The document provides guidance on writing concise summaries in journalism. It discusses avoiding verbose language and using concrete details. Journalists are advised to show events through vivid descriptions rather than simply stating them. Descriptive writing brings people, places, and actions to life for the reader in a visual way. Concise writing respects the reader's time by communicating the essential information clearly and directly.

1. By Mr. Paul Vincent Java Gerano, M.Ed-ESL
Faculty, Communication Arts in English Department, Assumption Iloilo

2. Take a look at the following pictures and
reflect on each one.

3. Now, choose a partner and share your
insights together. Focus on the following
questions:
• What are the
pictures all about?
• Can you identify the
place and the
individual(s) found
in the pictures?
• Do you know the
circumstances
surrounding the
pictures?

4. What is journalism?

5. TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS
AND PHRASES
• investigation and
reporting
• events, issues, and
trends
• broad audience

6. QUIZ
DIRECTIONS
Identify whether the
given situation is
journalism or not. If
it is journalism,
write YES.
Otherwise, write
NO.

7. 1. Vanz submits to his boss his report of the feasibility
study he conducted.
2. Elton files a flash report on TV Patrol about the UFO that
is now visible in areas around Mandurriao.
3. Christopher confides to his bestfriend that he saw the
murder in the cathedral.
4. Brian tells the whole class that the governor has
accepted his project proposal.
5. Kyle writes posts on his blog the anomalies he has
discovered in the City Hall.
6. Robert sends a series of text messages to his friends
informing them that PAGASA has issued a tsunami
warning.
7. Alexis sends a letter to the manager asking him to
investigate his employee.
8. Mark makes a video documentary about the backdoor
issues in Southern Philippines.
9. Gen exposes in his Sunday column the red-tape
practices in the embassy.
10.The principal issues a circular asking all the department
heads to observe proper waste disposal in their
respective offices.

8. VOCABULARY BREAK
HIDDEN WORD

9. INSTRUCTIONS
Guess the hidden word by
naming the images shown. Get
the first letter of the name of
the image as order shown to
reveal the hidden word.

10. 1st letter
CEDAR

11. C
IVORY

12. CI
TOM AND JERRY

13. CIT
IRIS

14. CITI
ZEUS

15. CITIZ
EGGS BENEDICT

16. CITIZE
NEFERTITI

17. The ABC of journalistic
writing…
Accuracy
Brevity
Conciseness

18. Examine this sentence.
The ATM machine is not
working.

19. Quiz : Rewrite the following sentences by
removing
redundancies.
1. Kindly look at the sky above.
2. Hello, good morning! How may I
help you?
3. My future plan is to build a big
mansion.
4. Kindly enter your PIN number, then
press okay.
5. Her bag is red in color.

20. GRAMMAR BREAK
1. Tom is looking for his key. He can’t find it.
He (lost, has lost) his key.
2. He (studied, has studied) his lesson.
3. I (saw, have seen ) Rosa in town yesterday.
4. Ow! I (cut, have cut) my finger!
5. My mother (read, has read) the documents
last night.

21. NEWSPAPER
VOCABULARY

22. Read the following sentences
• These were the sordid details about
their affair.
• Ancient Celtic monks ruminated about
profound theological problems.
• The TV series was so popular that its
influence on popular culture seemed
ubiquitous.
• I rusticated at Brighton-by-the Sea.
• He imagined his performance in the
play would scintillate, but he stumbled
twice and forgot many of his lines.
• Most Europeans are polyglot out of
necessity.
• The evil sorcerer placed his anathema

23. BEN JONSON
In his work entitled
‘Poetaster’, he
distinguishes a good
writer from a bad writer.
In fact, he uses the
character of Crispinus in
what he thinks good
writers should do.
In the play, Crispinus,
vomits up all pretentious
and bombastic words in
his

24. If you have a big vocabulary
full of polysyllables –
that is fine. It will help
you learn. It will help you
think. It will help you
solve crossword puzzles. But
use it sparingly in your
writing.

25. If the reader finds the
first paragraph is made
up of tortuous
sentences and
unfamiliar words, he
will not read any
further.
He does not have the
interest or the time to
figure out what the
writer is trying to
communicate.

26. Each item contains a
sentence with an
unfamiliar word in
bold letters. Replace
this word with a
simple word in
jumbled letters.

27. eefofrd
She proffered her
hand, and the gallant
man kissed it.
OFFERED

28. dtenisre
Her remarks were
interpolated into the
official record.
INSERTED

29. aft
Charles Dickens
had
a peculiar habit of
Describing
corpulent
people in his
books.
FAT

30. durage
An unhappy
candidate
remonstrated with his
successful opponent.
ARGUED

31. rvocnet
Missionaries proselytize
and accept new
members
to their religion.
CONVERT

32. DIRECTIONS
Make 10 pairs of
complex-common
words out of the
following.

34. In journalistic writing….
AVOID verbal deadwoods
an excessive amount
of unnecessary words
in a script, speech, or
other written or
spoken
communication

35. PRACTICE
The following
sentences are
pretentious.
Rewrite to make
them fit for
journalistic
writing.

36. Sentence 1
He affixed his
signature in the
document.
He signed the
document.

37. Sentence 2
They are having a
tour at the present
time.
They are having a
tour now.

38. Sentence 3
They were united in
holy matrimony in
Spain.
They married in
Spain.

39. Sentence 4
He told his
listeners that he
was born inside
the palace.
He said that he
was born inside
the palace.

40. Sentence 5
The secretary
tendered her
resignation yesterday.
The secretary
resigned yesterday.

41. In journalistic writing…
Shy away from abstract words that soar
into the blue and stand for things you
can not pin down.

42. Example
The police
apprehended a
criminal at the bus
station.
The police
apprehended a
kidnapper at the
bus station.

43. Activity
Make more
precise sentences
by rewriting the
following vague
sentences.
1. His head was
injured by a blunt
instrument.
2. Officers removed a
gun from his
clothing.
3. A large number
assembled for the
meeting.
4. The noise woke me
up last night.
5. She is now in jail
because she
falsified a

44. Suggested Answers
1. His skull was fractured with a hammer.
2. Police took a .32 caliber automatic from his
hip pocket.
3. Five hundred attended the caucus.
4. The thud woke me up last night.
5. She is now in jail because she falsified a
college diploma.

45. In
journalism,
the art of
describing
things is very
important.

46. DESCRIPTION It is a rhetorical
mode.
The purpose of
description is to
re-create
Invent
visually present
a person
a place
an event,
an action
so that the reader
can picture that
which is being

47. The rule is….
SHOW,
DON’T
TELL!

48. How does a newborn baby’s hair
feel?
DOWNY HAIR
covered in or filled
with soft fine hair
or
feathers

49. How does a brand-new car look?
SLEEK
a vehicle or other
object that is
sleek
has a smooth
attractive shape

50. How does a snake move?
IT SLITHERS
to slide somewhere
over a surface,
twisting or moving
from side to side

51. PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE

52. Describe this…
DOG-EARED
BOOK

53. RECEDING
HAIRLINE

54. PEELING
PAINTWORK

55. CHIPPE
D
CUP

56. BLOOD-
SHOT
EYES

57. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PICTURE.
SAYSOMETHINGABOUT
THISPICTURE.

58. HOW ABOUT THIS PICTURE?

59. LET’S GO BACK TO THE PICTURES SHOWN EARLIER

60. QUESTIONS • Which picture shows an
ordinary situation?Why?
• Which picture shows a shocking
situation?Why?
• Which picture ismore
interesting for you? Why?

61. WHAT IS NEWS?