Journalism10 Q1 M4

10
[ Journalism
Quarter 1 – Module 4:
Writing Headlines
Journalism (English) 10
Competency: Observe guidelines and rules in writing headlines and news for TV. (SPJ10NEW-lg-9)
Journalism Learning Kit
Writing Headlines
First Edition, 2020
Published in the Philippines

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This Journalism Learning Kit is published to be utilized by the Schools

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this learning resource may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical
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Development Team of Journalism Learning Kit
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Editor: Romel D. Babiera
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Management Team:
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Ma. Cielo D. Estrada Aris B. Juanillo
Manuel P. Vallejo Mary Ann M. Jumuad
Rene P. Sultan
Produced for: Davao City Division, Region XI
Lesson
4 Writing Headlines
Learning Competency: Observe guidelines and rules in writing headlines and

news for TV. (SPJ10NEW-Ig-9).
Headlines are lifelines to our readers. They grab attention, build trust and help
time-pressed consumers focus on the stories they care most about.
Headlines are becoming increasingly important in the internet age. Not only do they
capture the reader's attention, they serve as source material for search engines.
Today, a reader is just as likely to come across an article by reading a list of search
engine results as by scanning a newspaper page.
What’s In
Activity 1 Newspaper Headlines

Direction: Read the stories below. Create or write a better and catchier way of
writing them.
1. Man gets away with stealing lots
of money from a bank.
2. The largest TV network shuts

down amidst pandemic.
3. Law-abiding citizens should not

fear on the Anti-terrorism Bill
4. Duterte: Maria Ressa is a fraud.
5. Sec. Briones: We should live

around that fear. Message for the
teachers.
What’s New
Activity 2 Getting Ready to Write

Direction: Read the paragraph below. Write an appropriate headline for the
following.
1. US President Barrack Obama has paid warm tribute to Nelson Mandela for
his 95th birthday, which he anti-apartheid icon will spend in hospital
recovering from a lung infection.
_____________________________________________________________________
2. The government should not interfere with how news organizations and media
agencies craft their editorial content, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
said Wednesday.
___________________________________________________________________
3. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque echoed Duterte’s opinion during his

interview with CNN Philippines' The Source last week, saying that the President
knows the background of Duque's family.
“As a matter of integrity, he believes the Duque family will not steal. He knows their
background very well,” Roque said, adding that Duque would have already been
fired if he no longer had Duterte’s trust and confidence.
__________________________________________________________________
What is It
A good headline is very important when you are writing a newspaper report.
If your headline is not interesting enough, nobody will bother reading the rest of
the article!
Most headlines are short and snappy. They are usually written in
the present tense and do not need to be complete sentences.
Headlines should be clear and specific, telling the reader what the story is
about, and be interesting enough to draw them into reading the article.
 5-10 words at the most

 should be accurate and specific
- City Council to Cut Taxes doesn't mean the same thing as City
Council to Cut Budget
 Use present tense and active verbs, but don't start with a verb
 Use infinitive form of verb for future actions
- Convention to create jobs
 Do not use articles - a, an, the
 Do not use conjunctions like and - you can substitute a comma
- President declares Valentines, Holiday
 Should be complete sentences or imply complete sentence
- Crackdown on Trafficking doesn't tell you who's doing the
trafficking and what kind of trafficking
 Avoid repetition - Headlines summarize; they don't repeat the lead.
- Rays Win - not Rays Win Final Game of Playoffs
 Don't use unidentified pronouns
- They win the Olympics.
 Avoid clever for clever's sake
- Korina’s Flip-Flop on Tondo
2 Types of Headlines
1. Sentence Headlines – Senators believe ABS-CBN fate sets

‘dangerous’ precedent on future media franchises
2. Phrase Headlines - Heroism and cowardice at the Top of
the World
COVID-19 Pandemic Update
Headlines most common techniques
 Noun phrases – a noun phrase with no verb. A noun phrase describes

a noun.
Under Pressure from Boss

Unexpected Visit
Overwhelming Response of Voters
 Noun Strings – a string of three, four or more nouns together
Widow Pension Pay Committee

Landscaping Company Disturbance Regulation
Mustang Referral Customer Complaint
 Simple Tenses instead of Continuous or Perfect
Forgotten Brother Appears = A forgotten brother has appeared

(after a long period of time). Professors Protest Pay Cuts =
Professors are protesting pay cuts (at the university).
 Auxiliary Verbs Dropped in Passive Form
Man Killed in Accident = A Man has been killed in an accident.

Tommy the Dog Named Hero = Tommy the Dog has been
named a hero (by the mayor).
 Articles Dropped
President Declares Celebration = The president has declared a

celebration. Passerby Sees Woman Jump = A passerby has
seen a woman jump (into the river).
 Infinitive to Indicate Future
Mayor to Open Shopping Mall = The mayor is going to open a

new shopping mall. James Wood to Visit Portland = (Famous
actor) James Wood is going to visit Portland soon.
 3- Other common techniques
 Puns (play on words)

 Short words and abbreviations (to gain space)
 Alliterations (to appeal to the senses)
Source: https://www.poynter.org/educators-students/2017/9-tips-for-writing-stronger-headlines/
Guidelines for Writing News Headlines
Be specific, not vague. Draw readers in because your headline is compelling.

Don’t waste readers’ time by asking them to keep reading to see what the story is
really about. And if your five to 10 words give away too much of the story, it’s not
much of a story anyway. On a related note: It’s great to invoke curiosity, but don’t
mislead or overpromise. Accuracy and credibility count every time, with every story.
Start simple. You’ve read the story, but the blank headline field keeps staring back
at you. Think: subject, verb. Who, what. Then build on it. This may sound basic,
but it even helps veteran headline writers.
Explore the 5 W’s and 1 H. Ask yourself: Who, what, when, where, why, how.
What are the primary questions addressed by story? Focus on those elements in
your headline. Is it a profile of a person? That’s a “who” story. Breaking news?
Probably a “what” story.
Go beyond puns. Write headlines for your readers, not to show you’re clever. For
wordplay to work, it needs to communicate the story’s point and tone, and it
should work on both the literal and figurative levels.
Take the mental picture. What picture comes to mind as you read the story? Use
that in your headline.
Change your perspective. Tune in to your targeted audience. For example, instead
of writing the headline from an agency’s perspective (Officials approve later high
school starting times), write it from the affected person’s perspective (Students
applaud later high school starting times).
Get emotional. Is there anger? Love? Frustration? Desperation? Appreciation?

Respect? Elation? Shame? Embarrassment? People respond to emotion.
Use strong words. Identify words and phrases that best describe your topic. Look
for single words that do the work of two, or a two- or three-word phrase that does
the work of five or six words.
Value the verb. A fresh verb can really make a headline. An aside regarding search
engine optimization: Nouns overshadow verbs as popular search keywords, but
verbs can power a headline’s click-through rate by making the headline more
interesting.
Be Accurate. This is most important. A headline should entice readers, but it

shouldn't oversell or distort what the story is about. Always stay true to the spirit
and meaning of the article.
Keep It Short. This seems obvious; headlines are by nature short. But when space
limitations aren't a consideration (as on a blog, for instance), writers sometimes get
verbose with their heads. Shorter is better.
Four imperatives for writing headlines:
Headlines:
 must be correct (in fact and implication).

 must connect to ordinary readers (be easily understood).
 must attract attention (using interesting, active words).
 must set (or match) tone of the article.
Headline warning: Never allow cute, creative headlines to blind you to the need for
accuracy. Be alert to headlines that have unintended meanings.
Current trend in headline writing: Use hammer headlines: 1-3 words without a
verb, often using a double-meaning or subtlety. The subhead then explains the
news accurately
Headline writing process: news, features
 Be quick, but don’t hurry. Don’t allow the goal of “pushing pages” before
deadline to short-circuit the need to write accurate, clear, tasteful
headlines. Remember: readers start here.
 Understand the news peg or feature angle.
 Use the Key Word system: select key words from story (but don’t parrot
lead). Select words that reflect the central theme of the article.
 For news heads: play it straight, summarize the news.
 For feature heads: be creative. Tease, flirt, hint - but don’t give away
lead.
 In feature heads, use freshened clichés, creative puns, twists of ad
slogans, well-known sayings.
 Highlight intrigue, contrast or conflict within central theme, using key
words.
 Avoid lazy headline writing. Don’t settle for your first try, then change
type size to make it fit.
 Don’t fall in love with your own cute, creative puns. The challenge:
rewrite and make it better.
 Seek the input of others: How can the headline be misread? Does it
work?
 Listen to the lone ranger: honor the courage of one brave soul who
objects. One person who doesn’t “get it” now represents thousands who
won’t get it later.
 When it comes down to Cute vs. Truth, make sure you choose the right
one.
The TACT Test: Taste-Attractiveness-Clarity-Truth
(Ask these questions of each headline):
1. Is it in good taste? Anything offensive in any way? Can anything be
taken a wrong way?
2. Does it attract the reader’s attention? How can it be improved without
sacrificing accuracy?
3. Does it communicate clearly, quickly? Any confusion? Any odd words,
double meanings?
4. Is it accurate, true? Proper words used? Is the thrust of subject-verb
true?
5. A single “NO” above is a veto. One “No” vote represents thousands of
readers. Start over: rethink the headline from the beginning.
The One-Last-Look Step.
Each version of each headline must pass the TACT Test -- one last time. Don’t
forget this step. Don’t rush through or bypass the TACT Test. The last or latest
version must be examined as if it were the first version.
Errors in headlines do not often occur because the writer doesn’t care. Many have
occurred on headlines that got plenty of attention, but the One-Last-Look Step was
skipped. It may have been a difficult head to write -- and all agree the last one
solves a key problem. This may be the time when no one stops to reexamine it one
last time for a newly created problem (e.g., a typo/misspelled word, a double
meaning, a word that can be misunderstood by the ordinary reader). Always pause
a minute to conduct the One-Last-Look Step.
Beware when everyone falls in love with the latest version of a headline.
Choosing headline verbs.

 Use active, short, action verbs.
 Remember to have fun; think of more interesting ways to attract the reader.
 Balance the fun/attractive elements of the headline with accuracy. It must
remain accurate.
 Avoid words that could be read as either a noun or a verb.
 Examine connotations, context, unintended meanings.
 Work hard to find the precise verb that summarizes the action.
· A note about synonyms. Are there any? There may be some ¾ but
most words carry distinct connotations. Get the right word.
Heads without verbs

 Use creative, attractive hammers of one to three words.
 Then add drop heads in smaller type that clearly explains heart of story.
 Make the right choice: clear labels vs. vague labels (clear is better).
 Use humor and double meanings effectively.
 Beware the pitfalls of over-simplification.
Some do’s & don’ts
(Borrowed, adapted and condensed from a number of sources.)
 Make the headline easy to read. The key purpose of the head: to
communicate.
 Don’t mislead reader.
 Don’t exaggerate; maintain neutrality.
 Remember the rules of grammar and use them.
 Don’t split nouns, modifiers, verbs and prepositional phrases over two lines.
 Each line should be a unit by itself.
 Abbreviate sparingly .
 Verify accuracy -- and avoid any word that can carry a double meaning.
 Make the head complete in itself (especially true for news heads).
 Don’t begin with a verb (“Saves daughter from fire”).
 Use present tense to indicate past (“Bush wins presidency”).
 Don’t use present tense to indicate future unless necessary; add time
element for clarity.
 Don’t use common or unrecognized names in heads.
 Don’t use said, when you mean said to be (“County said considering tax
increase”).
 Don’t use feel, believes or thinks.
 Don’t pad heads with unnecessary words.
 Avoid slang unless relevant to feature story and headline.
What’s More
Activity 3 Headline Writing

Direction: Read the story summaries on this activity and then write a headline for
each one.
1. Your head teacher has praised students for raising more than P2,000 for a
charity appeal. Students held cake sales and took part in a sponsored swim
to raise the money. The head teacher says he is very proud of their efforts.
Headline:
2. Karlo Katigbak says the network had paid taxes since it was established.
The later told CNN Philippines that he presented the documents at the
House of Representatives together with the company’s accountants.
Headline:
3. The Philippines’ coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have reached
over 56,000 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 2,124 more
infections.
In a press briefing that was supposed to be held on Sunday afternoon but

instead held on Monday morning, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said
there were also 162 new deaths and 2,009 new recoveries.
Headline:
Activity 4 Making Stories

Direction: Below are the information needed to create a news story. Write a short
news story from the data given. After that, create an appropriate headline.
WHO: Sen. Grace Poe
WHAT: Media should not be afraid to take a stand on the attack of press
freedom
WHEN: Monday, July 13, 2020
WHERE: Senate hearing
WHY: With what happened to the franchise renewal of ABS-SBN being
dismissed
HOW: The media should not let the chilling effect of the House of
Representatives' denial of the ABS-CBN Corporation's franchise application hinder
them from exposing truth and criticisms against the government, for doing so will
weaken institutions, Senator Grace Poe said
Headline:
___________________________________________________________________
News Story:
__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________
Rubrics:
Components – 4
Information – 4
Presentation - 2
What I Have Learned
Activity 5 Complete Me
DIRECTIONS: Complete the following statements about what you have learned
about how to write headlines and news stories for broadcast.
1. Headlines should be _____________.
2. Write in your own voice, in a ___________ tone, as if you’re speaking to only
one listener.
3. Broadcast strives for ___________.
4. Too much detail can become __________ and make the story lose focus.
5. Tell stories in __________ order.
6. People respond to __________.
7. Most headlines are short and __________.
8. Don't __________ the subject of the story.
9. In writing news stories, clear and _________ writing is key.
10.With your words, create powerful and straightforward __________.
Activity 6 Jumbled Letters

DIRECTIONS: Arrange the following letters to form a word. Explain briefly the
word produced.
1. EPEK TI MPELSI - ________________________________________________
2. SUE GYAEIMR - ________________________________________________
3. UAEVL HET RBVE - ________________________________________________
4. RWETI TO ETH CUTREPIS - __________________________________________
5. RWETI KLIE UYO KSAPE - ____________________________________________
6. SUE RNGOST SORDW - ______________________________________________
7. RTTAS LEPMSI - _____________________________________________________
8. DIOAV PIITOIRETN - __________________________________________________
9. HAEGNC UYOR TVEIECPSPRE - _______________________________________
10. KAET HET LATNEM CTREUPI - ________________________________________
What I Can Do
Activity 7 Write with a Purpose

DIRECTIONS: Answer the writing disposition survey found below. Place a check
mark on the response that best describes how you generally feel towards writing.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statements below?
1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Neither Agree or Disagree
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree
MY WRITING DISPOSITION
1 2 3 4 5
1. I write well in English.
2. Being a proficient writer will help me succeed academically
and professionally.
3. Good writers know the rules of grammar and mechanics.
4. I don't bother rewriting my written output especially when
I am busy.
5. I don't usually pay attention to the purpose why I'm writing an output or
to whom it is addressed.
6. it is important to reread, revise, and edit my written
outputs.
7. I am nervous about writing in English.
8. I find it helpful to show my written output to others and
get feedback.
9. I find it difficult to express my ideas accurately.
10. I find it hard to write fluidly.
Assessment
Test I
Directions: Write the appropriate headline of the following paragraphs below.
1. Among its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines is the most
concerned country about the territorial dispute with China, according to a
global study released on Wednesday.
Headline: ___________________________________________________________
2. The Highway Patrol Group of the Philippine National Police on Friday said it
is ready to resume its traffic management functions on EDSA on Monday as
it sternly reminded motorists of both private and public utility vehicles to
follow traffic rules and regulations on the 23.8- kilometer highway.
Headline: ___________________________________________________________
3. Senate President and Liberal Party Chair Franklin Drilon said the LP is
looking at either Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto or Camarines Sur Rep.
Leni Robredo to be Mar Roxas II’s running mate.
Headline:
___________________________________________________________________
4. At least 65 more deaths due to COVID-19 have been recorded by the
Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, bringing the death toll to 1,599.
Headline:
___________________________________________________________________
5. President Rodrigo Duterte said “law-abiding citizens” should not fear the
newly-signed Anti-Terrorism Act, but made it clear that communist rebels
should be considered as terrorists under the controversial measure.
Headline:
___________________________________________________________________
Test II
Directions: Match the following headlines with the right section of the news
program.
HEADLINE SECTION OF THE NEWS PROGRAM
1. 65 more COVID-19 fatalities push

PH’s death toll to 1599
2. Tropical Depression Carina:

Signal 1 up over 3 areas
3. PNP to heighten drive in local

ordinances amid pandemic
4. Search for California lake

resumes for missing ‘Glee’ star
5. France kicks off fans’ return to

elite European soccer
6. Sri Lanka shuts school again as

virus cases surge
7. Japan research shows that some

dishwashing liquids contain
effective home disinfectants–
including Joy Philippines
8. DOH reports 42 COVID deaths,
highest in 3 months
9. Australia locks down second city

as global cases 12 million
10.Davao City returns to GCQ
Additional Activities
Directions: Make a news story with a headline of the current situation of our
country or our city right now.
Headline: _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
References
Dr. Merlin R. Mann, “Headlines”, accessed June 10, 2020,
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/client_edit/Headlines.html
“How to Write a News Article: Headlines”, SPC St. Petersburg College Learning
Resources, accessed June 10, 2020, https://spcollege.libguides.com/c.php?
g=254319&p=1695321
ThoughtCo., “The Secret to Writing Great Headlines for Your News Stories,
accessed June 10, 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/the-secret-to-writing-great-
headlines-2073697

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10

Published in the Philippines

This Journalism Learning Kit is published to be utilized by the Schools

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this learning resource may be

Development Team of Journalism Learning Kit

Writer: Haydee Gatdula-Non

Editor: Romel D. Babiera

Produced for: Davao City Division, Region XI

Learning Competency: Observe guidelines and rules in writing headlines and

Activity 1 Newspaper Headlines

2. The largest TV network shuts

3. Law-abiding citizens should not

4. Duterte: Maria Ressa is a fraud.

5. Sec. Briones: We should live

Activity 2 Getting Ready to Write

3. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque echoed Duterte’s opinion during his

 5-10 words at the most

1. Sentence Headlines – Senators believe ABS-CBN fate sets

Headlines most common techniques

 Noun phrases – a noun phrase with no verb. A noun phrase describes

Under Pressure from Boss

 Noun Strings – a string of three, four or more nouns together

Widow Pension Pay Committee

 Simple Tenses instead of Continuous or Perfect

Forgotten Brother Appears = A forgotten brother has appeared

Man Killed in Accident = A Man has been killed in an accident.

President Declares Celebration = The president has declared a

 Infinitive to Indicate Future

Mayor to Open Shopping Mall = The mayor is going to open a

 3- Other common techniques

 Puns (play on words)

Be specific, not vague. Draw readers in because your headline is compelling.

Get emotional. Is there anger? Love? Frustration? Desperation? Appreciation?

Be Accurate. This is most important. A headline should entice readers, but it

 must be correct (in fact and implication).

Headline writing process: news, features

The One-Last-Look Step.

Choosing headline verbs.

Heads without verbs

Activity 3 Headline Writing

In a press briefing that was supposed to be held on Sunday afternoon but

Activity 4 Making Stories

Activity 6 Jumbled Letters

Activity 7 Write with a Purpose

HEADLINE SECTION OF THE NEWS PROGRAM

1. 65 more COVID-19 fatalities push

2. Tropical Depression Carina:

3. PNP to heighten drive in local

4. Search for California lake

5. France kicks off fans’ return to

6. Sri Lanka shuts school again as

7. Japan research shows that some

9. Australia locks down second city

10.Davao City returns to GCQ

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