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1. Copyreading and
Headline Writing
REGIONAL TRAINING-WORKSHOP OF SELECTED
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PAPER ADVISERS
RELC, RAWIS, LEGAZPI CITY
SEPTEMBER 1-4, 2018
MARICEL B. BERNAL
Master Teacher I
RNTVS, Iriga City

2. copyreading
The copy goes under the pencil

3. COPYREADING
• just another word for editing
COPYREADER
• an editor
• a specialist who improves the story and makes
it worthy of having a space in the newspaper

4. FUNCTIONS OF COPY EDITOR
• Check facts.
• Correct errors in grammar, spelling,
punctuation, usage, organization and others.
• Improve news value.
• Write effective lead.
• Cut or delete irrelevant materials.

5. FUNCTIONS OF COPY EDITOR
• Delete “editorializing materials” in a news.
• Guard against libelous statement.
• Write headlines and decide its typography.
• Make copy simple and clear.
• Give instructions to the typesetter regarding the font
type and font size to be used and the number of
columns and ems.
• Indicate corrections by using copyreading marks.

6. The copyreader should ensure that…
1. The article must be factually accurate.
2. The article must be correct grammatically.
3. The newspaper’s style should be followed.
4. The article must be free from libelous
statements.
5.The story needs an effective style and headline.

7. A good copyreader must…
• Be good in English/Filipino.
• Know his stylebook.
• Have a mastery of copyreading symbols.
• Know the paper’s policy.
• Be observant of details as well as
perceptive of the overall view of the
article.

8. Steps in Copyreading
1. Initial each copy read.
2.Correct the grammar, punctuation, spelling.
3.Check if every aspect confirms with your
stylebook.
4.Verify the accuracy of facts and determine
whether the story contains all the essential
information.
5.Correct errors in lead facts, proper subordination
of details, paragraphing.

9. 5. Correct errors in lead facts, proper subordination
of details, paragraphing.
6.Look out for editorializing, biases and
possible grounds for libel.
7. Read the story to check if it reads smoothly
and that all corrections have been made.
8. Write the headline.
9. Write the printer’s directions.

10. Writing the
Headlines

11. headlines
Display windows of newspapers

12. Qualities of a Good Headline:
1. It attracts the reader’s eye and direct its attention to the story
beneath it.
2. It is concisely constructed to save space. Articles and other
unnecessary words are omitted.
3. It must be positive and active. Active verb in the present or
future tense is used because aside from being a short word, it is
also the tense of immediacy and it is more vivid.
4. It is adjusted to a predetermined typographical style of paper.

13. Rules in Headline Writing:
• The head should tell the gist of the story
simply and clearly.
• The first letter of the first word and proper
nouns are generally capitalized.
Example:
Arroyo accepts Guigona’s
resignation
Iran offers more oil for RP

14. • The first line of two-line or three-line head should not
end with a preposition, conjunctions, articles or any
form of verb to be, unless the preposition goes with the
verb, as in fill in.
Example:
Bad: Opposition seeks resignation of
President Arroyo, cabinet officials
Better: Opposition seeks resignation
of PGMA, cabinet officials

15. • Never use to word “may”. It shows the
uncertain element of the story.
• Assertions in the headline should have
sources.
Example: Don’t do a Marcos,
Cory tells Ramos
Arroyo ineffective,
says Sen. Pimentel

16. • Don’t convert verbs into noun. Don’t say
“Students urge oustering of Dean
• Use the shorter word whenever possible, e.g.
use “cut” for decrease and “hike” for increase.
Example:Gov’t hikes oil prices
Gov’t cuts oil subsidy

17. Tips to headline writers
1. First, read the story for general meaning.
2. Search for key words on which to base your headline.
The Philippines proposed yesterday immediate
adoption of an emergency program that will have an
effective impact on the “ruinously” low world market
price of sugar.

18. 3. Clues to the headlines are usually in the lead.
What happened?
Who did what?
How did it happen?
4. Use brief, clipped language. Use the shortest words
possible.
RP backs plan designed
to hike world sugar prices
5. Use colorful nouns; vigorous, active verbs
Curbs on gov’t borrowing urged
Revenue bureau to purge misfits
Cebu grape industry perks up

19. 6. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting
with a verb; the headline might sound as if it
were giving order.
Not: Revise money
mart guidelines
But: CB revises
money mart
guidelines

20. 7. Omit articles (a, an, the).
Disable athlete
reaps medals
Lowly goat gets
rural uplift
8. Use a comma instead of
and.
Delays, confusion bug Asiad
Offerings, programs
cap Villamor Day

21. 9. Use the exclamation point sparingly.
10. Use single quotes in headlines. When you have
assertions, and the sources are given, quotation marks are
not needed; a one-em dash will serve the purpose.
Basketball team
‘brings home bacon’
Techno club for dedicated,
task-oriented students – Pastor

22. 11. Omit forms of to be especially when used as a helping
verb.
Sanchez chosen editor
12. Use the historical present for finished events, the
infinitive to indicate future events.
VHS garden cops first place
New Aldana building
to be completed soon

23. 13. Avoid splitting words that naturally go together.
Wrong:
VHS observes Buwan
ng Wika with tilts
Right:
VHS holds Buwan ng Wika tilts

24. 14. Use the down style – only the first word and proper nouns
are capitalized. This is more readable because people are
used to reading sentences this way:
1,744 juniors
to take NCAE
Faculty honors Nuñez
15. Don’t leave a preposition at the end of the line.
Mentors call
for reform
of schools

25. 16. Use only widely known abbreviations.
17. Be positive. Don’t use negatives in headlines. They weaken
not only the headlines but also the stories.
Not:
US doesn’t trust Peking –
Moscow normalization overtures
But:
US wary on Peking – Moscow
normalization overtures

26. 18. Don’t use X-mas for Christmas.
19. Use kickers to attract attention or add more information
into your headlines. Kickers are short lines of type about
one-third the length of the main headlines, placed above
the headlines and usually underlined.
Triple treat
English club to stage, ‘Sabina,’
‘Our Strange Ways,’ ‘Lan Ying’
From sea grave
Henry VIII’s ship
up for salvaging

27. COMMON HEADLINE FAULTS:
• The Gap – the tendency to leave blank spaces open.
Example: Concepcion
hits RP
Tariff law
Better: Concepcion
assails RP
tariff laws

28. • Padding – Don’t fill a gap with unnecesary words.
Example: Reshuffle of Cabinet
is still far from complete
Better: Cabinet revamp
still incomplete
or Cabinet reshuffle
still incomplete

29. • Split phrases and hanging prepositions – Never split
words which go together.
Example: P50 million in import
duties still uncollected
Better: P50-M in import duties
still due to government

30. Examples of hanging preposition:
Meeting of
board hailed
by Ople
or
Ople hails
board meet

31. • Editorializing – Just report the facts; don’t editorialize.
Example: Manglapus gives
inspiring talks
The word “inspiring” is your opinion. Leave it to the
critics; just tell the facts.

32. • Lack of attribution – Always give the source of the
quote.
Example:
Another coup in the offing, says Biazon

33. • Question form – if you are not sure of the story, don’t
ask your reader to make his own conclusion.
Example:
Bases treaty
signed soon?

34. • Don’t use the same word twice in the headline or
kicker.
Example:
Gun haul
50 guns seized
by law-enforcers

35. • Double meaning head – Look at this and see the
danger:
Example:
Top lady performer
to play with organ

36. Kinds of Headline
1. Flush left- two or more lines of headline are aligned at
the left edge of the column
Palace considers
race over
2. Flush right- two or more lines of headline are aligned
at the right edge of the column
Palace considers
race over

37. 3. Dropline- two or three lines of headline, usually of the same length
and arranged diagonally
Dole Philippines donates
arm chairs to Sarangani
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
Military ready to step in
if anti-gov’t protest
turn violent

38. 5. Crossline or barline- a single line of headline running
over two or more columns
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
DepEd sets new guidelines
for teacher-applicants

39. 7. Flushline or full line- consists of two or more lines
of the same length
Witness names solons
who harass his family
8. Streamer- striking boldface head extending across
the top of the page
9. Umbrella- a streamer that is placed at the very top
of the page above the nameplate of the newspaper

40. 10. Binder- a streamer at the top of an inside page.
11. Boxed head- the headline is boxed either for
prominence or to avoid tombstoning
a. full box
b. half box
c. quarter box
12. Jump head (run-over head)- headline of a news story,
which is cut and continued on the inside page; it is followed
by the words from page ______

41. 13. Subhead- a short title of a portion of news story to
break the monotony of gray text; set in boldface and
occupies more than half the column width.
14. Tagline, kicker or teaser- a short single line placed
above the main head, may be of smaller type, underlined
and set flush left or centered.
15. Hammer- if the tagline or kicker is bigger than the
headline

42. Guidelines for Writing Headlines:
1. The head should tell the gist of the story simply and
accurately.
2. It should contain a verb, but not start with one.
3. Be in the active voice.
4. Be in the present, the historical present or the future
tense.
5. Avoid the use of articles to begin a headline.

43. 6. Use no abbreviations except those generally known
ones.
7. The first line of two-line or three-line headline should
not end with a preposition, conjunction, articles or any
form of the verb to be, unless the preposition goes with
the verb, as in the word call up.
8. Be specific. Avoid generalities.
Wrong: Student wins contest
Right: The Prism scribe wins nat’l essay writing tilt

44. 9. Avoid label head
Wrong: Auctioned
Right: Princess Diana’s jewelry auctioned
10. Do not editorialize your headline.
Wrong: The Prism shows great performance in DSPC
Right: The Prism wins 6 out of 7 in DSPC writing contest

45. 11. Do not use the same word twice in the headline or
kicker.
Example: Gun haul
GenSan cops seize 24 guns
from suspected bandits
12. Never use the word “may”. It denotes the uncertain
element of the story.

46. 13. 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
Ex. Truth commission repugnant- Miriam
b. Using the colon
Ex. Sto. Tomas: Brain drain just a prescription
c. Using narrative form
Ex. Roxas is back, says Aquino

47. 14. Do not be in the negative.
Wrong: Meriam College festival won’t be held
Right: Meriam College festival cancelled
15. The first letter of the word and proper nouns are generally
capitalized.
16. Avoid awkward verbal breaks:
Wrong: GenSan SPED debaters to
join nat’l tilt in Manila
Right: GenSan SPED debaters
to join nat’l tilt in Manila

48. 17. Mention only the name of person, who is prominent.
Wrong: Jacobs wins Microsoft global award
Right: Filipino wins Microsoft global award
18. Use M for million and B or billion.
Example: Philhealth lost P520M to fraudulent claims, says
chief
19. Use comma instead of and.
Example: Aquino, Roxas escape corruption issue

49. Rules in Acronym:
Acronym is derived from the combination of the first
letters or syllables of the words or name of an
organization. Here are the rules to follow:
1. For four-letter acronym and below, all letters should be
capitalized like in WHO for World Health Organization. UN
for United Nations and MILF for Moro Islamic Liberation
Front.

50. 2. For more than four-letter acronym, only its first letter is
capitalized like in Asean for Association of Southeast Asian
Nations and Unicef for United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund.
3. For syllabic acronym, the first letter of each syllable of
the words should be capitalized like in DepEd for the
Department of Education and GenSan for General Santos
City.

51. COUNTING THE HEAD
 All small letters (except j,l,I,f,t, m and w)= 1 unit
 Small letters j,l,I,f,t = ½ unit
 Small letters m and w = 1 ½ unit
 All capital letters (except I, M and W) = 1 ½ unit
 Capital letter I = 1/2 unit
 Capital letters M and W = 2 unit
 All punctuation marks (except the dash, = ½ unit
question mark , dollar and percent sign)
o Dash, question mark, dollar and percent sign =1 unit
o All number figures from 0 to 9 (except 1)= 1 unit
o Number 1 = ½ unit
o All spaces = 1 unit
A headline should fit the allotted space by a system of unit counts given
to each letter, figure or space.

52. Slug
In the upper left-hand corner of the paper about
one-half inch from the top, write the slug to indicate
the nature of the story.
* Writer’s initial
* Year, Issue No.
* Slug (a word or phrase
about the news)
• * Date

53. Example of a slug:
MBB
XXV, 1
ATM scam
01-08-2014