the basics of

NEWS
WRITING
Jhon Carlo M. Landicho
Associate Editor, The Builders / Ang Pandayan
 Note: You can have your own style of writing. It can be inverted
pyramid, T, hourglass, or anything else. For beginners, it’s still best to
follow the inverted pyramid format.
 ANGLE
-the focus of your story
-national significance
-relevance to the
e.g if you are given a speech
manuscript of VP Duterte about the
newly opened OVP office in Davao
and the issue on people’s initiative,
community you have to consider the
requirements on which will be the
-greatest impact angle of your news story.
HEADLINE
WRITING
hammer, kicker, the main headline
 HAMMER
1-2 words

NAGTATAGO?
Senado naglabas na ng subpoena para kay Pstr. Quiboloy

HINDI TERORISTA
UP Anakbayan umalma sa ‘red-tagging’ ng NTF-ELCAC

ONE MORE
Builders’ Silakbo Magazine clinches back-to-back title in SPAM
 KICKER
3-8 words
-event, pun (humor/sarcsatic), or significance (cause & effect)

No more neckbrace, SONA 2023,

Gloria back in power
From jail to congress seat,
Gloria back in power
Sa Nat’l iSite X Stackleague Challenge,
Ramirez, ika-pitong ‘programmer’ sa bansa
AFP Anniversary,
Lorenzana wishes more funds for soldiers
BBM sinabing bumaba na raw ang presyo ng
bilihin
Dahil sa mga nabuklat na paglabag,
Senado ipinag-utos na ang tigil-operasyon ng
SMNI Network
Illegal Chinese workers flock Manila,
Du30 to investigate POGO ops
MAIN HEADLINE
message of the story
don’t include event
3-8 words and in active voice
avoid redandancy of words from headline to lead
subject+verb+news element or subject+news element

TomasinoWeb pumalag sa ‘censorship’ ng UST admin

Senado naihain na ang supoena kay Quiboloy
BatStateU cancels in-person classes amidst bomb threat
Marcos Jr. open for ChaCha discussion
 QUOTE HEADLINE
1. (subject): (direct/indirect quote)
BBM: Magiging bente ang bigas
BBM: ‘Bumaba na ang presyo ng bilihin’
Note: WRITING A DIRECT QUOTATION. If you are a Filipino writer and you are given an English factsheet, paraphrase or make the
quote indirect and v.v for English writers.

2. (direct /indirect quote)－(subject) Note: No to secondary student-writers for contests

Magiging bente ang bigas－ BBM
‘Bumaba na ang presyo ng bilihin’－ BBM

3. (direct /indirect quote), (verb) +(subject)

Patuloy na magsulat, ani Manal
‘Make America great again’, says Trump
 QUOTE HEADLINE
4. (double subject) : (direct /indirect quote)
Duterte sa kritiko: ‘patayin ko kayo’

5. (double subj) + (verb): (direct / indirect quote)

Duterte hits critics: I will kill you

6. (subject) + (verb) + (news element) + (quote)

Duterte binantaan ang mga pasaway sa ECQ: “Shoot them dead.”

5. (Side A) ; (Side B) Note: Not a quote headline

Cardema cries extortion; Guanzon says all publicity
BODY
 LEAD
WHAT, WHY, HOW (unless the story is bounded by either who, when and
where)

Example:
MANIBELA IGINIIT SA GOBYERNO: NILOLOKO NIYO LANG KAMI!
Nanindigan ang grupong Manibela na niloloko lamang ng
pamahaalan ang mga jeepney operators nang ipag-utos nito ang
jeepney consolidation kaya’t hindi pa rin daw sila makikiisa rito.
Note: The verb in the headline should not be the verb in the lead
 2ND PARAGRAPH
Transition Paragraph:
Source of news + source speaker + when + where +
indirect quotation

Example:

Ayon kay Manibela Chairman Mar Balbuena nitong Lunes sa

isinagawang kilos-protesta, hindi makatarungan ang sunod-
sunod na desisyon ng pamalaan kabilang na ang utos na
pagsanib sa mga kooperatiba.
 3RD PARAGRAPH
Direct Quotation

Example:

“Hindi kami papayag na hindi namin hawak ang aming

prangkisa. Pinaghirapan namin ang lahat ng ito pero sa isang
iglap, nang dahil lang sa mga sarili nilang kagustuhan,
madadamay ang kabuhayan na nagpapakain sa aming mga
pamilya,” saad ni Balbuena.
 4TH PARAGRAPH
Elaborate the lead.

Example:

Nitong Linggo, muling pinalawig ng LTFRB ang deadline

hanggang Enero 24 ng pagconsolidate ng mga jeepneys upang
makasali sa mga kooperatiba na siya namang hahawak ng isa
na lamang na prangkisa ng lahat ng miyembro nito.
5TH PARAGRAPH
State the backgrounder of the subject of the story.

Example:

*not always applicable

 6TH PARAGRAPH
Elaborate the third paragraph / first quotation.

Example:

Paliwanag ni Balbuena, hakbang lamang ito ng pamahalaan upang

makontrol ang mga lumang modelo ng jeepney kapag nahawakan na
ng mga kooperatiba at tuluyang maipilit ang pag-arangkada ng
modernong model nito. Dagdag pa niya, hindi kaya ng lahat ng
operator na bumili ng mga modern jeepneys dahil na rin sa taas ng
presyo ng mga ito.
 7TH PARAGRAPH
Another indirect quotation

Example:

Inanunsyo naman ng grupo na magpapatuloy ang serye ng

kanilang mga kilos-protesta at tigil-pasada kung patuloy na
hindi sila pakikinggan ng pamahalaan.
 8TH PARAGRAPH
Direct quotation

Example:

“Buo po ang aming loob. Hindi kami matitinag sa pagtindig sa alam

naming tama. Umaasa rin kami na makikiisa sa amin ang iba pang
jeepney operators sa bansa para sa panawagang ito,” ani Balbuena.
 9TH PARAGRAPH
Second tier of details (optional)
It is the side B of the story.
Simulan sa indirect quotation.

Example:

Kinontra naman ito ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory

Board (LTFRB) sa isang pahayag na inilabas nila sa media. Ayon sa ahensya,
nais lamang nila na maging organisado at matanggap ng mga operators ang
benepisyo na nararapat sa kanila sa paraang may suporta ng pamahalaan.
 10TH PARAGRAPH
Second tier of details (optional)
It is the side B of the story.
Lagyan din ng direct quotation (optional)
Example:

“From the very start, this government is very clear with its goal
of making the development for our country. It is never in our
intention to take down the living of our fellow Filipinos,”
pahayag ng LTFRB.
ENDING PARAGRAPH
Advancer (optional)

Example:

Nakatakda ang ikatatlong sunod na tigil-pasada sa susunod na

Biyernes kasabay ng huling linggo ng pasukan bago ang
Christmas break.
SUB-NEWS AND SUBHEAD
It is done to shift topic or add news that somehow relates the main news. In
contests, subhead are used when there is two topics given in a factsheet.
Subhead is 2-5 words and the body will follow the same format with the main
news.
Example:
UP MasCom students, nagwelga
Nakiisa rin ang mga estudyante ng University of the Philippines
(UP) College of Mass Communication sa panawagan na itigil ng
pamahalaan ang jeepney modernization, sa isang rally na isinagawa
sa Mendiola, Enero 23.
.......
REMEMBER always be in
LAYMAN’S TERM
Start it STRONG.
String it RIGHT.
End it SHARP.
Familiarize yourself with correct grammar,
including the usage of common and proper
nouns.
Keep it short and simple.
 NEWS LINGOS
pumalag sinilip naghihingalo pinuna lumalabas nadiskaril

nagbaba tinuldukan kumpiyansa mariing pinuksa nakulimbati

bunsod isiniwalat nagsampa timbog ibinuking inulan

nilagdaan nakasagupa ibinasura nanawagan umamin tinambangan

dawit nagharap lusot na utas kapwa pinasinayaan

pumalo iginiit lumutang nakasaad narekober kinastigo

kinalampag nilinaw umaaray nasasakdal nakaengkwentro nirepaso

kinumpirma maanghang nasabat pagsirit nasakote binusisi

iniupo tiniyak sumipa nagtulak pinutakte kinuwestiyon

nagbitiw nagpahayag sumailalim puspusan naunsyami merkado

Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo
Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine
Courtesy:
The Builders’
Silakbo Magazine