NEWS WRITING

PREPARED BY:
Miss Gracey
Campus Journalism Workshop | February 7, 2014
Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite
 COVERAGE
• What is News?
• The News Writing
• Elements of News
• Sources of News
• Kinds of News
• Structure of News
• Tips for Writing News
 ICEBREAKER
• GROUP ACTIVITY
 What is NEWS?
• Information about current events printed in newspapers or broadcast by
media (Microsoft Encarta, 2009)
• gives the reader information that will have an impact on them in some way
• usually flows from most important to least important.
 What is NEWS?
• Recent information
• Current events
• Somebody or something interesting
• Something previously unknown
 The Elements of News
• Timeliness
• Proximity
• Impact
• Prominence
• Oddity
• Conflict
• Human Interest
 The Elements of News
• Timeliness
 The Elements of News
• Proximity
 The Elements of News
• Impact
 The Elements of News
• Prominence
 The Elements of News
• Oddity
 The Elements of News
• Conflict
 The Elements of News
• Human Interest
 Essential Qualities of News
• Accuracy
• Brevity
• Clarity
• Objectivity
• Factual
 Where to find News?
• Daily newspapers
• News magazines
• Teen magazines
• Education journals
• Television
• Internet
• Open your eyes and ears
 Qualities of a News Writer
• Aware
• Alert
• Can do multitasking
• Must have a nose for news
• Must not be afraid of people
• Must be able to finish the article on time
 Kinds of News
• Straight News
• News Feature
 Kinds of News
• Straight News
- consists of facts reported without elaboration
 Kinds of News
• News Feature
- based on facts
- writer may give his impressions, may describe and narrate without
resorting to biased opinion
 Structure of News
• Inverted Pyramid
- suggests that news be told in order of most
interesting or important to least interesting or
important
Structure of News
Structure of News
 Structure of News: The LEAD
• The first paragraph
• Most important part of the article, summarizes
the story
• Arouses the interest of the reader
• Answers 5 W’s and 1 H
 The LEAD: Types
• Straight Lead
• Novelty Lead
• Blind Lead
 The LEAD: Types
• Straight Lead
- most traditional lead
- uses the 5W’s and 1H Formula
- Straight to the point
 The LEAD: Types
Let’s see these:
• Many students in LPU-C are getting bald early.
• The LPU-C Board had a meeting.
• The meeting was held last night.
• They ate chicharon during the meeting.
• One of the causes of baldness might be the wearing of caps.
• The board passed a resolution banning the wearing of hats in school
• The board voted 9-1 in favor of the resolution.
 The LEAD: Types
There is one story but can have 6 POSSIBLE LEADS!
• Who? – The LPU-C school board passed a resolution last night banning the
wearing of caps in all school buildings.
• What? – Cap wearing was banned in all school buildings last night after the
school board passed a new resolution.
• Where? – In LPU-Cavite last night, the school board passed a resolution to
ban the wearing of cap in all school buildings.
 The LEAD: Types
There is one story but can have 6 POSSIBLE LEADS!
• When? – Last night, the school board passed a resolution banning cap
wearing in all school buildings.
• How? – By a 9-1 margin last night, the school board passed a resolution
banning cap wearing inside the school premises.
• Why? – Citing a pattern of early-onset baldness in LPU-C students, the
school board last night passed a resolution that restricts cap wearing in all
school buildings.
 The LEAD: Types
Types of Novelty Lead:
• Astonisher Lead – Better attend your classes on November 5.
• Contrast Lead – “Twenty years ago, he was the school’s janitor. Now he came back
to become the college dean.
• Epigram Lead – verse, quotation eg. “Like father, like son.”
• Picture Lead – describe a mental picture of a subject eg. “The new dean, although
only his 30s, is already haired.
• Background Lead – describes the setting eg. Decorated by colored lights, the
quadrangle became a grand setting for a barrio fiesta as LPU-C celebrates…
 The LEAD: Types
Types of Novelty Lead:
• Parody Lead - a parody of a well-known song or poem etc. eg. Never say never…
This must be far away from the mind of a 45-year old man who killed himself...
• Quotation Lead – eg. “Ignorance, not poverty, causes malnutrition.” Thus revealed
former Cavite Governor Vic Nakamura to…
• Punch Lead – short, forceful, explosive eg. God is dead!
• Question Lead – eg. Who will be the next Cavite governor. The answer will be
known on…
 The LEAD: Types
• Blind Lead
- if the person concerned is not well known in the community, his/her
name is less important than other salient facts that identify the person
 The BRIDGE
• The transition from the lead to the story, explains the blind lead, uses key
words to provide transition from the lead to the chronological details of the
body
The LEAD and BRIDGE
The LEAD and BRIDGE
 The LEAD: Guidelines in Writing
• Rarely use: Who, When and Where leads
• Use often: How, Why, What leads
• Use less than 30 words
• Avoid using articles such as a, an, the
• Don’t put unfamiliar names in the lead unless of well-known.
• Be accurate.
 The LEAD: Guidelines in Writing
• Use active voice.
• Ask, “Why should I care?”; “What do my readers need to know most?”
• Sell the story.
• Put attributions first.
 Structure of News: The BODY
• Contains the details of the lead
• Arranged from the most important to the least important
• One sentence, one paragraph
• Sentences are generally less than 25 words
• Include quotations whenever possible (direct and indirect)
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
• Should be linked to the paragraph before them. The quote should elaborate
on the previous paragraph.
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
For example:
Because of an anonymous $25,000 donation, students who ride a school
bus to and from school will have access to the Internet during their commute
starting March 1.
“Giving free Wi-Fi to our students will enable them to do research, read the
news or even watch educational videos each day,” Superintendent Kelli Putman
said. “This change will have a positive impact on academic productivity.”
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
• Next Transition, Direct Quote
Superintendent Putman first proposed this plan in November, but the district
did not have the funding to go forward. The city newspaper published an
article about the proposal, and the anonymous donation followed.
“With the tight budget and tough economic times, I thought my Wi-Fi
proposal was a pipe dream,” she said. “I want to thank the donor for being so
generous.”
and so on…
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
• Should not repeat the transition/lead before them.
For example:
Principal Jeanette Rother said that several teachers have been reluctant to
give assignments that require Internet access.
“Several of our teachers have been hesitant about giving homework
assignments that would require the Internet,” Rother said..
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
• Can be longer than one sentence.
• Should have attribution after the first sentence of the quote.
• Attribution should be: Noun then verb.
For example:
Correct - senior Bob Rodriguez said.
Incorrect - said senior Bob Rodriguez. (unless you have an unusually long
title)
 Structure of News: DIRECT QUOTES
• Do not place two people’s direct quotes next to each other without a
transition.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• Very, very important
• Holds the story together
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• Can be fact, indirect quote or a partial quote.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• FACT TRANSITION:
(Lead) President Barack Obama will speak on Friday to seniors about getting
involved in community service work.
(Direct Quote)“Seniors will learn a lot about duty and commitment when they
hear President Obama,” Principal Ike Sumter said. “We are so excited that he
agreed to come.”
(Fact Transition) Before becoming president, Obama worked as a community
organizer in Chicago.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• INDIRECT QUOTE TRANSITION:
(Lead) President Barack Obama will speak on Friday to seniors about getting
involved in community service work.
(Direct Quote)“Seniors will learn a lot about duty and commitment when they
hear President Obama,” Principal Ike Sumter said. “We are so excited that he
agreed to come.”
(IQ Transition) President Obama said he believes community service is more
important than college in building character.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• PARTIAL QUOTE TRANSITION:
(Lead) President Barack Obama will speak on Friday to seniors about getting
involved in community service work.
(Direct Quote)“Seniors will learn a lot about duty and commitment when they
hear President Obama,” Principal Ike Sumter said. “We are so excited that he
agreed to come.”
(PQ Transition) President Obama said he believes community service is
“extremely valuable lesson” for every teen to have.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• Use transitional words to help with the flow (as needed): After all, Also,
Finally, In addition, However, Otherwise, Then
For example:
In addition to speaking about community service, Obama plans to talk to
students about the importance of voting.
 Structure of News: TRANSITION
• Use parts of the direct quotes to create the transition. And then use the rest
of the quote as direct quote.
 The BODY: Tips in Writing
• List down facts according to descending importance.
• Highlight the most important data as the lead.
• Names should be given in full when first mentioned. Thereafter, use Mr.,
Ms., or Mrs. Or appropriate title
• Attribute authority or source of news.
• Don’t start news with numerals, there is…, there are…, and avoid…; when
possible, use articles (a, an, the) as beginning word.
 The BODY: Tips in Writing
• Make sure your facts are accurate.
• Keep your sentences short.
• Be specific.
• Avoid long and complex words.
• Avoid passive verbs, jargons and clichés.
 The BODY: Tips in Writing
• Use transitions.
• Avoid redundancy and repetition.
• Write in the third person.
• Use adjectives sparingly.
• Do not editorialize.
• Numbers 1-9 spelled out, 10 and above figures
 FACT vs. OPINION
• FACTS
- verifiable
- attributable
- objective
 FACT vs. OPINION
• OPINION
- fleeting
- moldable
- subjective
 FACT vs. OPINION
• Why should opinions be left out of news?
 FACT vs. OPINION
• How do opinions in news stories impact a reporter’s credibility?
 FACT vs. OPINION
• Opinions belong on what page of a newspaper?
FACT vs. OPINION
WRITING SCHOOL NEWS
 What are possible topics in the school?
• Classroom story
• Enrollment story
• Meeting story
• Program/ Party Story
• Honor Roll
• Awards story
 What are possible topics in the school?
• School Improvement story
• Election Story
• School Organization/ Club story
• Out-of-school activity
 Sources of News
• Offices, departments, library
• School calendar
• Invitation and Memos
• Different clubs and organizations
• Sports teams
• Student and teachers
• Community
 Checklist for News Stories
• Are the most important and recent facts first?
• Is the story accurate? Are the sources identified fully?
• Are the paragraphs short?
• Is the sentence structure varied in the story?
• Is the story neat and double-spaced so that it is easy to read?
• Does your story flow? Did you use the transition/quote formula?
• Did you use active voice?
 No-Nos for News Stories
• Writing a feature lead
• Adding facts
• Putting attribution before the quote
• Missing the news peg
• Missing important information and people
• Stacking quotes
• Forgetting to use student quotes
 What will Make a Difference?
• Getting the news peg in the lead.
• Using the T/Q formula.
• Using the “correct” sources and quotes.
 Pitfalls to Avoid
• Editorializing
• Using first and second person - Keep yourself out of the story. Common
error: “our school”
• Messy handwriting, poor grammar and spelling
• Paragraphs too long
• Misspelling names in the story
• Trying to use all of the information
 THE GOOD NEWS…
• Lecture ends here…
 THE BAD NEWS…
• Workshop starts now! 
 References:
• Delgado, A. (2013). News Writing Handout. SJN Parish Formation Complex
• Delgado, A. (2012). Campus Journalism Workshop Training Handout.
General De Jesus College, Nueva Ecija
• Harrower, T. (2011). Introduction to Journalism. Lindenwood University,
USA