COPYREADING

AND HEADLINE WRITING

• COPYREADING is another word
for editing
• -A copyreader is an editor
- A copyreader is a specialist who
improves the news story and makes
it worth reading.
- -A copy reader is the guardian
between the reporters and the
reading public.
 Why is copyreading important?

…To help make the newspaper

bring accurate information to
the reader.
… To save the newspaper from
criticism, libel suits, and
embarrassment.
• Duties of the copyreader:
A. Check the CONTENT
…checks facts
…correct errors in grammar,
spelling, punctuation,
usage and organization
…correct cases of
editorializing
B. Mark copy. Use Symbols

C. Write the Headline

D. Write Printer’s Direction

AND SLUG
• What is Printer’s Direction?

• Example:
2-16TNRI
2 -means the headline will run
across two columns of the page
16 -stand for the font size to be used
TNRI- refers to the font type
Times New Roman-Italics
• SLUG IS STOR’Y NAME

…It is used for the purposes of identification

and record keeping. It is usually written in
a single word.

Ex. Weather-for a weather story

Council- for a council meeting
Drowning-for a story about death by
drowning
• Guides to becoming a god copyreader:

• A. Be accurate
1. Confirm facts and verify names
2. Check figures
3. Checks date and time
B. Be a master of details
C. Have a broad knowledge:
…know important events, names,
…be updated on current issues
 • THE HEADLINE
-Refers to the title of any news story.
-It is the show window of the news.
-A headline writer should strive to flash
accurately in a short telegraphic
manner the major messages of the
news.
-A headline writer should also master
the headline schedule, structure
-know font size, and font type
• Functions of Headlines
1. To give the gist of the news
2. To present the news for
rapid survey reading
3. To indicate the relative
importance of the news
4. To give a pleasing
appearance to the news page.
 Tips to Headline Writers
1. Read the story for general
meaning.
2. Search for Key words on which
to base your headline.
3. Clues to the headline are
usually in the lead.
Ex. What happened?, how did it
happened? Who did what?
Rules in writing the Headlines:
1. Write a headline that is easy to read.
(subject-predicate)
Ex. Landbank nets P1.4B
2. Avoid using negative verb
Wrong:PTA meeting won’t be held
Right: PTA meeting cancelled
3. Be Specific; avoid generalities
Wrong:Student given scholarship
Right: Salazar wins UP grant
 4. Make complete statements;
don’t use labels
Wrong: Medalists
Right: 35 medals awarded
5. Use present tense for past
events
Wrong:Senate passed budget
Right: Senate passes budget
6.Use infinitive for future events:
Wrong: Kidapawan will host RSPC
Right: Kidapawan to host RSPC
7. Avoid Splitting
A. A Verb phrase
Wrong: Debaters chosen to
join speechfest
Right: Debaters chosen
to join speechfest
B Avoid splitting names that belong
together
Wrong: Cruz wins gold
medal
Right: Cruz wins
gold medal
C. Avoid adjective and the noun it
modifies
Wrong: 3 Gensan
leaders trade accusations
Right: 3 Gensan leaders
trade accusations
7. Abbreviations:
Wrong: Flores sues Na
pocor
Right: Flores sues Napocor
8. Don’t use articles a, an, the:
Wrong: PGMA revamps the cabinet
Right: PGMA revamps cabinet
9. Use numbers only if important. Write
numbers in figures. B-billion and M-
million
P4.5B; P1.5M
 Headline Vocabulary:
Gives priority to short words
accord -agreement
allay -to calm
anew -again
assail -to attack with arguments
cite -mention;enumerate
crown -championship
dip -go down
Ex -former
grill -investigate
hike -increase
kin -family
ratify -approve;confirm
nab -arrest
okay/ok - approve
sked -schedule
vow -pledge
rule -decide
foil -thwart, rejected
bare -reveal,expose
rift -disagreement
solon -lawmaker, representative
hit -attack
slay/kill -murdered
 News Headline Samples

School intensifies reading proficiency test

DepEd, Habitat to build

housing for teachers

Math can prevent violence

Regional STEP Skills Competition

Cobeng wins table setting championship title

NSPC 2007

Reveille is country’s third best school paper

Educator’s Assembly

Stakeholders tapped to improve quality of education

Nobel Price for 2007

Scientist develop “knock out” genes technique

4 campus writers shine

in division presscon
School acquires more PC’s;
gears towards computer lab rehab

LNHS to pilot tech-voc education

City Charter Anniversary

Gensan celebrates Tuna Festival;
floats take center stage

LNHS initiates responsible parenthood seminar

Pasko sa Gensan 2007

City to turn into under-the-sea wonderland

GSC wins outstanding road safety award

Kagandahan Gensan

Clean-up day in barangays set

PGMA to focus on modernizing

RP education system

English Dep’t
to revive Speechfest

School conducts earthquake safety drill

Health News
Anger can make lungs weaker

School addresses malnutrition problem;

conducts feeding prog

Mentors get lessons

on stress management

School celebrates Nutrition Month

LNHS purchases musical instruments;

organizes Rondalla
Gensan joins synchronized breastfeeding

Saving the Mother Earth

Student-environmentalists plant mangrove

All Capital Letters Unit Count All small letters Unit Count Punctuations Unit Count

A 1 1/2 a 1 Hyphen (-) 1

B 1 1/2 b 1 Question Mark (?) 1

C 1 1/2 c 1 Slash (/) 1

D 1 1/2 d 1 Quotation Mark ( " " ) 1

E 1 1/2 e 1

F 1 1/2 f 1/2 All punctuations not

1/2
G 1 1/2 g 1 mentioned above

H 1 1/2 h 1

I 1 i 1/2 All numbers 2-9 and 0 1

J 1 j 1/2 Number 1 1/2

K 1 1/2 k 1

L 1 1/2 l 1/2 Space 1

All Capital Letters Unit Count All small letters Unit Count

M 2 m 1 1/2

N 1 1/2 n 1

O 1 1/2 o 1

P 1 1/2 p 1

Q 1 1/2 q 1

R 1 1/2 r 1

S 1 1/2 s 1

T 1 1/2 t 1/2

U 1 1/2 u 1

V 1 1/2 v 1

W 2 w 1 1/2

X 1 1/2 x 1

Y 1 1/2 y 1

Z 1 1/2 z 1
THANK YOU…..