INTERVENTION MATERIAL

NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET FOR

SPECIAL PROGRAM IN JOURNALISM
(GRADE 7 STUDENTS)

PAULO MORALES
Author
 INTERVENTION MATERIAL
NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET FOR SPECIAL PROGRAM IN JOURNALISM
(GRADE 7 STUDENTS)

Name: ____________________________________ Grade/Section:

_______________

1. IDENTIFYING THE FIVE WS

WHO: This will nearly always be a person or group of people.

Duterte (WHO) hits out at critics last night …
Francisquete (WHO) ordered teachers to…
Department of Education (WHO) reminded parents on Thursday…

WHAT: This nearly always means: What Happened? Or Did What?

The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental last night abandoned plans to
build some new homes (WHAT)…
Francisquete (WHO) ordered teachers yesterday to ensure the safety of
their students during community outreach programs (WHAT)…
Department of Education reminded parents on Thursday to strictly
monitor the social media engagement of their children (WHAT)…

WHEN: always found in the first sentence to describe the date of the event.
The Provincial Government of Davao Oriental last night (WHEN) abandoned
plans to build some new homes…
Francisquete (WHO) ordered teachers yesterday (WHEN) to ensure the
safety of their students during community outreach programs (WHAT)…
Department of Education reminded parents on Thursday to strictly monitor
the social media engagement of their children (WHAT)…
WHERE: The place where something happened.
The Faculty Association of Badas National High School passed a resolution
at the Conference Room (WHERE) last night banning cellphones in school

WHY: Why are we telling the story? The significance of something.

The Faculty Association of Badas National High School passed a resolution
at the Conference Room (WHERE) last night banning cellphones to prevent
students from playing mobile games (WHY).

I. Identifying the 5 Ws
Instruction/s: Read the scrambled information, identify the WHO, WHAT,
WHY, WHEN, WHERE. Write your answers on the space provided. A sample
is given for your guidance.

Exercise No. 1 Scrambled Information

in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections

next year.
will resume in the voter’s registration
at the City Hall
Commission of Election
on Monday

Exercise No. 1 Answer

WHO: Commission of Election

WHAT: will resume today in the voter’s registration
WHY: in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)
elections next year.
WHERE: at the City Hall
WHEN: on Monday
NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET EXERCISE NO. 1

yesterday.
Three people riding on a motorcycle
along Maharlika Highway, Barangay San Nicolas
after their vehicle collided head-on with a passenger bus
were killed

WHO: ______________________________________________________
WHAT: ______________________________________________________
WHEN: ______________________________________________________
WHY: ______________________________________________________
WHERE: ______________________________________________________

2. WRITING THE LEAD

 Always count the words: aim for between 20 and 25, preferably in one
flowing sentence.
 Make sure it tells us about the most important thing in the story.
 If you had only these 25 words for the whole story – make sure your
reader has been told something interesting.
 The first 10 words are the most important – make sure they grab your
reader.
 Mention a person by name only if your average reader knows who
s/he is.

II. Writing the Basic News Lead

Instruction/s: Read the scrambled information. Identify first the Ws. Next,
WRITE the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE in a basic News Lead. The
WHY will be written in the next paragraph. Write your answers on the space
provided.
Exercise No. 1 Scrambled Information

in preparation for the will resume in the voter’s

barangay and Sangguniang registration
Kabataan (SK) elections next at the City Hall
year. on Monday
Commission of Election

I. Use the WHO-WHAT-WHEN-WHERE format

(Write the WHY in the Second Paragraph)

______________________________ (WHO) + ______________________________

(WHAT) + ______________________________ (WHEN) +
______________________________ (WHERE).

Example No. 1 Answer

Commission of Election (WHO) will resume in the voter’s

registration (WHAT) on Monday (WHEN) at the City Hall (WHERE).

NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET EXERCISE NO. 2

yesterday after their vehicle collided head-on

Three people riding on a with a passenger bus
motorcycle were killed
along Maharlika Highway,
Barangay San Nicolas

 WRITE THE 5 WS IN A BASIC LEAD

______________________________ (WHO) + ______________________________
(WHAT) + ______________________________ (WHEN) +
______________________________ (WHERE).

NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET EXERCISE NO. 3

Find a school event and identify the 5 Ws and write in the given
template:

 WRITE THE 5 WS IN A BASIC LEAD

______________________________ (WHO) + ______________________________

(WHAT) + ______________________________ (WHEN) +
______________________________ (WHERE).

3. WRITING THE TRANSITION PARAGRAPHS AFTER THE LEAD

Instruction/s: In the previous lessons, we have identified the 5 Ws and

wrote them in a basic News Lead. Now we are going to write the Body of a
News article.

 EXAMPLE NO. 1

Badas Sangguniang Kabataan youth THE LEAD.

officials (WHO) gave school
supplies, slippers and food to
children (WHAT) on August 12
(WHEN) in Sitios Kadayawan and
Malibago (WHERE).
Who did what; or What happened?
Perhaps When? and Where? might
be in this paragraph.

This is part of the SK’s objective to 2ND PARAGRAPH

provide assistance to the barangay’s In many cases this second paragraph
young constituents and ensure that will answer the questions Why? or
teens and kids are supported. How? The SO WHAT?
(WHY or HOW).
“We understand the hardships of
some these kids who go to school
without school supplies and we
realize that there is still time to help
them now,” Daligdig said.
(DIRECT QUOTE)
The activity is also part of the SK’s
plan to invest in other related youth
development programs aside from
just organizing sports tournament.
“We are really happy that SK gave us
school supplies and visited our
homes,” Gaboy Morales, one of the
kids who received supplies.
(DIRECT QUOTE)
Daligdig said that they planned all
these youth activities right after they
were elected because they knew that
there are other youth projects that
they can launch to really make a
difference in the lives of the youths
in Barangay Badas.
After this, the group is also planning
to organize a coastal cleanup drive
from the Barangay Hall to Punta
Gemelina in an effort to help the
barangay clean its coastal areas.
3RD PARAGRAPH
This is where a quote would often
appear. This is viewed by
most reporters as essential to keep
the story lively.
4TH PARAGRAPH
Why are you telling me this/what are
the implications of this? (significance)
5TH PARAGRAPH
What will other people think about
this? (Moving the story on, giving it a
human context)
6TH PARAGRAPH
How did the event continue?
(Important background)
7TH PARAGRAPH
What is going to happen next?
(Again, moving the story on,
significance)
NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET NO. 3
Instruction/s: Write a news story of 5 to 7 paragraphs using the structure
below. The scrambled information is attached below.

______________________________
THE LEAD.
______________________________
Who did what; or What happened?
______________________________
Perhaps When? and Where? might
______________________________
be in this paragraph.
______________________________

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
2ND PARAGRAPH
In many cases this second paragraph
will answer the questions Why? or
How?

______________________________
3RD PARAGRAPH
______________________________
This is where a quote would often
______________________________
appear. This is viewed by
______________________________
most reporters as essential to keep
______________________________
the story lively.

______________________________
4TH PARAGRAPH
______________________________
Why are you telling me this/what are
______________________________
the implications of this?
______________________________
(significance)
______________________________

______________________________
5TH PARAGRAPH
______________________________
What will other people think about
______________________________
this? (Moving the story on, giving it a
______________________________
human context)
______________________________

______________________________
6TH PARAGRAPH
______________________________
How did the event continue?
______________________________
(Important background)
______________________________
______________________________
 ______________________________
7TH PARAGRAPH
______________________________
What is going to happen next?
______________________________
(Again, moving the story on,
______________________________
significance)
______________________________

References

McKane, A. (2006). News Writing. Thunder Oaks, CA: SAGE

Publications, Inc.
Mencher, M. (2011). News Reporting and Writing Twelfth Edition.
Columbia University: McGraw-Hill Publications, Inc.
Murray, D. (1983). Writing for Your Readers. Chester, Conn.: The
Globe Pequot Press.
Scrambled Facts and Information for NEWS WRITING WORKSHEET NO.
3

 An announcement was made School Principal Dr. Mary Jean M.

Francisquete on Monday that a new program will be implemented by
the school.
 The Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) will be implemented by
Badas National High School for school year 2021-2022.
 After the implementation, the school is expected to receive equipment
and facilities related to the resources needed for SPJ.
 “We are happy that SPJ will be implemented in Badas NHS because
it will give our children the chance to be better writers and
journalists in the future,” Linda Jesus, one of the parents said.
 The aim of implementing the program is to offer journalism
competencies to cater the journalistic skills of students in the school.
 Francisquete said that the SPJ implementation became a reality after
parents and other stakeholders wrote a letter to the school to open
the said program.
 “We want to give our students the chance to hone their writing skills
and abilities in journalism and also make sure that we can influence
them to love writing,” Francisquete said.