CAMPUS JOURNALISM

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7079 (July 5, 1991)

-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
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.

Functions of a Modern Campus Paper

1. Information Function
-it informs the readers of events that happened, that are happening, or that will still
happen. This is its news function. But information may also come from the features,
editorials, and other sections of the school paper.

2. Opinion Function
-Through the editorial columns, the editor interprets the meaning of the news,
especially of the banner news, and gives his opinion of important matters or of
significant events of the day.

3. Education Function
-One of the most important functions of a modern campus paper is to educate not
only the students but also the people in the community. Sex education and family
planning with used to be taboo in classrooms are now topics of discussion by student
writers in their school organs.

4. Watchdog Function
-The school paper acts as the guardian of the students’ rights. It serves as the eye of
the readers.

5. Laboratory Function
-It serves as the teaching tool for the budding journalists. After they have learned, for
example, how to write straight news stories, they cover school activities and write
news for publication.

6. Documentation Function
-Important school events and worthwhile student accomplishments and
achievements are recorded in the school paper for prosperity’s sake. Most present-
day histories have been researched from old files of newspapers.

7. Entertainment Function
-The school paper, like an interesting book, keeps the reader company especially
when he is alone. Most humane interest stories are very interesting to read.
 8. Developmental Function
-In a developing country like the Philippines, scholastic, as well as commercial
journalism, has been given nobler significance. The young writer who used to spend
more time reporting on club activities like elections and parties, and writing lines to
Delilah, has graduated into a development journalist. As such, he has included his
community in his beat, and sometimes touches on topics of national significance. He
has been encouraged to write on increasing agricultural productivity, land reform,
expanded health, medical and their social welfare services, population education,
rural electrification, nutrition education, and the promotion of a deeper culture
consciousness among the people.

National and Campus Paper Compared

A newspaper is a printed publication which is published and sold at regular

intervals. Its main purpose is to provide news for its readers. The paper also tries to
explain what the news means so it prints comments and opinions. Another purpose is
to entertain and teach with photographs, cartoons, and other interesting features.
A paper which is published every day is called a daily. Papers published once
a week is called weeklies. A national paper is one that can be bought easily
anywhere in the country.
National papers fall into two categories: the popular papers and the heavy or
quality papers. Popular papers present their news in a bright lively fashion, with easy-
to-read articles and many photographs. Heavy or quality papers emphasize the more
serious subjects, and print longer articles about them.
Some newspaper publishers produce Sunday papers, sometimes with similar
nameplates as the daily papers. These are not Sunday editions of the da dailies.
Busy people have time for reading on a Sunday, a Sunday paper has more pages
and contains more articles than a daily paper; thus, it costs more.

Sections or Parts of a Campus Paper

Whether it is a community, metropolitan, or national paper, its parts and sections are
more or less the same.
Traditionally, these are:
A. Front Page
1. Local News- news that takes place within the country.
2. Foreign News- news that takes place outside the country.
3. Dateline News- an out-of-town news story. It is introduced by a dateline which
states the place from which the story was reported, the date, and the source of
the material if not written by the local staff, as Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 25 (AP).
4. Weather News- usually a boxed forecast of the area, sometimes includes the
temperature, wind directions, and velocities. Extremes on weather are reported
as more detailed news stories.
5. Index- a slug line indicating an important inside page story and the page where it
is found.
6. Other things found on the Front Page:
a. Nameplate- The engraved or printed name of the newspaper, as the Manila
Times or PNU Torch.
b. Ears- The title boxes on either side of the nameplate.
 c. Banner- The principal headline bearing the boldest and biggest type. It is the
title of the most important news of the day which is called banner news. It
may or may not run across the page. If it does, it may also be called a
streamer.
d. Running head- A headline made up of two or more lines.
e. Headline- The title of any news story. The word headline is used only for titles
of news stories.
f. Deck- A subordinate headline placed immediately below its mother headline,
also known as bank or readout.
g. Lead- The beginning of a news story. It may be a word, a group of words, a
sentence, or even a paragraph.
h. News story- The whole story of an event composed of the lead and the text
which is the elaboration of the lead.
i. Columns- The horizontal division into parts of a newspaper. Many national
papers are divided into eight columns while a typical school paper is divided
into five columns of 12 em each.
j. Column rule- The vertical line that divides the page into columns. Most pages
of newspaper are divided into columns by a space usually one em wide. This
space is called the sunken rule.
k. Fold- The imaginary horizontal line that divides the newspaper equally into
two parts.
l. Byline- The signature of a reporter preceding a news- feature, as By Warren
Cruz.
m. Box- News materials enclosed by line rules.
n. Cut- A metal plate bearing a newspaper’s illustration, also known as cliché.
o. Cutline- The text accompanying photos and other art work, better known as a
caption. If written above the photo just like a slugline, it is called an overline.
p. Kicker- A tagline placed above but smaller that the headline, also known as
teaser. If it is bigger than the headline, it is called a hammer.
q. Credit line- A line giving the source of the story or illustration, as Reprinted
from the “Manila Times,” or Photo by MPI.

B. Editorial Page
1. Folio- consists of the page number, date of publication, and name of the
newspaper, usually written on top of the page. This is also found in the other
pages.
2. Masthead- The editorial box containing the logo, names of the staff members and
positions in the staff, subscription rate, the publisher, and other pertinent data
about the newspaper. A logo (a shorten word for logotype) is a cut which contains
an identifying word or words, such as the name of the newspaper or of a section.
3. Editorial proper- A commentary written by any of the editors who comments or
gives the opinion of the staff or of the whole paper on various subjects. It is the
stand of the paper.
4. Editorial column- A personal opinion written by the columnist himself. Like the
editorial proper, it may attack, teach, entertain, or appeal depending upon its
purpose.
5. Editorial cartoon- Usually a caricature emphasizing a simple point. Usually
humorous, it has the function of the editorial. It stands by itself and is not a
complement of the editorial proper.
6. Editorial liner- A short statement or quoted saying placed at the end of an
editorial column or editorial to drive home a message.
 7. Letter to the editor- A letter sent in by the reader giving his personal views on
certain aspects.

C. Sports Page
Sports stories are classified as news stories; therefore, what may be found in
the news page may also be found in the sports section.
 WRITING THE LEAD
Every news story begins with an introduction called the lead. This may be a single
word, phase, a clause, a brief sentence, an entire paragraph. The main function of the lead,
aside from introducing the story, are to tell the story in capsule form and to answer right
away the questions the reader would naturally ask. A good lead answers all the important
questions of the reader, indicates the attendant circumstances if they are all important, and
arouses the readers’ interest to continue reading the story.

Kinds of Lead
1. Conventional or Summary Lead
 This kind of lead used in straight news answers right away all or any of the 5
W’s and or the H. It may be one of the following:

a. WHO lead- Used when the person involved is more prominent than what he does or
what happens to him.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo addressed April 20, the PMA graduates in
Baguio City.
b. WHAT lead- Used when the event or what took place is more important than the
person involved in the story.
The NSAT will be given No. 24 to all graduating high school students desiring
to enroll in the four-year college course.
c. WHERE lead- Used when the place is unique and no prominent person is involved.
The Philippines will be the site of the next Miss Universe contest.
d. WHEN lead- Rarely used as the reader presumes the story to be timely. However,
this lead is useful when speaking of deadlines, holidays, and important dates.
April 15 is the deadline for filing the Income Tax Returns at the BIR.
Today, almost to the hour, the Revolutionary Government was proclaimed by
former President Joseph Estrada.
e. WHY lead- Used when the reason is more prominent or unique than what happens.
Because of poverty, around a hundred students dropped out from school last
year. This was learned from PNU President Nilo L. Rosas.
f. HOW lead- Used when the manner, mode, means, or method of achieving the story
is the unnatural way.
By appealing to the school board, the Manila Science High School was able
to construct a three-story concrete building.

2. Grammatical Beginning Lead

 There are times when the lead is introduced by a kind of grammatical form
which is usually a phrase or clause used to emphasize a feature here. Here,
the important W’s are found in the main clause, not in the introductory or
subordinate clause which is just a modifying feature.

a. Prepositional phrase lead- The phrase is introduced by a preposition.

With brooms and other cleaning equipment, boy scouts from the Manila public
high schools cleaned the city markets in consonance with Major Lito Atienza’s
CLEAN and Beautification Drive.
b. Infinitive phrase lead- It begins with the sign of the infinitive to plus the main verb.
 To encourage tourism, balikbayans are given a warm welcome by their fellow
Filipinos.
c. Participial phrase lead- It is introduced by the present or past participle form of the
verb.
Hoping to cope first place, the PNU wood-pushers honed up for the chess
championship games. (present participle.)
Dressed like priests, robbers were able to enter the bank. (past participle.)
d. Gerundial phrase lead- It is introduced by a gerund (a verbal noun ending in ing).
Winning the development communication trophy during the national press
conference was Araullo High School’s best achievement of the year.
e. Clause lead- The lead begins with a clause which may either be independent or
subordinate, or may either be a noun or an adjectival or adverbial clause.
Because Sept. 9 was Osmena Day, all lessons dealt with the life of the late
President Osmena Sr. (Subordinate, adverbial)

3. Novelty Lead
 Some kinds of leads are best used in writing news features. They are written
in such a way that they attract attention or carry out a definite purpose.
Among these kinds of novelty leads are:
a. Astonisher lead- Uses an interjection or an exclamatory sentence.
Champion of District I!
Better look your best this week!
b. Contrast lead- Describes two extremes or opposites for emphasis. The sharper the
contrast, the more effective the lead will be.
Four months before the Beautification and Cleanliness Drive, Zone 15 in
Tondo, Manila was the dirtiest district. Three months after, it won first place in
the CLEAN contest sponsored by the Department Community and Local
Government.
c. Epigram lead- Opens by quoting a common expression, verse, or epigram, at least
familiar in the locality.
Like father, like son. Ramon Garcia Jr., graduated valedictorian this year. Ten
years ago, his father, Mr. Ramon Garcia Sr., also topped his class and
delivered his valedictory address on the same rostrum where the young
Garcia delivered his.
d. Picture lead- Describes a person, a place, or an event, at the same time, creating a
mental picture of the subject matter in the mind of the reader.
The new principal, although only in his early thirties, is already silver-haired.
He seldom talks, but when he does, he talks with sense.
e. Background lead- Similar to the picture lead, except that, it describes the setting
which may be more prominent than the characters and the events.
The PNU campus was turned into a miniature carnival ground on Sept. 1
during the 104th F-Day celebration of the University. Decorated with buntings
and multicolored lights, the quadrangle was a grand setting for a barrio fiesta.
f. Descriptive lead- Used when comparatively few descriptive words can vividly
formulate an imagery.
Dressed in white polo barong, and with diplomas in their hands, 1,500
graduates marched down the stage to the tune of Osmena High March.
g. Parody lead- Consists of a parody of a well- known song, poem, or lines.
 Water, water everywhere, but no water to drink. This was what the flood
victims found to their dismay.
h. Punch lead- A short, forceful word or expression. It is rarely used.
Victory Day!
Magsaysay High School celebrated on March 18 its fifth victory in the city-
wide journalism contests.
i. One word lead- (self-explanatory)
March!
Thus ordered Hi-Y president Joey Lina Jr. of Osmena High School to start the
“Walk for Health” fundraising drive.
j. Consists of the speaker’s direct words which are very striking and which are usually
quoted from speech, a public address, or an interview.
“The youth in The New Republic have become partners of the government in
its struggle for progress and advancement,” thus spoke PNU Director Rene
Romero to some 400 student delegates to the 2006 Hi-Y-Y-teens Leadership
Training Seminar held on Dec. 26-30 at the Edilberto Dagot Hall.
k. Question lead- An answer to a question which is the basis of the news story.
Who will reign as Miss Intramurals this year?
This will be known on Aug. 8 after the final screening to be held at the PNU
Gym and Performing Arts Center.