Copy Reading and Headline Writing PDF

COPYREADING AND
HEADLINE WRITING
MEDEM FADRIQUELA, NEW ERA UNIVERSITY
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
COPYREADING
The art of arranging, correc/ng, and selec/ng
the quality and type of news that are within
acceptable journalis/c standards in terms of
style and editorial policy.
Copyreading gives the ar/cle the final touch
before it goes to the printer.

Copyreading, edi/ng,
correc/ng the ar/cle are
synonymous terms.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COPYREADER
edits errors on grammar (spelling, tenses, etc.)

edits errors of fact (accuracy check)

judges news value (grading of news)

edits verbose copy (keeps the copy /ght)

writes the headline

QUALITIES OF A GOOD COPYREADER
Must possess certain quali/es not everybody in
the staff may have.
Must have a good command of the language.
Must have at his finger/ps a good working
knowledge of the rules of grammar.
Must have a wide vocabulary.
Must be well-‐aware of
libel news.

COPYREADER’S MARKS & SYMBOLS
connect leEers ( cea se fire won t be an
issue )
transpose leEers (/me si glod)

transpose words (if you happen know to

the rules)

delete leEers/words
(to prevent the plounder/

reached a final conclusion)
spell out (numbers) (10 human rights vic/ms)
spell out (words) (VP Noli de Castro)
abbreviate (numbers) (one-‐hundred per cent of
the respondents)
abbreviate (words) (President Barack Obama)
insert leEers/words (the trimph of Pcquiao dela Hoya)
separate words (theissue on CharterChange)
capitalize leEers (gen. jovito Palparan)
make leEer lowercase (Two solons)
period mark (The seamen were freed)
restore (The kidnap vic/m was
released)

insert space (andthey live happily everaPer)
bold face (the pauper)
paragraph (Villar called for an entrepreneurial
revolu/on)
do not paragraph (Villar called for an
entrepreneurial revolu/on)

PROCEDURES ON COPYREADING
Whenever the copyreader sits down to work, he has the inten/on
of making the copy free of errors.

It is the goal of copyreader, therefore, to do his work systema/cally
and efficiently.

It would be good to follow the following steps.

1.  Read the whole ar/cle first to determine what kind
of story it is.
2. Having determined the type of story, read the
ar/cle again.
3. This /me, determine which is the lead
paragraph.

4. Read the story again and mark all paragraph
beginnings. Then correct errors in grammar,
spelling, punctua/ons and style using copyreading
symbols.
5. Improve the organiza/on of the story. Make sure the
lead features the lead fact.
6. Go over the whole story again. Remove all
unnecessary and irrelevant materials.
7. Check the length of the story, then prepare the clean
copy.

8. Write a very catchy and fi]ng headline for the
story.
9.  Give the printer s mark for the body text and the
headline. Encircle the slug line.
10. The ar/cle is now ready for prin/ng.

THE HEADLINE
An assemblage of words wriEen in

bigger, bolder leEers than the usual
page text at the beginning of the
news, also known as the head, but
not a /tle.
THE HEADLINE
The word headline is understood

by many people to mean the
biggest story of the day. In
journalism however, headline is
the /tle of a news story
big or small.

GUIDELINES ON HEADLINE WRITING
•  There’s no doubt headlines are one

of things to get right, unfortunately
they can also be the most
problema/c too.
•  A good headline grabs the
reader’s aEen/on, and
compels them to read on.

Well-‐wriEen headlines grab the

reader's aEen/on. They convey
clear, concise thoughts
while poorly wriEen
headlines mislead and
confuse a reader.

A well-‐wriEen story will go unread if

the headline does not grab the
reader. Headlines also serve as a
graphic element on the page.
TYPES OF HEADLINES
•  NEWS HEADLINE – Deals with hard facts
and summary.
Example: Business leaders tackle global crisis.

•  FEATURES HEADLINE – Deals with

novelty and human interest element.

Example: The sea is on red alert!

(pertains to red /de menace)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1.  Observes the basic rules of headline wri/ng.
2. Sees to it that the headline tells
what the story is about.
3. Avoids editorializing, that is,

putting one's opinion in the headline.
4. Sees to it that the sizes

and types of fonts used in
the headline are appropriate.

FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headline summarizes the story. It highlights

the main elements of the story. It is not
label. It tells readers what kind of story it is
as well as what the story is about.
It allows the hurried reader to get a quick

glimpse of the news. Later in the day,
when he has the /me, he will read the
story in its en/rety.

Headline helps organize the news for

readers. It shows where one story
ends and the next one begins, serving
as a visual cut-‐off rule.

Contributes
to the physical
aErac/veness of the
paper.

Headline sells the story to the readers.

It is like bait in that it should lure
readers into the lead. The lead should
then hook the reader into finishing the
story. As they say in adver/sing, Sell
the sizzle, not the steak.
Headline priori/zes the news for readers.

Stories with big headlines are generally
more important than stories with smaller
headlines. Stories which go across one or
two columns are less important than those
which go across three,
four, five or six columns.

Headlines reflect the style and personality
of the newspaper. Style is reflected in the
publica/on s standing heads and logos, the
type style used and the way headlines are
displayed. Personality is reflected in the
way editors and writers look at
the news and how they employ
humor, wit and cleverness.

REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
1.  The headline presents the news in
capsule, thus it is telegraphic.

2. It must contain the most important, the
most intriguing, the most unusual fact
of the story. It is not the place for
details.

3. The head is an adver/sement, and like all

good adver/sements it should be honest,
holding out no promise that the story does
not fulfill. It should be based on the facts as
set forth in the story and
nothing else.

4. Like the story, the head should be simple.

The head is a mosaic. Words must be fiEed
into a certain fixed space, in such a way that
the meaning will not be obscured. This is
the head writer's chief problem — to meet
the mechanical requirements of the
head and at the same /me
make the thought so plain.
5. Get ac/on into the head. Make the head

a statement of fact, not a mere label. Never
say "Shocking Accident " or “Terrible Fire,"
but tell what happened as specifically as
possible. Try to get a verb in the head,
either ex-‐pressed or implied.

6. Heads are usually wriEen in the

present tense unless they relate to a
future event. This is the historical
present, used instead of the
past tense for the sake
of greater vividness.
On the contrary there are occasions when it

would be absurd to use anything else. The
copy reader would write, “William Smith
Dies" or “William Smith is Dead," but in
giving details of the dead man's life it would
be manifestly foolish
to say, “Is Born in Maryland,”
“Is a civil war veteran”.
7. The headline makes use of special
vocabulary which is not suitable
for ordinary communica/on situa/ons.
For example: the word stude is
headline equivalent for student as in
Four studes win in quiz bee.
However, it is not acceptable
to say there are 2,000 studes
in our school.

WHAT TO AVOID
Allitera/on occasionally may be used
with good effect in a head, but
uninten/onal allitera/on — as "
Commercial Club Considers Cleaning
Contracts " — should be avoided.
Slang, unless apt and /mely,
has no greater jusOficaOon in the
head than in the story
WHAT TO AVOID
Another style of head discouraged or forbidden
altogether by some papers is the uninten/onal
impera/ve. This is a head beginning with a verb
in the third person plural form, which may be
read as an injunc/on to do something
“Kill Thirty Men" may be the Head on a
story of an insurrec/on. It
Means, of course, “Marines Kill
Thirty Men,"

WHAT TO AVOID
Trite phrasing should be avoided in the head
whenever possible. “Score” and “probe" and " rap
" are handy words for the copy reader because of
their brevity and are liable to overuse. The head
that contains worn-‐out expressions or that fails to
get anywhere is, in the office vernacular,
wooden. Woodenness is an
unpardonable sin. Try to give the
head a swing and an element
of originality.
WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid nega/ve statements in the head.
Tell what happened rather than what
didn't happen, unless a nega/on is the
feature of the story.

Other things being equal, the ac/ve voice is

beEer than the passive. “Pacman
Defeats Hitman" is preferable
to “Hitman Is Defeated
by Pacman."
WHAT TO AVOID
Don t use the ar/cles-‐ a, an, the

Wrong: A fire hits the squaEers
Correct: Fire hits squaEers’ area
Don t use names unless the person

is well-‐known

Wrong: Simon electrocuted

Correct: Electrician electrocuted

WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid unintended
double meanings:
Actor sent to jail
for not finishing
sentence

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Put an action verb, expressed or

implied, in every headline:

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Do not begin with a verb, preposi/on, ar/cle or

conjunc/on. Beginning with a verb turns the
headline into a command, which usually results in an
unintended meaning:
Eat right before surgery
or
Kill bill, says Newt
HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Avoid the verb form to be. In most cases, a more
suitable verb can be subs/tuted.

Weak:
Matson to be at D.C. conference
BeJer:
Matson to speak in D.C. next week

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Avoid the verb form to be. In most cases, a more
suitable verb can be subsOtuted.

Weak:
Matson to be at D.C. conference
Be(er:
Matson to speak in D.C. next week

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use present tense verbs in wri/ng headlines

describing past events. Past
tense is appropriate on occasion, but a
majority of headlines are wriEen in present
tense because it is easier to understand and it
uses fewer words:

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use future tense verbs to write headlines

about future events:

House to start hearings

on disease outbreaks
HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use the –ing verb form to write headlines
about events that are happening at the /me
the newspaper is distributed:

Bank of America merging
with Na/on Bank
HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use numbers in headlines only if they are

important. Avoid star/ng a headline with a
number. When numbers appear in a headline,
they should be wriEen as figures:

12 Americans killed
in embassy bombings

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Abbreviate the month only when a

specific date follows it:

October /me for ancient rites
and >
Halloween dance on Oct. 31

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Subs/tute a comma for the conjunc/on and:

Gang member tells

of violence, killing

Use single quote marks in place of double
quote marks in a headline:

Sims, Venables land

Wizard of Oz’ leads

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Don t split a verb phrase:

Delegates chosen to

go to Youth Legislature

Don t split a preposi/on and its object:

Belfast man charged for

Harrods bomb

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Don’t separate an adjective and

the noun it modifies:

Seniors to hold spaghetti

dinner fundraiser next week

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use abbrevia/ons only if they are well-‐known.

When ini/als are used, do not use spaces or
periods between leEers.

KBP kicks its way into spotlight

GMA declares Friday

Na/onal Day of celebra/on
HEADLINE GRAMMAR
The verb is said to be in the ac/ve

voice when the doer of the ac/on is in the
subject posi/on. Ac/ve voice is preferred over
the passive voice because it is more vigorous;
however, the passive voice must be used
when the ac/on is more significant than the
doer of the ac/on.

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Exercise 1: Write the correct form of the verb in the following
headlines. Observe agreement between subject and the verb.

• CA ______ (deny) Leviste’s pe//on for bail
• World pirate aEacks ____(soar) in first quarter
• Noli _____(hail) Syria as RP ‘strategic partner’
• Shell, Petron _______ (raise) gas prices
• SC ______ (uphold) oil deregula/on law
• Senate resolu/on _____ (eye) workers incen/ve
• PNP ______(gear) up for swine flu outbreak
• Health experts _______(gauge) flue outbreak
• Fishermen _______(stage) Earth Day protest
• Rotary Club ________(donate) computers
• COMELEC ______(proclaim) 32 party list bets
• Failon _________(appeal) for privacy

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
• Cuadra ______ (cop) 3 Na/onal awards

• Researcher _________ (receive) US grant
• New AFP chief ______ (vow) to end insurgency
• RP, Spain _________ (ink) accord
• Pacquaio-‐HaEon fight ____ (carve) ring history

HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Exercise 2: Write the correct form of the verb in
the passive voice:

•  Alleged NPA hitman _______ (kill)
•  Two jail guards caught gambling _____ (fire)
•  Resto owner ______ (sue)
•  Governor _______ (probe) for P72M deficit
•  Jueteng protectors in CL _______(iden/fy)
•  Scout master _____ (kill) in camp site
•  Shan/es in Quiapo _______ (demolish)
•  Absentees _______ (warn) of expulsion
•  Parents of honor studes ______ (cite)
•  4 holduppers ______ (nab) in Tondo
HEADLINE CHECKLIST
Does the headline express the main

idea of the story?

Does the headline effec/vely label the
story's content?

Will it create reader interest?

Will it move readers into the story?

HEADLINE CHECKLIST
Does the headline focus match the lead

focus?

Are the words short, common, colorful,
powerful, specific?

Would you read a story with this
headline?
IMPROVING YOUR HEADLINE
Eleven ways to improve your headlines:
1.  Use ac/ve voice Man bites dog
2.  Use present tense Robber flees (not fleed)
3.  Avoid abbrevia/ons Actor wins trip to LV
4.  Use short words Panel or Group: CommiEee
5.  Be specific Editor wins award
6.  Make posi/ve statements Pacquiao to win the fight
7.  Don t repeat key word Bank ousts bank s chair
IMPROVING YOUR HEADLINE
8. Be accurate State facts with aEribu/on

9. Avoid punctua/on as much as possible
10. Avoid to be words delete is-‐are helping verbs
11. Be impar/al Words can color headline watch
for ‘denies’ or ‘claims’
HEADLINE VOCABULARY
congressman solon charge rap
decrease dip strengthen beef up
examina/on quiz agreement accord
announce bare prac/ce hone up
highlight cap
speak urge sign ink
conference confab praise laud
inves/ga/on probe ques/on grill
inves/gator prober year milestone
disapprove buck, scrap urge prod
dismiss quash delay snag
dispute row mad killer amok

HEADLINE VOCABULARY
iden/fy finger
capture net
start trigger
disregard rule out
end wind up
lessen allay
approval nod
arrest nab
student student
writer scribe
government govt
councilor dad
UNIT COUNTING
j i l t f = ½ unit ? (question mark) = 1 unit
J I L T F = 1 unit *SPACE = 1 unit
*ALL FIGURES = 1 unit *ALL SMALL LETTERS = 1 unit
- (dash) = 1 ½ unit m w = 1 ½ unit

M W = 2 units
*ALL CAPS EXCEPT
= 1 ½ unit
M W J I L T F
HEADLINE INSTRUCTIONS
42 points -‐ 3 cols. – (21) max. count
___________________________
___________________________(no. of decks)

Race Bias in Schools -‐20 unit counts
Described as Stupid -‐19.5 unit counts
VARIETY OF HEADTYPES
drop-‐line (like a staircase)
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX

hanging inden/on (top line flush at right)
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX

inverted pyramid (from wide to narrow)
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX
XXXX

VARIETY OF HEADTYPES
flush-‐leP (begin at leP hand corner)
XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXX
block (flush leP and right, from margin to margin)
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX

cross-‐line (one-‐line headline)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________

Two people died and five others were
hurt when an uniden/fied man lobbed a
fragmenta/on grenade along Baguio
City s Leonard Wood Road shortly before
dawn Tuesday, a police official said.
EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________

The Philippine government will repatriate
some Filipinos who were affected by the
earthquake in Italy early this month,
according to Overseas Workers Welfare
Administra/on chief Carmelita Dimzon.
EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________

Whoever becomes the next president of
the country will face a bigger economic
burden. Former budget secretary
Benjamin Diokno yesterday warned that
the next president will be inheri/ng from
the Arroyo administra/on a weaker
economy and higher unemployment.
EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________

MANILA, Philippines – A downpour at
around noon on Wednesday caused
floods ranging from thigh-‐ to guEer-‐deep
in several areas across Metro Manila, the
Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) reported.

EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________

MANILA, Philippines -‐ The Philippines and
Spain signed three agreements on
assistance for health reform efforts in the
Bicol and Caraga regions.

PARTING SHOT
DON’T FORGET:
The only way to learn how to write
heads, aPer one knows the general
principles, is to write them.
Headline wri/ng is like learning to
play a musical instrument -‐-‐ the more
you pracRce, the easier it gets
and the beEer you become.
END OF THE LECTURE
MEDEM FADRIQUELA, NEW ERA UNIVERSITY
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

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COPYREADING AND

edits errors on grammar (spelling, tenses, etc.)

edits errors of fact (accuracy check)

judges news value (grading of news)

edits verbose copy (keeps the copy /ght)

writes the headline

transpose leEers (/me si glod)

transpose words (if you happen know to

(to prevent the plounder/

It would be good to follow the following steps.

An assemblage of words wriEen in

The word headline is understood

• There’s no doubt headlines are one

Well-­‐wriEen headlines grab the

A well-­‐wriEen story will go unread if

• FEATURES HEADLINE – Deals with

Example: The sea is on red alert!

3. Avoids editorializing, that is,

4. Sees to it that the sizes

Headline summarizes the story. It highlights

It allows the hurried reader to get a quick

Headline helps organize the news for

Headline sells the story to the readers.

Headline priori/zes the news for readers.

3. The head is an adver/sement, and like all

4. Like the story, the head should be simple.

5. Get ac/on into the head. Make the head

6. Heads are usually wriEen in the

On the contrary there are occasions when it

Other things being equal, the ac/ve voice is

Don t use names unless the person

Wrong: Simon electrocuted

Put an action verb, expressed or

Do not begin with a verb, preposi/on, ar/cle or

Use present tense verbs in wri/ng headlines

Use future tense verbs to write headlines

House to start hearings

Use numbers in headlines only if they are

Abbreviate the month only when a

Subs/tute a comma for the conjunc/on and:

Gang member tells

Sims, Venables land

Don t split a verb phrase:

Delegates chosen to

Belfast man charged for

Don’t separate an adjective and

Seniors to hold spaghetti

Use abbrevia/ons only if they are well-­‐known.

KBP kicks its way into spotlight

GMA declares Friday

The verb is said to be in the ac/ve

• Cuadra ______ (cop) 3 Na/onal awards

Does the headline express the main

Does the headline focus match the lead

8. Be accurate State facts with aEribu/on

j i l t f = ½ unit ? (question mark) = 1 unit

J I L T F = 1 unit *SPACE = 1 unit

*ALL FIGURES = 1 unit *ALL SMALL LETTERS = 1 unit

- (dash) = 1 ½ unit m w = 1 ½ unit

cross-­‐line (one-­‐line headline)

You might also like

•  There’s no doubt headlines are one

Well-‐wriEen headlines grab the

A well-‐wriEen story will go unread if

•  FEATURES HEADLINE – Deals with

Use abbrevia/ons only if they are well-‐known.

ALL FIGURES = 1 unit ALL SMALL LETTERS = 1 unit

cross-‐line (one-‐line headline)