NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE

COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
. Ajuy, Iloilo

SECONDARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
EL 119
CAMPUS
JOURNALISM
Prepared by:
PROF. SHARON O. CALIMPONG, LPT, MAT
ASST. PROF. 11

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 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

SECONDARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
EL 119
CAMPUS
JOURNALISM
MODULE I - LESSON 1

REVIEW ON THE STRUCTURE

OF ENGLISH
TOPIC
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo
SECONDARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Course Description:

This course teaches the students on the skills, principles, and strategies of writing,
lay outing and publishing a campus paper in traditional and new media formats.
Ideas on how to get sources of news and how to be able to collate information from
various sources will also be taught to those taking the course. The students will be
able to demonstrate content knowledge and application of this allied field while
showing skills in the positive use of ICT in Desktop Publishing and ultimately to
teaching and learning of journalism. Lastly, they are prompted to uphold the dignity
of teaching and the journalism field through a caring attitude, social responsibility,
respect and integrity.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo
SECONDARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Module 1 – Introduction to Journalism and Its Definition

Time Allotment: 6 hours

I. Introduction:
Journalism is basically writing, but definitely has a different kind of writing
style. It is not literary or fiction writing. It is actually news writing; that you are
going to gather facts, research, interview people and write everything in facts rather
than fiction.
In this module, you will be introduced to the world of journalism, the activities
to be done and how the journalistic writing is done.

II. Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this lesson, you must have:

A. determined the significance of journalism and its history down to its
modern cultural relevance;
B. identified the journalists’ code of ethics, principles and campus journalism
act;
C. written a metalog or short reflection about the issues or problems
confronting journalism.

III. Learning Content: Introduction to Campus Journalism

Journalism is widely regarded as a glamorous and exciting profession. Despite

the low salary, the pressure of beating deadlines, and the long and often irregular
work, many talented young people are still attracted to the newsroom.
Journalism is the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related
commentary and feature materials through such print and electronic media as
newspaper, magazines, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, social networking and
social media sites, and e-mail as well as through radio, motion pictures, and
television. The word journalism was originally applied to the reportage of current
events in printed form, specifically newspapers, but with the advent of radio,
television, and the Internet in the 20th century, the use of the term broadened to
include all printed and electronic communication dealing with current affairs. History
The earliest known journalistic product was a news sheet circulated in ancient
Rome: the Acta Diurna, said to date before 59 BCE. The Acta Diurna recorded
important daily events such as public speeches. It was published daily and hung in
prominent places.
In China during the Tang dynasty, a court circular called a bao, or “report,”
was issued to government officials. This gazette appeared in various forms and
under various names more or less continually to the end of the Qing dynasty in
1911.
The first regularly published newspapers appeared in German cities and in
Antwerp about 1609. The first English newspaper, the Weekly Newes, was published
in 1622. One of the first daily newspapers, The Daily Court appeared in 1702.
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 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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At first hindered by government-imposed censorship, taxes, and other
restrictions, newspaper in 18th century came to enjoy the reportorial freedom and
indispensable function that they have retained to the present day. The growing
demand for newspapers owing to the spread of literacy and the introduction of
steam-and then electric-driven presses caused the daily circulation of newspapers to
rise from the thousands to the hundreds of thousands and eventually to the millions.

The Power of the Press

The power of the press has long been recognized, accepted and supported. In
1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “The basis of our government being the opinion of
the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me
to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers
without a government.”
Filipino leaders during the Spanish regime – Jose Rizalk, Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez-Jaena – turned to press in their crusade for reforms. The militant
press also made the early American administrators feel its sharp sting. The
celebrated editorial “Aves de Rapiña” which exposed the opportunism and hypocrisy
of a very distinguished and influential American, is a landmark in Philippine
journalism. Of more recent vintage was the role of media – foreign, local, and
underground – in the downfall of a well-entrenched strongman, the late Ferdinand E.
Marcos.
In South Korea, the journalist have finally spoken up against the country’s
press control laws. Claiming that they had been forced to distort and fabricate the
facts and the truth for years under President Chun Doo Hwan, the journalists staged
a 48-day walkout, which they threatened to extend if their demands were not met.
Among their demands was the abolition of the government’s highly restrictive press
control laws.
The Philippine Constitution, like its American Counterpart, guarantees press
freedom. In its own sphere, campus journalism exercises this freedom and this
power to influence its readers, not excluding the faculty and administration. In the
late 60s, campus papers played up student power, in the early 70s, social
awareness. Some went to the extent of publishing excerpts from Mao’s Red Book
and Marxist writing. Reflecting changes in students’ outlook, the school papers
become involved in political and ideological conflicts. Discussion of “democratic
centralism” was common: students and teachers took active part in sit-ins, boycotts,
demonstrations and rallies. All these signs of activism were duly played up in the
school paper.

Journalism Ethics
Attorney Pachico Seares, the editor of Sun Star- Cebu and a Gawad Plaridel
Awardee for lifetime achievement stressed in his speech that journalist should not
just cover the community they serve but also serve the community they cover. The
much respected lawyer-turned-journalist believes that media ethics and
professionalism were the keys to the survival of newspaper in the Philippines.

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What is ethics? Many students equateAjuy, Iloilo
ethics with either religion or the law.
But, strictly speaking, ethics is independent from either one even though there are
many overlaps with both.
The term ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos,” which means character.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who popularized the study of ethics, equated an
ethical person to a “man of character,” i.e., someone who does what is right and
what he ought.
Today ethics usually refers to standards of right and wrong, which have stood
the test of time and culture differences and that are founded on justice and the good
of society. Therefore, it applies to everyone in society, regardless of age, race,
religion, or political ideology. For instance, the principle of truth-telling has been
considered an ethical principle (protected by law) since the time of Babylonian King
Hammurabi in 1700 B.C.
Ethics overlaps with religion because most faiths advocate a set of moral
norms that could even be more demanding than ethical norms. For instance, the
Judeo-Christian ethics is founded on the Ten Commandments. However, the goal of
ethics is a just society, while the goal of the Christian faith is something greater,
i.e., mankind’s eternal salvation.
Ethics overlaps with the law because many laws were created to protect
individuals from the unethical actions of others. Moreover, ethical standards are
founded on human rights, such as the right to life, the right to speech, and the right
to privacy; which just laws ought to protect.
The general principles in media ethics apply to any medium, whether print,
broadcast or online. Thus even if you opt for an online publication for your school,
these principles should be adopted by the editorial team. The New York-based
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has three-tiered guidelines that can help us
determine the right way:

1. Seek the Truth and Report It

According to SPJ, journalists should strive to be “honest, fair, and
courageous” in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information.
This means that a journalist makes sure he is reporting facts not
rumors. It is not a matter of reporting on everything they gather from
interviews. It also means that the journalist will identify the sources
whenever possible and gives persons accused of wrongdoings a chance to
defend themselves.
Nor should reporters quote their sources out of context, since this could
distort the meaning of the source’s words and mislead readers.
Editors should make sure that headline and lead does not mislead
readers, but reflect the contents of the news story. The same principle should
be applied on photographs and their captions. At the same time, editors
should check that the story has no discriminatory elements or stereotyping by
race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, and/or physical disability.
2. Minimize Harm
“Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects, and colleagues as human
beings deserving ofrespect,” says the SPJ manual.
Not all truths can be reported. A journalist should weigh his facts and
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determine if the story is necessaryAjuy,
forIloilo
public welfare of if it is simply a form
voyeurism into someone’s private affairs. An ethical journalist keeps the rights
of others in mind, especially the right to privacy and the right to a good
reputation.
For instance, you discover that a member of your school’s volleyball
varsity team has a history of mental illness. There is no need to put that in
your story, unless the person actually had an episode during a game that
would bring in its newsworthiness.
Minimizing harm means being compassionate with your sources and
those who may be adversely affected by the news coverage. If you have to
interview elementary school children regarding something unpleasant, you
should keep in mind that they are more susceptible to trauma than teens and
adults. Similarly, unless there is a newsworthy purpose, photographs used in
publications should preserve the dignity of its subjects rather than be
demeaning. It is considered unethical to publish a photograph of the principal
sprawled on the floor after slipping on a wet floor because it violates his right
to a good reputation and also respect due to him because of his position.
3. Be Accountable
“With great power comes great responsibility,” is an old saying made
more famous by the 2002 Spiderman movie. The media is a public trust and as
stated in the SPJ code, journalists should realize that they are accountable to
their audience.
Journalists should be open to dialogue with their audience and accept
criticism from them. When necessary, the publication should also publish the
corrections to mistakes committed, ranging from typographical errors to
misquotes. An ethical paper knows when to defend its staff members and when
to admit that they have made a mistake.
Accountability also means independence. Ideally, the members of the
editorial team should not be part of the student council so that they can cover
the actions of the latter without conflicts of interest. However, if this cannot be
avoided, then that student council member should not involve himself in
editorial decisions regarding coverage of the council.
Local publications abide by the code of ethics formulated by the
Philippine Press Institute and the National Press Club.

Journalist’s Code of Ethics (Philippines)

1. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress
essential facts or to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I
recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive
errors promptly.
2. I shall not violate confidential information or material given me in the exercise
of my calling.

3. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news,
photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a

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4. representative of the press whenAjuy, Iloilo any personal interview intended
obtaining
for publication.
5. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect private
reputation unless the public interest justifies it. At the same time, I shall fight
vigorously for public access to information.
6. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance
of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other
consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.
7. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.
8. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on, or degrade any person
by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and
ethnic origin.
9. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven
otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women
involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in
society.
10. I shall not take unfair advantage of fellow journalists.
11. I shall accept only such tasks as are compatible with the integrity and
dignity of my profession, invoking the “conscious clause” when duties imposed
on me and conflict with the voice of my conscience.
12. I shall comport myself in public or while performing my duties as
journalist in such manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When
in doubt, decency should be my watch word.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7079 (RA 7079)

An Act Providing for the Development and Promotion of Campus Journalism
and for Other Purposes

This act shall be known and referred to as the “Campus Journalism Act of
1991.” (Section 1)

Section 2. Declaration of Policy

It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and protect the freedom of the
press even at the campus level and to promote the development and growth of
campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical values, encouraging critical
and creative thinking and developing moral character and personal discipline of the
Filipino youth. In furtherance of this policy, the State shall undertake various
programs and projects aimed at improving the journalistic skills of students
concerned and promoting responsible and free journalism.

Section 3. Definition of Terms

a. Student Publication – The issue of any printed material that is
independently published by and which meets the needs and interests of,
the studentry;

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b. Student Journalist – Any bona Ajuy, Iloilo
fide student enrolled for the current
semester or term, who has passed or met the qualification and standards
of the editorial board. He must likewise maintain a satisfactory academic
standing.
c. Editorial Board – In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be
composed of student journalists who have qualified in placement
examinations. In the case of elementary and high school levels, the
editorial board shall be composed of a daily appointed faculty adviser, the
editor who qualified and a representative of the Parents-Teachers’
Association who will determine the editorial policies to be implemented by
the editor and staff members of the student publication concerned.
At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser
at the option of its members.
d. Editorial Policies – A set of guidelines by which a student publication is
operated and managed, taking into account pertinent laws as well as the
school administration policies. Said guidelines shall determine the
frequency of the publication, the manner of selecting articles and features
and other similar matters.

Section 4 – Student Publication

A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial
board and publication staff composed of students selected by fair and competitive
examinations. Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely
determine its editorial policies and manage the publication’s funds.

Section 5 – Funding of Student Publication

Funding for the student publication may include the savings of the respective
school’s appropriation, student subscriptions, donations, and other sources of funds.
In no instance shall the Department of Education, Culture and Sports or the
school administration concerned withhold the release of funds sourced from the
savings of the appropriations of the respective schools and other sources intended
for the student publications. Subscription fees collected by the school administration
shall be released automatically to the student publication concerned.

Section 6 – Publication Adviser

The publication adviser shall be selected by the school administration from a
list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The function of the adviser
shall be limited to one of technical guidance.
Section 8 – Press Conference and Training Seminar
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall sponsor periodic
competitions, press conferences and training seminars in which
student-editors/writers and teacher-adviser of student publication in the elementary,
secondary and tertiary levels shall participate. Such competitions, conferences and
seminars shall be held at the institutional, divisional, and regional levels, culminating
with the holding of the annual national elementary, secondary or tertiary School
Press Conferences in places of historical and/or cultural interest in the country.
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Section 9 – Rules and Regulations

The department of Education, Culture and Sports, in coordination with the
offices of the national elementary, secondary or tertiary organizations or official
advisers of student publications, together with student
journalists at the tertiary level and existing organizations of student journalists, shall
promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of
this Act.

Section 10 – Tax Exemption

Pursuant to paragraph 4, section 4, Article XIV of the Constitution, all grants,
endowments, donations, or contributions used actually, directly and exclusively for
the promotion of campus journalism as provided for in this Act shall be exempt from
donor’s or gift tax.

Section 11 – Appropriations
For the initial year of implementation, the sum of Five Million Pesos
(P5,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the savings from the
current appropriations of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
Therefore, such amount as may be necessary shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act.

Section 12 – Effectivity
This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general
circulation.

Signed by the President:

July 5, 1991
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IV. Learning Assessment

Listen over the radio, watch a news, or read a newspaper. Then list down at least
eight (8) most pressing and most important news these days. Write down the most
important details that go with every news you have selected.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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V. Enrichment Activity

News attempt: Is there some incidents or events that recently happened in your
place which you think deserved to be known by many? Write a news about it.

Rubric:
Organization of ideas 10 pts.
Content 15 pts.
Newsworthiness 15 pts.
Mechanics 10 pts.
Total 50 pts.

VI. References

1. Khan, Rachel E. (2010). Campus journalism. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing,

Inc.
2. Malinao, Alito L. (2005). Campus and community journalism handbook.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.
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Module 2 – Campus News Writing
Time Allotment: 12 hours

I. Introduction
News writing is not an easy task. You need to observe truthfulness while
writing. You need to gather facts coming from not just one source but from many.
Once you gathered enough information, you still need to validate the facts because
if not you will really be in great trouble.
In this lesson, you will be introduced with news, how it is written, how to
handle information and how to be vigilant.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you must have:

A. identified the different news elements and the inverted pyramid as a
structure in news writing;
B. recognized the different types of news and the different types of leads and
its functions;
C. written a news article.

III. Learning Content: Campus News Writing

News is basically about an event, idea, or a reaction that is presented

factually and simply in a written form to give the reader an idea of what is currently
happening around him or her, particularly on matters of interest to the community.
It is also a common belief that the word “news” is a sort of acronym for north,
east, west, and south. While news can come from all geographical directions, it is
actually a fifteenth century abbreviation of the term “new things.”
Merriam-Webster defines news as: 1) a report of recent events; 2) previously
unknown information; or 3) material reported in a newspaper or news periodical, or
on a newscast. Putting more essential elements of news together, it can be more
accurately defined as: News is an accurate and timely account of an idea, issue, or
event that affects a significant member of people.
News is accurate because it is based on facts not fiction. Thus, a journalist is
careful with the truthfulness of the information he or she presents to the readers.
News is timely. It corresponds to the immediate past. If a paper is published
once a semester, then a paper published in February should contain news from June
to December of the previous year.
An “idea” becomes newsworthy when it is the opinion of a prominent person,
when it transforms into policy, or when it is a good idea that could improve a
system.
An “issue” becomes newsworthy when it affects a great number of people
especially among the target audience of the paper. A school issue could range from
an infamous tuition fee hike, an issue regarding school uniform policies, a local issue
such as crime, or a national issue such as an election.
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An “event” becomes newsworthy Ajuy,
forIloilo
the school paper when it involves the
school, its administration, faculty, or students and alumni. By newsworthy, we mean

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that the idea, issue, or event affects or interests a significant number of the paper’s
audience. News cannot be indifferent or irrelevant; it should matter to the people
reading it.

News Values
Through the years, journalists and academics have narrowed the attributes
that give news its value, i.e., makes it worthy of being reported. The Philippine
journalism is patterned after the American style, with the same values of:

1. Timeliness
It is a necessary value of news. Data that has been updated with new
information becomes old information. Journalists are usually people with
deadlines. Journalist working for the daily newspapers have daily deadlines
and have to submit stories by the end of the day for the next day’s paper.
With the emergence of online news, deadlines have become even deadlier.
For instance, a reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer will have to submit his
stories before 6 p.m. of the same day, but, a reporter for the Inquirer.net will
have to submit his story within the hour of an event.
For a high school paper that is published once a semester, timeliness
no longer means completely “new” information. By the time of publication,
most people in the school would have heard about the event. Thus, the paper
becomes more of a chronicler of the events of the immediate past and serves
as a record for posterity.

2. Significance
The significance of an idea, issue, or event is relative to the target
audience of a publication. “Significance” increases as the number of people
affected by the news increase. News about a tuition fee hike has greater
significance than news about the repainting of the school’s gate.

3. Proximity
Proximity by definition means your nearness to a thing. There are two
ways for news to be near its readers geographically and psychologically.
“Geographic proximity” means that any event that takes place within the
school grounds is automatically newsworthy. It also means that events that
take place near the school area such as hold up of a grocery store across the
street, should be considered as news by the paper. On the other hand, an
incident that occurs at the Philippine Science High School may have
“psychological” nearness to other science high schools, such as news
regarding PSHS students winning a robotics competition in Thailand.

4. Prominence
This focuses on the fame or infamy of persons, places, things, or
events. Most articles in Philippine papers highlight this characteristic.
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Ajuy, Iloilocould be applied to officials of the
For a school paper, prominence
school, famous alumni, or even prominent events that the school participates
in, such

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as sports fests and extramural competitions. Prominence can also be applied to

dates. Thus, the school’s foundation day has “prominence” and can be the
singular reason to write a feature about the school or its founders. In daily
newspapers, prominence of date can be seen in front-page articles revolving
around the 1986 EDSA Revolution every February 25; features about Ninoy
Aquino on August 21; and, stories about blue-collar workers on May 1 (Labor
Day).

5. Oddity
Oddity is ironically both the easiest and the most difficult determinant
of newsworthiness. In 1882, Charles Anderson Dana, editor of the New York
Sun, defined oddity as “ If a dog bites a man that is not a news, but if a man
bites a dog, then that is news.”
Incidents that generally involve “drama” fall under oddity. Thus,
events that are emotional, that involve conflict, or that inspire, fall under this
characteristic. Events that are unusual also fall under oddity.

Types of News
There are two main news classification:
1. Hard news are news stories we read on the front pages of
the newspapers. Hard news are sometimes called “straight
news” because it sticks to the bare facts of a story. Under this
classification, the news usually possesses three to five values
especially significance and prominence.
2. Soft news is featurized, subjective, and sometimes
interpretative.

Other Types of News Stories

News Features – An account or article that need not be about a recent
event but continues to be timely because of the season or an anniversary
of the event (e.g. a feature on World War II veterans on April 9, Araw ng
Kagitingan). Unlike straight news, features are usually written from the
personal perspective of the writer.
In-Depth Story – A news story that gives beyond the day’s facts and
seeks to analyze, interpret, and uncover facts related to an issue or event.
This story could be either investigative, i.e., seeks to expound on an issue
or event by giving it greater context.
Follow-Up Story – A story that takes off from previous news reports and
looks at the story from another angle, from another source or simply
updates the reader with the developments of the story.
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Sidebar – A more focused story Ajuy, Iloilo
that accompanies the bigger story. A
sidebar can be a story that adds color to a news, event, e.g., a story on
politicians’ fashion during the President’s State of the Nation Address.

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Newsgathering
The source of good journalism is in the news gathering. You may be a good
writer but if your facts are all wrong, then you are not a journalist- you are a fiction
writer.
The amount of data you will need to write your story depends on the type of
news article you are planning to write. If you are writing a straight news, begin
newsgathering by getting the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, and why) and H (how)
from the witnesses of event. The more in-depth the story, the more time should be
spent in gathering data. As a rule of the thumb, reporters collect more data than
they need for a story. This way they can be certain that they can explain and
expound well on the ideas, issue, or event.

News Sources
A news source is traditionally defined as a person, publication, or document
that contributes to the information needed in reporting an idea, issue, or event.
Journalists are usually assigned to news beats, which represent areas of
coverage wherein reporters are expected to gather news of the day’s events. The
term is borrowed from a U.S. police terminology.
In the early 19th century, beats were given to police patrols. Beats are areas
where the police officer had to patrol to ensure the safety of that part of the
community.
Beats are part of newspaper’s structure to ensure that all important
events are covered.
Major beats are identified as: Police, City Hall, Congress, Justice, and
Malacañang (Office of the President).
Minor beats include: Education, Environment, and Health
A beat reporter is expected to know the persons who wield power and influence in
a specific area.
A police reporter should know the heads of the Philippine National Police and the
various police precinct chiefs.
A Justice beat reporter should know the officials of the Department of Justice and
the justic4s of the Supreme Court.
City Hall beat means familiarity with the mayor and other local government
officials.

Methods of Newsgathering
There are three basic method of newsgathering:
1. Observation – The best and primary method of newsgathering.
Journalists are expected to be eyewitnesses of the event, tasked with
recording the parcel of history.
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2. Interview – It provide aAjuy,
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source of expertise regarding an issue
as well as provide insight to an event. Interviews add prominence
and/or color to a news story or feature. However, the usefulness of
interview depends on the ability of the journalist to ask questions and
note the respondent’s answers.

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3. Researching or getting documents – There are documents that are

available to public and are easily accessible:
1.Supreme Court Documents decisions are released by the high
Court’s Public Information Office
2. Quarterly release of the National Income Accounts form the
National Statistics Office.
3. In school - Policy statement or copy of a memorandum to
faculty, annual report of the school administration, especially in
private school.

Anonymous Sources
Many news articles rely on anonymous source, i.e., a source that is not
named but tagged as a “source who requested anonymity” or “an unnamed
source,” or a government source.”
As much as possible, the journalist should strive to look for sources who can
be named and quoted. The problem with anonymous sources is that they lack
credibility. What assurance does the reader have that the source is a true person
and not the figment of the writer’s imagination?
identity could mean a threat to his well-being, ranging from the loss of a job to
the loss of his life.
The journalist should also realize the gravity of agreeing to protect the
identity of his source. Once promised, the journalist should be ready to go to the
extreme situation of spending time in jail for refusing to reveal the source’s
identity when summoned to reveal it by a court order.

News Story Structure

The news story structure is designed in such a way that it answers both the
fast delivery of news demanded by its readers and its fast construction by its
producers. This structure is more popularly known as the “ inverted pyramid”
format.

The Lead
All news structure, whether straight news or features start with a lead. There
are two types of lead:
1. The Traditional Lead – traditionally, the lead is expected to answer six (6
basic questions: who, what, where, when, why (5Ws) and how (H). The writer
is expected to put the best W or H forward and leave the less important ones for the
succeeding paragraphs.

a. WHO Lead: U.S. President Joe Biden yesterday said he will visit the
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Philippines in November. Ajuy, Iloilo
b. WHAT Lead: The oil price hike will trigger higher food prices, economist
from
the University of the Philippines said in a symposium last Tuesday.
c. WHEN Lead: Ten days to go before the Sangghuniang Kabataan election.
d. WHERE Lead: Luneta Park was filled with g-string clad men last Saturday in
an effort to raise awareness for cultural minorities.
14
e. WHY Lead: A broken water pipe was the cause for the flooding along
Sikatuna Avenue, Quezon City yesterday.
f. HOW Lead: Using his bare hands to kill the snake, the soldier saved a six-
year old boy from bitten.
Apart from giving information, the lead also serves to attract the reader to the
story.
An effective lead is a single sentence that contains only one idea. Lead should
emphasize what is newsworthy.
Leads also report the stories most recent developments. A news story begins
its narration from the ending.
Lead should be action-oriented, telling the readers what the story is and not
merely what the story is about.

Alternative Leads
Journalists also rely on colorful leads to attract readers. They are called
“alternative” because they sometimes break convention or even rules of grammar.
They are also called “delayed” leads because they only give a “clue” to what the
story is about instead of informing the reader.
A nut graph is the summary of the story. It is usually found in the second or
third paragraph of the story. The nut graph is similar to the traditional lead,
although it is longer and contains almost all the Ws and H. The term takes its origin
from a nutshell which you have to crack open to reveal its contents. Alternative
leads are more often used in news stories that have oddity as its primary news value
or in news features.

Some Common Types of Alternative Leads

1. Punch Lead – A brief, witty, and sometimes paradoxical statement. Like a good
joke, it’s a punchline that catches readers off guard.

Sample Lead: Watching television can be deadly.

Nut graph: Joselito D. Cruz, 35, was beaten to death when he changed the
television channel against the wishes of the other persons at the Lapaluza Bar
along Taft Ave. last night.

2. Picture or Descriptive Lead – A vivid word picture of an event. It is usually

used for sidebar stories to big events such as the story on congressional fashion
during the President’s State of the Nation Address.
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Ajuy, Iloilo
Sample lead: Dressed in shiny metallic blouses, the Silver Jubilarians waved,
smiled, and posed for the cameras, during their homecoming festivities at the St.
Cecilia’s Auditorium last February 8.

3. Direct Address Lead – Violating news writing conventions of writing in the third
person, this lead is written using the second person “you,” with the aim of targeting
specific readers.
15
Sample lead: If your parents are alumni of this school, then your family may
be eligible for the annual loyalty award.

Nut graph: The Aurora Elementary School Loyalty Award will be given to a
family that has been with the school for at least two generations, Principal Mike
Matino announced during the flag ceremony yesterday.

4. Contrast Lead – Uses the comparison of two conventional extremes, such as

black and white, young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sickly. This is usually
used for personality profiles, but it can be used for crime stories as well.

Sample lead: Forty years ago, he was a fish vendor in Tondo. Today, he is the
ninth richest person in the country.

5. Question Lead – Uses a pertinent question, which at the same time serves as
the key idea of the story. This lead is only effective if the question is phrased in such
a way that people would be interested in its answer.

Sample lead: Is a tuition fee increase really necessary?

Nut graph: A tuition fee increase can be avoided next year, if the school
manages to raise P500,000 from the newspaper drive, Principal Francis B.
Ochoa said yesterday.

6. Quotation Lead – For news stories, the lead uses a succinct remark or a bold
statement form a speech or an interview. For features, this lead may also be culled
form historical figures, well-known literature or even the Bible.

Sample lead for news: “We will win the championships,” coach Virgilio Santos
confidently declared yesterday.

Sample lead for features: “What is the truth?” Unlike Pontius Pilate who never
wanted for an answer, students of Sister Mary Belle stayed for her Tuesday Catholic
Doctrine classes.

7. Literary Allusion Lead – Usually used for features, the lead makes use of
famous lines from popular literature or well-known proverbs. Here is an example of
a lead, tweaked from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo
Sample lead: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in
possession of a good fortune, must be in want of an investment banker.
(originally, “a wife”)

Writing the lead is the hardest part of news writing because it is not only an
exercise of skill but also of judgement. Choosing the right lead means choosing the
right angle of the story and choosing the best way of stating it. Once the lead has
been written, fifty percent of a story is done.
16

Any event can be written into a news story, from the most mundane to the most
unusual. Taking the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill and making it into a real event, how
would the lead be written? For the sake of the story, let’s say that Jack and Jill were
siblings, ages 9 and 6, and had fallen from one of the Chocolate Hills in Carmen,
Bohol.

The Poem: Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
and Jill came tumbling after.

Traditional: A nine year-old boy died and his six year-old sister seriously
injured in an accident at the Chocolate Hills of Bohol yesterday.

Alternative: a.) There was no poetry in his death. (punch lead)

b.) Jack and Jill went up the hill to shoot a perfect picture.
(literary allusion lead)

The Body
As stated earlier, the news story takes the shape of an inverted pyramid. The
first paragraph serves to give the story its focus and the rest of the story follows its
lead. The first two to three paragraphs of a news story should only serve to expound
on the lead.

Lead: An 18 year-old female student died in a car accident along the

Expressway yesterday.

Second paragraph (identification of the WHO)

The victim was Joan de la Cruz, a pre-law student of Far Eastern
University, and daughter of court of appeals justice Jose de la Cruz.

Third paragraph (expounding the WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN)

She was found dead inside a 1980 Toyota Corolla with plate number
AUY 340), by a highway patrolman at around 3p.m. The car was in a ditch not far
from the toll plaza of the North Expressway. Her body was brought to the
Valenzuela Memorial Hospital.

Fourth Paragraph (expounding on the WHY and HOW)

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Ajuy,
Initial police reports showed Iloilothe brakes of her car malfunctioned
that
causing the car skid and fall into the ditch. “The brake fluid container was
dried up and the brake lining was very thin,” said Police Officer Manuel Reyes of the
Valenzuela Police precinct.

Fifth paragraph ( adding drama to the story)

Police called the family of the victim and her father came to identify the
body. “She was supposed to follow in my footsteps and be my legal aid,” said
a teary-eyed Justice dela Cruz.
17
Sixth paragraph (related, but least important information)
The accident caused a four-hour traffic jam along the North
Expressway. But traffic was following smoothly by 8 p.m. after the damaged
car had been
towed.

The paragraph immediately following the lead should build on the

story’s focus. In the example, the focus was on the 18-year-old victim. Thus,
the
second paragraph was devoted to identifying who she was.

Paragraphs should only contain major idea. Thus, the Why and the How
were separated from the other Ws to give the story greater clarity. The
paragraph that adds drama was also separated from straightforward facts of
the previous paragraphs.

Every paragraph in the news story’s body should give readers

additional information and specific details. Unlike the English essay, news stories
do not contain topic sentences.

Example: Wrong: The eyewitness managed to get a description of the

gunman’s car.
Right: The eyewitness said she saw the gunman escape in a
white Honda Civic driven by a woman.
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Ajuy, Iloilo

18

IV. Learning Assessment

Identify each statement below whether each is newsworthy or not. Write NW for
newsworthy and NN for not newsworthy. Write your answer on the blanks
provided.

_____1. Mr. Soc Gallos, the English teacher submitted the grades of the
graduating students.
_____2. Fernando Zobel de Ayala donates a dozen computers to the school.
_____3. Vincent Cruz, a high school freshman, loses his wallet on the way to
school.
_____4. Apolinario Santos, a high school sophomore, wins the mayor’s Most
Outstanding Student of the City awards.
_____5. The principal announces that she is retiring next year.
_____6. The principal announces that he will go to the United States for a
vacation.
_____7. Ms. De la Rosa, a Math teacher, was awarded a scholarship by the Japan
Foundation.
_____8. The security guard had a heart attack and is now in the hospital.
_____9. The canteen is now selling ice cream.
_____10. Classrooms will be painted pink during the summer break.

II. Make one traditional and one alternative leads from the texts below.

1. A lone gunman got away with P5,700.00 when he held up a McDonald’s

Restaurant along Rizal Ave. last Wednesday night around 11:45 p.m. According to
the Police report, six persons – four customers and two crew members were in the
restaurant at the time and the gunman asked them to give him their wallets. He
also took all the cash in the cash register. Police Officer 1 Roderick Santos said
they are still looking for the gunman. Police have no clear description of him
because he was wearing a red scarf over his face.

2. Pamela V. Cruz, 17, of 3222 Maginhawa St. UP Village, Q.C., a senior high
school student at Miriam College won a Southeast Asian Merit scholarship worth
P100,000.00. She will use this to enroll in a pre-law course at the University of
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy,
the Philippines. Five awards were given Iloilo
out, but she is the only one to win from
the Philippines. Other winners were from Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Dr. Girlie Rodina, Miriam High School principal, said that Pamela has been a
consistent honor student since first year. In grade six, she suffered an attack of
polio and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since.

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V. Enrichment Activity

Get a hold of a newspaper, or watch a news, or listen over a radio. Then select five
of the best news and answer the 5 Ws and H for each news.

VI. References

1. Khan, Rachel E. (2010). Campus journalism. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing,

Inc.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
2. Malinao, Alito L. (2005). Campus andAjuy, Iloilo
community journalism handbook.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.

20

Module 3- Feature Writing

Time Allotment:7.5 hours

I. Introduction
While the hard news, or the straight news, is basically concerned with timely
or important events, the feature story, also called soft news, is more concerned with
human interest.
In this module you will be introduced with the definition, structure and types
of feature.

II. Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you must have:

A. defined feature writing;
B. recognized the structure and different types of features;
C. appreciated accuracy, creativity, and integrity in writing a feature
article.

III. Learning Content: Feature Writing

When used in journalism, feature means a style of writing that takes an in-
depth look at a specific aspect of reality, whether it is about a current event, a trend
or a person.
Feature according to the dictionary means a special attraction, a trend,
or a person.
Features are often termed as “soft news” because they have more
room for creative expression, and not because it is a “dumbing down”
of content.
It explores not only facts but also feelings.
It not only informs; a feature story also entertains.
Features are not fiction.
It continues to apply the news values.
It can be timely but can also be an evergreen story that could
published at any time of the year.
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy,
Features are usually hybrids Iloilo literary and news writing.
between
They use journalistic alternative lead as a take-off point for the rising
action.
Feature can abandon form and simply be a Q & A written in the first
person, something that would not be acceptable in a news story.

Structure of Feature Article

The story structure of the feature article can take the form of an inverted
pyramid or the literary form, with its rising action before the climax. In any case, a
feature has an introduction, a body and conclusion.

21

A feature should be written within a word count. Typical word counts are 350-
500 words (column), 800 (one page), 1,200-1,500 (DPS), 2,000 (3-page feature).
The feature, whatever its length, will have a basic structure of:

Introduction or the Lead. Set the scene. Bring it to life; or start with a
question, a narrative or a description, but however you do it, you need to
seduce readers into your story via the first paragraph.
The Lead
It should create an image, send a verbal message and capture the reader's
imagination.
The tone should fit the mood of the story and supply the theme or angle.
It should lead the reader into the story.

What makes a good lead:

An anecdote that represents the universal truth.
The description of a scene that helps to establish a tone or mood.
A description of a subject: face, demeanor, posture.
A powerful quote.
A startling statement.
The strength of any sentence is judged by its degree of improbability. "Fall is
here and that means the start of football season" tells the reader nothing.
The following lead is much better: "Fall is here, a fact that head coach Bill
Smith may view with some trepidation. Not only does he have to replace 14
seniors from a 2-8 season, he must deal with the recent season-ending injury
to returning quarterback Dave Jones."

Body text. Having the readers hooked at the start, keep them reading. This
is where the writer’s skill in creating a logically progressed narrative comes into
play. Each paragraph will move the story along, and add to the reader’s
information. Embed facts into scenes, so that something new is revealed with
each paragraph.
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Ajuy,
If to interview people, let them reveal Iloilo
their parts of the story via direct quotes – it
is telling a story with characters in it so let them speak. Their voices will bring the
feature story to life.
Don’t info-dump. Space out information so that everything necessary is included
without disrupting the narrative flow.
If there isn’t enough space to get in all the facts, cut the prose rather than sacrifice
information that will add to a reader’s knowledge.

The Body
It should be unified with all material relating to the theme. All unnecessary
data should be omitted. Care should be taken to make certain that each
sentence and paragraph adds to the impact of the narrative.
The story is organized in a logical order. This does not necessarily mean
chronological order. However, the reader should be able to follow the
22
narrative of the story as action jumps back and forth from the past, the
present and even the future.

Conclusion. Create a satisfactory ending so that the reader understands that

the story has reached a conclusion. Don’t spoil a good feature by letting it tail
off, or make it bottom-heavy by cramming in information that should have
been woven in higher up. Be careful too not to sound pat or – heaven forbid –
press-release.

Feature writing is about real life stories, and real life is complex, and does not
always wrap up into a neat conclusion. One-liners can be a nice way to end a
piece, or if there is a good quote that underlines everything that have been
said throughout the feature.

The ending should give a sense of finality and resolution to the reader. It
wraps up all loose ends and leaves the reader with a single, significant
thought. It stands alone as the reader's final impression.

Types of Features

1. News Feature
Feature, unlike news, does not have to be tied to a current event or a
breaking story. But it can grow out of something that’s reported in the news.
Supports the daily coverage by giving the readers a more in-depth
understanding of the headlines, or it can discuss a situation that you
see in your way to school.
Features could also be about a news event that can be covered more
in-depth than daily beat reporting.
It can also usually based on a recent event but written in a more
relaxed style, using literary devices.

2. The Profile
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A profile is a feature on a personAjuy, Iloilo either because of their prominence
or place,
or in relation to an event.
It takes a look at people from the world of sports, entertainment,
politics, science, technology, business, health, international
development, community activism, education, the military, the fine arts
or any other field that is of interest.
A feature writer can even write a profile about ordinary people, like
his/her classmate or the school nurse or the fishball vendor across the
street.
When writing a profile, find out what makes that particular person or
place interesting.
If it is a profile of a prominent person, find out what is new about him
or what has not yet been written about.
In writing a personal profile, it is not needed to write a complete

23

biography of a person. Only the most interesting and relevant aspects

of a person is highlighted or facts relating to the focus of the article.
A personal profile is also called personality profile or a personal sketch
which give the reader an insight into a person’s character and traits.
This can be done through research and actual interview with the person.

3. The Trend Story

The trend story is a common type of feature in the entertainment or arts and
leisure pages of a newspaper.
A trend story examines people, things, or organizations that are having
an impact on society.
It is popular because people are interested in reading about the latest
fads.
Trend stories are generally seasonal because they report trends in
fashion and lifestyle, which changes twice a year.
Apart from fashion, trends in food, art, technology, and even language
(like slang words) can be featured.

4. Historical Feature
This type of feature shows the importance and relevance of significant past
events.
It reviews what happened and assesses the current and future impact
of an event, idea, person, place, or issue.
This type of feature is usually spotted in papers during anniversaries of
historical events and death anniversaries of significant personages in
our history.

5. Human Interest
A human interest story is written to show the subject’s oddity, or its practical,
emotional or entertainment value.
Human interest stories are often emotional and heartbreaking.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo
The subject of this ty of feature is usually not prominent but is doing
something unusual, either something odd or something inspiring.
Sometimes they take off from a hard news.
A wellspring of features were also published about the local heroes who
risked their own safety to help other victims of the storm or other
catastrophes.

6. Service Feature
Service feature takes its name from its function, i.e. ”news you can use”
In newspapers, this type of feature is usually found in specialized pages
such as science, technology, health, economics, and education.

7. In-depth stories
These are stories written from extensive research and interviews.
These give detailed accounts of basic news stories or other features.
24

8. Backgrounders
A backgrounder is also called an analysis piece since this adds meaning to
current issues in the news by explaining them further.
These articles bring an audience up-to-date, explaining why the tragedy
happened, what are the repercussions or the after effect.

9. Humorous Feature
If one of the more important functions of a feature story is to entertain, then
nothing entertains more than a story with wit and humor.

10. Personal Experience

This is an unusual experience, usually written in the first person.

11. How To Feature

The purpose of this feature is to explain a process or a method.
This is usually accompanied with illustrations or photos.

12. Analytical Essay

An essay is a distinct genre in literature. Today, however, there are a lot of
essays written in the journalistic style.
These are witty, sometimes funny, account of anything, from the
mundane to the serious.

An Example of a Humorous Feature (An excerpt)

When names matter

By Fred de la Rosa

“What’s in a name?” asks William Shakespeare. “That which we call a rose by

any other name would smell as sweet.”
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
You’re wrong, Mr. Shakespeare. Ajuy, Iloilomatter. Ask Brazilian males who are
Names
named Braulio. Ask people who answer to interesting names.
Brazil’s health ministry has dumped a name given to a “talking penis” used in
in its anti-AIDS campaign after angry protest from people with the same name.
What’s the name of the “talking penis?” Braulio
The coordinator of the national AIDS program said that henceforth neutral
terms such as “partner,” “buddy,” “ditto,” would be used for the noisy genetalia
instead of the popular name “Braulio.”
Naming kids used to be an easy task. Just look at the calendar and check the
name of the saint in whose feast day the child was born. Several generations of
Filipinos were named this way. This explains why there used to be plenty of Aguedas
and Bartolomes in the neighborhood.
Where in the world can you find adults who respond to nicknames like “Boy,”

25

“Girlie,” “Sonny,” and “Baby?” The winner would be “Baby Boy” Poblador. Isn’t it
redundant? There are also a lot of “Juns” but why are their fathers not called
“Sens?”
Names can also be used as weapons. Some characters with a ghoulish humor
name their pets after the bosses or personal enemies. Beware when people call you
“Brenda” or “Inday,” but “Daisy” can be flattering.
In the Filipino community in the United States, a favorite joke is about Pinoys
who want to Westernized their names. A classic is the one about a guy named
Casimiro Boquercosa who had his named changed to Cashmere Bouquet.
I don’t know of any particular name-changing among Filipinos except about
the illegal alien who took advantage of the amnesty law and had his name changed
from Bok Choy to Dakilang Mamamayan. But noteworthy is the starlet who decided
to leap out of anonymity by changing her name from something ordinary to “Pookey
Moreno.”
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

26

IV. Learning Assessment

Write a 300-word feature about the COVID 19. You can choose any type of feature
that suits you best. The rubric below will be your guide.

Organization of ideas 10 pts.

Content 15 pts.
Lead 15 pts.
Mechanics 10 pts.
Total 50 pts.

V. Enrichment Activity

Cut out samples of three different types of feature stories in a newspaper which may
be old or new. Then paste each sample on a short bond paper and discuss them
 What type of lead was used?
 What news values can be found in these features?
 Why do you think it was written as a feature and not as a news story?
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

VI. References

1. Khan, Rachel E. (2010). Campus journalism. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing,

Inc.
2. Malinao, Alito L. (2005). Campus and community journalism handbook.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.

27
Module 4 – Opinion/Editorial Writing
Time Allotment:12 hours

I. Introduction
An editorial or opinion writing is another factual article. Yet unlike any news
article, editorial does not simply inform the reader, rather it gives a stand on a
certain issue.
In this module, you shall be exposed to the meaning of editorial and opinion,
their types and how they are written.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you must have:

A. identified an editorial and an opinion article;
B. recognized the persuasive structure in writing editorial/opinion;
C. written an editorial/opinion article.

III. Learning Content: Opinion/Editorial Writing

An opinion piece never tries to be as comprehensive as a news article or

feature. A series of an opinion pieces can be written on just one issue, each article
breaking down the issue and looking at it from various angles.
The opinion piece usually seeks to persuade or convince the reader to share
the same stand. Opinion articles can range from serious, such as editorials and news
analyses, to humorous and light.
Apart from the 5 Cs of effective writing (clear, concise, correct, credible, and
complete), columnist are also “consistent.” A columnist’s style does not swing back
and forth between the two extremes. The style he chooses gives the column its
personality and the columnist his voice.
The best style and tone to adopt depends on:
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AJUY CAMPUS
1. the focus of the column Ajuy, Iloilo
2. the writer’s purpose
3. the target audience

Typical Forms of Opinion Writing:

Editorial – an opinion article written by a senior editor, which
expresses the sentiments of the editorial board regarding a particular
issue.

News Analysis – is usually an opinion piece regarding a current issue;

however, it could also be a “behind-the-scenes” look at news story or
additional but unverified data regarding a news story that a journalist
was covering (e.g. Ellen Tordesilla’s column in Malaya).

Humor – a satirical or witty column that makes fun of life’s

contradictions (e.g. Jessica Zafra’s column in Philippine Star).

28
Reviews – a writer’s assessment of a new book, movies, or restaurant.

Specialized Commentary (e.g. sports, science) – is a column about a

specialized field. This type of column is usually written by a professional
from that field. For example, a doctor can write a medical column, a
retired tennis player can write about sports, etc.

Advice – an interactive column that solicits questions from the

readers. Like a specialized column, it is written by someone with
experience in the field; for example, a column on parenting could be
written by a guidance counselor or experienced family psychology
expert.

Structure of an Opinion Piece

An opinion has three basic parts:

1. introduction
2. the body
3. the conclusion

Being part of the news section of a news paper, the introduction is actually an
eye-catching lead. In this, alternative leads come in handy, since there is little
concern for the 5 Ws and H in an opinion column. For example, a column about the
student council elections could simply begin with an imperative statement, “Go out
and vote!

The body of the column contains the writer’s opinion plus the facts that back
it up. Facts could be in the form of statistics, laws, and policies or anecdotes and
experiences.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo
A column ends with:
a punch line
a call to action
or a quick summary
The reader is rarely left hanging, unless the columnist intends to have a second
installment on the same topic, in which case he should conclude his column with a
teaser.

The Editorial

An editorial is the stand or viewpoint of a newspaper on certain issues. The

editorial is usually written in elegant but understandable language. It is written by
an editorial writer who is not a member of the news department. He/She directly
reports to the publisher or the editor in chief. The editorial board or a paper, if it
has one, would decide on what stand to take on an issue, its stand is the voice of
the editorial staff.
An editorial tackles a timely issue, which the editors decide upon in a so-
called story conference. During the conference, editors brainstorm for topics that
would be the best issue to discuss and come up with a consensus on the paper’s
stand.
29
Several Types of Editorials

1. Explanatory – This type of editorial seeks to give readers a better understanding

of an issue and the particular approach a paper had taken in covering an issue. It
could be sort of a behind-the-scene story of the challenges reporters faced in
covering a story. For example, an editorial on the earthquake that hit Baguio some
years ago explained that the reporters had to hike around 16 kilometers to Baguio
and brave the dangers of an avalanche just to get the story.

2. Interpretative – Similar to a news analysis, this type of editorial seeks to

interpret a timely event, telling the readers the editors’ view of the situation. For
example, during the 2020 elections, an editorial could focus on whether people
should believe in the polls and why it is considered newsworthy.

3. Critique – This type of editorial makes a critical assessment of policies, action,

decision. It can identify problems taken. For example, an editorial of this type could
be a critique of a new tax law. For school paper, it could be a review of the new
policy for removing the sale of junk food in the canteen.

4. Persuasive – While all editorials are generally persuasive, this type of editorial
aims to influence readers into accepting solution or action proposed by the
newspaper. For example, an editorial can persuade readers to boycott a certain
product that uses child labor as a part of its production process, or it can persuade
readers of the importance of segregating waste.
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Ajuy, Iloilo
5. Praise – Last but not the least, editorials could be used to praise an achievement
by a person or institution. It could also serve as a tribute to someone, like a retiring
school principal.

Components of an Editorial

1. Introduction – Get the reader’s attention. This should include the issue at hand.

2. Body – Persuade the reader. This should include arguments, the pro or con on
the
issue.
3. Conclusion – Prompt the reader into action, preferably supporting the paper’s
stand on the issue.

Functions of an Editorial

1. Criticize or attack. If you criticize be sure that you have suggestions for change
or a solution to the problem.

2. Defend. Stand up for an individual or groups, notably the underprivileged, or an

institution if it is under attack by society or by the media.

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3. Endorse. If you have to endorse a political candidate, be sure that the candidate
is qualified and worthy of the public trust. If you endorse or support a proposal,
for example in building a new gymnasium, be sure that the proposal is workable
and for the good of the majority.

4. Compliment. Praise when warranted. But write it in such a way it will not appear
as biased. The object of your praise may think that you are doing it in exchange
for something else.

5. Instigate, advocate or appeal. To instigate or advocate for something, like

asking for blood donation from faculty members, is a worthy endeavor. It will
save
lives. An appeal editorial, on the other hand, should contain convincing
arguments
like how the school fund drive can help poor but deserving students continue their
studies.

6. Entertain. This kind of editorial is good for the soul, but it should have a
worthwhile point and should be written about something worth the reader’s time.

7. Predict. Be sure to support your prediction or forecast with facts.

Formula for Writing the Editorial

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy,isIloilo
An effective formula in writing the editorial called SPECS which stands for:

State the problem

Position on the problem
Evidence to support the position
Conclusion: Who’s going to be affected and how
Solutions to the problem. Give at least two.

Below is an excerpt of the most famous editorial in western history. It was written in
1897 for the New York Sun and answers a letter from an 8-year old reader named
Virginia O’ Hanlon who asked, “Is there a Santa Claus.”

“Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists certainly as love and

generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life
its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no
Santa Klaus! It could be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS! There would be
no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light which
childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might
get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch
Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would
that

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prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.
The most real things are those neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not
there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and
unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but
there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the
united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith,
fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the
supernal beauty and glory beyond.

Is it real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world, there is nothing else real and
abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank GOD! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand
years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to
make glad the heart of childhood.”
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

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IV. Learning Assessment

From the different topics below, choose one and make an editorial. You can create
your own title if you want. Kindly refer to the rubric.

1. The World Pandemic

2. COVID 19 Vaccine
3. The Frontliners: Our Living Heroes
4. The Importance of Faith in God

Organization of ideas 10 pts.

Content 15 pts.
SPECS 15 pts.
Mechanics 10 pts.
Total 50 pts.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

V. Enrichment Activity

Look for three most effective and persuasive editorials for you, either written in the
past or present. You may cut them out and paste on a short bond paper or have it
copy pasted as long as you acknowledge the writer. Then discuss the SPECS.

VI. References

1. Khan, Rachel E. (2010). Campus journalism. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing,

Inc.
2. Malinao, Alito L. (2005). Campus and community journalism handbook.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.

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Module 5 – Planning the Campus Paper
Time Allotment: 13.5 hours

I. Introduction
Planning a campus paper involves a careful lay out of all the articles and other
elements to be included in the paper. You should make sure that everything is in
proper place. Of course you should get to involve people in the editorial board for a
more effective campus paper.
In this module, you will be introduced with the different parts of a campus
paper. You will be also made familiar with the different techniques of taking pictures.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, you must have:
A. identified the principal parts of a campus paper;
B. produced interesting photos;
C. written a photo essay interestingly and effectively.

III. Learning Content:

An effective campus paper:

 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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informs its readers; Ajuy, Iloilo
is consistent in writing style and design;
comes out on a schedule;
is ethical on its content; and,
serves the purpose of its community.

Beginning a campus paper is easier said than done. Before getting started,
the campus paper adviser should have the abovementioned goals firmly in mind as
he or she forms an editorial term. It is not just a matter of having a good writers,
there is also a need to sit down with the editorial term, formulate the paper’s vision-
mission and make a plan before actually getting started.

An editorial team should be formed from the best writers in class. These
students are not necessarily the ones with the highest grade averages since usually
these students have higher grades in the sciences than they do in English courses.
The editorial team should be composed of people who enjoy writing or want to
improve in this craft.

The first step for the editorial team is to decide the sections of their paper.
This will help determine the subeditors needed for the newsroom. Is there a literary
page or science page? Then, you will need either a science editor or a literary editor
or both.

Knowing the school’s budget for the school paper will help the team decide
the paper’s size, frequency, type of paper, and number of pages. Based on
experience, the most economical size is 11” x 17”, the size of two sheets of letter-
size bond paper. There is no wastage and no need to spend extra for cutting the
rolls of paper. The

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most economical number of pages is divisible by four. A paper should have a
minimum of eight (8) pages, but the ideal number is 16 pages. Those with bigger
budget can opt for the standard tabloid size.

A printing press may convince you that the best paper is coated-2 sides (C2S)
but actually, glossy paper makes text harder to read and is more appropriate for
magazines than newspaper. If you have the budget, opt for 110 or 120 grams/sq.
meter (gsm) book paper. Good quality newsprint is also an option for those with
lower budgets; although; the price difference may be minimal.

Designing a Paper
After choosing the paper quality and size, the next thing to consider are the
elements of design: fonts, number of columns, color.

Fonts
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
A font is the term to denote theAjuy, Iloilo
typeface of letters, numbers, punctuation
marks, and other symbols. The type of font give readers visual cues and tells them if
this page has serious or light content. It size is referred to as a “point” which
actually 1/72 of an inch. The font size of the body text of a national newspaper is
usually nine or ten points.

The type of font is crucial to design. A badly chosen type or font detracts the
reader from the word it represents. To illustrate, would you take this book seriously
if it had a fancy font like “ Jokerman”

There are two basic types of fonts: serif, which has marks in the end of each
stroke, e.g., “Times New Roman” and sans-serif, which has gone, e.g., “Tahoma.” Most
print designers prefers serif fonts for body text and sans serif for headlines because
the former is easier to read even in small print.

Serious material, like news, should have serious font such as “ Times New
Roman” or “Garamond”; while, the literary or fun pages could experiment with new
fonts such as “Gigi,” “French Script,” or “Rage Italic.”

The editorial team should decide on the following: the type and size of font for
the body text, headlines, and subheads of most of its pages. Banner stories (i.e.,
front-page headline) should have the biggest font, usually 40 points up. There
should be standard sizes for fonts or less important stories, e.g., 32 points for next
most important stories and 20 points for smaller stories. Ideally, there should be
only a maximum or three type of fonts in the serious pages.

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Color

Another thing to consider is color. The most economical choice is one-color

paper. But to make the paper interesting yet economical, it is best to have the outer
spread (front and back pages) printed in full color, but have the inside pages printed
in one-color (preferably black, dark blue, or dark brown).

Number of Column

The number of columns also gives your paper a distinct look. This should be
consistent within all pages of the paper, even in the literary pages.
 4 column page
 5 column page
 6 column page
 8 column page
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy,paper
Respecting column inches gives the Iloilo a sense of order and consistency. It
does not make the paper monotonous if the designer knows how to play around with
it. For example, a story can be laid out in a horizontal manner appearing like one
column story, but it occupies the space of a standard two columns in a five-column
page design.

A dummy of the newspaper is usually drawn to help the editors visualize the
look of the paper even before the design is laid out on the computer.

In mainstream newspaper, a set of dummies is also drawn by the advertising

department to show the editors the ad placements on their respective pages. The
dummy shows the editor how much space is still available for the news stories.

Parts of a Paper

White space also known as negative space is the term describing open space
between design elements.
While it is not always conscious part of design, it is important to examine if
the page has enough white space to maintain balance and readability. This pertains
to the empty space between words, paragraphs, in or around a picture and in
between elements. A page will look too cramped if it lacks white space.
White space can be between letters, words, or paragraphs of text; space in
and outside of graphics, and between all of the elements of the page. It is necessary
for providing spatial relationships, between page objects, and actually guides your
reader’s eye from one area of the page to another.
But, not all white space is good. Unattractive rivers (fig. 8.3) within your text
are created when you “force justify” text alignment. This makes the page look
unprofessional and should be corrected by minor editing, i.e., adding or subtracting
words from the sentence.

Lines and Shapes

Lines and shape can be used to add order, emphasis and rhythm to the page.
It makes the page more interesting and easy to read. Unusual shapes can be used
to attract attention.

Photos should always have a border, which also guides the printing press in
aligning a photo to the page. Unless it is part of the design, the border should be no
more than a hairline give the paper clean and orderly look.

Size

Last but not the least, among the design elements the size of the items
( text, pictures, and graphics) on your page. Size signifies to your reader what id
important, it attracts attention to what they should read or see first and it helps
achieve balance.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

Using Photographs

In this day and age of visual media, the old adage, “a picture paints a
thousand words,” has never been truer. Photographs give life to a page and a good
photograph attracts the reader. On the other hand, a bad photograph can destroy an
otherwise good layout.

The quality of the photograph is just as important as its composition.

Photographs for the newspaper should have a high resolution ( for a digital camera,
it should have 5 megapixel and higher), otherwise the pictures become pixilated and
unrecognizable. Pictures taken using cellular phones should be avoided since these
are low-resolution photographs or has a limited lens angle.

Some tips to remember:

 When the subject of the photograph is facing one side, the layout should
make him face toward the center of the page and not outward. Readers tend
to follow the gaze of the subject in the photograph and you would like them
to look at the articles instead of the turn page.
 As much as possible, avoid the firing squad pose. Ask your photojournalist to
make his subject do other interesting poses.
 Photos that have a lot of subject and/or are interesting should be bigger
than photos of one person. Photos that look like passport or ID pictures
should not be blown up.
 Try to avoid photos where subjects are to small to be seen. For newspaper,
the subjects should be recognizable unless it is a photograph of a tragedy or
victim.
 Lastly, do not stretch or shrink a photo forcibly. The integrity of the
photograph should be respected when cropped.

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The work of a photojournalist is not just picture taking. He should take note of the
event, day, and time of the photograph he takes as well as the names and
titles/positions of the subjects of his photograph.

Photo captions, on the other hand, should be written by the photo editor,
taking into account the story that the photograph accompanies. Captions should
not state the obvious but give additional data or context to the photograph. For
instance, a caption should not say, “ Principal poses with the first-year students”
but “ Freshmen meet Principal Varela for the first time.”
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

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IV. Learning Assessment

Take beautiful pictures applying the different composition techniques you have
learned in our lesson in Photojournalism. Then choose three among the best pictures
you took and make a photo essay for each picture. Place it in a short size bond
paper with your photo essay. You will have three pieces of bond paper for each
picture and essay.

Here is the Rubric as your guide:

1. Photography (Visual Effects) 20 pts.

2. Presentation/Creativity 15 pts.
3. Text (Word Choice, Grammar, Mechanics) 20 pts.
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
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AJUY CAMPUS
4. Storytelling Ajuy, Iloilo 15 pts.
Total 70 pts.

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V. Enrichment Activity

Choose five among the different techniques in taking pictures and send it through
our messenger. Take the best pictures you can have.

Kindly refer to the rubric below:

1. Presence of Composition Techniques 20 pts

2. Photography/Quality 20 pts.
3. Communicative Property 20 pts
Total 60 pts
 NORTHERN ILOILO POLYTECHNIC STATE
COLLEGE
AJUY CAMPUS
Ajuy, Iloilo

VI. References

1. Khan, Rachel E. (2010). Campus journalism. Mandaluyong City: Anvil Publishing,

Inc.
2. Malinao, Alito L. (2005). Campus and community journalism handbook.
Mandaluyong City: National Book Store.

38