COPY READING AND HEADLINE WRITING

Copyreading is much like the work of a communication arts teacher correcting compositions, except
that he usesdifferent symbols.A copy may be a news item, an editorial, a feature story or any literary
article.
Duties of a copyreader:
1.

Straighten out ungrammatical construction.2.

Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.3.

See that the papers style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses, title,
designations,identifications, figures, etc.4.

Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.5.

Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the
facts unlesshe is sure of his corrections.6.

Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or sources.7.

Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.8.

Watch for libelous statements.9.

Recheck figures and totals.10.

Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to make a story sound over-written.11.

Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary.12.

Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.13.

Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible.14.

Check sluglines and paging sequences15.

Write headlines
What to copyread?
1.

Errors in fact2.

Errors in grammar 3.

Errors in structure4.

Errors in style5.

Libelous and derogatory statements6.

Seditious and rebellious matter 7.

Expressions contrary to law and good taste8.

Opinion and editorializing statements9.

Verbal deadwood, redundancy10.

Technical terms, slang, jargons

Copy-reading symbols
Punctuation Marks
Symbols Meaning OutcomeThe Bionic Woman Emphasize quotes The Bionic WomanDr Arthur Cruz
Jr Emphasize periods Dr. Arthur Cruz Jr.said I must go. Emphasize comma said, I must go.
Numbers and Abbreviations
in Nov. Spell out in November
Doctor Arthur Cruz Abbreviate Dr. Arthur Cruztwenty boys Use numeral 20 boys2 girls were Spell
out Two girls were
Special form of type
Manila, philippines Capitalize MANILA, Philippines
Letter and word changes
meet on Saturday Bridge over meet Saturdaythose b oys Close up space those boysFe Cruz
Principal Transpose Principal Fe Cruzrecieve Transpose receivepamplet Insert letter pamphletwent
market Insert word went to marketManila pAper Lower case Manila paper received free gifts Delete
word received gifts judgement Delete letter within judgmentdevelope iskill Delete before/after develop
skillthe most talented and Kill the principalenthusiastic principalAllright wehave time Insert space All
right we have timeWe were indeed very Run in copy We were indeed veryhappy because happy
because
Others
Paco, Manila Indent for paragraph Paco, ManilaToday he will Today he willWelfrido Cruz
Spell as written Welfrido KruzOne boy came Restore text; disregard On boy camecorrectionElected
prexy Center subhead Elected prexythe un - Syllabicate the un-finished task finished taskThe gong
Set in boldface the gong
She read Les Miserables Set in italics She read
Les Miserables
30 or # Story is finishedmore or ) Story is unfinishedSeminar Text continued on the(2) Next page# -
folio copy See copy as writtenNote: To arrange paragraphs just place the number (e.g. #1, #3) of the
corresponding paragraphs in theleft portion of the copy.
SAMPLE COPY TEST
Slug line: ________________________ Headline: _____________________________ No. of units:
____________ The PNU elementary school launch the anual cleanliness & beatification contest
September 16 at theschool social hole.In a mating with Presidents and vice-presidents of each class
from Grade III to Gr. Six, Mrs. Alegria FloraPrincipal explain the prosedures to folow.According to the
principal, its class class will be given an areas to cleaned. Ones a week, school officialswill vissit the
area and chose the cleanest amongst them.Prices will be awarded to the class whos area will be pick
the cleanest for 3 times. ThThis will give insentives to the students explained Mrs. Flores.The
handsome and intelligent Mr. Garcia Ramon, vocation al teacher who facilitated the meeting told
thestudes that thru the contest cooperation will be developedwhile order and cleanliness be
maintained.Congrattulations Mrs. Garcia
Headlining
It is easy to write the news headline. Just look at the first paragraph called the lead which contains
the gist, Just writethe gist of that lead.
Dos and donts in writing traditional headlines
1.

Make your headline answer as many Ws as possible.2.

The headline should summarize the news story, but must avoid using all the words used in the lead. It
shouldcontain nothing that is not found in the story.3.

Positive heads are preferable to negative ones.

School physician allays flu fear
is better than
Flu epidemic not rampant in city
.4.

Out a verb expressed or implied in every deck.5.

Omit articles like a, an, and the, and all forms of the verb to be (is, are, be, etc.), unless needed to
make themeaning clear.6.

Use the strongest word in the first line as much as possible.7.

The active verb is better than the passive verb in headlines (Food production drive intensified; RPs
lost imageabroad regained)
8.

Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive form for future stories (Archbishop Sin bats for
nationalreconciliation; Lantern parade to cap Xmas affairs).9.
Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts.10.

Avoid heads that carry double meaning.11.

Use only common abbreviations.

Punctuating a headline
1.

Use a comma in place of the conjuction

and
2.

Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon.3.

The dash may be used in smaller decks but not for headlines in large types.4.

The single quotation marks are used in headlines.5.

Follow the other rules of punctuations.

Unit counting in headline
unit - jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (--), and the question mark (?)1 unit - the
question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, all lower case letters except jiltf 1 units - the em
dash, lower case m and w, and all capital letters except capital M and W and JILTF2 units - capital M,
W
Headline vocabulary (Formula: subject-verb-object ala text message)
1.

Faculty club
strengthened
(beefed up)2.

Enrolment
decreases
(dips)3.

Science
examinations announced
(quiz bared)4.

Contests
highlight
Animal Week (cap)5.

Santos
urges
cooperation (bats for, calls for)6.

DepEd
disapproves
tuition fee increase (bucks, nixes, axes)7.

Ateneo
wins
12 medals in press
contest
(bags, romp away with; tilt, parley)8.

Principal
praises
editors humility (lauds, extols)9.

Local staff
dominates
press tilt (rules, lords over)10.
Local basketball
players
retain
championship
(sluggers; crown)11.

US
attacks
Russ nuclear test (hits)12.

Laurel
ends
diplomatic tour (winds up)13.

Cops
ended
syndicate (busted)14.

Slay suspect
questioned
(grilled, probed)15.

RP
sees
import hike (eyes)16.

456
pass
bar exams (hurdle)17.

Lim
dismisses
5 cops (fires)18.

RP-Malaysia
dispute
solved (row)19.

Fiscal
dismiss
rape
charge
(dismiss; rap)20.

Import talk
delayed
(snagged)
Mga halimbawa
Huwag gumamit ng pangalan maliban kung kilala ito
MaliJaime Diaz, nahalal na panguloTamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nahalal na pangulo ng samahan
Maging tiyak (specific)
MaliMag-aaral, nagwagi sa paligsahanTamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nagwagi sa pagsulat ng balita
Iwasan ang opinyon sa balita
MaliPaaralang Datu Puti, lumaro ng kahanga-hangaTamaPaaralang Datu Puti, nanalo ng 3 sa 4
na laban
Lagyan ng pandiwa ang bawat ulo
MaliLimang guro sa seminar TamaLimang guro, dadalo sa seminar
Iwasan ang paggamit ng negatibong pandiwa
MaliPaligsahan sa talumpatian, hindi matutuloyTamaPaligsahan sat al;umpatian, pinagpaliban
Gumamit ng makakatawag-pansing pandiwa
MahinaTinato ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36MalakasPinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-
36
Gamitin ang maikli at kilalang salita
MasalitaBayang Pilipinas, sasali sa pandaigdig na palaroMaikliRP, sasali sa olimpiyada
Iwasan ang paggamit ng pantukoy at ng pandiwang pantulong nahango sa
verb to be
MaliSi Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng RipplesTamaJaphet Burgos, napiling
punong patnugot ng Ripples

Lead (pamatnubay)
Most important facts
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog
saved the life of his blind
master, Thursday night,
but the canines loyalty
cost thetrusty animal his
life.
BridgeElaboration
of lead
In serious condition today
in Doctors Hospital is
Erland Escobanez, 71, a
street sweeper.
Escobanez of SSS
Building, Rizal St., Iloilo
City was found early this
morning unconscious on
a sidewalk near the
Aglipayan Church in the
Iloilo Terminal Market.
Less important facts
Police theorized that
Escobanez was knocked
unconscious when he
fell, his head hitting
a stone. Potpot, hisdog,
apparently tried to shield
its master from the cold
and the rain by
draping itself over the
fallen man.When
discovered this morning
by the Police Patrol,
Escobanez was still out
cold. The dog lay
near, dead.Relatives of
Escobanez who is still a
bachelor, told authorities
that he always took
nightly strolls at
about 11p.m. with his
dog.
Minor facts
According to doctors,
only the warmth from the
dogs body saved
Escobanez from certain
death.Escobanez told
police that he remembers
nothing of the incident.
A wallet containing PhP
500.00 was still in
hispocket leading the
authorities to rule out
robbery.
How to write a
lead?
Lead