adopted file for journalism purposes.

1. Copyreading and Headline Writing
Going beyond the grammar book
-MORE-

2. Copyreading?
Technical process of correcting
and improving an article/*copy
with the use of various symbols
Basically, “polishing” an article
Providing of alternative headline
*Can be of any sort of article

3. Functions of a Copy Reader?
Edit grammatical and
spelling errors
Check Facts
Cut/delete irrelevant ideas
Delete “editorializing
materials” in news
Guard against libelous
statements
Improve news value

4. Functions of a Copy Reader?
Write Headlines and decide its typography
Make copy simple and clear
Make copy conform to the
newspaper Style Sheets
Give instructions to the
typesetter re font
type and size, no. of
columns, and ems
Indicate corrections by
using appropriate
copyreading marks

5. Step by step process
1. Read the copy
2. Correct all errors
3. Rewrite lead if possible
4. Provide headline
5. Provide typeset
instructions

6. Tools of a Copyreader
1. Soft lead pencil
2. High quality rubber eraser
3. Scratch paper
4. Strong vocabulary
5. Strong grammar &
writing skills

7. Things to remember!
The spaces between the lines are
for writing corrections. Make use of them.
Write Your name and your slug line
End each page with a paragraph. Don’t
Cut (a) Paragraph/s and continue on the next page.
Write -MORE- at the bottom of the page of an
unfinished story and continue on the next page.

8. Additional notes:
Do not use the back page of the paper.
End the story with number “30” or “#”
If a paragraph could hardly be read because of
too many errors/corrections, rewrite it if time permits.
Use American English, not British English.
If a word has more than one accepted spelling,
the shortest one is preferred.

9. Hunt them down!
The numbers 1 – 9 are
written in words while
the numbers 10 and above
are written in figures.
Example:
nine students
13 children
EXCEPTIONS:
 dates, address: always in
figures.
 proper nouns: may be written in
figures/words
 beginning of sentence: always in
words
 events: 1st – 9th is allowed

10. Hunt them down!
Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.
The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.
A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if
it appears before the name but not if simply used in
the sentence.
abbreviations

11. Hunt them down!
Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.
The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.
A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if
it appears before the name but not if simply used in
the sentence.
abbreviations
Remember:
Engr. Emmanuel Delgado
Engineer Delgado 12 Dimagiba St.
Dimagiba Street

12. Hunt them down!
Acronyms
When an acronym appears for the first time in a news
story, it is written after its meaning and it is
enclosed in parentheses.
Ex: University of the Philippines (UP)

13. Hunt them down!
paragraph
The first sentence of a paragraph is indented.
In news stories, the rule is one paragraph, one
sentence only.
There should be no names of unknown persons in the
lead.
Lead

14. Hunt them down!
Punctuation: hyphen
Use hyphen:
• in most compound nouns
Ex: editor-in-chief, officer-in-charge
• in fractions
Ex: two-thirds, three-fourths
• (English) in numerals
Ex: twenty-two, fifty-nine

15. Hunt them down!
(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling kapag ang isang
tanging ngalan ay inuunlapian.
Hal: maka-Estrada
taga-Cabanatuan
pam-Bagong Taon
Punctuation: hyphen

16. Hunt them down!
(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling sa pagitan ng unlaping
ika- at tambilang o oras.
Hal: Ika-7 ng Agosto
Ika-3:35 ng madaling araw
(Filipino) Sa mga salitang ang kayarian ay inuulit.
Hal: kabi-kabila
Punctuation: hyphen

17. Hunt them down!
Use a dash between two figures to indicate inclusion
of all intervening figures.
Avoid: from Aug. 15 to 30
Better: Aug. 15 — 30
Punctuation: Dash

18. Hunt them down!
Quotation marks are used in direct quotations.
Indirect quotations do not need them.
Ex: “I forgot it,” he said.
He said he forgot it.
Periods and commas are written first before
closing quotation marks.
Ex: “Let’s go to SM,” the boy said.
Punctuation: Quotation Marks

19. More notes!
Mga paalala (Filipino)
Wastong paglalapi ng pandiwa
Mali: Nagdala ang mga bangkay ng mga biktima sa
Gospel Memorial Homes.
Wastong gamit ng dito at rito, din at rin, atbp.
Wastong gamit ng sa at kay
Wastong gamit ng ang, si at ni
Wastong gamit ng nang at ng

20. Copy Editing Marks

21. Copyreading Symbols

22. Copyreading Symbols

23. Copyreading Symbols

24. Copyreading Symbols

25. Copyreading Symbols

26. Copyreading Symbols

27. Headline Writing

28. an assemblage of words
written in bigger, bolder
letters than the usual
page text at the beginning
of the news
hat is a Headline?
W

30. FUNCTIONS OF HEADLINE
1) to attract readers
2) to tell the story (in a summary)
3) to add variety of type
4) to identify personality of newspaper
5) to index/grade the news

31. Some pointers!!!
1. First, read the story for general meaning.
2. Clues to the headline are usually in the
lead.
• What happened?
• Who did what?
• How did if happen?

32. 3. Use the shortest
words possible.
Examples include:
cop – policeman
nab – arrest
mishap –
accident
up – increase
down –
decrease
thief - robber
Some pointers!!!

33. 4. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting
with a verb; the headline might sound as if
it were giving orders.
Wrong: Revise money mart guidelines
Correct: Central Bank revises money mart
guidelines
Some pointers!!!

34. 5. Use the historical present tense if the
verb is in the active voice.
Wrong: Reyes topped editorial tilt
Correct: Reyes tops editorial tilt
Some pointers!!!

35. 6. Omit the helping verb if the verb is in the
passive voice. Only the past participle is
retained.
Wrong: Drug pushers are nabbed
Correct: Drug pushers nabbed
Some pointers!!!

36. 7. Use the infinitive for future events.
Wrong: City Hall will punish anti-squatting
drive
Correct: City Hall to punish anti-squatting
drive
Some pointers!!!

37. 8. Do not use a period at the end of the
headline.
9. Omit articles (a, an, the).
Wrong: A fire hits Tondo slum area
Correct: Fire hits Tondo slum area
Some pointers!!!

38. Some pointers!!!
10. Use a comma instead of “and” in writing
headlines.
Delays, confusion bug Asiad
Lacson, Trillanes no show at SONA

39. 11. Use semicolon to separate sentences.
Gina Lopez heads Pasig body;
Noy swears in 35 other execs
12. Use the punctuation marks (especially the
exclamation point) sparingly.
Some pointers!!!

40. 13. Use single quotes (‘) in headlines instead
of double quotes (“).
15. Always give the source of a quote.
Quotation marks are not necessary, a dash
or a colon will serve the purpose.
Crackdown on errant bus firms – Enrile
Enrile: Crackdown on errant bus firms
Some pointers!!!

41. Some pointers!!!
15. Use the down-style – only the first word
and proper nouns are capitalized, unless
otherwise indicated. This is more readable
because people are used to reading
sentences this way.
Ex: Faculty honors Nuñez

42. Some pointers!!!
16. Use only widely known abbreviations.
Wrong: JEE to play Santa this Christmas

43. Some pointers!!!
17. Don’t use names unless the person is
well known, use common nouns instead.
Wrong: Santos electrocuted
Correct: Carpenter electrocuted

44. Some pointers!!!
18. Use specific terms instead of generalities
Example: Trader killed
Better: Trader stabbed to death

45. Some pointers!!!
19. Just report the facts; do not editorialize.
Wrong: Noy gives inspiring talks
(The word “inspiring” is just your opinion.)
20. Be positive. Don't use negatives in
headlines. They weaken not only the
headlines but also the stories.

46. • All caps
DEPED CANCELS CLASSES IN
ALL LEVELS
• Caps and lower case
DepEd Cancels Classes In All Levels
• Down style
DepEd cancels classes in all levels
Headline Styles

47. • Flush left
Binay defends himself
on fraud allegations
• Hanging indention
Binay defends
himself against
fraud allegations
Headline Styles

48. • Dropline or step form
VP Binay defends himself
on fraud allegations
• Inverted pyramid
Binay defends himself
on corruption
issues
• Crossline/barline
Binay defends himself on fraud issues
Headline Styles

49. • Headline with kicker
TO STOP VIOLENCE:
DepEd stregthens policies on child
protection
• Headline with deck
QNHS welcomes new principal
Zaracena bats for holistic development
Headline Styles

50. Generally, this is how it should look like.

51. Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)
1
–
number
of
columns
18
–
font
size
or
points
TNR
–
font
or
type
B
–
font
style
1
–
number
of
lines
1/18/TNR-B/1
FL/DS
Directions to the printer

52. Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)
FL
–
headline
pa6ern
DS
–
downstyle
(20
units)
–
unit
counts
1/18/TNR-B/1
FL/DS
Directions to the printer

53. 1/11/TNR-N
1
–
line
spacing
11
–
font
size
or
points
TNR
–
font
or
type
N
–
font
style
{
-­‐
text
to
which
the
direc?on
will
apply
Directions to the printer

54. • A
count
system
considers
differences
in
the
widths
of
le6ers.
Capital
le:ers:
M,
W
–
2
units
JLIFT
–
1
unit
Others
–
1
½
units
Unit counts:
Directions to the printer

55. Punctua?on
marks:
dash
(–)
–
1
½
units
ques?on
mark
(?)
–
1
unit
others
-­‐
½
unit
Number
digits:
0
to
9
–
1
unit
Space
–
1
unit
Unit counts:
Directions to the printer

56. BCIS
bags
medals
in
NEPPESA
quiz
bee
B
C
I
S
b
a
g
s
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
+
1
½
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
(11
½
units)
m
e
d
a
l
s
i
n
1
½
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
½
+
1
+
1
(10
units)
Directions to the printer
Unit counts:

57. BCIS
bags
medals
in
NEPPESA
quiz
bee
N
E
P
P
E
S
A
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
½
+
1
(11
½
units)
q
u
i
z
b
e
e
1
+
1
+
½
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
+
1
(7
½
units)
TOTAL
=
11
½
+
10
+
11
½
+
7
½
=
40
½
units
Directions to the printer

58. -END-