MAJOR 19

CAMPUS JOURNALISM

DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF JOURNALISM

Journalism is an art of expressing different information which are of significance to the

readers, listeners, or viewers. It is divided into three categories: written, oral and audio-visual.
These information are transmitted through the mass media composed of print, broadcast and
the electronic media.

TYPES OF JOURNALISM

1. Objective Journalism. The type of reporting events that confines itself to facts and
answers the questions what, who, where, when, why, and how.
2. Interpretative Journalism . The type of reporting events which journalist attempt to
explain the significance of the event by expounding the why and how.
3. Adversarial journalism . It acts as “watchdog” that fiscalizes the three branches of the
government: executive, legislative, and the judiciary.
4. Development journalism. An opposite of adversarial journalism. It aims at promoting
the social, economic, and political development of the country. Some writers also called
it “subservience journalism,” because journalists write to support the government efforts
in improving the quality of life of the people, like in the effective delivery of social
services.
5. Yellow journalism. It sensationalizes stories about crime and violence and stories of
immoral and indecent acts of celebrities.

TEN PRACTICAL TIPS FOR ASPIRING JOURNALISTS (by Alito L. Malinao in his book,
Journalism for Filipinos)

1. Be inquisitive.
2. Be constant in your purpose.
3. Be fair and balanced.
4. Be genuinely interested in people.
5. Seek the truth.
6. Be resourceful.
7. Have guts.
8. Master your grammar.
9. Know your medium.
10. Read.

 Criteria of a Quality Newspaper (by Estelita Constantino-Panganiban in her book,

Journalism Handbook)

1. Accuracy
a. Exert maximum effort to print only the truth in all news statements.
b. Strive for completeness and objectivity.
c. Guard against carelessness, bias or distortion be either emphasis or omission.
2. Responsibility
a. Use mature thinking and consider judgment in the public interest at all times.
b. Select, edit, and display news on the basis of its significance and its genuine usefulness to
the public.
c. Accent when possible a reasonable amount of news, which illustrates the values of
compassion, self-sacrifice, heroism, good citizenship, and patriotism.
d. Clearly define sources of news and tell the reader when competent sources cannot be
identified.
e. Respect rights of privacy.
f. Instruct staff members to conduct themselves with dignity and decorum.
3. Integrity
a. Maintain vigorous stand of honesty and fair play in the selection and editing of its contents
as well as in all relations with news sources and the public.
b. Deal dispassionately with controversial subjects and treat disputed issues with impartiality.
c. Practice humility and tolerance in the face of honest conflicting opinions or disagreements
d. Provide forum for the exchange of pertinent comment and criticism, especially if it is in
conflict with the newspaper’s editorial point of view.
e. Label its own editorial views or expressions of opinion.
4. Leadership
a. Act with courage in serving the public
b. Stimulate and vigorously support public officials, private groups and individuals in
crusades and campaigns to increase the good works and eliminate bad elements in the
community.
c. Help to protect all rights and privileges guaranteed by law.
d. Serve as constructive critic of the government at all levels, providing leadership for
necessary reforms or innovations and exposing any misfeasance or misuse of public power.
e. Oppose demagogues and other selfish and unwholesome interests regardless of their size
and influence.

BRIBERY IN MEDIA

Media is endowed with vast power. It can make or unmake a man. This is the very
reason why some persons who have insatiable greed for fame, power, and wealth bribe some
media practitioners to concoct stories in their favor. Some of these bribes are placed in
envelopes, thus the so-called envelopment media.
There are also unscrupulous people, usually corrupt politicians, who hire journalists to
attack their political nemesis and defend them when they are also under attack in print or
broadcast media. They are the so-called ACDC (Attack and Collect, Defend and Collect)
journalists.

OTHER MALPRACTICES IN MASS MEDIA

1. Shooting from the hip. This is a practice of some journalists to write news stories or
contents of editorial columns without verifying the veracity of their data.
2. Abuse of source-based stories. There are some journalists that in the bid to beat the
deadline or to be the first one to report the event would fabricate their source and cloak
it in statement like “an official who requested in anonymity,” “a witness who requested
not to be named,” “an observer,” “an analyst,” and the like.
3. Misquotation. Don’t rely on your memory. You need to jot down or record what the
sources have said, so you can publish them correctly.
4. Labeling. The practice of some journalists to place a label or tag on persons or
organization, which redound to editorializing news stories. For example, Kilusang Mayo
Uno as front of the communist, administration as American lapdog.
5. Manufactured stories. One of the qualities of a news short is factual. Thus, a responsible
news reporter should not fabricate news stories out of his wild imagination.

NEWS WRITING
News is commonly referred as an acronym of North, East, West and South. Probably because
writers gather news materials from any of these geographical directions. In the 15th-century,
news was the abbreviation of the term "new things."

Ceciliano Jose Cruz, in his book, Campus Journalism, defines news as "a timely and factual
narration of past, present and future event."

Rachel E. Khan, in her book Campus Journalism, after putting more essential elements of news
together defines it as "an accurate and timely account of an idea, issue or event that affects a
significant number of people"
As Charles Anderson Dana, editor of the New York Sun said, "If a dog bites a man that is not
news; but if a man bites a dog, then that is news. From this, we can conclude that the bottom
line for news writing is interest.

Qualities of News

1. Accuracy
It refers to the correctness of statements, names, figures and other information.
2. Objective
The news does not take side and devoid of any impartiality.
3. Factual
It consists of actual persons and events with nothing Invented.
4. Balance
It gives proper emphasis on each fact in relation to other facts. It also gives attention to both
sides in a controversial issue.
5. Concise
It is short to contain the most important facts.
6. Timely
It refers to the freshness or immediacy of the event.

Elements of News

1. Prominence- It deals with persons, places, things and situations which are familiar to or of
importance to the reader.

2. Proximity- It refers to the nearness of the events to the readers.

3. Immediacy- It refers to the timeliness of the event.

4. Oddity- Any unusual or deviation from the normal course of events like a pregnant man,
bearded woman and other newsworthy data or event can awaken the intent of the reader.

5. Human interest- It deals with events which are appealing to the emotion.

6. Conflict- It deals with any disagreement between man and his fellowman, man and nature or
man and himself.

7. Names- It involves newsworthy people like those who pass board examinations and those
who won during election.

8. Numbers and statistics- Results of sweepstakes, raffle draws vital statistics of celebrities and
peso-dollar equivalence make good news

9. Romance and Adventure- Love and adventure stories especially among celebrities and
prominent people, can arouse the reader's interest.

10. Significance- It refers not only to the importance of the event but also on how it will affect
the readers.

11. Change and development- Any progress like putting up of new schools, buildings, roads,
bridges and the like could be news items

12. Animals- Stories about animals, especially those unusual ones are interesting to the readers

13. Calamity- Newspaper pages devote stories and photos describing casualties caused by
earthquakes, typhoons and other natural disasters.

Two General Kinds of News

1. Straight news. The data are presented in direct fashion using the summary lead. It is also
called hard news.
2. News feature. The data are presented indirectly through the use of novelty lead. It is also
called soft news.

Tips in News Writing

A. Write the news as soon as you have gathered the facts.

B. List down facts according to their descending importance.
C. Highlight the most important data as your lead.
D. Be accurate in presenting facts.
E. Write the full name of the person and organization when first mentioned. Thereafter,
use only the surname or any appropriate title of the person and acronym for the
organization.
F. Attribute authority or source of news to strengthen the credibility of the news story
and to protect the newspaper from libel suit.
G. Identify names mentioned. If the person has several identifications, use the one
relevant to the facts of the story.
H. Avoid editorializing. Do not inject your opinion to the news.
I. Be objective. Present facts without bias.
J. Make short paragraphs. Write one-idea, mostly one-sentence paragraph.
K. Use simple words.
L. Use short sentences but vary their length.
M. Do not involve yourself in the news by using first person.
N. Prefer the active to the passive voice.
O. Present both side of the persons involved in the news.
P. Place direct and indirect quotation separately in paragraphs.
Q. Number from 1 to 9 should be written in word and 10 and above should be in
numerical figure.
R. Do not start the sentence with numerical figure. Have it in word.
Basic Structure of News

Straight news follows the traditional structure of news writing, it is written in inverted pyramid
form. The most important facts are placed at the beginning. The other details are given in the
succeeding paragraphs.

1. Primary Lead
2. Secondary Lead
3. Other Important Details
4. Least Important Details
Primary lead

It is usually a short paragraph which answers at least four of the five Ws and one H at its most
effective angle.

Secondary lead

It complements the main lead by answering those of the five Ws and one H, which are left
unanswered.

Other important details

They are other less important data that give flesh to the story.

Advantages of the Inverted Pyramid Structure

A. It facilitates reading. By reading the lead, one can already get the news he wants to
know.
B. It facilitates newspaper's makeup. In case of lack of space, the layout editor can strike
out or delete the least important paragraphs at the bottom, because the most important
facts are on top.
 C. It facilitates headline writing Copy editor can already prepare the headline of the story
from the lead.
The Lead

The lead is the story's opening sentence or two lo straight news it tells the most important facts
of the story. In feature article or news feature, it could be a word, a phrase, a sentence or a
paragraph that attracts and sustains the reader's interest.

"Leads are like runways," W. H. Mencken says. "Before a plane can take off, it needs
momentum to heave upward and stay afloat." Meaning, it is designed to entice the reader to
read the whole story.

Classification of Lead

1. Summary lead. It answers the five Ws and one H (What, Who, Where, When, Why and
How). The story is presented using the inverted pyramid form where the most important data
are in the first and second paragraph. This is used in the straight news.

2. Novelty lead. It attracts the reader's attention, arouses his curiosity and sustains his interest.
It is used in writing a news feature or a feature article.

Kinds of Summary Lead

1. What lead. It is used if the most important angle of the news is the event.

Example:

Landslides and floods brought by heavy monsoon rains in Southern Luzon have killed at least
five people, as soldiers on rubber boats rushed food and relief supplies to nearly 200,000
affected residents, officials said yesterday.

12. Who lead. This kind of summary lead is used if the person or organization involved is
more significant than the event.

Example:

Inmates of the Davao del Norte provincial jail staged a noise barrage early yesterday, calling for
the ouster of two jail guards they accused of committing abuses, prison officials said.

3. Where lead. This is used if the location where the event takes place is more significant than
the other aspects of the news.

Example:

Tagum City hosted the annual National Schools Press Conference on February 22-26, 2010
attended by elementary and secondary school campus journalists and school paper advisers of
the 17 regions of the Philippines.

4. When lead. This lead is seldom used. This is only used if the time element is more
important than the other angles of the story.

Example:

February 14 is the deadline for the submission of the nomination forms of the 2011 Metrobank
Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers.

5. Why lead. This is used if the cause of the event is the most effective angle of the story.

Example:

To bring the services of the government to the doorsteps of its constituents, Sangguniang
Panlunsod of General Santos City yesterday launched the "City Hall sa Barangay."

6. How lead. This is used if the process or the manner on how the event happens is more
important than the other angles of the news.
Example:

By installing more closed-circuit cameras in Manila malls. Sending out guards with dogs and
setting up checkpoints, police acted on the warning of the senior official of a possible terrorist’s
major attack in the capital following a ferry bombing in Zamboanga City that killed 30 people
yesterday.

Kinds of Novelty Lead

 Narrative lead. It draws the reader into the article by allowing him to relate himself
with the character of the story.
Example:
In the old days, before the coming of the earth satellite my college professor told me,
weather forecasting was done by intrepid pilots, who flew their one-engine small planes
into the eyes of the approaching storm to measure wind direction and velocity. Once
inside the eye of the typhoon however, the pilot experienced an eerie calm while the
winds swirled outside.
 Descriptive lead. It illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader. This is
effective in writing a personality sketch or personality feature.
Example:
Garbed in maong pants and black t-shirt with the word" Metrian" printed vertically on its
left side, alumni of Irineo L. Santiago National High School of Metro Dadiangas trooped
to their alma mater for their first grand alumni homecoming.

 Quotation lead. Any statement uttered by well-known speaker or celebrity in the

community could be a good introductory paragraph.
Example:
“You stole the presidency, not only once but twice."
Shouted Susan Roces, widow of Fernando Poe Jr., during a gathering of the opposition,
denouncing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's alleged vote-rigging during the 2004
election.
 Question lead. A thought-provoking question to capture the interest of the reader and
lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of the article.
Example:
How would you know that your money is a fake?
Central Bank of the Philippines cautioned the public yesterday of the proliferation of fake
peso bills and gave tips on how to identify them.
 Teaser. This is a device to deceive the reader in a jesting manner to arouse his
curiosity and gently lead him into the story. It is generally short, crisp and witty. Riddles
are often used and they do not give the readers any clue on the nature of the story.
They are mostly suggestive and humorous.
Example:
What comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be made possible without the
hen. But where the hen comes from?
 Punch lead. It is short, striking one-sentence lead.
Example:
Hungry farmers are selling not only their plows and carabaos, but also their children.
 Astonisher. It uses an exclamatory sentence.
Example:
NSPC 2006 Champion!
Bold red letters printed on a three-meter long streamer was hung on the gate of Irineo L
Santiago National High School of Metro Dadiangas when the 2006 issue of their school
paper, Ang Metrian, won as overall Best School Paper (Brack A-Filipino/Secondary)
during the National Schools Press Conference in Kalibo, Aklan on February 19-23, 2006
 One word lead. It uses a very significant word to capture or arouse the interest of the
reader.
 Example:
BANG!
Sprinters from the different divisions of Region XII zoomed like bullets to the finishing
line during the 100-meter dash of the Cotabato Regional Athletic Association (CRAA)
Meet held at Antonio C. Acharon Sports and Development Center Calumpang General
Santos City on April 1-5, 2005.
 Parody lead. It consists of a parody of well-known quotation song, poem, book or
movie film title.
Example:
"You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough."
This familiar adage proved true to Charlito Colendrez, a priest who died while rescuing
his parishioners at the height of flooding in Infanta town in Quezon last year, for he was
posthumously awarded for his godly bravery.
 Background lead. It describes an event in which the background overshadows the
individuals who participate in it, often use for stories about carnivals, festivals, dances
and others.
Example:
It was like the school was put in a time machine and was led back to the past, when
teachers and students who participated in the culmination program of the Buwan ng
Wika, gathered in front of the four-storey building garbed in old Filipiniana costumes.
 Freak lead. This kind of unique lead use typographical effects to enhance its appeal.
Example:
FOR SALE: An eight-month old baby girl for only P5,000
The police arrested yesterday a 25-year old woman for selling a baby entrusted to her
by a neighbor
 Contrast lead. It is used to point up opposites and extremes.
Example:
Four years ago, she fought for the installation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as president
of the Philippines through EDSA II Revolution. Today, former President Corazon C
Aquino is calling for GMA's resignation.
 Staccato lead. This usually consists of a series of words or phrases, punctuated by
periods, commas or dashes.
Example:
Neglected. Denuded. Abused. Abandoned. This is the real picture of our forest today.
Reasons for Using Novelty Lead

1. To enhance the readability of the news story

2. To arouse the reader's interest
3. To add vigor and color to writing 4. To challenge the ability of the writer to be
creative in writing
Tips on How to Write an Effective Lead

1. Use a simple sentence.

2. If it is a one-sentence paragraph lead, the average length is 25-35 words.
3. Do not overload the beginning paragraph with the answers of five Ws and one H.
Remember that the second paragraph is a secondary lead, too.
4. Do not use an important or unusual word twice in the same sentence.
5. Avoid repetition of clauses, phrases and other similar grammatical construction at the
beginning of each paragraph.
6. Avoid, when possible, the use of articles such as a, an and the as the beginning word
of the lead.
 SPORTS WRITING
Sport page is one of the most read sections of the newspaper because it is filled with action and
emotion of players who are idolized by sports enthusiasts.

Scope of Sports Articles

Sport page is not only confined on sports news. It also contains other kind of of article like
features, editorial, editorial columns and editorial cartoon and others.

Qualities of Sports News

1. Basically, it answers the five Ws and one H ( What, Who, Where, When, Why and How.
2. It primarily describes the most thrilling and eventful part of the game.
3. It uses more colorful words, adjectives, figures of speech, local color and longer
sentences, which are not commonly use in straight news.
4. It uses special vocabulary called sports lingo.

Kinds of Sport News

1. Advance News- It gives an advance information in the coming event. Following are the
expected contents of the advance news:

a. Significance of the game.

b. Hisorical background of the game or event.
c. Players and coaches
d. Physical and mental qualities of the athletes.
e. Strenghts and weaknesses of each player and team based on their previous compititions
f. Venue of the event.
g. Noteworthy event that could be included in the news.
h. Weather that could affect the game.
i. Expected viewers.
j. Statement of the coaches and athletes

2. Coverage Story- An on-the-spot news of an actual game or event. It contains important

reports like following:
a. Outcome- the winner, score of both teams and opponents, draw, suspension of the game
due to chaos and others
b. Significance of the outcome – the prize or the chance to move on the higher level
competition like the championship game
c. Spectacular parts of the game – how the winner outsmarted the loser, see-sawing scores
and last minute play
d. Comparison of the strength and weakness of the athletes of both teams
e. Star player
f. Weather
g. Audience/ viewers

3. Follow-up sports story- it summarizes the activities of the team. It also analyzes the recently
concluded game like a player, who was injured and the psychological aspects of the players,
chaos on the technicality, statistics and its significance.

4. News based on the records- It is based on the data gathered from authorities or officials of
the game. It could also be a summary of different events recently and almost simultaneously
played in an athletic meet.

Suggested Ways to Gather Data on Sports News

A. Before the Game

1. Know the rules of the game

2. Know key people – coaches, trainers, [layers and their weight, height and position in the
team, experience and others.
3. List down their names in full and check the spelling.
4. If possible, attend practice sessions
5. Jot down quote, anecdote and other event, which can be included in the sports news.
6. Interview key persons who are involved in the game.

B. During the Actual Game

1. Be at the venue ahead of time.

2. Look for a good working place where you can closely witness the game
3. Note interesting events before the game
4. Observe closely and list down of the following:
5. The most thrilling part of the game
6. Unexpected event like a neophyte who performs excellently
7. Humorous event
8. Audience reactions
9. Celebrities or prominent people who witness the game
10. Statement of the player, coaches and audience.

C. After the Game

1. Check the accuracy of the score from the officials

2. Interview star player or coach of the winning team. Coach and athletes of the losing team
can also be interviewed.
3. Note audience or viewers’ reactions.

Structure of the Sports Coverage

1. The Lead. It summarizes or analyzes the event by giving the significance, the winner, the
hero, the score, the place and time or date when the event happened. It immediately answers
the five Ws and one H.

 Novelty lead can also be used in writing sports news,but the second paragraph should also
answer the five Ws and one H.

2. The Body. It contains the play-by-play account of the game like the following:

a. the most crucial part of the game

b. Star player
c. Writer’s record of the background of athletes and coaches
d. Observation of the number and reactions of the audience or viewers and weather condition
e. Celebrities who witness the game

3. conclusion. It usually contains quotes from players and coaches, statistics and team standing.

Three Ways of Writing the Sports News Lead

Like in the ordinary news, writing the summary lead in the sports news should be based on
angling.

1. Key play. This is usually used when the best angle of the sports event is through the
collective effort of all the members of the winning team.

Example:
Metrian Spikers blasted the defenseless Bula Netters in the volleyball championship game, 2-0
(25-13 and 25-17), during the Zone III Athletic Association Meet at Mindanao State University,
General Santos City on October 28, 2005.
2. Key player. When one or two of the members of the team seem to stand out of the rest of
the players that caused the team to win the game, their heroic deed is the best angle to start a
sports news.

Example:

Mark Cornel Terrante grabbed the limelight when his do or-die three-pointer shot dove ring-
less with less than five seconds remaining to lead Lagao National High School to its thrilling
victory, 60-59, against Buayan National High School in a basketball exhibition game yesterday
at Oval Plaza, General Santos City

3. Analytical way. This is used when the team employs a very 3. Analytical spectacular strategy
or action that brings them to victory.

Example:
Banking on nerve-breaking wallops, deadly spikes and tricky placing, Irineo L. Santiago National
High School Spikers dethroned Lagao National High School Netters in the crucial third set of
their volleyball championship game, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22 and 25-19), in the Division Athletic
Association Meet at Antonio Acharon Sports Complex, Calumpang, General Santos City on
December 2, 2005.

Tips on Writing the Sports News

1. Write the story immediately after the event.

2. Be accurate not only with the score but also in all other highlights of the game.
3. Include human interest like the personal background of the player.
4. Inject humorous event when needed.
5. Follow the inverted pyramid structure in presenting the data.
6. Support data with opinion.
7. Be original.
8. Use sports lingo but do not overdo it.
9. Be selective and pick out only from the multitude of details, the ones that count and can
tickle the interest of the readers.

EDITORIAL WRITING

M. LYLE SPENCER as quoted by Alito L. Malinao in his book “Journalism for Filipinos” defines
editorial as “as an expression of fact and opinion in concise, logical, pleasing order for the sake
of entertaining, or influencing opinion, or policies in such a way that its important to the
average reader will be clear.”

Editorial articles appeal to the intellect. It helps the reader to sift, digest, interpret, evaluate
event or issue and propels him to action. For emphasis, unusually important and sensational
editorials are removed from the editorial page and printed on the front page, which customarily
reserved for news.

As newspaper’s opinion or stand on timely issues, it must be written objectively. Both sides of
the issue should be deeply understood before deciding which side to take and fight for. It
should not be written only to give opinion, but most of all, to look for evidence to bolster the
writer’s opinion to really convince the readers to side with the newspaper’s principles and move
to action.

Qualities of an Editorial

1. Interesting

2. Clear and effective reasoning and has the power to influence the reader’s opinion

3. Factual and contains information to support the side it chooses to take.

4. Concise

Kinds of Editorial

1. Editorial of Information-
This presents only the information about a particular issue.

2. Editorial of Interpretation-
Though it also gives information, its primary aim is to interpret or analyze the event, situation
or issue to present the facts in a more meaningful and enlightening perspective to the reader.

3. Editorial of Argumentation-
It also gives information and interpret, its difference, however, lies on the fact that it takes a
stand on a controversial issue and gives its reasons in a logical way to convince the reader to
side with the newspaper principles.

4. Editorial of Criticisms
Similar to editorial of argumentation, but this editorial tries to present both sides of the issue or
the pros and cons of the situation, though the newspaper has its own side of the issue.

5. Editorial of Persuasion
This aims to persuade readers to support a program or a plan of action by enumerating the
advantages that could be gained.

6. Editorial of Commendation
This editorial usually commends, praises or pays tribute for the successes, achievements of
public figures like heroes, leaders and other celebrities.

7. Editorial of Celebrating Special Occasion

This highlights the significance of celebrating special occasion like “Independence day,” “All
Saints day”, “Christmas” and “New year”.

Tips on How to Write Editorial

1. Know the issue very well

2. Be sure that the topic is of interest to the reader. Prefer current and controversial issue.

3. Limit your article to only one aspect of your chosen subject.

4. Have a purpose well in mind.

5. Gather sufficient data.

6. Take a stand on controversial issue.

7. Write catchy and interesting introduction composed of the news peg and the reaction.

8. Use sound and logical reasoning.

9. Give significant and factual details to bolster your opinion

10. Attribute sources.

11. Use formal language in presenting opinion.

12. Give statistics, if possible.

13. When giving an argument , start from the most significant.

14. Be authoritative, but do not preach

15. Bee impersonal. Use the third person “We” instead of “I” except in direct quotation.

16. Be brief.

17. Use various devices to catch and keep the reader’s interest such as:

a. A striking title, which may arouse the reader’s curiosity or suggest the topic

b. A good introduction composed of the news peg and the reaction

c. Illustration in the form of brief narrative

d. Attribution of authority to support your facts and arguments

e. Analogy

f. Comparison and Contrast

18. Tie up your ending with that of the beginning paragraph by suggesting solution, posing a
challenging question, making forecast of outcomes or just a simple summary.

PARTS OF EDITORIAL

1. TITLE - It gives a gist of the topic.

Example:
Erroneous textbooks: a bitter pill t our ailing education

2. INTRODUCTION- It contains the news peg and the reaction. The absence of a reaction to an
issue makes the article not an editorial but just an essay. An Introduction comes in different
forms like a thought provoking question, striking statement or narration of the event.

Example:
The expose made by Dr. Antonio Calipjo-Go, an academic supervisor in a private Marian
School in Quezon City, that some of the textbooks used by the students are erroneous, create a
gigantic tremor that rocks our academe.

3. BODY- It presents the factual details to bolster the opinion or principle of the newspaper on
the given issue.

Example:
In Asya: Noon, Ngayon at sa Hinaharap,
a 316-page textbook used by the second year high school students in Araling Panlipunan, Dr.
Calipjo-Go has discovered that it contains 431 errors.

As expected, those in the godly seat of our educational system denied the findings of
Dr. Calipjo-Go. Even the authors of the said book threatened to file a case against the
professor, whose only mistake is his undying concern of saving our educational system from
dooming by bravely coming out and expose the tip of the iceberg of errors these widely used
textbooks.

After thorough evaluation, however, the Department of Education has found out that
indeed, Dr. Calipjp-Go is right. Several textbooks used not only in the public schools, but also in
the private schools are erroneous.

Nobody can deny that textbooks are the “holy bibles” of the students. Majority of those in
the public schools are so dependent on the facts and figures supplied by the books. If they are
by erroneous information, these will be implanted into their mind forever. The same will be
handed down to others unless by chance along the way toward higher educational pursuit, they
will come across with the right information that will invalidate and correct whatever erroneous
information that they have learned from the past.

These textbooks stained with errors are but bitter pills that entangle our youth in the
sty of ignorance. These negate the objective of the government of providing quality education
to us, students.

4. Conclusion- It presents a solution, plea, advice, command, thought- provoking question,

forecast possible effects and quotation relevant to the subject or just a summary.

Example:
The authors, as well as the concerned authorities who are tasked to evaluate these
books are guilty of thwarting facts and injecting the wrong medication into the minds of the
students. They should be given the dose of their own medicine.

EDITORIAL CARTOONING

An editorial cartoon is actually an editorial in pictorial form. It aims to illustrate through

an informal drawing the stand of the newspaper on a timely issue. Besides, it does serve as
entertainment and lighten the mood in the midst of the serious presentation of opinions about
different issues.

It often contains an argument often suggested on the basis of an emotional appeal,

which may be readily grasped and understood by the readers than the printed texts of an
editorial. It is primarily designed to crystallize ideas regarding current issues of changing
society.

Needless to say, it serves as a potent vehicle for ridicule, for criticism and to exert an
influence on the part of the reading public. It supplements the editorial comments and
interpretation through the use of effective and universal symbols to reach and to influence the
public.

Qualities of an Effective Editorial Cartoon

1. It deals with a single idea.

2. It is humorous.

3. It exerts influence to the reader

4. It is realistic.

5. It entertains the readers.

Steps in Editorial Cartooning

1. Know the main issue that you wish to draw a cartoon

2. Know the stand of the editorial staff on the issue.

3. Illustrate through the aid of effective symbol

that fit the general opinion of the editorial staff on the issue

Tips for Editorial Cartooning

1. Use the black pen on white paper.

2. Employ single stroke or line.

3. Shading can be employed for emphasis.

4. Focus on one topic only.

5. Limit the use of words and labels

6. Avoid using talk balloons that describe or state what are obvious.

7. Use universal or common symbols.

8. Details in the drawing are not necessary

9. Simplicity of the drawing is encouraged; simple but the message is clear and intact

10. Manifestation of facial expression and prominent identity, especially when drawing persons.

11. Present the issue accurately.

12. Limit the things to be drawn from three to five only to illustrate the idea.

13. Present accurately the issue, example, surveys, data, statistics and others.

14. Emphasize face, dynamism or motion in your subject.

15. Inject humor, but be careful not to poke fun of tragic incidents.

16. Develop your own style.

17. Read a lot and be updated with the different issues in economic, political, sociocultural,
environmental, moral and spiritual aspects. You are not merely a visual artist. You are a
Journalist, too.

Examples of General Symbols in Editorial Cartooning

1. pencil, pen, and newspaper - journalism, freedom of the press

2. dove - freedom, peace, democracy

3.salakot - Juan dela Cruz representing the ordinary Filipino citizen

4. chain - suppression of freedom, maltreatment and slavery.

5. kamatayan - danger, bad omen

6. syringe- cure, death sentence, drug addiction

7.crocodile - abusive person of authority.

8. beggar- poverty

9. mallet - justice

10. blindfolded woman carrying a weighing scale - justice

11. big waves - hindrances, adversities

12. mask - deceiver

13. eagle - bravery, strength, United States of America

14. bar of gold - wealth

15. high rising building - development, progress

16. key - towards success and development

17. huge rock- tough situation, hindrance, obstacle

18. rising sun - hope

19. multi-tattooed man- criminal, ex-convict, bad man

20. a skull with crossed bones- death, danger