informed. A
based. Included You may identify pull in other facts strongest order. quotation can be
in the 1st specific groups or and quotations Use a literary or effective,
paragraph is your people in the from people who cultural allusion especially if from
stand or reaction opposition side. support your that lends to your a respected
on the issue. You may opt to position. credibility and source. You may
give a strong perceived also use a
position of the intelligence. rhetorical
opposition. question as your
concluder.
Topic 9: Introduction to Feature Writing and Writing a Feature Article
CHARACTERISTICS OF FEATURED STORIES

Types of Feature Stories

Informative Feature. Gives information on the News Feature. Gets its materials from current
subject of current interest. This feature is events, covering details that were omitted by
usually based on interview and research. the news.

Human Interest Feature. Deals with minor Personal Experience. Tells some unusual true-
incidents that deserve attention because of the to-life experiences written in the first person
dramatic, humorous, tragic, sensational or account.
unusual angle of the story.

Personality Sketch. This is a profile feature. Seasonal or Holiday feature. This feature
People are interested in people, so as to articles includes subjects like events celebrated once a
written about them especially about their year.
private life. Simple persons can also be
highlighted using this kind of feature story.

Humorous Feature. Its primary objective is to Travelogue. It is an account of one’s travel

entertain, make people laugh and be relieved of experience and a vivid description of places
the stress of life while reading the article. visited.

Interpretative Feature. This feature helps the Science and Technology Feature. It is
reader understand the background and concentrated on the latest advancement in
significance of social, economic, political, and science and technology with the aim of
other problems of everyday life. informing the readers and arousing their
interests.

Historical and Cultural Feature. Historical How-to and What-to-do Feature. Provides
events and sites can provide readers a sense of knowledge about an activity or process. It is a
identity. step-by-step procedure doing something.
 Business and Development Feature. Provides Lifestyle Feature. The quick change in fashion
a glimpse of insights on the business world and trends and lifestyles makes an interesting
the development of certain sectors or areas. reading.

Entertainment Feature. Show business events Career Feature. Focuses on career guidance,
are the common subjects in this type of feature. tips, and issues.

Hobby Feature. This type of feature focuses on Insider Feature. Focuses on unusual
exceptional hobbies. occupations, issues, or events which are hidden
from the public.

Stages of Writing a Feature Story

Edit your article for clarity and grammatical errors. Refine your

3 Post-writing
Stage
sentences and find better choices for words. Cut out unnecessary
phrases and ensure your story flows coherently. Polish your paper to
assure that the story is of good quality, thus complete, accurate, and
correct.

2 Writing
Stage
Know the level of consciousness and knowledge of your audience. Find out if
they read entertainment, information, analysis or commentaries. This will make
your article for responsive and sensitive to the issues and concerns of the readers.

1 Pre-writing
Stage
Planning, researching, gathering data, and organize information. Planning involves finding
out what you should write about and defining your purpose. It should be clear to you whether
you will write a funny or a creepy story. Choose the theme and narrow down the subject.

WRITING FEATURE ARTICLES

In writing feature articles, the following are some techniques that you can use to develop
paragraphs and sentences:
1. Improve the simple narration strategy by magnifying the character of a person or an event.

2. Avoid using ambiguous modifiers such as “tall,” “short,” “fat,” “thin.” Clarify modifiers by
specifying details in your sentence.
3. Animate verbs and work for sounds. Add color to the actions of the characters. Instead of “drank
quickly,” you may write “gulped.” Instead of “walked quietly,” you may write “tiptoed.”

4. Use active voice.

5. Avoid cliches by reconstructing them.

6. Play with figures of speech.

7. Vary sentence length to emphasize thought.

Writing Titles of Feature Stories

1. You may use a one-word title that encapsulates the theme of the subject of your feature story.

2. You may use brief questions.

E.g. How Do You See Yourself in Ten Years?

3. You may use contrasting phrases.
E.g. A Silent Scream

4. You may use description with alliteration.

E.g. Peace. Peace. Peace.

5. You may use one brief sentence.

E.g. You have nothing to regret.

Tips for Beginning Feature Writers

1. Limit to 500 words or less.

2. Use facts and statistics when appropriate

3. Use appropriate quotes.

4. Consider your readers.

5. Consider the medium where the feature will appear on.

Topic 10: Introduction to Radio Broadcasting

Radio - is one of the oldest media platforms that the human race has ever utilized.
Different types of radio programs, and how programs are produced

Electric Waves to Radio Waves

- Represent the sounds of a programme travel over wires to the control boards. The control
board has many switches and dials. A technician controls the sounds sent to the board
by varying the volume loudness of each sound.
Transmitting Radio Waves

- It is the transmitter that strengthens the incoming electric waves that represent the
broadcast. The transmitter sends the radio signal to the antenna. The antenna, in turn,
sends the signal out into the air as radio waves.

Reception of Radio Programmes

- It is interesting to note that radio waves are not heard, seen or even felt. However, radio
receivers pick them up and turn them into sounds that make up radio programmes.

Programs of a Radio Station

Documentary Programs Drama Program

Feature Programs Monologue or Talk Show

News Programs Entertainment Program

Interview Program Commercial Program

Discussion Panel Program Educational Program

Magazine Program Children Program

Topic 11: ORIGIN OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM, FEATURE WRITING and
SPORTS WRTTING
ORIGIN OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM

 On a 4” x 6” sheet of paper, Samuel Fickle Fox penned the first issue of The Students Gazette
on July 11, 1777 at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, USA.
 Published continuously until August 1778, when the British soldiers closed the school, The
Gazette is recognized as the first student publication in the English-speaking world.
 In the Philippines, The University of the Philippines started publishing its magazine College
Folio in October 1910 and printed the works of the first promising writers in English.
 In 1912 the graduates of Manila High School published their English writings in The
Coconut.
 1913, the Philippine Normal School introduced its publication, The TORCH.
 The UP Writers Club which was organized in 1927 had its literary organ, The Literary
Apprentice which became the most prestigious college literary publication in the country.
 This time UST’s Varsitarian began to see publication.
Definition of Journalism

The word journal comes from the Latin word diurna which means “daily.” In ancient Rome, short
bulletins of battles, fires, and elections compiled by government officials were posted up in public
places. These were called acta diurna which meant “daily events.”

Other definitions of journalism:

 The occupation of writing for publication in newspapers and other periodicals. – Noah
Webster
 Something that embraces all forms in which or through which the news and comments on
the news reach the public. All that happens in the world, if such happenings hold interest for
the public, and all the thoughts, actions, and ideas which these happenings stimulate,
become basic materials for the journalist.- Fraser F. Bond
 Enjoyable co-curricular activity of the school paper staff in collecting, organizing, and
presenting news; in writing editorials, columns, literary articles, and features; in
copyreading, proofreading, dummying, and writing headlines – all for the purpose of putting
out a school organ. – School Paper Advisers of the City Schools of Manila

Scope of Journalism

 Journalism may be divided into three areas: written, oral, and visual
 Periodicals such as newspapers and magazines fall under written journalism. A periodical,
defined broadly, is a publication that comes out at regular intervals – daily, weekly,
fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.
 A newspaper, compared to a magazine, prints more news, has no special cover, and is
printed on a special paper called newsprint. News is printed on the front page as well as on
the inside and back pages.
 A magazine, on the other hand, prints more features and human interest stories, has a
special cover usually with a big cut on it, and is often printed on bookpaper. If ever news is
printed, it is brief, featurized, and found in the inside pages.
 Periodicals, brochures, journals, books, and graphic arts are classified under print media.
Radio falls under oral journalism, while television, movies, and documentaries are under
visual journalism.
  Radio and television are examples of broadcast media while movies and documentaries are
examples of film media.

Sections/Part of a Campus Paper

A. Front Page

1. Local news – news that takes place within the country.

2. Foreign news – news that takes place outside the country.

3. Dateline news – an out-of-town news story. It is introduced by a dateline which states the place
from which the story was reported, the date, and the source of the material if not written by the
local staff, as Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 25 (AP).
4. Weather news – usually a boxed forecast of the area, sometimes the temperature, wind
directions, and velocities.

5. Index – a slug line indicating an important inside page story and the page where it is found.
6. Other things found on the Front Page: (Those with asterisk may or may not be present).

a. Nameplate – The engraved or printed name of the newspaper, as the Manila Times or PNC Torch.
b. Ears – The little boxes on either side of the nameplate.

c. Banner – The principal headline bearing the boldest and biggest type. It is the title of the most
important news of the day which is called banner news. It may or may not run across the page. It
id does, it may also be called a streamer.

d. Running head – a head made up of two or more lines.

e. Headline – The title of any news story. The word headline is used only for titles of news stories.

f. Deck – a subordinate headline placed immediately below its mother headline, also known as bank
or readout.
g. Lead – The beginning of a news story. It may be a word, a group of words, a sentence, or even a
paragraph.

h. News story – The whole story of an event composed of the lead and the text which is the
elaboration of the lead.

i. Columns – The horizontal division into parts of a newspaper. Many national papers are divided
into eight columns while a typical school paper is divided into five columns of 12 ems each.
j. Column rule – The vertical line that divides the page into columns. Most pages of newspaper are
divided into columns by a space usually one em wide. This space is called the sunken rule.

k. Fold – The imaginary horizontal line that divides the newspaper equally into two parts.
l. Byline – The signature of a reporter preceding a news-feature, as By Warren Cruz.

m. Box – News materials enclosed by line rules.

n. Cut – A metal plate bearing a newspaper’s illustration, also known as cliché.

o. Cutline – The text accompanying photos and other art work, better known as a caption. If
written above the photo just like a slugline, it is called an overline.
p. Kicker – A tagline placed above but smaller than a headline, also known as teaser. If it is bigger
than the headline, it is called a hammer.
q. Credit line – A line giving the source of story or illustration, as Reprinted from the “Manila
Times” or Photo by MPI.

B.Front Page
1. Folio – Consists of the page number, date of publication, and name of the newspaper, usually
written on top of the page. This is also found in the other pages.

2. Masthead – The editorial box containing the logo, names of the staff members and position in the
staff, subscription rate, the publisher, and other pertinent data about the newspaper. A logo (a
shorter word for logotype) is a cut which contains an identifying word or words, such as the name of
the newspaper or of a section.
3. Editorial proper – A commentary written by any of the editors who comments or gives the
opinion of the staff or of the whole paper on various subjects. It is the stand of the paper.

4. Editorial column - A personal opinion written by the columnist himself or herself. Like the
editorial proper, it may attack, teach, entertain, or appeal depending upon its purpose.

5. Editorial cartoon – Usually a caricature emphasizing a simple point. Usually humorous, it has
the function of the editorial. It stands by itself and is not a complement of the editorial proper.
6. Editorial liner – a short statement or quoted saying placed at the end of an editorial column or
editorial to drive home a message.

7. Letter to the editor – A letter sent in by the reader giving his personal views on certain aspects.
C. Sports Page

Sports stories are classified as news stories; therefore, what may be found in the news page may
also be found in the sports section.
D. Special Features

The modern newspaper has taken some special features and eliminated some which have become
irrelevant to the needs of the times.

The Code of Student Press Ethics

Believing that all student publications throughout the world should respect the basic principles of
human rights and that they should maintain good quality workmanship and a high standard of
conduct, the following Code of Ethics for observance by student journalists is recommended:
• The student journalist should strive continuously to be unbiased and accurate in his/her reports
and should equip himself adequately with facts to support his/her published statements.

• The student journalist should reveal his/her identity as a representative of the student press
before obtaining any interview for publication.
• The editor should not exclude a student point of view solely because it is contrary to the editorial
policy.

• The editor should apologize in print at the first available opportunity for all mistakes.
• A student journalist should defend freedom through the hones collection and publication of news
and facts and through the rights of fair comment and criticism.
• A student journalist should respect all confidence regarding sources of information and private
documents. He/She should not falsify information or documents or distort of misrepresent the
facts.
• Student journalists should be familiar with the laws of libel and contempt of court which exist in
their country and should observe the international copyright agreement unless this interferes with
the freedom of the press or the need to inform the public on vital matters.
Declaration of Principles: Aims of Student Journalists

The International Student Press Conference, considering

 That journalism plays one of the most essential roles in the life of man, i.e. the expression of
thinking;
 that student journalism as a means of expressing thought tends to strengthen unity,
understanding and friendship among all the students of the world;
 that through a mandate of the press conference, it is the duty of the student press to take a
position on current problems based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on
the Charter of the Student Press;
 that in order to define the responsibility of the student press in a Code of Ethics, it is
necessary first of all to establish the duties and obligations of the student journalist and
make a declaration of principles containing the aims and objectives to be implemented by the
student press, resolves to declare as fundamental principles to be implemented by the
student journalists the following:

1. Culture: Student journalism must be a means of propagating culture in all its forms;
2. Freedom of the Press: it is necessary in order to insure the very existence of journalism that
full freedom of the press exists in the country in which student publications are issued because the
freedom of the press exactly reflects the liberty of opinion and expression in any democratic
country;

3. Freedom of Culture: As the exchange of ideas and opinions is an effective means of obtaining
understanding between all students of the world it is indispensable for such understanding that all
men have full freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

4. Totalitarianism, Colonialism, Imperialism: Student journalists should pursue and condemn

totalitarianism, colonialism, and imperialism in all their forms as these are systems opposed to the
highest aspirations of students around the world;

5. Student Dignity: Student journalism, recognizing its responsibility as a medium of expression

and orientation, declares that it will try to be effective in favor of student and human rights in
accordance with various resolutions of the International Student Press Conference which says that:

WRITING GOOD JOURNALISTIC STYLE

1. Cut unnecessary fat. Preserve meaning, but prune ruthlessly.

2. Use simple, clear language. Bring meaning into focus with concrete examples and vivid writing.
3. Say what you mean.

4. Choose active over passive voice. Replace “to be” verbs with action verbs.
5. Craft transitions carefully. The most commonly used transitions are chronological (now, since,
then, a few days later, etc).
6. Replace clichés and adjectives with nouns and action verbs focusing on actors and action.

7. Translate jargon by paraphrasing dull, wordy quotes.

8. Use quotes correctly.

ROY PETER CLARK: Fourteen Traits of Good Writers

TRAIT 1

Good writers see the world as their journalism laboratory, a storehouse of story ideas. If they can
get out of the room, they can find a story.

TRAIT 2

Good writers prefer to discover and develop their own story ideas. They have an eye for the offbeat
and may find conventional assignments tedious.

TRAIT 3
Good writers are voracious collectors of information. This usually means that they take notes like
crazy.
TRAIT 4

Good writers spend too much time and creative energy working on their leads. They know that the
lead is the most important part of their work, the passage that invites the reader into the story and
signals the news.

TRAIT 5
Good writers talk about “immersing themselves” into the story. They live it, breathe it, and dream it.

TRAIT 6

Most good writers are bleeders rather than speeders. When they write, in the words of sportswriter
Red Smith, they “open a vein.”
TRAIT 7

Good writers understand that an important part of writing is the mechanical drudgery of organizing
the material, what Saul Pett describes as “donkey work.”

TRAIT 8

Good writers rewrite. They love computer terminals, which permit maximum playfulness during
revision.

TRAIT 9

In judging their work, good writers tend to trust their ears and their feelings more than their eyes.
Editors “look for holes in the story.” Writers want ‘to make it sing.”

TRAIT 10

Good writers want to tell stories. They are constantly searching for the human side of the news, for
voices that enliven the writing.
TRAIT 11
Good writers write primarily to please themselves and to meet their own exacting standards, but
they also understand that writing is a transaction between writer and reader.
TRAIT 12

Good writers take chances in their writing. They love the surprising and the unconventional
approach to a story.
TRAIT 13

Good writers are lifelong readers, mostly novels, and they like movies. They collect story ideas and
forms from other genres.
TRAIT 14

Good writers write too long, and they know it. They want their stories to be “seamless” or
“connected by a single thread” or “to flow.”
News Defined

News is an oral or written report of a past, present, or future event. It should be factual, truthful,
accurate, unbiased, and interesting. But what is interesting to one is not always interesting to
another

Elements of News

 Conflict –this may involve physical or mental conflict – man versus man, man versus
animals, man versus nature, or man versus himself.
 Immediacy or timeliness – This element emphasizes the newest angle of the story. The
more recent the event, the more interesting it is to the reader.
 Proximity or nearness – This may refer to geographical nearness as well as to nearness of
kinship or interest.
 Prominence – Some people are more prominent than others by reasons of wealth, social
position, or achievements.
 Significance – Whatever is significant to the life of an individual is interesting to him.
 Names – Important names make important news.
 Drama – this adds color to the story. The more picturesque the background and the more
dramatic the actions are, the more appealing the story is to the reader.
 Oddity or unusualness – This refers to strange or unnatural events, objects, persons, and
places. An odd story is interesting not because of its news value but because of the human-
interest side of it.
 Romance and adventure – The romance of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had hugged
headlines for many years. Romance may be experienced with other things. There were the
romance of Hemingway with the sea and of the astronauts with space.
 Sex – Since the dawn of history, sex has always interested man. Stories of sex are usually
related to stories of romance, marriage, divorce, and the varied activities of men with women.
This is not always the case
 Progress – The onward and forward march of civilization or the progress of a country is
chronicled step by step in the newspaper. The trend today is towards development
communication. Reports on the significant changes in the established order and on scientific
achievements are in order.
 Animals – Stories of animals, especially those with talents are good reading matter because
of their human-interest value.
 Number – Sweepstakes numbers, vital statistics, election results, scores in games,
casualties, fatalities, price of goods, and ages of women make good news.
  Emotion – All the other elements of news mentioned above appeal to the emotion. But the
term emotion here includes the various human responses such as the innate desire for food,
clothing, shelter; the universal interest in children, animals, and nature; and the natural
feeling of love, sympathy and generosity, of fear, hatred, and jealousy.

Types of News Stories

News stories may fall under any of the following types according to:

1. Scope or origin
 Local news – Report of events that take place within the immediate locality.
 National news – News that takes place within the country.
 Foreign news – News that takes place outside the country.
 Dateline news – News preceded by the date and place of origin or place where it was
written or filed: Tokyo, Jan. 20(AP)

2. Chronology or sequence
 Advance or anticipated – News published before its occurrence, sometimes called
dope or prognostication. The reporter foretells events expected to occur at a definite
time in the future.
 Spot news – News that is gathered and reporter on the spot. It deals with
unscheduled information demanding immediate publication. The reporter himself
is an eyewitness to the event that took place.
 Coverage news – News written from a given beat. Both spot news and coverage
news are good examples of first-hand reporting.
 Follow-up news – A sequel to a previous story. Having a new lead of its own, it is a
second, third or subsequent chapter of a serial.

3. Structure
 Straight News – News that consists of facts given straight without
embellishment. Its main aim is to inform. It uses the summary lead and is written
using the inverted pyramid structure.
 News-feature (Featurized news distinguished from a feature
article) – It is also based on facts, but it entertains more than it informs.

(1) Single-feature or one-incident story – The story deals with an isolated event. A
single fact is featured in the lead and is explained further in the succeeding
paragraphs. The story breaks logically at every paragraph; thus enabling the
reporter to cut or lengthen it as space dictates.

(2) Several-feature, multiple-angled, or composite story – Several facts are

included in the lead in their order of importance. These facts are elaborated one
after the other in the body.

Treatment

a. Fact story – This is a plain exposition setting forth a single situation or a series of
closely related facts that inform. It is written in the inverted pyramid design.
b. Action story – A narrative of actions involving not mere simple facts but also of
dramatic events, description of persons and events, perhaps testimony of
witnesses, as well as explanatory data. Sports games, competitions, accidents,
and war reports are examples of action stories.
c. Speech report – A news story usually written from a public address, talks, and
speeches.
 d. Quote story – Speeches, statements, and letters, and to some extent, interviews
when reported, are regarded as quote stories. All are based on recorded
information, either written or spoken, and transcribed by the reporter in the
form of news.
e. Interview story – A news report written from an interview.
f. Hard news– events, such as killings, city council meetings and speeches by leading
government officials, are timely and are reported almost automatically by the
media.
g. Soft news – events, such as a lunch to honor a retiring school custodian or a boy
scouting jamboree are not usually considered immediately important or timely
to a wide audience.
4. Content
a. Routine story – celebrations, enrollment, graduation, election stories reported year
in and year out.
b. Police reports – accident, fire, calamity, crime stories, etc.
c. Science news
d. Developmental news
e. Sports stories

5. Minor forms
a. News brief – A short item of news interest, written like a brief telegraphic message,
giving mainly the result with details.
b. News bulletin – It is similar to the lead of a straight news story. Its aim is just to
give the gist of the news.
c. News-featurette – This is a short news feature usually used as filler, e.g., “Quirks
in the news.”
d. Flash – A bulletin that conveys the first word of an event.

WRITING THE LEAD

Kinds of Lead

1. Conventional or summary lead

This kind of lead used in straight news answers right away all or any of the 5 W’s and/or the H. It
may be one of the following:
 WHO lead – Used when the person involved is more prominent that what he does or what
happens to him.
 WHAT lead – Used when the event or what took place is more important than the person
involved in the story.
 WHERE lead – Used when the place is unique and no prominent person is involved.
 WHEN lead – Rarely used as the reader presumes the story to be timely. However, this
lead is useful when speaking of deadlines, holidays, and important dates.
 WHY lead – Used when the reason is more prominent or unique than what happens.
 HOW lead – Used when the manner, mode, means, or method of achieving the story is the
unnatural way.

2. Grammatical beginning lead

Some examples of these grammatical beginning leads are:
 Prepositional phrase lead – The phrase is introduced by a preposition.
 Infinitive phrase lead – It begins with the sign of the infinitive to plus the main verb.
 Participial phrase lead – It is introduced by the present or past participle form of the verb
 Gerundial Phrase lead – It is introduced by a gerund (a verbal noun ending in ing)
 Clause lead – The lead begins with a clause which may either be independent or
subordinate; or may either be a noun or an adjectival or adverbial clause.
3. Novelty lead
 Astonisher lead – Uses an interjection or an exclamatory sentence.
 Contrast lead – Describes two extremes or opposites for emphasis. The sharper the
contrast, the more effective the lead will be.
 Epigram lead – Opens by quoting a common expression, verse, or epigram, at least familiar
in the locality.
 Picture lead – Describes a person, a place, or an event, at the same time creating a mental
picture of the subject matter in the mind of the reader.
 Background lead – Similar to the picture lead except that it describes the setting which
may be more prominent than the characters and the events.
 Descriptive lead – Used when comparatively few descriptive words can vividly formulate
an imagery.
 Parody lead – Consists of a parody of a well-known song, poem, lines, etc.
 Punch lead – A short, forceful word or expression.
 One word lead – (self-explanatory)
 Quotation lead – Consists of the speaker’s direct words which are very striking and which
are usually quoted from a speech, a public address, or an interview.
 Question lead – An answer to a question which is the basis of the news story.
 This will be known Aug. 8 after the final screening to be held at the PNU Gym and
Performing Arts Center.

Various Types of News Structure

1. Straight News Story
a. The summary lead answers the most important W’s depending on which of the W’s is
the most prominent among them.
b. The body consists of the elaboration of the W’s and the H.

News-Feature Story
News-feature should not be confused with feature articles (features) which are
sometimes called special features and printed in the features sections of the
newspapers or in magazines.

a. The single-feature story – A single-feature or one incident story such as an account of

a speech, an interview, or an election, deals with an isolated event. In writing a news-
feature story with this kind of structure, include the one-feature in the lead. Add in the
body details which clarify and explain the lead.

b. The several-feature, multiple-angle or composite story – In a composite story, two

or more divergent aspects of a news topic are drawn together for the sake of space and
coherence. In structure, the composite story may resemble that of a follow-up story in
that both of them aim to consolidate component parts. In writing the several-feature or
composite story, include all of the feature in a comprehensive lead in the order of their
importance.

Fact Story
This is a plain exposition of a simple situation or of a series of closely related events which
conform to the inverted pyramid design more closely than any other kind of news. The
component parts are the series of facts that may be likened to rectangles of diminishing
length arranged one after the other in order of their importance.

Action Story
This is a narrative involving not merely simple facts, but dramatic actions – incidents,
description of persons, perhaps testimonies of witnesses, as well as explanatory data.
Speech report, quote, and interview stories
The arrangement of a speech reports, a quote story, and of an interview are to a great extent
similar. In writing this kind of story, the following suggestions may be helpful: 1) Write a
summarizing lead in any appropriate form, 2) Write the body of the story in a summary-quote-
summary arrangement.
Organizing News Stories

Inverted –Pyramid Style – traditional news writing form in which the key points of a story are put
in the opening paragraph and the news is stacked in the following paragraphs in order of
descending importance.

Outline of a Spot News Story

Spot news stories – also called breaking news stories – usually follow a standard formula for
writing called the inverted pyramid.

1. Lead (1-2) paragraphs

 Sums up the focus of the story.
 Orients readers by telling them something surprising; entices them to continue
reading for more details.
 Answers Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
2. Impact (1 paragraph) (Answers: How will this affect the reader?)
3. Reaction and response (1 paragraph)
4. Cosmic quote that sums up story’s focus (1 paragraph)
5. Background (1 paragraph)
6. Explication of lead, including facts, quotes, anecdotes, and other evidence that support
the story’s focus.
A sidebar to a story explores an idea that, while interesting, fails to fit into the main story
because it remains tangential to the focus. Sidebars engage readers by giving more
information if they want it, helping to draw them into the issues of the main story.
Hourglass Style – a style of writing in which the major news of a story is reported in the first few
paragraphs and then a transitional paragraph introduces a chronology of the events of the story.

Role and Functions of School Publications

As a catalyst for national development, school publications are expected:
1. To act as a medium for development communication to foster a strong sense of national
discipline, identity, and love of country and of things Filipino among the people.
 2. To train the staffers in the communication process and to serve as training ground for future
responsible journalists and leaders of society.
3. To become dependable forums, communication links, and means of feedback among the
schools, the community, and the government.
4. To disseminate and interpret the socio-economic development program of the government
and other agencies.
5. To advance the goals of education and culture by: a) developing moral values such as
honesty, integrity, and respect for parents, elders and duly constituted authorities; b)
promoting the commonly accepted social and ethical characteristics of Filipino life, c) re-
directing the interest of the youth towards the work-oriented curriculum, d) enhancing
cultural awareness among the people, and e) furthering knowledge in science and
technology.
6. To act as an accurate and fair vehicle of information of school policies, programs, and
activities to the studentry and the lay community.
7. To encourage and develop good taste in artistic and literary writing among the students.
8. To act as an information arm of the government by publishing excerpts of Presidential
decree, letters of instructions, general orders, and the like pertaining to community
development.
9. To focus the interest of the readers on events of national and international significance, and
10. To arouse the interest of the readers by printing entertaining activities.
Structure of Headlines

There are different kinds of headlines according to structure. However, for the sake of consistency,
only one kind should be adopted by a newspaper. Common among these are illustrated and briefly
explained as follows:
1. Flush left – Both lines are flushed to the left margin. This is also true with a one-line
headline. This has no exact count for the units in each line.
2. Dropline or Step Form - The first line is flushed left while the second is indented. It may
consist of two or three, and sometimes four lines of types of the same length, somewhat
less than a column in width, so that the first line is flushed to the left, the second centered,
and the third flushed to the right.
3. Inverted pyramid – This is self-explanatory. Each of the three or four lines in this head is
successively shorter than the line about it.
4. Hanging indention – The first line is flushed left. This is followed by two indented parallel
lines.
5. Crossline or Barline – A one-line headline that runs across the column. The simplest form,
it is a single line across the allotted space. If it runs across the page, it is called a
streamer.
6. Boxed headline – For emphasis or art’s sake, some headlines are boxed:
a. Full box
b. Half box
c. Quarter box
7. Jump story headline – A jump story (a story continued on another page) has a headline of its
own. This may be the same as the original headline or it may just be a word, a phrase or
a group of words followed by a series of dots.
A. What to Avoid in Writing Headlines
1. Avoid the following kinds of headlines:
a. Fat head – A headline in which the letters or the words are so crowded that there
are no more spaces between them or that the spaces are so small that several
words read as one.
b. Thin head – the spaces between the letters of words, or the space after the words
in a line are so wide that the effect is ugly.
c. Label head – An incomplete headline, like the label of a product.
 d. Wooden head – A very weak headline that is devoid of meaning, sometimes due to
the absence of a subject or the lack of a verb.
e. Mandatory head – It gives a command because it begins with a verb.
f. Screaming head – It is a big and bold headline of a short and unimportant story. A
sensational head is another kind of screaming headline.
2. Don’t tell the same thing even though you use a different word. Each succeeding deck
should contribute new information.

3. Don’t comment directly or indirectly. Avoid editorializing even in headlines.

4. Unless the subject is implied or has been mentioned in the first deck, avoid beginning a
headline with a verb.

5. Don’t end a line with a preposition. Neither should you separate a preposition from its
object. Don’t confuse a hanging preposition with a two-word verb that ends with a
preposition.
Wrong: Students vote for

SSG officials
(“for” is a hanging preposition)
6. Don’t break off abbreviations, names, and hyphenated words.

7. Avoid repeating principal words regardless of the number of decks.

8. Avoid heads that carry a double meaning.

9. Don’t coin abbreviations of your own. Use only those that are common to the readers like
PNRC, DECS, DCS, etc.

10. Don’t abbreviate days and months unless figures follow, as:
Mon., Jan. 23

Unit Counting in Headlines

 Writing headlines is not as simple and easy as it seems.

 A headline should fit the allotted space by a system of unit counts given to each letter,
figure or space.
 This is done to avoid a thin head, a fat head, or a bleeding headline (one that extends out
of the column or page).

The corresponding unit counts are given as follows:

½ unit – jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (–), and the question

mark (?)

1 unit – the question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, a lower case
letters except jiltf.
1½ units – the em dash, lower-case m and w, and all capital letters except

capital M and W and JILTF.

 2 units – capital M, W

1½ ½ ½ 1, 1 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1
C i ty S c h oo l s f e t e = 15½

1½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1

C h i ef E x e c u t i v e = 14
Preparing a Headline Schedule

(For Letterpress Printing)

A headline schedule is a complete collection of headline types that a particular newspaper

uses. This collection should specify the unit counts for all the heads.

Here is an example:

HEADLINE SCHEDULE

Headline Unit Count Size/Family Columns

Type

Osmeña High 12 48 Radiant 2

revives comedia 14½

Reclaimed banks cause 21 36 Caslon 2

of recurrent floods
17

Dope upsurge 12½ 30 Cheltenham

in community, 11½ 1

school noted 11½

Food production drive

intensified 29 24 Century 2

Science 7
 journalism 9 1

caps NSTA 11
seminar7

WRITING THE EDITORIAL

Editorial Defined

An editorial is the official stand of the paper on a relevant development or issue. It is a personal
commentary written by the editor who comments or gives the news-written by the editor who
comments or gives the newspapers or the staff’s opinion about various aspects on an issue which is
of interest and importance to the public.
Types of Editorials

The kind of editorial to be written depends upon the purpose of the writer – whether to inform,
interpret, criticize, commend, argue or entertain. These are explained as follows:
1. Editorial of information – It seeks to give information on facts unknown to the reader. It
restates the facts of news stories or adds other facts with minimum explanation. It may
define terms, identify persons or factors or provide a background; e.g., Freedom of the
Press.
2. Editorial of interpretation – It explains the significance or meaning of a news event,
current idea, condition, or situation, theory, or hypothesis. The writer doesn’t argue nor
criticize, but merely presents both sides of an issue and leaves the judgment to the
reader. It merely interprets, say for example, the content of a new memorandum issued
by the principal; e.g., Freedom of the Press: Two Schools of Thought.
3. Editorial of criticism – It points out the good or the bad features of a problem or situation
mentioned in the news. Its purpose is to influence the reader. It suggests a solution at
the end, e.g., School Administration Not Sincere in Press Freedom Promise
4. Editorial of commendation, appreciation, or tribute – It praises, commends, or pays
tribute to a person or organization that has performed some worthwhile projects or deeds,
or accomplishments; e.g., Laurels to Barangay Dance Troupe.
5. Editorial of argumentation – This is oftentimes called editorial of persuasion. l the editor
argues in order to convince or persuade the reader to accept his stand on the issue; e.g.,
Freedom of the Press Not Violated.
6. Editorial of entertainment – It evokes a smile, a chuckle, laughter, while suggesting
truth. Its main aim is to entertain. It is usually short; e.g., Miniskirt, Anyone?
7. Mood editorial – It present a philosophy rather than an argument or an
explanation. Oftentimes, the subject matter is nature or emotion; e.g., those Wonderful
People Called Parents.
8. Special occasion – It explains the significance of a special day or occasion; e.g., The
Significance of Christmas, Au Revoir.
How to Write an Editorial
 In writing the editorial, select only one specific idea to develop. Be sure the topic is of
interest to the reader.
 Organize your editorial in three parts: 1) the introduction, 2) the body, and 3) the
ending. The first contains the newspeg with the reaction. It is usually one short
paragraph. (A newspeg is a brief statement about the news event at issue upon which the
editorial is based).
 The body may take two or three short paragraphs that support or justify the reaction. The
ending, sometimes called the clincher, summarizes the editorial’s stand.

Types of editorial column according to content:

 1. The “opinion” column (also called the “signed editorial column”) – Resembles an editorial
in form but, in contrast with the editorial’s impersonal and anonymous approach,
carries the personal, stamp of the writer’s own ideas. (I hesitate to use a local
example, thus a safe one is Walter Lippman’s “Today and Tomorrow.”)
2. The hodge-podge column – Where the author lumps together odds and ends of
information, a poem here, an announcement there, a point paragraph, a modernized
proverb, a joke, or an interesting quotation.
3. The essay column (increasingly rare) – Is a legacy from a more leisurely age when writers
could sit and scribble and muse in light or purple prose.
4. The gossip column – Caters to the inherent interest of human beings in human
beings. Unfortunately, the reader’s eyes light up more frequently when they spy the
vices rather than the virtues of others.
5. The dopester’s column – Written by the columnist who also has his eye to the keyhole but
with a more serious purpose. He uses much the same technique as the gossip columnist
but rises above the chatterbox variety of news to poke into the activities of the “men who
make the decisions.

CARTOONING
 An editorial cartoon is an editorial page illustration expressing opinion and
interpretation. The word cartoon is derived from two words: caricature and lampoon.
 A caricature is an exaggerated description, generally by sketching. It is a pictorial
representation of a person or thing in which a defect or peculiarity is exaggerated so as to
produce a ludicrous effect.
 A lampoon, on the other hand, is a piece of malicious writing, a personal written satire that
attacks and ridicules.
 An editorial cartoon also performs any of the three functions of the newspress – to inform,
influence, or entertain.
 A good cartoon appeals to the reader’s sense of humor in order to persuade him to accept
an opinion; an effective social force.
 A cartoon like the top editorial, deals with only a single idea and is about political and
social conditions and problems. Some cartoons are good–natured and humorous; others
are serious and sophisticated.
Suggestion for Cartooning
 should say something
 should deal with only one topic
 should limit the use of words and labels
 should use universal symbols i.e., easily understood even by ordinary reader
 should be original
 should not defame nor expose a person or object to hatred, ridicule, or contempt

WRITING FEATURES
 A feature article may instruct, advise, inform, and entertain
 A feature article may be of any length ranging from a rather long magazine article
published to the short human interest story that may or may not be timely
 A feature article may be written in any form and style. It rarely has a summary lead.
 A feature article to entertain rather than to inform although it may do both at the same
time.

Characteristics of a Good Feature Article

A good feature article should have the following characteristics:

 It may inform, instruct, or advise, but its primary purpose is to entertain. It is usually
read after the news in a leisure moment.
  It may be of any length – from a short human interest story to a rather long magazine
article.
 It may or may not be timely.
 It may be written in any form or style.
 It usually uses the novelty lead rather than the summary lead.
 The reporter may use any of the following devices – suspense, dialog, description, narration,
exposition, argumentation, climax and the like in presenting his story.
 Although the writer applies his imagination to the facts, the feature story is not fiction. It
is based on facts.
 It uses specific nouns, adjectives, and verbs to create vivid images, sound, and feeling for
the readers.
 It applies the principles of effective writing to achieve unity, coherence, and emphasis which
are essential to all good writing.
 It is written with friendly simplicity.
WRITING THE INTERVIEW

Interview Defined
An interview is an art of asking questions to obtain information. But technically speaking, it is
asking questions to obtain opinions, ideas, or special information on topics of interest to the
general public from a prominent person or from a recognized authority.

Kinds of Interviews
Different kinds of interviews:

 An informative interview is conducted to obtain some information from a

person responsible for a new idea.
 An opinion interview is conducted to obtain opinion.
 A feature interview is the group interview of which there are two types: the “inquiring
reporter type” and the symposium type.
Guidelines to Observe During the Interview
 Be interested in what your subject has to say.
 Don’t talk too much yourself.
 Positive questions are preferred to negative or rambling questions.
 Take notes unobtrusively.
 Get your subject’s name correctly spelled, his middle initial, his address, age (but don’t
insist if refused), occupations, etc. – anything that is relevant to your story.
 Show your quotes or even the whole report in proofs on a technical subject – but do not
promise to.
Guidelines to Observe in Writing the Interview
 Correct all grammatical errors and awkward sentences made by the interviewee unless
they are necessary to reveal his personality. In doing this, don’t change the interviewee’s
meaning.
 Make the quotes clear and compact.
 Avoid any reference to yourself unless needed.
 To avoid monotony, don’t use “he said” many times. Use synonyms of “said” like
remarked, stated, concluded, stressed, etc.
 Use noun substitutes like “the speaker,” “the principal,” etc., to avoid overworking the
interviewee’s name.

WRITING THE SPORTS STORY

Qualities of a Good Sports Writer

Aside from a working knowledge of the medium he is going to use in writing his story, the sports
writer should also have the following know-how:
  Must know sports: rules, strategy, team and players’ records.
 Must attend the games or meets as a reporter, not as a spectator or cheerer.
 Must know coaches and players as intimately as possible.
 Must observe accuracy.
 Must be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of the play.
 Must be fair and unbiased in reporting, even though he has a favorite team.
 Must not make comments without supporting them with facts on which they are based,
although sports writers have more freedom than any other news writers.
 Must use the specialized language of the particular sports that he is reporting.
 Must avoid sports slang and trite expressions which hack writers use today. He should
tell the story in plain, factual terms, that describe the action.
 Must bear in mind that he writes for his readers and not for himself.
The Lead
Like any other news story, a sports story has a lead and a body. The sports lead is the
attention-getter, the news in a nutshell.

The Body
After the lead, the other elements follow in descending order. These will include:

 Team and / or individual standing

 Decisive play
 Best scores for the day
 Play-by-play
 Quotation

PREPARING THE COPY AND COPYREADING

Preparing the Copy

In preparing the copy, the reporter should:

 Use a typewriter or a computer – never submitting it in long hand.

 Type on one side of the sheet only and double space.
 Begin his story (for news) about three inches from the top of the page
 Indent deeply – at least five spaces – the beginning of each paragraph.
 Identify on the first page the story with a slugline – the name of the paper, words
identifying the story like “Fire,” or “Student election”; the reporter and the date.
 Type the word “More” at the bottom of each page except the last, where he has to
indicate the end of the story with a “30” or # mark.

Duties of a Copyreader
A copyreader goes over the story once to get a general idea of what it is all about. This will
likewise help him/her formulate the headline, which is a part of his/her job.

Then, he/she goes over it a second time to do any or all of the following as the case may be:

 Straighten out ungrammatical constructions.

 Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
 See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed.
 Check names, addresses, titles, designations, identifications, figures, etc.
 Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.
 Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper
with the facts unless he/she is sure of his/her corrections.
  Delete all opinion, speculations, and statements which are without attribution or
sources.
 Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.
 Watch out for libelous statements.
 Recheck figures and totals.
 Cross out adjectives which tend to make a story sound over-written.
 Cut a story to size or to the required length if need be.
 Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.
 Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical, and incredible.
 Check sluglines and paging sequences.
 Write headlines.

Layout or Makeup

Page Makeup

 Makeup – refers to the assembling of type, cuts, and / or ads on a page

 Type – refers to the texts or fonts used
 Cuts – in letterpress terminology, photoengraving of any kind which includes photos,
illustrations, boxes, etc.
Types of Front Page Makeup
By Way of Headline and Text Arrangement
Scholastic Journalism by Earl English and Clarence Hach gives the following types of front page
makeup by way of headline and text arrangement.

 Perfect Balance (Balance or Symmetrical) Makeup

 Brace or Focus
 Broken Column Makeup Occult Makeup
 Streamlined Makeup
 Circus Makeup

Makeup By Way of Text and Photo Combination

Another way of laying out a page is through the text and photo combination. The following
illustrations are self-explanatory:

 The X Format
 The Curve Format
 The L Format
 The J Format
 The Umbrella Format

Principles to Follow to Achieve Effective Makeup

Scholastic Journalism by English and Hach gives six principles to achieve effective
makeup. These are unity, balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, and contrast.

PHOTOJOURNALISM
Picture Selection
 The newspaperman has two things to bear in mind when selecting pictures for
publication. These are the picture’s technical value and editorial value.
 A picture has technical value when it is technically perfect with proper light and
shadow, is free form smudges, and is clean and clear for publication.
  A picture loses its technical value as a result of poor screening by the photographer, or
maybe, the original picture was already dirty, faded or worn-out when it was submitted
for reproduction.
 A picture, on the other hand has editorial value when it tells a story at a glance and
when it shows life’s happenings and moments of truth and significance.

Writing Caption
 A caption is the text or body type accompanying photos or artwork or any pictorial
illustration. It is sometimes called cutline or underline. The title or explanatory matter
above an illustration is called an overline.
 Captions should be closely related to the picture so that the reader may be able to take
in picture and caption at a glance. This explains why the caption should be underneath
the picture when there are other materials on the page. The caption can be on the side
when picture and caption are isolated.

STYLEBOOK

A stylebook does not deal with matters of literary expression. It presents rules that, when
followed, lead to consistency in punctuation, abbreviation, capitalization, and spelling.
Ten Principles of Clear Writing (Robert Gunning):
1. Keep sentences short, on the average. Sentences must vary in length if the reader is to be
saved from boredom.
2. Prefer the simple to the complex. Zinsser wrote : ‘The secret to good writing is to strip every
sentence to its cleanest form.’
3. Prefer the familiar word. The Element of Style says, “Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious,
the coy and the cute.”
4. Avoid unnecessary words.
5. Put action into your verbs. Use the active voice.
6. Write the way you talk. Avoid formal, stilted language. Be specific.
7. Use terms your reader can capture. Explain jargons.
8. Tie in with your reader’s experience. A statement cut off from context is a ‘figure” that
simply floats about.
9. Make full use of variety. Work toward and nurture a style you find comfortable with.
10. Write to express, not to impress. Inform readers, that’s all.

Topic 12: Introduction to Editorial Cartooning Conceptualizing Editorial

Cartoon

 The word “cartoon” came from two different words: caricature and lampoon.
 Caricature is a drawing of people in which certain features are exaggerated while
“lampoon” is a subtle attack presented humorously.
Editorial Cartoon - is an illustration expressing opinion and interpretation. It is referred to as
“wordless editorial” for it complements the Editorial of a paper. However, there are times when a
paper creates an editorial cartoon regarding an issue different from the one tackled in the editorial.
Things to consider:

Symbolism - since editorial cartooning is a subtle attack, cartoonists used symbols to represent
things.
Stereotyping - editorial cartoons have minimal words, thus stereotypes are considered for easy
understanding of images.
Exaggeration - Overdoing physical characteristics of people or things in order to emphasize a point

Humor - Make your cartoons funny except for tragic situations or issues.

Analogy – comparison between to unlike things that share so much characteristics.

Labels - putting labels on objects to make it clear what exactly it stands for.

Technical Skills - Use of technical tools, shading, and shadowing.

STEPS IN EDITORIAL CARTOONING

Know the Issue

It is important that as a cartoonist, you clearly understood the issue which your cartoon is
based. It will be difficult to make a stand on things that you don’t know thus, you must know all
the facts about your chosen issue. By doing this, you can sort out the concerned people or groups.

Make a Stand
After understanding all the facts about your chosen issue, the publication staff should make
a stand: Do you agree or disagree?

Sketching
Draw the relationships among the people or groups involved. Set the foundation of your
editorial cartoon by using shapes as backbone for the whole drawing. Make sure to keep your
sketch light.
Inking/Outlining

Using a pen, apply the details of your cartoon. You may also apply contours using thick pen.
After inking and outlining, erase your sketch.
Shading

To enhance the details of your cartoon, you can do cross-hatching or blending shading
techniques.

Topic 13: Introduction to Photojournalism and Writing Cutlines for

Photojournalism

Photojournalism is the process of storytelling through photography as the main story telling
device. Photos taken for journalism are visual representations of a news story.

Difference between photojournalism and photography

Photography focuses on the aesthetic beauty of an image while photojournalism focuses on how
the news angle of an image.
Photojournalist is concerned about the compositional focus, or emphasis of a picture while
photography is concerned with clarity, colour and quality of a picture.
What a photojournalists must look out for in Pictures
Drama: Pix that will hold viewer’s attention.

Action: Pix that depicts movement, keeping viewers in suspense of what happened before and after
the pix was taken.

Expression: The photo that captures expression tells a good story.

Unusualness: capture the unique or bizarre moments of people’s lives

Three Kinds of Photo Shots

Long range/establishing shots. These are pictures taken in a scene in its entirety. They give the
viewer a good idea of the environment of the subject of the photograph, but they do not offer much
information about the subject itself.

Midrange: These shots bring the photographer closer to the subject and give more specific
information about the subject. But they still show the subject within a setting so that the viewer
has some idea about the environment in which the subject if placed.

Close-up: The best and most interesting pictures generally are close-up shots. These pictures bring
the viewers face to face with the subject and allow them to get detail information about the subject.
Good close-up pictures cut out all of the environmental information about the subject.

Writing Cutlines for Photojournalism

Cutline Writing

Photo cutlines should accomplish four things:

Explain the action: Tell where and when.

Name the principles: Don’t leave out anyone who’s in the picture. If their not important, crop them
out.

Tell why you’re running the photo: Go beyond the obvious. Try to pull the reader into the story.
Note important detail: Explain all mysterious objects or circumstances. Allow for a longer photo
caption if it will help the reader understand the story.
General Tips in Cutline Writing
Use conversational language. Make it easy to read. Avoid cliches.

Use present tense when describing action (Runs, running instead of ran or will run).

Active voice reads stronger (Max is riding the bike” instead of The bike is being ran by Max).
Take out needless adjectives and and adverbs.

Don’t repeat information that appears in the headline or body.

Remember to name the source of the photo and the date it was taken.
Triple check the correct spelling of names.

Topic 14: Introduction to Copyreading

Copyread
 - Means to proofread a copy with added expectation of ensuring style consistency with
other content from publication. It also refers to the serious and comprehensive revision of
an article based on the standard of the publication.
- It includes everything from checking of facts, restructuring the lead, rewritings actions to
asking a writer to rework a story.
Procedures in Copyreading

- Read the whole article first to determine what kind of story it is.
- Read the article again to determine the type and facts in the lead paragraph
- Take note of errors in facts. Check on the accuracy of the statements and information.
Verify with the writer when in doubt.
- Read the story again and mark all paragraph beginnings. Then correct errors in grammar,
spelling, punctuation, and style using copyreading symbols.
- Improve the organization of the story. Make sure the lead features the lead fact.
- Go over the whole story again. Remove all unnecessary and irrelevant materials
- Check the length of the story and then prepare the clean copy
- Write a very catchy and fitting headline for the story.
- The article is now ready for printing.

Tips for Accurate Reporting and Editing

 Verify each fact and quote against your notes. If you are in doubt of anything,
check on your sources again. Double-check the spellings of names, designations and
titles. Double-check dates.
 Be objective. Strict objectivity is required. You must report the facts without bias or
preconceived ideas. You cannot let your own personal opinion cloud or slant your
report.
 Present all significant viewpoints of a story. Be careful as you choose which
sources to draw from and which opinion and facts to use.
 Cite the sources of all opinions in your story. If you are unsure whether you are
editorializing. Eliminate the words “I,” ”me,” “my,” “mine,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “you,” and
“your” from your story unless you are quoting one of your sources.

Topic 15: Copy Reading Symbols