NEWS WRITING

Training on Campus Journalism

Presented by:
Carlos B. Llamas III
How to write a NEWS?
• Definition of News
• Criteria/Characteristics of
News
• News Gathering
• Writing the News
• Tips
Activity 1
Take a look…
Write down all information which you can
derive from the pictures which will be shown to
you.
Source: https://palawan-news.com/diesel-and-kerosene-prices-expected-to-rise-again-next-week/
Source: https://internationalfinance.com/economy/top-reasons-for-inflation/
Source: https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2018/09/12/job-hoppers-hopping-to-find-higher-pay/
Source: https://filipinotimes.net/news/2022/05/19/4-out-of-10-filipino-families-poor-sws/
Criteria of news
• Is it new?
• Is it unusual?
• Is it interesting or
significant?
• Is it about people?
News
An accurate and timely account of an
idea, issue, or event that affects a
significant number of people.
(Rachel E. Khan)
Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10217710486421201&set=pcb.10217710492141344
Characteristics of a
good news
1.Impact
2.Proximity
3.Timeliness
4.Prominence
5.Names
6. Social Relevance
 A well known if somewhat gruesome journalistic
rule of thumb is that:

*the death of 10,000 people on another continent

have the same news value as

*the deaths of 1000 people in a neighboring country

or

*the deaths of a 100 people in one’s country or

* the deaths of 10 people in your own town or city or

*the death of one celebrity or a famous person.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10217710486181195&set=pcb.10217710492141344
Source: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/888860/michelle-dee-s-final-evening-gown-is-a-tribute-to-apo-whang-od-ph-s-last-mambabatok/story/
Framing your lead
Writing the NEWS
LEAD
ATTRIBUTION

QUOTE
Check the information
• Who?
•What?
•So What?/To what
extent?
•How?
Activity 2
Write a good lead with these information:
42 provinces in the Philippines
will experience excessive
drought, forecasted by the end
of May next year.
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go through
a dry spell up to end-May owing to the El Niño
phenomenon.
 Keep leads short. Those with
35 words or less are preferred.
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go
through a dry spell up to end-May owing to the El
Niño phenomenon.
 Arrange this News Article

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ten provinces are
immediately threatened by drought—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon
and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao and Sulu
in Mindanao.

“People must brace for the possibility of a severe drought lasting until
June,” PAGASA said .

The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go through a dry spell
up to end-May owing to the El Niño phenomenon.
El Niño threatens 42 provinces
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go through a dry spell
up to end-May owing to the El Niño phenomenon.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ten provinces are
immediately threatened by drought—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon
and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao and Sulu
in Mindanao.

“People must brace for the possibility of a severe drought lasting until
June,” PAGASA said .
Making the Body
 PARTS
1ST paragraph- LEAD
(who-what-so what)

2nd paragraph-ATTRIBUTION
(specific source, where, when)

3rd paragraph – “QUOTE”

(DIRECT SPEECH)
 El Niño threatens 42 provinces
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go through a dry spell
up to end-May owing to the El Niño phenomenon.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ten provinces are
immediately threatened by drought—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon
and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao and Sulu
in Mindanao.

“People must brace for the possibility of a severe drought lasting until
June,” PAGASA said .
 El Niño threatens 42 provinces
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go through a dry spell
up to end-May owing to the El Niño phenomenon.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ten provinces are
immediately threatened by drought—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La
Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon
and Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao and Sulu
in Mindanao.

“People must brace for the possibility of a severe drought lasting until
June,” PAGASA said .
The weather bureau said that 42 provinces will go
through a dry spell up to end-May owing to the El Niño
phenomenon.
According to...
In a speech...
In an interview...

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and

Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ten
provinces are immediately threatened by drought—Ilocos
Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental
Mindoro, and Palawan in Luzon and Zamboanga del Sur,
Zamboanga Sibugay, Maguindanao and Sulu in Mindanao.
“People must brace for the possibility of a severe drought
lasting until June,” PAGASA said .
 News Writing –Filipino
LEAD
• Apektado ng tagtuyot ang 32 lalawigan sa bansa, kahit hindi pa
man nararamdaman nang husto ang El Niño sa tropical Pacific
Region.

NOTE: Ang pangungusap ay nagsisimula sa

PANDIWA.
 ATTRIBUTION

• Lumabas sa pag-aaral ng Philippine Atmospheric,

Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA), nananatili pa rin sa El Niño level ang sea
surface temperature sa Pasipiko.
 QUOTE

• “Unti-unti nang namumuo ang El Niño at inaasahang

mararamdaman ang epekto nito sa ilang bahagi ng
bansa,” ayon sa PAGASA.
Making a good Title
 Follow Subject-Verb-Object format.
1.PAGASA expects El Nino to run until June
subject verb object

2. El Nino patuloy ang pananalasa sa agrikultura

subject verb object
English

Past Events Agricultural damage from El Niño rises

to P1.33 billion

Future Events 33 provinces to suffer from drought until end

of El Niño: NDRRMC
English

Past Events Pinsala ng El Niño sa agrikultura sa

bansa, umabot na sa P1.33 billion

Present Events 33 lalawigan sa bansa nakararanas

ng tagtuyot

Future Events DTI, babantayan ang posibleng epekto

ng El Niño sa presyo ng mga bilihin
 Other headline formats
A. El Nino manageable – LGUs
El Nino mananalasa sa bansa — PAGASA

B. DA: Central Luzon rice fields still well irrigated,

safe from El Niño
NEDA: Epekto ng El Niño sa agri sector, maliit lang

C. El Nino weakens; La Nina watch begins

Mga mangingisda umaaray na sa El Nino,
humihirit ng ayuda
Things to avoid
Sentence Structure
1. Avoid using the same word twice in a sentence.
2. The optimum number of words to use in a
sentence is 14 to 16. The average reader cannot
comprehend a sentence with more than 40
words.
3. When writing becomes cumbersome, turn one
long sentence into two or three shorter ones.
4. If a long sentence must be used, place a short
sentence before and after it.
REMEMBER… to KISS
Keep It Short and Simple!