to those people who are interested in writing news

1. COPYREADI
AND
HEADLINE
W
RITING

2. COPYREADING
It means editing written copy
for publication
It requires serious and
comprehensive revision of an
article using Copyreading marks
based on the standards of
publication.

3. WHAT DOES A COPYREADER DO?
He takes the story as it comes
from the reporter and puts it
through a refining process.
He uses a heavy black or blue
pencil for corrections.
He does not erase the original
writing when he edits

4. WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF
A COPYREADER?
He has good command of a
language and comprehensive
knowledge of rules of grammar.
He must be wide reader and
always updated on current
information.
As watchman of newspaper he
must know well the policies of
newspaper.

5. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A
COPYREADER?
A. Errors in form
To correct errors in grammar
To correct errors in spelling
To correct errors in punctuation
To correct errors in usage

6. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A
COPYREADER?
B. Errors in content
To correct errors in fact
To improve news value
To guard against criticism
To expand copy
To reduce copy
To write headlines of news and check heads or
titles of editorials, features and literary
articles

7. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A
COPYREADER?
To delete unnecessary adjectives and opinion
in news
To delete libelous, seditious, and rebellious
matter and all those contrary to laws, and
good taste
To correct redundancy and rewrite sentences
with verbal deadwood.
To rewrite sentences or paragraphs that violate
the principles of unity, coherence, and
emphasis
To correct errors in style and structure

8. HEADLINE WRITING
HEADLINE is the title of a newspaper story. It serves
as a quick source of information. It is written
to tell the story what is it all about, to attract
readers, and to grade the news on its
importance. It is always short and simple.
Headline writing requires skill and
concentration. It must give the essence of the
story. While explaining the story accurately, your
headline also must fit into a limited space.

9. STEPS IN WRITING HEADLINE
Step 1
Read the article, especially the lead
(first) paragraph. The headline must
convey a brief synopsis of the article
and must be accurate, so knowledge of
the information in the article is
imperative.

10. STEPS IN WRITING HEADLINE
Step 2
Decide on the most important
information to be conveyed in the
headline: what will grab the attention
of the most readers?

11. STEPS IN WRITING HEADLINE
Step 3
Check guidelines: each publication has
different guidelines regarding what to
include in the headline.

12. STEPS IN WRITING HEADLINE
Step 4
Consider the appearance of the
headline. The font size of the letters
used often convey to the reader the
article's importance.

13. STEPS IN WRITING HEADLINE
Step 5
Write the headline. There are
several things to consider while
writing the headline.
Step 6
Confirm that there are no more
errors in form and in content.

14. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
1. Use specific words. Make the
information as exact as you can in the
limited space of the headline.
Wrong: Politician wins election.
Correct: Noynoy wins presidential post.

15. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
2. State facts, avoid opinion
Ex. Fact: The Core first in press tilts
With opinion: The Core luckily tops
prestigious press
tilts
3. Use Active voice. The doer of the
action must be in the subject position.
Example: SC postpones general
meeting

16. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
4. Use the historical present (the
present form of the verb for the past
events, and the infinitive form for the
future events.
Wrong: The Core copped 5 trophies at
NSSPC
Correct: The Core cops 5 trophies at
NSSPC

17. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
5. Omit all articles a, an, the and other
unnecessary words.
Wrong: The 7 cops hurt in ambush
Correct: 7 cops hurt in ambush
6. Avoid label head
Wrong: Auctioned
Correct: Imelda jewelry auctioned

18. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
7. Do not editorialize your headline.
Wrong: Ang Alab shows great performance in
DSSPC.
Correct: Ang Alab wins 6 out of 7 in DSSPC writing
contests
8. Do not use the same word twice in the
headline or kicker
Gun haul
Manila cops seize 25 guns
from suspected bandits

19. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
9. Never use the word “may”. It
denotes the uncertain element of the
story.
Wrong: Sayyaf may demand P1M for
release of 3 captives
Correct: Sayyaf demands P1M for
release of 3 captives.

20. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
10. To use direct quotation as head, use
any of the following forms instead of the
traditional quotation marks:
A. Using the dash instead of the
quotation mark.
Example: Truth commission repugnant – Miriam
B. Using the colon
Example: Joker: Cut debates, fast-track canvass

21. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
C. Using narrative form
Example: No poverty reduction, says
Briones
11. Do not be in the negative.
Poor: Summer Training in Journalism won’t
be held
Better: Summer Training in Journalism
cancelled

22. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
12. The first letter of the word and proper
nouns are generally capitalized.
Example: Bell saves Tigers from Coffee Makers
13. Avoid awkward verbal breaks
Wrong: Noynoy dreads ‘isolated’ life in
Malacanang
Right: Noynoy dreads ‘isolated’ life
in Malacanang

23. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
14. Mention only the name of person, who
is prominent
Wrong: Jacoba wins Microsoft global award
Right: Filipino wins Microsoft Global award
15. Use M for million and B for billion
Example: West Visayas gets P 600 M for
typhoon victims

24. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
16. Use comma instead of and.
Example: No goodbyes for Jamby, Nene, Mar,
Noy at Senate
17. Separate double headline by a
semicolon.
Example: Bomb explodes at Koronadal
market; 13 killed, 53 hurt
18. Do not end the headline with a period.

25. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
19. Use infinitive for future events.
Example: Aquino to visit Saudi on way to NY
20. Avoid splitting compound word
Wrong: Aquino to award taxi
driver for honesty
Right: Aquino to award taxi driver for honesty

26. GUIDELINES IN WRITING HEADLINE
21. Avoid wooden heads or headlines without
a verb.
Wrong: Ten student delegates at UN
Correct: Ten student delegates visit UN
22. Do not start the headline with a verb.
Wrong: Destroy crops worth P 50 M
Correct: P 50M worth crops destroyed

27. TYPES OF HEADLINE
A. According to Purpose
1. Informative or conventional headlines.
They are designed to inform. These are the
ones the public usually reads in broadsheet
and tabloids
a. Palace dares Aquino to sustain
economic growth
b. Manual audit shows ‘no vote
tampering’

28. TYPES OF HEADLINE
2. Intriguing or feature headlines.
Their main purpose is to intrigue
readers and elicit responses. They
often do not give the summary of the
story. Feature heads are made more
arresting by using different style of
writing and attractive font types.
a. What Happened to Tax Evaders?
b. Is there a need for Sex
Education?

29. TYPES OF HEADLINE
B. According to Style
1. All Caps Letters
Macau Approves New Labor Law
2. Combination of Cap and lower cases (CLC)
US scribes honor Pacquiao as year’s best
3. Sentence Case or Down Style
(Only the first letter of the first word is capitalized)
Macau approves new labor law

30. TYPES OF HEADLINE
C. According to Structure
1. Flush left – two or more lines of headline are aligned
at the left edge the column
Example:
Lions, Archers
reach quarters
2. Flush right – two or more lines of headline are aligned
at the right edge of the column
Example:
US urges free access
to South China Sea

31. TYPES OF HEADLINE
3. Dropline – two or three lines of headline,
usually of the same length and arranged
diagonally
Example:
Female cop cited
For poll heroism

32. TYPES OF HEADLINE
4. Hanging indention – usually three or more
lines of headline, the first line set flush to both
margins and the succeeding lines are indented or
beginning several spaces in from the left margin,
thus hanging as if from the first
Example:
Military ready to step in
if anti-gov’t protests
turn violent

33. TYPES OF HEADLINE
5. Crossline or barline – a single line of
headline running over two or more columns
Example:
Grenade blast kills 2 kids
6. Inverted pyramid – two or more lines of
headline with the first line flushed to both
margin and the succeeding lines getting shorter
and centered
Example:
DepEd sets new guidelines
For teacher-applicants

34. accord – agreement
allay – calm
allot – apportion, set a side
anew – again
assail – attack
ax – dismiss
bare – reveal, expose
bat – defend
bid – request
blast – criticize
cite – enumerate, mention
confab – conference
cop – police
cow- frighten
crown – win
curb – control, stop
cut – decrease
dip – decrease, decline
draw fire – to be criticized
dry run – rehearsal
HEADLINE VOCABULARY

35. due – deadline, scheduled
ex – former
to eye – consider
feud – quarrel, dispute
foil – thwart, reject
gab – conference
gird – brace, prepare
go – try
grill – question, interrogate
hail – welcome
hike – increase
hit – attack
inquiry – investigation
ink – to sign a contract
junk – to throw way, decline
kin – family
kit – package
letup – temporary easing
up
link – connect
lull – calm
HEADLINE VOCABULARY

36. meet – conference, to
convene
memo – memorandum
mull – plan, to think of
mum – silent
nab – arrest
nix – reject
okay – approve, accept
peg – to fix at a certain
amount or level
pit – oppose
post – position, to assign
power – electricity
probe – to investigate
prod – prick
quit – resign
quiz – question
ratify – approve
raze – destroy
revamp – to change,
reshuffle
rift – disagreement
row – dispute,
disagreement
HEADLINE VOCABULARY

37. HEADLINE VOCABULARY
rule – decide, decision
sans – without
scan – examine
scribe – newspaperman
shakeup – reshuffle
skip – avoid
slay – kill, assassinate
solon – lawmaker
try – attempt