CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play

COPYREADING
HEADLINE WRITING
JOY J. MAGBANUA
Presbitero High School

Copyreading and Headline Writing

CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
OBJECTIVES
• Discuss copyreading and headline writing
• Identify and use copyreading symbols
•Use other technicalities of copyreading

Copyreading and Headline Writing

CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
COPYREADING
• It is the art of arranging, correcting, and
selecting the quality and type of news.
• It is also called copyediting.
• One who edits copies is called a copyreader
or copyeditor.
Copyreading and Headline Writing
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF A
COPYREADER
1. edits errors on spelling and grammar (tenses,
agreement, etc.)
2. edits errors in facts (accuracy check)
3. edits verbose copy
4. deletes opinion or slant and libelous statements
5. writes the headline

Copyreading and Headline Writing

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MACRO EDITING
Macro editing is big-picture editing.
• Worthiness of the article
• Organization and flow
• Accuracy
• Objectivity
• Legal, ethical, tasteful, and sensitive to the audience

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MICRO EDITING
Micro editing is editing with an eye toward the
details.
• Grammar and usage
• Abbreviations, capitalization, numbers, and
punctuation
• Spelling

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COPYREADING SYMBOLS

COPYREADING SYMBOLS.pdf

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
NUMBERS
The numbers 1 – 9 are written in words while the numbers 10 and above
are written in figures.
Examples:
five teachers 16 students
EXCEPTIONS:
- dates, address: always in figures
- proper nouns: may be written in figures/words
- beginning of sentence: always in words
- events: 1st – 9th are allowed
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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
QUOTATION MARKS
• used to set off titles of events, shows, movies, books, etc.
Ex: We watched “The Titanic.”
• used to set off an alias or nickname
Ex: Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
• used in direct quotations
Ex: “I forgot it,” he said.
• periods and commas are written first before closing quotation
marks
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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
DIRECT QUOTATION

• “he/she said” not “said he”

• “Duterte said” vs “said Duterte”

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
CHECK FOR ERRORS IN:

• Tenses of verbs
• Subject-Verb-Agreement
• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
• Articles (a, an, the)

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
PARAGRAPH

• One paragraph, one sentence only

(news stories)
• First line of the paragraph is indented

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
ACRONYM
When the acronym appears for the first time in a
news story, it is written after its meaning and it is
enclosed in parentheses.
e.g. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
ABBREVIATION
• Abbreviate title if it precedes a full name and spell out if it
precedes a surname only.
e.g. Engr. Alberto Dela Cruz;
Engineer Dela Cruz
• Abbreviate some words in exact address. Spell out if
otherwise.
e.g. 14 Sampalok St.; Sampalok Street
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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
CAPITALIZATION
• A title that follows a name should be lowercase and set
off in commas
e.g. Maria Dela Cruz, the principal, received the
school’s award.
• Titles that precede names should be capitalized.
e.g. Principal Maria Dela Cruz received the school’s
award.
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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
SPELLING
• Use American English and not British English.
e.g. color, not colour
• If a word has more than one accepted spelling, the
shortest one is preferred.
e.g. enrolment enrollment

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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
REDUNDUNCIES & WORDINESS
Long Version Short Version
advance planning planning
armed gunmen gunmen
at this point in time now
at that point in time then
cancelled out cancelled
city of Manila Manila
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POINTERS IN COPYREADING
GENDER-BIASED TERMS
fireman firefighter
chairman chairperson
mankind people/humanity
manpower workers, work force
founding fathers pioneers
policeman police officer
salesman salesperson
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HEADLINE
WRITING
JOY J. MAGBANUA
Presbitero High School

Department of Education Copyreading and Headline

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
OBJECTIVES
• Discuss headline writing
• Understand guidelines in writing headlines
• Write a headline from an edited copy

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HEADLINE
• An assemblage of words written in bigger,
bolder letters than the usual page text at
the beginning of the news
• Headlines are windows of the newspaper
as they serve as the quick source of
information for busy readers.
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FUNCTIONS OF HEADLINE
• to attract the readers
• to tell the story (in a summary)
• to index/grade the news (big type for important news;
small type for less important)

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QUALITIES OF A GOOD HEADLINE

1. It attracts the reader’s eye and directs its attention

to the story beneath it.
2. It is concisely constructed to save space. articles
and other unnecessary words are omitted.
3. It must be positive and active.

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THINGS TO REMEMBER IN HEADLINES
1. The headline presents the news in a CAPSULE.
2. The headline must contain the most important, the most
intriguing, the most unusual fact of the story.
3. The headline must be so constructed as to catch the
reader’s attention and make him read the story.
4. The headline is based on the lead.
5. The headline makes use of special vocabulary which is
not suitable for ordinary communication situations.

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• First, read the story for general meaning.
• Clues to the headline are usually in the lead.
What happened?
Who did what?
How did it happen?
• Use the shortest words possible.
Examples:
cop – policeman up - increase
nab – arrest thief - robber
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Headline Vocabulary

accord - agreement dip - go down

allay - to calm Ex - former
anew - again grill - investigate
assail - to attack with arguments hit - attack
cite - mention; enumerate slay/kill -
murdered
crown - championship hike - increase
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Headline Vocabulary
kin - family bare - reveal, expose
ratify - approve; confirm rift - disagreement
nab- arrest okay/ok - approve
sked - schedule foil - thwart, rejected
vow - pledge rule - decide
solon - lawmaker, representative

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Headline Vocabulary

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Headline Vocabulary

1. US hits Iraq’s nuclear test (attacks)

2. DepEd acts to nip tuition hike (to stop;increase)
3. Arroyo’s nod expected (approval)
4. Pimentel prods GMA to resign (urges)
5. 20 donors boost fund drive (increase)
6. Enrollment dips (decreases)
7. Faculty club beefed up (strengthened)
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

• Use the historical present tense if the verb is in the

active voice.
Wrong: PH captured key Maute base in Marawi
Correct: PH captures key Maute base in Marawi
• Omit the helping verb if the verb is in the passive voice.
Only the past participle is retained.
Wrong: 2 were feared dead after electric post falls in QC
Correct: 2 feared dead after electric post falls in QC
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

• Follow the S-V-O pattern.

- Subject-Verb-Object pattern (English)

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Subject + action verb + object
Posibleng bagyo binabantayan ng PAGASA

Isang low pressure area (LPA) na posibleng maging

bagyo ang tinututukan ngayon ng state weather bureau.
Huling namataan ng Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) ang sama ng panahon sa 700 kilometro silangan
ng Hilagang Mindanao kaninang alas-4 ng umaga.

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Subject + action verb + object
Lawmaker files bill
A lawmaker recently filed a bill proposing a “no work, no pay”
policy for members of the House of Representatives who fail to attend
sessions.
Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco proposed House Bill (HB) 412 otherwise
known as “An act providing for a ‘No work, No pay’ policy for members of Congress”
as he sought to encourage quorum in the 17thCongress. His bill states that “all
members of the Congress shall attend, participate and take part in the regular and
special sessions of the Congress.”

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Subject + action verb + object
Lawmaker files bill
Solon proposes ‘no work, no pay’ policy
Solon proposes ‘no work, no pay’ policy for lawmakers
A lawmaker recently filed a bill proposing a “no work, no pay” policy for
members of the House of Representatives who fail to attend sessions.
Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco proposed House Bill (HB) 412 otherwise
known as “An act providing for a ‘No work, No pay’ policy for members of
Congress” as he sought to encourage quorum in the 17thCongress. His bill states
that “all members of the Congress shall attend, participate and take part in the
regular and special sessions of the Congress.”
Department of Education Copyreading and Headline
Writing
CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
Subject + action verb + object
Duterte forms task force on media violence

 MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo

Duterte has formed a task force that will
ensure a safe environment for members of
the media amid growing concerns over the
harassment of journalists who have reported
critically of the administration.
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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• Use the infinitive for future events.
Wrong: Dumaguete will host NSPC 2018
Correct: Dumaguete to host NSPC 2018
• Do not use a period at the end of the headline.

• Omit articles (a, an, the).

Wrong: A 4.1-magnitude quake hits Eastern Samar
Correct: 4.1-magnitude quake hits Eatern Samar
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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• Use a comma instead of “and” in writing headlines.
Jinggoy walks, says Bong next
• Use semicolon to separate sentences.
Bolts crush Aces; Hotshots hold three-game slide
• Use punctuation marks sparingly.

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• Use single quotes (‘) in headlines instead of double quotes
(“).
‘Habal-habal’ ride of Orbos a wake-up call for Tugade
• Always give the source of a quote. To use direct quotation
as head, use any of the following forms:
a. Dash NCIP budget slash to hurt ‘lumad’ - Bukidnon gov
b. Colon Bukidnon gov: NCIP budget slash to hurt ‘lumad’
c. Narrative form NCIP budget slash to hurt ‘lumad,’ says Bukidnon gov

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

• Use the down-style – only the first word and proper

nouns are capitalized, unless otherwise indicated.
PDEA seeks more drug rehab centers
• Use only widely known abbreviations.
DILG installs Yap as new governor of Southern Leyte

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• Don’t use names unless the person is well known, use
common nouns instead.
Wrong: Fernandez slain in Pangasinan gun battle
Correct: Suspected cop killer slain in Pangasinan gun battle
• Use specific terms instead of generalities
Example: Cebu police rescue toddler from abuse
Better: Cebu police rescue toddler from cybersex

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

• Just report the facts; do not editorialize.

Wrong: Amazing natural farm atop Underground River
Correct: Natural farm atop Underground River

• Be positive. Don’t use negatives in headlines. They

weaken the stories.
Wrong: PTA meeting won’t be held
Better: PTA meeting cancelled

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

• Never use the word “may.” It denotes the uncertain

element of the story.
e.g. Jinggoy out on bail; Bong may be next

How about this?

Under federalism, Duterte may stay till 2025
A federalism advocate on Thursday raised the possibility of extending
President Duterte’s term to 2025 while the country adjusts to the shift to a federal
parliamentary government.
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES

Under federalism, Duterte may stay till 2025

Under federalism
Duterte may stay till 2025, says advocate

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GUIDELINES FOR WRITING HEADLINES
• Use numbers only if important. Write numbers in
figures. B-billion and M-million
LRT group wants P7.5B from gov’t
10.5M adult Filipinos jobless in 2nd quarter

• The first line of two-line or three-line headline should

not end with a preposition, conjunction, articles or any
form of the verb to be, unless the preposition goes with
the verb, as in the word call up.
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RULES IN ACRONYM
1. Four-letter acronym and below, all letters should be
capitalized like WHO, UN, MILF
2. For more than four-letter acronym, only the first letter is
capitalized like in Asean, Unicef
3. For syllabic acronym, the first letter of each syllable of the
words should be capitalized like DepEd, GenSan,
SoCCSKSarGen
4. If the acronym lacks enough vowels, all the letters should
be capitalized like ILSNHSMD
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Writing
CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
STEPS IN HEADLINE WRITING
• Make sure you understand what the story is about.
• Find the action verb and the most important noun, which tell what is
happening in the story.
• Sum up the story with key words; build this summary around the verb
you have chosen.
• Cast the summary in a sentence.
• Shorten the sentence by putting it in headline form.
• Once the first draft of the headline is written, find synonyms for key
words in the lead and begin substitution as necessary.

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DECK
• This is the number of lines your headline will have
Example:
Comelec to deal directly with telcos
(1 deck)

10 more cops wanted

for Maguindanao massacre
(2 decks)
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SLUG
• SLUG IS THE STORY’S NAME
…It is used for the purposes of identification and record keeping. It is usually
written in a single word.
E.g. Weather - for a weather story
Council - for a council meeting
Drowning - for a story about death by drowning

• SLUG LINE
Philippine Star Philippine Star
News News
Christina Mendez/10-4-17 CM/10-4-17
wealth probe wealth probe
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HEADLINE TERMS

• Columns
- Vertical strips of text.
- The thin white spaces between columns are
called gutters.

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HEADLINE TERMS
• Headline count
- Count or length in units of each line.
e.g. Jinggoy Estrada camp posts bail
Jinggoy, pinayagang magpyansa

UNIT COUNTS & HEADLINE SCHEDULE.docx

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HEADLINE TERMS

• Headline Schedule
- Chart that allows one to translate a headline
order into a specific count. It tells how many
counts of a given point size can fit into a given
column width.

UNIT COUNTS & HEADLINE SCHEDULE.docx

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CAMPUS JOURNALISM Let’s Play
HEADLINE TERMS
• Headline Order/Printer’s Direction
- Refers to request for a given size of headline.
- Three-number sequence that tells
1. how many columns a headline should cover,
2. what point size it should be, and
3. how many lines it should fill. Columns–Font Size–Lines
e.g. 6-42-1: six columns wide, 42-point type size, one line).

6-42-1 6col-42TNR-1 6-42-1

fl/ds fl/ds

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COPYREADING AND HEADLINE
WRITING ACROSS ARTICLES TYPES
• Read the whole article
• Analyze and identify the type of article
• Copyread considering the rules and mechanics of the type of
article
• For news with unconventional leads, consider the secondary lead
in writing the headline
• Headline (news articles), Title (editorial and feature articles)

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- Brian Clark
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 Division TrainingLet’s
for School
Play Paper Advisers

Good day &

God bless!

Thank you!!!
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