ENGLISH
MAJORSHIP:ENGLISH
Area: ENGLISH
Focus: Campus Journalism
LET Competencies:
Apply the principles and strategies in writing the various parts (e.g. editorial, news, feature story, etc.) of a campus paper
ORIGIN OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM
On a 4” x 6” sheet of paper, Samuel Fickle Fox penned the first issue of The Students Gazette on July 11, 1777 at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, USA. Published continuously until August 1778, when the British soldiers closed the school, The Gazette is recognized as the first student publication in the English-speaking world.
In the Philippines, The University of the Philippines started publishing its magazine College Folio in October 1910 and printed the works of the first promising writers in English. In 1912 the graduates of Manila High School published their English writings in The Coconut. The following year, 1913, the Philippine Normal School introduced its publication, The TORCH.
The UP Writers Club which was organized in 1927 had its literary organ, The Literary Apprentice which became the most prestigious college literary publication in the country. At about this time UST’s Varsitarian began to see publication.
JOURNALISM IN GENERAL
Definition of Journalism
The word journal comes from the Latin word diurna which means “daily.” In ancient Rome, short bulletins of battles, fires, and elections compiled by government officials were posted up in public places. These were called acta diurna which meant “daily events.”
Other definitions of journalism:
The occupation of writing for publication in newspapers and other periodicals. – Noah Webster
Something that embraces all forms in which or through which the news and comments on the news reach the public. All that happens in the world, if such happenings hold interest for the public, and all the thoughts, actions, and ideas which these happenings stimulate, become basic materials for the journalist.- Fraser F. Bond
Enjoyable co-curricular activity of the school paper staff in collecting, organizing, and presenting news; in writing editorials, columns, literary articles, and features; in copyreading, proofreading, dummying, and writing headlines – all for the purpose of putting out a school organ. – School Paper Advisers of the City Schools of Manila
Scope of Journalism
Journalism may be divided into three areas: written, oral, and visual
Periodicals such as newspapers and magazines fall under written journalism. A periodical, defined broadly, is a publication that comes out at regular intervals – daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.
A newspaper, compared to a magazine, prints more news, has no special cover, and is printed on a special paper called newsprint. News is printed on the front page as well as on the inside and back pages.
A magazine, on the other hand, prints more features and human interest stories, has a special cover usually with a big cut on it, and is often printed on bookpaper. If ever news is printed, it is brief, featurized, and found in the inside pages.
Periodicals, brochures, journals, books, and graphic arts are classified under print media. Radio falls under oral journalism, while television, movies, and documentaries are under visual journalism.
Radio and television are examples of broadcast media while movies and documentaries are examples of film media.
Functions of modern campus papers:
Information function
Opinion function
Education function
Watchdog function
Laboratory function
Documentation function
Entertainment function
Developmental function
Sections/Part of A Campus Paper
Whether it is a community, metropolitan, or national paper, its parts and sections are more or less the same.
Traditionally, these are:
Front Page
Local news – news that takes place within the country.
Foreign news – news that takes place outside the country.
Dateline news – an out-of-town news story. It is introduced by a dateline which states the place from which the story was reported, the date, and the source of the material if not written by the local staff, as Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 25 (AP).
Weather news – usually a boxed forecast of the area, sometimes the temperature, wind directions, and velocities.
Index – a slug line indicating an important inside page story and the page where it is found.
Other things found on the Front Page: (Those with asterisk may or may not be present).
Nameplate – The engraved or printed name of the newspaper, as the Manila Times or PNC Torch.
Ears – The little boxes on either side of the nameplate.
Banner – The principal headline bearing the boldest and biggest type. It is the title of the most important news of the day which is called banner news. It may or may not run across the page. It id does, it may also be called a streamer.
Running head – a head made up of two or more lines.
Headline – The title of any news story. The word headline is used only for titles of news stories.
Deck – a subordinate headline placed immediately below its mother headline, also known as bank or readout.
Lead – The beginning of a news story. It may be a word, a group of words, a sentence, or even a paragraph.
News story – The whole story of an event composed of the lead and the text which is the elaboration of the lead.
Columns – The horizontal division into parts of a newspaper. Many national papers are divided into eight columns while a typical school paper is divided into five columns of 12 ems each.
Column rule – The vertical line that divides the page into columns. Most pages of newspaper are divided into columns by a space usually one em wide. This space is called the sunken rule.
Fold – The imaginary horizontal line that divides the newspaper equally into two parts.
Byline – The signature of a reporter preceding a news-feature, as By Warren Cruz.
Box – News materials enclosed by line rules.
Cut – A metal plate bearing a newspaper’s illustration, also known as cliché.
Cutline – The text accompanying photos and other art work, better known as a caption. If written above the photo just like a slugline, it is called an overline.
Kicker – A tagline placed above but smaller than a headline, also known as teaser. If it is bigger than the headline, it is called a hammer.
Credit line – A line giving the source of story or illustration, as Reprinted from the “Manila Times” or Photo by MPI.
Front Page
Folio – Consists of the page number, date of publication, and name of the newspaper, usually written on top of the page. This is also found in the other pages.
Masthead – The editorial box containing the logo, names of the staff members and position in the staff, subscription rate, the publisher, and other pertinent data about the newspaper. A logo (a shorter word for logotype) is a cut which contains an identifying word or words, such as the name of the newspaper or of a section.
Editorial proper – A commentary written by any of the editors who comments or gives the opinion of the staff or of the whole paper on various subjects. It is the stand of the paper.
Editorial column - A personal opinion written by the columnist himself or herself. Like the editorial proper, it may attack, teach, entertain, or appeal depending upon its purpose.
Editorial cartoon – Usually a caricature emphasizing a simple point. Usually humorous, it has the function of the editorial. It stands by itself and is not a complement of the editorial proper.
Editorial liner – a short statement or quoted saying placed at the end of an editorial column or editorial to drive home a message.
Letter to the editor – A letter sent in by the reader giving his personal views on certain aspects.
Sports Page
Sports stories are classified as news stories; therefore, what may be found in the news page may also be found in the sports section. Other things that may be found in the sports section are the sports commentaries and sports features.
Special Features
The modern newspaper has taken some special features and eliminated some which have become irrelevant to the needs of the times. An example of this is the
Society page
Life and Leisure (The arts, Religion, Entertainment and Comics) and
Finance and Business
The feature page may contain home and culture, entertainment, comics, shipping, classified ads, movie, TV and radio guides, and the comics page.
The Charter of Student Press Rights
The following conditions are essential for a free student press:
The student press, in accordance with the right of the United Nations (Draft) Convention on Freedom of Information, should be free from regulations by any organ of the government or by the university authorities;
The student press, except where it is an official organ of a student organization, should be free from regulations by other student organizations;
The student press should be free from all pressures, financial and other external groups;
The student press should have a free access to information and the same rights and privileges as afforded to regularly accredited journalists.
The Code of Student Press Ethics
Believing that all student publications throughout the world should respect the basic principles of human rights and that they should maintain good quality workmanship and a high standard of conduct, the following Code of Ethics for observance by student journalists is recommended:
The student journalist should strive continuously to be unbiased and accurate in his/her reports and should equip himself adequately with facts to support his/her published statements. He/She should realize his/her personal responsibility for everything he/she submits for publication.
The student journalist should reveal his/her identity as a representative of the student press before obtaining any interview for publication.
The editor should not exclude a student point of view solely because it is contrary to the editorial policy.
The editor should apologize in print at the first available opportunity for all mistakes.
A student journalist should defend freedom through the hones collection and publication of news and facts and through the rights of fair comment and criticism.
A student journalist should respect all confidence regarding sources of information and private documents. He/She should not falsify information or documents or distort of misrepresent the facts.
Student journalists should be familiar with the laws of libel and contempt of court which exist in their country and should observe the international copyright agreement unless this interferes with the freedom of the press or the need to inform the public on vital matters. Every effort should be made to retain the independence of all students from public relations, censorship, pressure or undue influence from any outside body, political, governmental religious or in the university. Official publications of a student union, however, have a particular responsibility to that union.
Declaration of Principles: Aims of Student Journalists
The International Student Press Conference, considering
*That journalism plays one of the most essential roles in the life of man, i.e. the expression of thinking;
*that student journalism as a means of expressing thought tends to strengthen unity, understanding and friendship among all the students of the world;
*that through a mandate of the press conference, it is the duty of the student press to take a position on current problems based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on the Charter of the Student Press;
*that in order to define the responsibility of the student press in a Code of Ethics, it is necessary first of all to establish the duties and obligations of the student journalist and make a declaration of principles containing the aims and objectives to be implemented by the student press, resolves to declare as fundamental principles to be implemented by the student journalists the following:
Culture: Student journalism must be a means of propagating culture in all its forms;
Freedom of the Press: it is necessary in order to insure the very existence of journalism that full freedom of the press exists in the country in which student publications are issued because the freedom of the press exactly reflects the liberty of opinion and expression in any democratic country;
Freedom of Culture: As the exchange of ideas and opinions is an effective means of obtaining understanding between all students of the world it is indispensable for such understanding that all men have full freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
Totalitarianism, Colonialism, Imperialism: Student journalists should pursue and condemn totalitarianism, colonialism, and imperialism in all their forms as these are systems opposed to the highest aspirations of students around the world;
Student Dignity: Student journalism, recognizing its responsibility as a medium of expression and orientation, declares that it will try to be effective in favor of student and human rights in accordance with various resolutions of the International Student Press Conference which says that:
“… all people should have access to an education enabling them to realize their full potentialities and available equally to all without regard for color, economic circumstances, sex, political or religious convictions and social standing; that all people should be free to develop their educational systems in keeping with their own culture and traditions.”
WRITING GOOD JOURNALISTIC STYLE
Cut unnecessary fat. Preserve meaning, but prune ruthlessly.
Use simple, clear language. Bring meaning into focus with concrete examples and vivid writing.
Say what you mean.
Choose active over passive voice. Replace “to be” verbs with action verbs.
Craft transitions carefully. The most commonly used transitions are chronological (now, since, then, a few days later, etc).
Replace clichés and adjectives with nouns and action verbs focusing on actors and action.
Translate jargon by paraphrasing dull, wordy quotes.
Use quotes correctly.
ROY PETER CLARK: Fourteen Traits of Good Writers
TRAIT 1
Good writers see the world as their journalism laboratory, a storehouse of story ideas. If they can get out of the room, they can find a story.
TRAIT 2
Good writers prefer to discover and develop their own story ideas. They have an eye for the offbeat and may find conventional assignments tedious.
TRAIT 3
Good writers are voracious collectors of information. This usually means that they take notes like crazy.
TRAIT 4
Good writers spend too much time and creative energy working on their leads. They know that the lead is the most important part of their work, the passage that invites the reader into the story and signals the news.
TRAIT 5
Good writers talk about “immersing themselves” into the story. They live it, breathe it, and dream it.
TRAIT 6
Most good writers are bleeders rather than speeders. When they write, in the words of sportswriter Red Smith, they “open a vein.”
TRAIT 7
Good writers understand that an important part of writing is the mechanical drudgery of organizing the material, what Saul Pett describes as “donkey work.”
TRAIT 8
Good writers rewrite. They love computer terminals, which permit maximum playfulness during revision.
TRAIT 9
In judging their work, good writers tend to trust their ears and their feelings more than their eyes. Editors “look for holes in the story.” Writers want ‘to make it sing.”
TRAIT 10
Good writers want to tell stories. They are constantly searching for the human side of the news, for voices that enliven the writing.
TRAIT 11
Good writers write primarily to please themselves and to meet their own exacting standards, but they also understand that writing is a transaction between writer and reader.
TRAIT 12
Good writers take chances in their writing. They love the surprising and the unconventional approach to a story.
TRAIT 13
Good writers are lifelong readers, mostly novels, and they like movies. They collect story ideas and forms from other genres.
TRAIT 14
Good writers write too long, and they know it. They want their stories to be “seamless” or “connected by a single thread” or “to flow.”
News Defined
News is an oral or written report of a past, present, or future event. It should be factual, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and interesting. But what is interesting to one is not always interesting to another
Elements of News
Conflict –this may involve physical or mental conflict – man versus man, man versus animals, man versus nature, or man versus himself.
Immediacy or timeliness – This element emphasizes the newest angle of the story. The more recent the event, the more interesting it is to the reader.
Proximity or nearness – This may refer to geographical nearness as well as to nearness of kinship or interest.
Prominence – Some people are more prominent than others by reasons of wealth, social position, or achievements.
Significance – Whatever is significant to the life of an individual is interesting to him.
Names – Important names make important news.
Drama – this adds color to the story. The more picturesque the background and the more dramatic the actions are, the more appealing the story is to the reader.
Oddity or unusualness – This refers to strange or unnatural events, objects, persons, and places. An odd story is interesting not because of its news value but because of the human-interest side of it.
Romance and adventure – The romance of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had hugged headlines for many years. Romance may be experienced with other things. There were the romance of Hemingway with the sea and of the astronauts with space.
Sex – Since the dawn of history, sex has always interested man. Stories of sex are usually related to stories of romance, marriage, divorce, and the varied activities of men with women. This is not always the case
Progress – The onward and forward march of civilization or the progress of a country is chronicled step by step in the newspaper. The trend today is towards development communication. Reports on the significant changes in the established order and on scientific achievements are in order.
Animals – Stories of animals, especially those with talents are good reading matter because of their human-interest value.
Number – Sweepstakes numbers, vital statistics, election results, scores in games, casualties, fatalities, price of goods, and ages of women make good news.
Emotion – All the other elements of news mentioned above appeal to the emotion. But the term emotion here includes the various human responses such as the innate desire for food, clothing, shelter; the universal interest in children, animals, and nature; and the natural feeling of love, sympathy and generosity, of fear, hatred, and jealousy.
Types of News Stories
News stories may fall under any of the following types according to:
Scope or origin
Local news – Report of events that take place within the immediate locality.
National news – News that takes place within the country.
Foreign news – News that takes place outside the country.
Dateline news – News preceded by the date and place of origin or place where it was written or filed: Tokyo, Jan. 20(AP)
Chronology or sequence
Advance or anticipated – News published before its occurrence, sometimes called dope or prognostication. The reporter foretells events expected to occur at a definite time in the future.
Spot news – News that is gathered and reporter on the spot. It deals with unscheduled information demanding immediate publication. The reporter himself is an eyewitness to the event that took place.
Coverage news – News written from a given beat. Both spot news and coverage news are good examples of first-hand reporting.
Follow-up news – A sequel to a previous story. Having a new lead of its own, it is a second, third or subsequent chapter of a serial.
Structure
Straight News – News that consists of facts given straight without embellishment. Its main aim is to inform. It uses the summary lead and is written using the inverted pyramid structure.
News-feature (Featurized news distinguished from a feature article) – It is also based on facts, but it entertains more than it informs. It uses the suspended interest structure like the narrative; thus, it cannot meet the cut-off test. In writing a news-feature, the writer may give his impression, may describe and narrate, but without resorting to biased opinion; i.e., without editorializing. The reporter’s by-line usually appears with his story.
(1) Single-feature or one-incident story – The story deals with an isolated event. A single fact is featured in the lead and is explained further in the succeeding paragraphs. The story breaks logically at every paragraph; thus enabling the reporter to cut or lengthen it as space dictates.
(2) Several-feature, multiple-angled, or composite story – Several facts are included in the lead in their order of importance. These facts are elaborated one after the other in the body. The several-feature story aims to draw together two or more divergent aspects of related news items separately; the writer writes them in one big story.
Treatment
Fact story – This is a plain exposition setting forth a single situation or a series of closely related facts that inform. It is written in the inverted pyramid design.
Action story – A narrative of actions involving not mere simple facts but also of dramatic events, description of persons and events, perhaps testimony of witnesses, as well as explanatory data. Sports games, competitions, accidents, and war reports are examples of action stories.
Speech report – A news story usually written from a public address, talks, and speeches.
Quote story – Speeches, statements, and letters, and to some extent, interviews when reported, are regarded as quote stories. All are based on recorded information, either written or spoken, and transcribed by the reporter in the form of news.
Interview story – A news report written from an interview.
Hard news– events, such as killings, city council meetings and speeches by leading government officials, are timely and are reported almost automatically by the media.
Soft news – events, such as a lunch to honor a retiring school custodian or a boy scouting jamboree are not usually considered immediately important or timely to a wide audience.
Content
Routine story – celebrations, enrollment, graduation, election stories reported year in and year out.
Police reports – accident, fire, calamity, crime stories, etc.
Science news
Developmental news
Sports stories
Minor forms
News brief – A short item of news interest, written like a brief telegraphic message, giving mainly the result with details.
News bulletin – It is similar to the lead of a straight news story. Its aim is just to give the gist of the news.
News-featurette – This is a short news feature usually used as filler, e.g., “Quirks in the news.”
Flash – A bulletin that conveys the first word of an event.
WRITING THE LEAD
Kinds of Lead
Conventional or summary lead
This kind of lead used in straight news answers right away all or any of the 5 W’s and/or the H. It may be one of the following:
WHO lead – Used when the person involved is more prominent that what he does or what happens to him.
WHAT lead – Used when the event or what took place is more important than the person involved in the story.
WHERE lead – Used when the place is unique and no prominent person is involved.
WHEN lead – Rarely used as the reader presumes the story to be timely. However, this lead is useful when speaking of deadlines, holidays, and important dates.
WHY lead – Used when the reason is more prominent or unique than what happens.
HOW lead – Used when the manner, mode, means, or method of achieving the story is the unnatural way.
Grammatical beginning lead
Some examples of these grammatical beginning leads are:
Prepositional phrase lead – The phrase is introduced by a preposition.
Infinitive phrase lead – It begins with the sign of the infinitive to plus the main verb.
Participial phrase lead – It is introduced by the present or past participle form of the verb
Gerundial Phrase lead – It is introduced by a gerund (a verbal noun ending in ing)
Clause lead – The lead begins with a clause which may either be independent or subordinate; or may either be a noun or an adjectival or adverbial clause.
Novelty lead
Astonisher lead – Uses an interjection or an exclamatory sentence.
Contrast lead – Describes two extremes or opposites for emphasis. The sharper the contrast, the more effective the lead will be.
Epigram lead – Opens by quoting a common expression, verse, or epigram, at least familiar in the locality.
Picture lead – Describes a person, a place, or an event, at the same time creating a mental picture of the subject matter in the mind of the reader.
Background lead – Similar to the picture lead except that it describes the setting which may be more prominent than the characters and the events.
Descriptive lead – Used when comparatively few descriptive words can vividly formulate an imagery.
Parody lead – Consists of a parody of a well-known song, poem, lines, etc.
Punch lead – A short, forceful word or expression.
One word lead – (self-explanatory)
Quotation lead – Consists of the speaker’s direct words which are very striking and which are usually quoted from a speech, a public address, or an interview.
Question lead – An answer to a question which is the basis of the news story.
This will be known Aug. 8 after the final screening to be held at the PNU Gym and Performing Arts Center.
Various Types of News Structure
Straight News Story
The summary lead answers the most important W’s depending on which of the W’s is the most prominent among them.
The body consists of the elaboration of the W’s and the H.
News-Feature Story
News-feature should not be confused with feature articles (features) which are sometimes called special features and printed in the features sections of the newspapers or in magazines.
Human interest and news-feature stories are classified as news since both are gathered and written daily by reporters as their regular assignments. Furthermore, both emphasize the element of timeliness or immediacy which distinguishes news from other types of reading, although they differ in important respects from the straight news story.
The single-feature story – A single-feature or one incident story such as an account of a speech, an interview, or an election, deals with an isolated event.
In writing a news-feature story with this kind of structure, include the one-feature in the lead. Add in the body details which clarify and explain the lead.
See that the story breaks logically at every paragraph and that the story may be cut or lengthened as space dictates.
The several-feature, multiple-angle or composite story – In a composite story, two or more divergent aspects of a news topic are drawn together for the sake of space and coherence. In structure, the composite story may resemble that of a follow-up story in that both of them aim to consolidate component pars. However, they differ in the sense that the follow-up story ends in a tie-in with a past story; whereas, the composite story is composed of units, each one made up of fresh spot news frequently with reference to the future.
In writing the several-feature or composite story, include all of the feature in a comprehensive lead in the order of their importance.
The next step is to explain and elaborate in the body each of the features in the order in which they are in the lead. In doing this, relegate less important details of each feature to less important positions. But remember that each chain of facts although covered separately should be handled as a single, unified story.
Fact Story
This is a plain exposition of a simple situation or of a series of closely related events which conform to the inverted pyramid design more closely than any other kind of news. The component parts are the series of facts that may be likened to rectangles of diminishing length arranged one after the other in order of their importance.
Action Story
This is a narrative involving not merely simple facts, but dramatic actions – incidents, description of persons, perhaps testimonies of witnesses, as well as explanatory data.
In writing this kind of story, first write a summarizing lead in any appropriate form. Relate the most important details in narrative or chronological form. Tell the story again, giving more details. But be careful not to begin the chronological order just after the beginning. Give sufficient attention to the elaboration of important information, background and interpretation. Each unit must be closely interlocked.
Speech report, quote, and interview stories
The arrangement of a speech reports, a quote story, and of an interview are to a great extent similar.
The quote story may be charted as alternating large and small rectangles of diminishing sizes: summary, quote, summary, quote, summary arrangement. The quotations may be direct, indirect, or a combination of both.
In writing this kind of story, the following suggestions may be helpful: 1) Write a summarizing lead in any appropriate form, 2) Write the body of the story in a summary-quote-summary arrangement.
The lead may be a summarizing statement – the gist of the speech, statement, letter, or interview; or it may be the most important quotation in the story written as a direct quote.
Organizing News Stories
Inverted –Pyramid Style – traditional news writing form in which the key points of a story are put in the opening paragraph and the news is stacked in the following paragraphs in order of descending importance.
Outline of a Spot News Story
Spot news stories – also called breaking news stories – usually follow a standard formula for writing called the inverted pyramid.
Lead (1-2) paragraphs
Sums up the focus of the story.
Orients readers by telling them something surprising; entices them to continue reading for more details.
Answers Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Impact (1 paragraph) (Answers: How will this affect the reader?)
Reaction and response (1 paragraph)
Cosmic quote that sums up story’s focus (1 paragraph)
Background (1 paragraph)
Explication of lead, including facts, quotes, anecdotes, and other evidence that support the story’s focus.
A sidebar to a story explores an idea that, while interesting, fails to fit into the main story because it remains tangential to the focus. Sidebars engage readers by giving more information if they want it, helping to draw them into the issues of the main story.
Hourglass Style – a style of writing in which the major news of a story is reported in the first few paragraphs and then a transitional paragraph introduces a chronology of the events of the story.
MICRO-ORGANIZATION
Each sentence should contain one central idea.
Each sentence should lead logically to the next.
When necessary, transitions should ease the reader from one issue to the next and connect the main issues of your story.
The top of your story should include the essential information needed to inform the reader of the news and, if necessary, should have a background paragraph, a news hook and a cosmic quote.
Put attributions at the end of a sentence, unless who’s saying it is more important than what’s being said.
News hook: “With only one month to go before the first votes are cast in the Student Government Executive Body elections”
Nut graph: “Never before have so many political parties contended so avidly for the votes of the silent majority which definitely will decide the outcome of the elections.”
Background: “Largely ignored in the past, the silent majority have become the focus of government platforms of the contending parties, the identified audience in the campaigns.”
Cosmic Quote: “This is the first time in the local executive body election since the 1980s that four political parties try to mobilize the majority to end their silence and finally speak up,” said Maritess Gomez, secretary general of the Sprite-7up Party Coalition.
But Ms. Gomez, who is confident her party will win the elections, said she saw no cause of alarm in this. While the silent majority “have not been mobilized in the past,” she said, “their silence has been our inspiration to speak up and stand for them.”
Depth News
Depth news is a king of news-feature that contains, aside from the essential facts attendant to a news story, background, interpretation, and analyses.
It is not a news story in the traditional sense since it is not based on a timely event that answers the 5 W’s and the H. However, the emphasis is on the elaboration of one W, the why.
A depth report should be distinguished from depth treatment. The former is the result of investigative reporting, which, as had been explained, is reporting in depth to present information on a topic beyond surface facts and interpretative reporting which is reporting the meaning or the possible meaning of those facts.
Development Communication
Development communication is the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and the masses from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth that makes possible greater equality and the greater fulfillment of human potentials.
The purpose of development communication is to advance development and progress. Specifically, these have to do with increasing agricultural productivity, land reform, expanded health, medical and other social welfare services; population education, rural electrification, nutrition education, sports and physical fitness development, and the promotion of a deeper cultural consciousness among the people.
In a developing country like the Philippines, student editors should keep in step with developments that affect mankind and should steer away from routine reporting. They should not limit their news stories to student politics, junior proms and other school affairs, nor their feature articles to image building and the literary pieces to writing songs to Julieta.
Role and Functions of School Publications
As a catalyst for national development, school publications are expected:
To act as a medium for development communication to foster a strong sense of national discipline, identity, and love of country and of things Filipino among the people.
To train the staffers in the communication process and to serve as training ground for future responsible journalists and leaders of society.
To become dependable forums, communication links, and means of feedback among the schools, the community, and the government.
To disseminate and interpret the socio-economic development program of the government and other agencies.
To advance the goals of education and culture by: a) developing moral values such as honesty, integrity, and respect for parents, elders and duly constituted authorities; b) promoting the commonly accepted social and ethical characteristics of Filipino life, c) re-directing the interest of the youth towards the work-oriented curriculum, d) enhancing cultural awareness among the people, and e) furthering knowledge in science and technology.
To act as an accurate and fair vehicle of information of school policies, programs, and activities to the studentry and the lay community.
To encourage and develop good taste in artistic and literary writing among the students.
To act as an information arm of the government by publishing excerpts of Presidential decree, letters of instructions, general orders, and the like pertaining to community development.
To focus the interest of the readers on events of national and international significance, and
To arouse the interest of the readers by printing entertaining activities.
Science Writing
Science writing is the latest form of Philippine journalism. In this era of fast-moving discoveries, inventions, and technical development, science reporting has become a must.
The science writer, therefore, should be able to communicate clearly and effectively so that he can popularize and translate scientific reports into stories which Mr. Average Reader, or the layman, understands.
A science reporter should be an all-around man, somewhat of a botanist, a zoologist, a chemist, an electrician, a plumber, etc., who plays a vital role in the programs of the country not only be telling facts or information, but also by interpreting them to be of relevance to the lives of the people.
Assuming that the science reporters were all these people, how can he bridge the gap between the scientist and the layman? As previously stated, scientists normally write using technical terms which the ordinary reader would not understand. The science reporter’s mission therefore, is to know and understand science so that he can translate what the scientists are talking about for the common man.
WRITING HEADLINES
The headline of the Number One story on Page 1 is called a banner. If it runs across the page it may also be called a streamer.
Among the important functions of the headline are the following: 1) to tell in capsule form what the story is all about, 2) to grade the news as to importance, and 3) to make the page look attractive.
While the lead summarizes the story, the headline, on the other hand, summarizes the lead.
Structure of Headlines
There are different kinds of headlines according to structure. However, for the sake of consistency, only one kind should be adopted by a newspaper. Common among these are illustrated and briefly explained as follows:
Flush left – Both lines are flushed to the left margin. This is also true with a one-line headline. This has no exact count for the units in each line.
Dropline or Step Form - The first line is flushed left while the second is indented. It may consist of two or three, and sometimes four lines of types of the same length, somewhat less than a column in width, so that the first line is flushed to the left, the second centered, and the third flushed to the right.
Inverted pyramid – This is self-explanatory. Each of the three or four lines in this head is successively shorter than the line about it.
Hanging indention – The first line is flushed left. This is followed by two indented parallel lines.
Crossline or Barline – A one-line headline that runs across the column. The simplest form, it is a single line across the allotted space. If it runs across the page, it is called a streamer.
Local students join CLEAN drive
Boxed headline – For emphasis or art’s sake, some headlines are boxed:
Full box
Half box
Quarter box
Jump story headline – A jump story (a story continued on another page) has a headline of its own. This may be the same as the original headline or it may just be a word, a phrase or a group of words followed by a series of dots.
Local students…
From page 1)
Dos and Don’ts in Writing Traditional Headlines
Do’s
Make your headline answer as many W’s as possible.
The headline should summarize the news story. It should contain nothing that is not found in the story.
Positive heads are preferable to negative ones: School physician allays flu fear is better and shorter than Flu epidemic not rampant in city.
Put a verb expressed or implied in every deck.
Omit articles like a, an, and the and all forms of the verb to be (is, are, be etc.), unless needed to make the meaning clear.
Reclaimed banks cause of recurrent flood
(Are before cause is not necessary)
Clinton is new US President
(Is is necessary to make the meaning cleaner.)
Use the strongest word in the first line as much as possible.
The active verb is better than the passive verb in headlines. Local Hi-Y aids flood victim is stronger than – Flood victims aided by local Hi-Y. But, for variation, and especially when the doer is unknown or not prominent, the passive verb may be used.
Food production drive intensified
RP’s lost image abroad regained
Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive form for future stories.
Archbishop Sin bats for national reconciliation
Lantern parade to cap X’mas affairs
Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts.
Use any of the following headline styles, but be consistent once you have adopted one.
All caps
CHARACTER, NATIONALISM VITAL COGS IN EDUCATION
Cap and lower case
Character, Nationalism Vital Cogs in Education
Down style
Character, nationalism vital cogs in education
What to Avoid in Writing Headlines
Avoid the following kinds of headlines:
Fat head – A headline in which the letters or the words are so crowded that there are no more spaces between them or that the spaces are so small that several words read as one.
BSP LAUNCHES DRIVE
Thin head – the spaces between the letters of words, or the space after the words in a line are so wide that the effect is ugly.
B S P L A U N C H E S D R I V E
Label head – An incomplete headline, like the label of a product.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Wooden head – A very weak headline that is devoid of meaning, sometimes due to the absence of a subject or the lack of a verb.
TO HOLD EXCURSION
Mandatory head – It gives a command because it begins with a verb.
HOLD DIALOG WITH PRINCIPAL
Screaming head – It is a big and bold headline of a short and unimportant story. A sensational head is another kind of screaming headline.
Don’t tell the same thing even though you use a different word. Each succeeding deck should contribute new information.
Don’t comment directly or indirectly. Avoid editorializing even in headlines.
Unless the subject is implied or has been mentioned in the first deck, avoid beginning a headline with a verb.
Don’t end a line with a preposition. Neither should you separate a preposition from its object. Don’t confuse a hanging preposition with a two-word verb that ends with a preposition.
Wrong: Students vote for
SSG officials
(“for” is a hanging preposition)
Don’t break off abbreviations, names, and hyphenated words.
Avoid repeating principal words regardless of the number of decks.
Avoid heads that carry a double meaning.
Don’t coin abbreviations of your own. Use only those that are common to the readers like PNRC, DECS, DCS, etc.
Don’t abbreviate days and months unless figures follow, as:
Mon., Jan. 23
Punctuating Headlines
A few pointers as regards punctuation of headlines should be observed. As a rule, headlines, just like titles of editorials, features, and literary articles should not end with a period.
Other simple rules follow:
Use a comma in place of the conjunction and.
Self-reliance, discipline us at Baguio confab
Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon. As much as possible this should be at the end of the line if the headline is a two-line headline or a running head.
School joins Operasyon Linis;
P.E. – CAT boys drain estero
The dash may be used for smaller decks, but not for headlines in large types.
The single quotation marks, not the double quotation marks are used in headlines.
Cultural development:
‘Linggo ng Wika’ theme
Follow the other rules of punctuation.
Unit Counting in Headlines
(In Letterpress Printing)
Writing headlines is not as simple and easy as it seems. A headline should fit the allotted space by a system of unit counts given to each letter, figure or space. This is done to avoid a thin head, a fat head, or a bleeding headline (one that extends out of the column or page).
The corresponding unit counts are given as follows:
½ unit – jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (–), and the question
mark (?)
1 unit – the question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, a lower case
letters except jiltf.
1½ units – the em dash, lower-case m and w, and all capital letters except
capital M and W and JILTF.
2 units – capital M, W
1½ ½ ½ 1, 1 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1
C i t y S c h o o l s f e t e = 15½
1½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1
C h i e f E x e c u t i v e = 14
Preparing a Headline Schedule
(For Letterpress Printing)
Every student editor should be acquainted with the types used by the printing press where his school paper is being printed. In this way, he can set up a headline schedule to be followed by the staff.
A headline schedule is a complete collection of headline types that a particular newspaper uses. This collection should specify the unit counts for all the heads.
Here is an example:
HEADLINE SCHEDULE
WRITING THE EDITORIAL
Editorial Defined
An editorial is the official stand of the paper on a relevant development or issue. It is a personal commentary written by the editor who comments or gives the news-written by the editor who comments or gives the newspaper’s or the staffs opinion about various aspects on an issue which is of interest and importance to the public. It is a critical interpretation of significant, usually contemporary events so that the readers will be informed, influenced, or entertained. It is the stand of the paper, not of an individual editor.
Some authors give other definitions or explanations regarding editorials:
An editorial is an article in a newspaper giving the editor’s view or thos eof the person or persons in control of the paper. – A. Gayle Waldrop
It is the expression of the people’s conscience, cause, and convictions. – Joseph Pulitzer
The modern editorial includes analyses and clarifications, sometimes with no opinion given. – Arthur Capper
The editorial should provide the background in which the facts are seen in a new perspective and should express its opinion. – Rufus Terral
Bitterness, bias, and fear have no place in an editorial. They make for weakness no matter how much they bluster. – William Allan White
It is a presentation of facts and opinion in a concise, logical manner, or of interesting significant news in such a way that its importance to the average reader will be clear. – M. Lyle Spencer
Characteristics of a Good Editorial
Reddick gives three qualities of a good editorial: 1) interest, 2) brevity, and 3) force.
Spears and Lawshe, on the other hand, characterize an editorial as one that: 1) must have clearness of style, 2) has moral purpose, 3) has sound reasoning, and 4) has the power to influence public opinion.
It can be added further that a good editorial must: 1) lead logically to a conclusion, 2) present only one idea, 3) avoid wordiness, and 4) present facts and not mere opinion.
Types of Editorials
The kind of editorial to be written depends upon the purpose of the writer – whether to inform, interpret, criticize, commend, argue or entertain. These are explained as follows:
Editorial of information – It seeks to give information on facts unknown to the reader. It restates the facts of news stories or adds other facts with minimum explanation. It may define terms, identify persons or factors or provide a background; e.g., Freedom of the Press.
Editorial of interpretation – It explains the significance or meaning of a news event, current idea, condition, or situation, theory, or hypothesis. The writer doesn’t argue nor criticize, but merely presents both sides of an issue and leaves the judgment to the reader. It merely interprets, say for example, the content of a new memorandum issued by the principal; e.g., Freedom of the Press: Two Schools of Thought.
Editorial of criticism – It points out the good or the bad features of a problem or situation mentioned in the news. Its purpose is to influence the reader. It suggests a solution at the end, e.g., School Administration Not Sincere in Press Freedom Promise
Editorial of commendation, appreciation, or tribute – It praises, commends, or pays tribute to a person or organization that has performed some worthwhile projects or deeds, or accomplishments; e.g., Laurels to Barangay Dance Troupe.
Editorial of argumentation – This is oftentimes called editorial of persuasion. l the editor argues in order to convince or persuade the reader to accept his stand on the issue; e.g., Freedom of the Press Not Violated.
Editorial of entertainment – It evokes a smile, a chuckle, laughter, while suggesting truth. Its main aim is to entertain. It is usually short; e.g., Miniskirt, Anyone?
Mood editorial – It present a philosophy rather than an argument or an explanation. Oftentimes, the subject matter is nature or emotion; e.g., those Wonderful People Called Parents.
Special occasion – It explains the significance of a special day or occasion; e.g., The Significance of Christmas, Au Revoir.
There is another kind of editorial known as a pooled editorial. This is written by two or more editors belonging to different newspapers which they publish in their respective papers at the same time; e.g., Stop Tuition Fee Increase.
How to Write an Editorial
In writing the editorial, select only one specific idea to develop. Be sure the topic is of interest to the reader.
Organize your editorial in three parts: 1) the introduction, 2) the body, and 3) the ending. The first contains the newspeg with the reaction. It is usually one short paragraph. (A newspeg is a brief statement about the news event at issue upon which the editorial is based).
The body may take two or three short paragraphs that support or justify the reaction. The ending, sometimes called the clincher, summarizes the editorial’s stand.
WRITING EDITORIAL COLUMNS
Purpose of the Editorial Column
To form or help to form public opinion
To inform, interpret and fiscalize
Other Purposes of the Column
To explain the news
Giving the background of an event.
Determining whether a certain event is an isolated case or part of the pattern.
Pointing out how an event will affect (or not affect) his readers.
Pooling together and assessing comments of readers from the different segments of society.
Presenting fairly the ideas in a controversy.
To entertain the readers
Form of Writing Used in Columns
Types of editorial column according to content:
The “opinion” column (also called the “signed editorial column”) – Resembles an editorial in form but, in contrast with the editorial’s impersonal and anonymous approach, carries the personal, stamp of the writer’s own ideas. (I hesitate to use a local example, thus a safe one is Walter Lippman’s “Today and Tomorrow.”)
The hodge-podge column – Where the author lumps together odds and ends of information, a poem here, an announcement there, a point paragraph, a modernized proverb, a joke, or an interesting quotation.
The essay column (increasingly rare) – Is a legacy from a more leisurely age when writers could sit and scribble and muse in light or purple prose. (The exponents of this form were Addison and Steele of the famed Spectator papers, Charles Lamb, Oliver Goldsmith, G.K. Chesterton, and Christopher Morley. The Filipino columnist who best approximated this type was Godofredo Rivera of the Graphic.
The gossip column – Caters to the inherent interest of human beings in human beings. Unfortunately, the reader’s eyes light up more frequently when they spy the vices rather than the virtues of others. The society columnists (as well as the otherwise sober ones who occasionally dabble in small talk) chronicle here the facts and foibles of the great and near-great, the social climbers, and the true celebrities. The first example that comes to mind is Walter Winchell and his “keyhole” journalism.
The dopester’s column – Written by the columnist who also has his eye to the keyhole but with a more serious purpose. He uses much the same technique as the gossip columnist but rises above the chatterbox variety of news to poke into the activities of the “men who make the decisions.” The “victims” are usually the government’s leader-politicians, congressmen, senators, Cabinet officials, titans of industry and commerce, and institutions which have to do with national international affairs. The columnist’s “pipelines” to sources of information often give him the ability to “forecast” news before it happens, bare still unannounced plans and appointments, reveal “secret pacts,” and lay bare the secrets of government and finance open to public scrutiny.
CARTOONING
An editorial cartoon is an editorial page illustration expressing opinion and interpretation. The word cartoon is derived from two words: caricature and lampoon.
A caricature is an exaggerated description, generally by sketching. It is a pictorial representation of a person or thing in which a defect or peculiarity is exaggerated so as to produce a ludicrous effect.
A lampoon, on the other hand, is a piece of malicious writing, a personal written satire that attacks and ridicules.
An editorial cartoon also performs any of the three functions of the newspress – to inform, influence, or entertain.
A good cartoon appeals to the reader’s sense of humor in order to persuade him to accept an opinion; an effective social force.
A cartoon like the top editorial, deals with only a single idea and is about political and social conditions and problems. Some cartoons are good–natured and humorous; others are serious and sophisticated.
Cartoon ideas cover a wide range or subjects. Some may be:
Inspirational – e.g., the school represented as a mother taking care of her children
Satirical – e.g., the embarrassment of having girls wear miniskirt in the classroom.
Correctional – e.g., problems involving people taking prohibited drugs.
Suggestion for Cartooning
should say something
should deal with only one topic
should limit the use of words and labels
should use universal symbols i.e., easily understood even by ordinary reader
should be original
should not defame nor expose a person or object to hatred, ridicule, or contempt
WRITING FEATURES
Newspaper prints more news; i.e., report of facts about events or of information, written in straightforward manner usually answering what happened, who said what, when, where, why, and how. On the other hand, a magazine prints more features and human-interest stories.
A feature article may instruct, advise, inform, and entertain
A feature article may be of any length ranging from a rather long magazine article published to the short human interest story that may or may not be timely
A feature article may be written in any form and style. It rarely has a summary lead.
A feature article to entertain rather than to inform although it may do both at the same time.
Characteristics of a Good Feature Article
A good feature article should have the following characteristics:
It may inform, instruct, or advise, but its primary purpose is to entertain. It is usually read after the news in a leisure moment.
It may be of any length – from a short human interest story to a rather long magazine article.
It may or may not be timely.
It may be written in any form or style.
It usually uses the novelty lead rather than the summary lead.
The reporter may use any of the following devices – suspense, dialog, description, narration, exposition, argumentation, climax and the like in presenting his story.
Although the writer applies his imagination to the facts, the feature story is not fiction. It is based on facts.
It uses specific nouns, adjectives, and verbs to create vivid images, sound, and feeling for the readers.
It applies the principles of effective writing to achieve unity, coherence, and emphasis which are essential to all good writing.
It is written with friendly simplicity.
Feature is an umbrella term for a number of soft news stories that profile, humanize, add color, educate, entertain or illuminate. It usually recaps major news that was reported in a previous news cycle. It can stand alone, or it can be a sidebar to the main story, the mainbar.
News feature is a story based upon a news event that has already been covered by the newspaper. It’s the story behind the story.
Interpretative feature analyzes the facts of a news story to explain the causes and motivations leading to the event, then discusses the possible consequences.
Straight feature is a general category referring to any interesting story about a person, place, or event that has no “news peg” or timeliness associated with it.
Personality feature makes the readers aware of the subject’s personality by detailing the person’s experiences, thoughts, mannerisms, and actions.
Interview feature is usually about a prominent individual or an authority on a particular subject or event, the information of which is obtained in an interview.
Human-interest feature establishes a mood and provoke an emotional reaction in a reader. It can be humorous or sad, suspenseful or fast-paced.
Backgrounder – also called an analysis piece – adds meaning to current issues in the news by explaining them further.
Brites is a newspaper term for brief feature items – usually humorous. Less than 100 words, they begin with a clever lead that grabs the reader’s attention and go on to a brief, chronological description of an event that builds swiftly to a climax – usually a surprise ending – or to a catchy, summary thought. Ex. Reader’s Digest
WRITING THE INTERVIEW
Interview Defined
An interview is an art of asking questions to obtain information. But technically speaking, it is asking questions to obtain opinions, ideas, or special information on topics of interest to the general public from a prominent person or from a recognized authority.
Kinds of Interviews
Different kinds of interviews:
An informative interview is conducted to obtain some information from a person responsible for a new idea.
An opinion interview is conducted to obtain opinion.
A feature interview is the group interview of which there are two types: the “inquiring reporter type” and the symposium type.
Dos and Don’ts in Conducting an Interview
A. Dos
Know your subject thoroughly and jot down exactly what questions you want clarified.
Know your interviewee – his habits, strengths, opinion on the topic, achievements, even weaknesses.
Make an appointment and be there ahead of time. Be prepared to listen, and take brief notes when advisable.
Introduce yourself again even if you have an appointment. Always be courteous in requesting clarifications, and be friendly and grateful for concessions like the repetition of an explanation you are getting down verbatim, and for being allowed tot ape his explanation, etc.
Offer to show him your write-up before its publication.
Respect “off the record” comments.
B. Don’ts
Never demand. Request and say “Thank you.”
Don’t react unfavorably to whatever he is saying. Even when asked, be neutral if you cannot honestly agree with him. Remember, you will write down his answers, not your ideas.
Don’t hesitate to request repetition or clarification of anything not fully understood.
Don’t take down everything; abbreviate long words and use only key words for main ideas.
Don’t overstay.
Don’t postpone writing your notes. Do so as soon as you get out of the interview room.
Guidelines to Observe During the Interview
Be interested in what your subject has to say.
Don’t talk too much yourself.
Positive questions are preferred to negative or rambling questions.
Take notes unobtrusively.
Get your subject’s name correctly spelled, his middle initial, his address, age (but don’t insist if refused), occupations, etc. – anything that is relevant to your story.
Show your quotes or even the whole report in proofs on a technical subject – but do not promise to.
Guidelines to Observe in Writing the Interview
Correct all grammatical errors and awkward sentences made by the interviewee unless they are necessary to reveal his personality. In doing this, don’t change the interviewee’s meaning.
Make the quotes clear and compact.
Avoid any reference to yourself unless needed.
To avoid monotony, don’t use “he said” many times. Use synonyms of “said” like remarked, stated, concluded, stressed, etc.
Use noun substitutes like “the speaker,” “the principal,” etc., to avoid overworking the interviewee’s name.
WRITING THE SPORTS STORY
Qualities of a Good Sports Writer
Aside from a working knowledge of the medium he is going to use in writing his story, the sports writer should also have the following know-how:
Must know sports: rules, strategy, team and players’ records.
Must attend the games or meets as a reporter, not as a spectator or cheerer.
Must know coaches and players as intimately as possible.
Must observe accuracy.
Must be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of the play.
Must be fair and unbiased in reporting, even though he has a favorite team.
Must not make comments without supporting them with facts on which they are based, although sports writers have more freedom than any other news writers.
Must use the specialized language of the particular sports that he is reporting.
Must avoid sports slang and trite expressions which hack writers use today. He should tell the story in plain, factual terms, that describe the action.
Must bear in mind that he writes for his readers and not for himself.
The Lead
Like any other news story, a sports story has a lead and a body. The sports lead is the attention-getter, the news in a nutshell.
The classic “Five W’s” appear in the sports lead as:
Who won?
Against whom?
By what score?
Where?
When?
The lead can also dramatize other elements like:
The key play
The outstanding player
Analytical approach
The Body
After the lead, the other elements follow in descending order. These will include:
Team and / or individual standing
Decisive play
Best scores for the day
Play-by-play
Quotation
Sports Lingo and Crutches/Slanguage
Basketball – five, quintet, shot twinner, pivot, rally, rebound, technical foul, quarter count, 15-foot line, hook shot, lay-up, ice-breaker, tip-in, press, one defense, man to man, 30 second rule, full court, gun time, lemon time, keyhole area, long tom, tip-in, follow-up, trey, rainbow country
Baseball and Softball – diamond, pitcher, backstop, deep center, struck out, lower fourth, shut out, hitless inning, hit a homerun, one-bagger, two-baggers, force out, scorcher, fly back, pitcher’s mound, upper third, lower fourth, flier, rolling ball, umpire, struck out, bunt, slide, shortstop, fielder, southpaw, no-hit run, fanned, out-pegged at third, deep center, a scorcher to left outfield.
Volleyball – Spikes, neat placing, change court, Chinese kill, wallop, block, scored off, straight set, two out of three, spiker, blocked his kill, booming service, netball, return play, three out of five.
Soccer of Football – soccerites, goalie, full back, corner kick, centrada, penalty kick, free kick, pigskin.
Sipa – fancy kick, dead ball, ball on play, single, double, etc.
Track:
Dashes – 100-200-80m; Runs – 200-400;800 and1500 m;
Hurdles – 110 m. high, 400 m low and 80 m low; Relay – 4 x 100 m and 4 x 400 m; breasted the tape, burned the cinders, clock a new record, bore down on him, home stretch, photo finish, middle-distance runner, long-distance runner, anchor man, passed on the baton.
Field – heaved the shotput, hurled the javelin, threw the discuss, hop step and jump, broad jump, high or long jump, pole vault, Grecian disc
Tennis – best of three matches, surfeit services, straight set, singles, smash cut
Swimming – tanker, naiads, aquabelle
PREPARING THE COPY AND COPYREADING
Preparing the Copy
In preparing the copy, the reporter should:
Use a typewriter or a computer – never submitting it in long hand.
Type on one side of the sheet only and double space.
Begin his story (for news) about three inches from the top of the page
Indent deeply – at least five spaces – the beginning of each paragraph.
Identify on the first page the story with a slugline – the name of the paper, words identifying the story like “Fire,” or “Student election”; the reporter and the date.
Type the word “More” at the bottom of each page except the last, where he has to indicate the end of the story with a “30” or # mark.
Duties of a Copyreader
A copyreader goes over the story once to get a general idea of what it is all about. This will likewise help him/her formulate the headline, which is a part of his/her job.
Then, he/she goes over it a second time to do any or all of the following as the case may be:
Straighten out ungrammatical constructions.
Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed.
Check names, addresses, titles, designations, identifications, figures, etc.
Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.
Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the facts unless he/she is sure of his/her corrections.
Delete all opinion, speculations, and statements which are without attribution or sources.
Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.
Watch out for libelous statements.
Recheck figures and totals.
Cross out adjectives which tend to make a story sound over-written.
Cut a story to size or to the required length if need be.
Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.
Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical, and incredible.
Check sluglines and paging sequences.
Write headlines.
Layout or Makeup
Page Makeup
Makeup – refers to the assembling of type, cuts, and / or ads on a page
Type – refers to the texts or fonts used
Cuts – in letterpress terminology, photoengraving of any kind which includes photos,
illustrations, boxes, etc.
Dos and Don’ts in Makeup
Experiment with thumbnail dummies before deciding on the one that fits your needs.
Don’t use two pictures of the same size on any one page. Try to contrast horizontal and vertical shapes.
Avoid piling type blocks of similar depth on top of each other or running them in the order of ascending or descending size.
Use size heads on horizontal stories that do not deserve a full line.
Mix vertical blocks with horizontal ones.
Don’t always put the most important story at the top of the page.
Use editorial freaks (inserts) and refers sparingly in breaking up gray areas.
With flush-left style do not ever center display heads.
Avoid clutter by avoiding doglegs. Dogleg refers to a column of type extending down page, not squared off under multicolumn headline.
Use italic head sparingly, if at all.
Don’t use label-type heads on columns.
Use normal word spacing in headline types.
Standardize the spacing between paragraphs – make no exceptions.
Avoid “armpit” placement – a headline directly under a multicolumn head.
Take good care of the bottom of the page by placing heads and pictures there, depending on balance with the top of the page.
A newspaper should be carefully and properly laid out for the following reasons:
to give prominence to the news in proportion to its importance,
to make the different contents easy to find and to read,
to give the pages an attractive appearance, and
to give the paper a personality of its own.
Types of Front Page Makeup
By Way of Headline and Text Arrangement
Scholastic Journalism by Earl English and Clarence Hach gives the following types of front page makeup by way of headline and text arrangement.
Perfect Balance (Balance or Symmetrical) Makeup
Brace or Focus
Broken Column Makeup Occult Makeup
Streamlined Makeup
Circus Makeup
Makeup By Way of Text and Photo Combination
Another way of laying out a page is through the text and photo combination. The following illustrations are self-explanatory:
The X Format
The Curve Format
The L Format
The J Format
The Umbrella Format
Principles to Follow to Achieve Effective Makeup
Again, Scholastic Journalism by English and Hach gives six principles to achieve effective makeup. These are unity, balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, and contrast.
Dos and Don’ts in Page Makeup
Avoid tombstoning
Avoid bad breaks
Avoid separating related stories and pictures.
Avoid gray areas (sea of gray).
Keep long columns of 6 points types and tabular material to a minimum especially on the front page.
Avoid using a banner headline unless the story deserves it
Don’t make the page top-heavy; i.e., making the top half of the page heavy with cuts and big headlines.
Avoid many headlines of the same size on a page.
Avoid placing small heads on rather long stories.
The average number of stories on Page 1 of a tabloid is from seven to nine stories.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Picture Selection
The newspaperman has two things to bear in mind when selecting pictures for publication. These are the picture’s technical value and editorial value.
A picture has technical value when it is technically perfect with proper light and shadow, is free form smudges, and is clean and clear for publication.
A picture loses its technical value as a result of poor screening by the photographer, or maybe, the original picture was already dirty, faded or worn-out when it was submitted for reproduction.
A picture, on the other hand has editorial value when it tells a story at a glance and when it shows life’s happenings and moments of truth and significance.
Writing Caption
A caption is the text or body type accompanying photos or artwork or any pictorial illustration. It is sometimes called cutline or underline. The title or explanatory matter above an illustration is called an overline.
Captions should be closely related to the picture so that the reader may be able to take in picture and caption at a glance. This explains why the caption should be underneath the picture when there are other materials on the page. The caption can be on the side when picture and caption are isolated.
STYLEBOOK
A stylebook does not deal with matters of literary expression. It presents rules that, when followed, lead to consistency in punctuation, abbreviation, capitalization, and spelling.
Ten Principles of Clear Writing (Robert Gunning):
Keep sentences short, on the average. Sentences must vary in length if the reader is to be saved from boredom.
Prefer the simple to the complex. Zinsser wrote : ‘The secret to good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest form.’
Prefer the familiar word. The Element of Style says, “Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy and the cute.”
Avoid unnecessary words.
Put action into your verbs. Use the active voice.
Write the way you talk. Avoid formal, stilted language. Be specific.
Use terms your reader can capture. Explain jargons.
Tie in with your reader’s experience. A statement cut off from context is a ‘figure” that simply floats about.
Make full use of variety. Work toward and nurture a style you find comfortable with.
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