The document provides information about copyreading and proofreading for journalistic writing. It discusses the duties of a copyreader, which include correcting errors, checking for clarity and conciseness, following style guidelines, and writing headlines. The duties of a proofreader are also outlined, such as verifying correct details, headlines, images and formatting in the final version. Copyreaders and proofreaders use standard symbols to mark edits and errors. Proper headline writing considers length, clarity, verb usage, and units of measurement for the allotted space.

1. COPYREADING
Reading the Copy 

2. • Correcting copies (news story, feature story,
editorial. Etc.) with the use of appropriate
symbols universally known by printers.

3. Copyreader
• sometimes called butcher or mutilator
• Corrects errors in copies
• Should know the basics of all forms of
journalistic writing

4. C’s of Copyreading
Correct
Check
Condense
Clarify

5. COPYREADING
What to know in

6. 1. Grammar
2. Styles
3. Font/Typography
4. Unit Count
5. Printer’s Direction
6. Headline Writing
7. Copyreading Symbols
8. Style Book

7. DUTIES OF A COPYREADER

8. 1. Straighten out grammatical constructions
2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs
3. See that the paper’s style requirements are
strictly followed
4. Check names, addresses, titles, designations,
identifications, figures, attributions, etc.
5. Rewrite the some parts or the story completely
if it is poorly written

9. 6. Delete all libelous biased and derogatory
statements
7. Remove all opinions, speculations and
statements which are not with attribution or
sources.
8. Cut the news story to the required length
9. check sluglines and page sequences
10.Write headline

10. COPYREADING
SYMBOLS

13. COPYREADING
How oh how?

14. 1. Mechanical Editing
2. Content Editing
3. Headline Writing
4. Printer’s Direction

15. Mechanical Editing
• 1st reading
• Having a general understanding of the story
• Correcting obvious errors
• Checking vague information

16. Content Editing
• 2nd reading
• Checking the appropriateness of words
• Finding the lead(news)
• Arranging the paragraphs

17. Headline Writing
Things to remember in writing a headline:
1. Answer as many W’s as possible in the headline
without making the headline appear kilometric.
2. The headline should not state something that is
not included in the story.
3. Positive heads are preferable than negative
ones.

18. 4. Use a verb, expressed or implied, in main
heads and subheads.
5.The active verb is preferred to passive verb,
except in the instance that the event is more
important than the doer.
6. Delete article like a, an, the, and all forms of
verbs of being.

19. 7. Use the present tense even for past stories,
and the infinite form for future events.
8. Write numbers in figures or spell them out
depending upon the allotted space for
headlines.
9. Use the comma (,), the punctuation mark,
instead of the conjunction and in headlines.
10. Write the position of a general word to
identify a person, place, or thing that is not
popular or common.

20. Headline Vocabs
Instead of… Use..
Increase Hike
Decrease Dip
Examination Quiz
Announced Bared
Highlight Cap
Disapprove Buck
Contest/competition Tilt

21. Being discussed at Up at
Dominates Rules/lords
Against Vs
Volleyball players Spikers/netters
Approval Ok
Syndicate Gang
Investigation probe

22. Prohibition Ban
Participate Attend
Celebrate Mark
Students Studes
Senators Solons
Conflagration Fire

23. Inundated Flooded
Arrests Nabs
Emphasize Stress
Charter change Cha-cha
President Prexy

24. Unit Counting
A headline should fit the allotted space by a system of
unit counts given to each letter, figures and symbols.
The corresponding unit counts are given as follows:
½ Unit— j, i, l, t, f, all punctuation marks except em dash
(—) and question mark (?)
1 Unit— J, I, L, T, F, question mark (?), space, figures and
all the lowercase letters except j, i, l, t, f, m, w

25. 1 ½ Units— em dash (—), m, w and all the
capital letters except J, I, L, T, F, M, W
2 Units— M, W

26. Printer’s Direction
• Serves as a guide of the printing press.
26-48-BB w/ kickerunit
points
font
No. of
lines

27. PROOFREADING
Reading Proofs   

28. Errors to be Proofread
1. Copy Errors
- errors in grammar and word omission
2. Machine Errors
- errors due to faulty typesetting machines
3. Operator’s Error
- general run of typographical errors

29. DUTIES OF THE PROOFREADER
The proofreader should see to it that:

30. 1. the dateline, volume and number are correct
and in their proper positions
2. The stories carry their proper headline
3. The cuts are straight, properly placed and
correctly captioned
4. The lines of types and column rule are straight
5. The headlines are typographically correct and
well-written.

31. 6. “continued” lines and jump heads are
properly placed
7. Long stories, usually more than three-inch
deep, have subheads
8. All killed materials have been deleted

32. PROFREADER’S MARKS

33. Yun na pows. 