NEWS WRITING

PAGSULAT NG BALITA

ROGELIO D. DELA CRUZ

School Paper Adviser
San Fernando Sur Elementary School
Schools Division of Nueva Ecija
 WHAT IS NEWS?
• A timely and factual Narration of past,
present and future event. (Ceciliano
Jose-Cruz)
• An accurate and timely account of an
idea, issue or event that affects a
significant number of people. ( Rachel
E. Khan)
 How to Structure News
• The structure of a news story is the pattern of
development that determines the order and
placement of the elements of parts of the story.

• Every news story should have a clear and

obvious structure.

• The classic structure for most news stories is

called the inverted-pyramid structure.
• The classic structure for most news stories is
called the inverted-pyramid structure.

• In a sense, the inverted-pyramid structure tells the

story backwards.

• The inverted-pyramid structure places facts in

descending order of importance.

• When you run out of interesting things to say, stop

writing.
• The lead, or opening paragraph, is the most
important part of a news story.
• With so many sources of information –
newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the
Internet – audiences simply are not willing to
read beyond the first paragraph (and even
sentence) of a story unless it grabs their interest.
A good lead does just that. It gives readers the
most important information in a clear, concise
and interesting manner. It also establishes the
voice and direction of an article.
 Tips in Writing Leads
• The Five W’s and H: Before writing a lead,
decide which aspect of the story – who, what,
when, where, why, how – is most important. You
should emphasize those aspects in your lead.
Wait to explain less important aspects until the
second or third sentence.

• Conflict: Good stories have conflict. So do

many good leads.
 Tips in Writing Leads
• Specificity: Though you are essentially
summarizing information in most leads, try to be
specific as possible. If your lead is too broad, it won’t
be informative or interesting.

• Brevity: Readers want to know why the story

matters to them and they won’t wait long for the
answer. Leads are often one sentence, sometimes
two. Generally, they are 25 to 30 words and should
rarely be more than 40. This is somewhat arbitrary,
but it’s important – especially for young journalists
– to learn how to deliver information concisely.
 Tips in Writing Leads
• Active sentences: Strong verbs will make your lead lively
and interesting. Passive constructions, on the other hand, can
sound dull and leave out important information, such as the
person or thing that caused the action. Incomplete reporting is
often a source of passive leads.

• Audience and context: Take into account what your reader

already knows. Remember that in today’s media culture, most
readers become aware of breaking news as it happens. If you’re
writing for a print publication the next day, your lead should
do more than merely regurgitate yesterday’s news.

• Honesty: A lead is an implicit promise to your readers. You

must be able to deliver what you promise in your lead.
THE INVERTED TRIANGLE
Inverted Pyramid Structure
• The news is written in inverted
pyramid form. The most
important facts are placed at the
beginning. The other details are
given in succeeding paragraphs.
 Advantages of Inverted Pyramid
Structure

• It facilitates reading. By reading the lead,

one can already get the news he wants to
know.
• It facilitates newspaper make-up. In case of
lack of space, the layout editor can delete the
least important paragraphs at the bottom.
• It facilitates headline writing. The copy
editor can already prepare the headline of the
story from the lead.
 The Lead
• The lead is the story’s opening sentence or
two.
• In straight news, it tells the most
important facts of the story.
• In a feature article or news feature, it
could be a word, a phrase, a sentence or a
paragraph that attracts and sustains the
reader’s interest.
 Classification of Lead
1. Summary Lead. It answers the five W’s and one
H ( who, what, when, where, why and how).
The story is presented using the inverted
pyramid form where the most important data
are in the first and second paragraph. This is
used in straight news.
2. Novelty lead. It attracts the reader’s attention,
arouses his curiosity and sustains his interest. It
is used in writing a news feature.
 Speech/Interview Story

Duterte denies Rappler shutdown order

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday denied that

he had a hand in the shutdown order of the Securities
and Exchange Commission on the operations of the
news website Rappler, saying that the heart of the
issue is not press freedom but abuse by the country's
elite.
The president said he could not have influenced
the SEC considering that four of its five
commissioners were appointed by former
President Benigno Aquino III. He also emphasized
that the decision is not political.
 "We never had a hand, and I never give a shit if
you continue or not continue with your
network," Duterte said during his speech at the
inauguration of the satellite-based air traffic system
of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
in Pasay City.
Aside from his denial of involvement
in Rappler's shutdown order, the president also
continued his general attack on some news
organizations, which have been critical in their
coverage of his presidency, for their supposed sins.
Police Story
Starex salpok sa kuliglig; 1 patay, 3 sugatan
Isa ang namatay habang tatlo naman ang malubhang
nasugatan makaraang salpukin ng Starex van ang likurang
bahagi ng kuliglig tractor sa bisinidad ng Barangay
Agbannawag, Tabuk City, Kalinga kamakalawa ng gabi.
Kinilala ng pulisya ang namatay na si Madeline Baggas
habang isinugod naman sa Kalinga Provincial Hospital ang
mga sugatang biktima na sina Cornelio Dangoy Viloria, Rita
Baggas, at ang operator na si Abiso Baggas, 55.
Lumalabas sa imbestigasyon na nabigong makita ng 33-
anyos na drayber ng van (BDJ 251) na si Symble Lambayong
ang sinusundang kuliglig dahil sa madilim na kapaligiran
kaya nito natumbok ang mga biktima.
Sa lakas ng pagkakasalpok ay tumilapon at nagpagulung-
gulong ang mga biktima.
Sumuko naman sa mga pulis si Lambayong.
Fact Story
Bagong Skyway toll plaza bubuksan

Bubuksan ng Skyway O&M Corporation,

operator ng Skyway System, ang bagong Runway
Toll Plaza sa northbound section of elevated
Skyway na malapit sa NAIA Airport on-ramp sa
darating na Enero 26.
Ang naturang bagong toll plaza ay mayroong
tatlong lanes para sa mas mabilis na Electronic
Toll Collection (ETC) system at apat na cash
lanes na merong limang teller kada lane. Ito ay
makakabawas sa traffic dahil sa mas mabilis na
toll collection.
 “At Skyway, traffic volume is a reality we
all have to contend with. But for our part,
we continue to look for ways to manage
traffic better,” wika ni Ramon S. Ang,
presidente ng San Miguel Corporation,
parent unit ng Skyway O&M.
“This new toll plaza is an enhancement
to the Skyway that we initiated in order to
facilitate more efficient toll collection. With
dedicated ‘ETC’ lanes and ‘Cash’ lanes that
can accommodate more tellers per lane,
we’re hoping to improve traffic throughout
at the toll plazas,” dagdag pa niya.
Survey News
PNP most corrupt agency – survey

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is the most corrupt institution in the
country, according to the latest Global Corruption Barometer of the anti-corruption
watchdog Transparency International.
The survey showed that 69 percent of surveyed Filipinos believed police
personnel were corrupt, 64 percent believed public officials and civil servants were
affected by corruption, while 58 percent had the same view on political parties.
The media and religious institutions were perceived to be the least affected by
corruption with 14 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
At least 56 percent of the respondents thought the judiciary was corrupt, four
percentage points higher than the 52 percent who have the same opinion on the
legislature.
The military was deemed corrupt by 43 percent of the respondents.
The survey also showed that 32 percent viewed the educational system as
affected by corruption while 31 percent had the same opinion on the medical and
health services.
About 30 percent of the respondents thought corruption was affecting
businesses, while 25 percent had the same perception on non-government
organizations.
The Global Corruption Barometer has been gathering the corruption views and
experiences of people around the world since 2003. This year’s survey covered more
than 114,000 respondents in 107 countries.
Nawawalang anak na nagpakita sa
panaginip bangkay na nang matunton
“HALOS gabi-gabi niya akong dinadalaw sa
panaginip, ibinu-bulong na puntahan ko
siya sa Malabon.”

Ito ang nanginginig at naluluhang

pahayag ng 45-anyos na ginang matapos
makilala ang bangkay ng anak na babae
kamakalawa na nakalagak na sa isang
punerarya makaraan ang ilang araw na
niyang paghahanap.
PNP-HPG goes after 32 ‘stolen’ SUVs
with fraudulent registration papers
IT could only be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ but
the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol
Group has asked the assistance of the
Department of Transportation and
Communications and the Land Transportation
Office in going after 32 motor vehicles believed
to have been stolen and registered fraudulently
by a car theft syndicate with the help of some
government rogues, the Journal Group was told
yesterday.
Int’l cruise may soon
offer Filipino products
Ask for Philippine products --
possibly malunggay tea, coconut sugar
and even San Miguel beer -- the next
time you go on board some of the
world’s leading cruise lines…
Balita 45
•ang patuloy na pagkakalat at kawalang-respeto sa ating bayaning si Gat. Jose Rizal
•makaraang tone-toneladang basura ang muling mahakot matapos ang Pasko
•kinastigo ng isang environmental group
•mga namamasyal sa Luneta
•aileen lucero: mistulang itinuring nang isang “dumpsite” ng publiko ang Rizal Park
dahil sa walang patumanggang pagkakalat
•inisyal na ulat ng national park development committee - nasa sampung trak ng basura
ang nahakot sa parke nitong Disyembre 24 at 25
•lucero: nakakawalang-respeto kay Rizal na kilala bilang kampeon ng kalikasan at
kalusugan ang ginagawa ng mga nagtutungo sa Luneta at nagkakalat
•lucero:“The garbage left by the visitors would have angered Rizal, the environmentalist,
possibly driving him to write ‘Waste Not’ as a sequel to ‘Noli Me Tangere’ (touch me
not),”
•ang dobleng hirap at dagdag na oras na dinaranas ng mga kakarampot na tagalinis ng
parke hindi rin umano isinaalang-alang ng mga “litterbugs”
•lucero: labag sa batas ang pagkakalat base sa Republic Act 9003 o “ecological solid
waste management act at may katumbas na mula mula P300 hanggang P1,000 bukod pa
sa community service
•sa paparating na bisperas ng Bagong Taon, inaasahan na dadagsang muli ang publiko
sa Luneta
•pinangangambahan muli na napakaraming kalat ang maiiwan mula sa mga walang
disiplinang publiko
•si Lucero ang coordinator ng EcoWaste Coalition
 THANK YOU…
ROGELIO D. DELA CRUZ
SPA, SFSES
CABIAO DISTRICT