EL 119-Campus Journalism

MIDTERM LECTURE
 1 CHAPTER V
Leads
2
 Parts of the News

Newspaper articles require a style of writing different from

what is used when writing a story. Also, never delete in
your mind the image of an inverted triangle when writing
a news article. For purposes of iteration, the opening
statement or paragraph bears the most important
information. This one-sentence-one-paragraph is called the
lead.

3
 FIVE BASIC PARTS OF
TYPICAL SKELETON OF A
NEWSPAPER

1. Headline – a short, attention-getting

statement about the event. It capsulizes the
first paragraph.
2. Byline – is the name of the writer or
writers of the news article.

4
 3. Lead paragraph – contains the major who, what,
when, where, why and how in it. A writer must
find answers to the major five W’s and one H.
however, he should choose the answers that bear
the most significant elements to avoid
overcrowding the paragraph.
4. Major details – after the lead paragraph is written, the
writer will now decide to weave the major details into
paragraphs. Take note, still, that for beginners, the use
of one-sentence-equivalent-to-one-paragraph rule
should be strictly followed. The writer should still
observe a coherence of ideas.
5
 5. Minor details – should there be more space in the
paper, the least important details may be written.
This will give the editor a wider perspective of the
news, that he/she may paraphrase or inject some
of them in the major details.

6
 KINDS/CLASSIFICATIONS
OF LEAD

7
 KINDS/CLASSIFICATIONS
OF LEAD

1. Conventional or summary lead – used in

straight news answers right away all or any of
the 5Ws and/or the H. it may be one of the
following:

8
 LEAD DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
WHO - used when the person The Academic Council of John Paul
lead involved is more College approved yesterday the new
prominent that what he grading system.
does or what happens
to him.
WHAT – used when the event The new grading system in John Paul
lead or what took place is College will be imposed this first
more important than semester after the Academic Council of
the person involved in the institution approved the resolution
the story. yesterday.
WHER - used when the place At John Paul College yesterday, the
E lead is unique and no Academic Council of said institution
prominent person is approved the grading system which
involved. will take effect this first semester.
LEAD DESCRIPTION
WHEN - rarely used as the reader
lead presumes the story to be
timely. However, this lead
is useful when speaking of
deadlines, holidays, and
important dates.
WHY – used when the reason is
lead more prominent or unique
than what happens
HOW - used when the manner,
lead mode, means, or method
of achieving the story is
the unnatural way.
EXAMPLE
Yesterday at John Paul College, the Academic
Council approved the new grading system
which will take effect this first semester.
To cope up with the standards of Association
of Private School, the Academic Council of
John Paul College approved yesterday the
new grading system which will take effect
this first semester.
Through a 7-5 vote, the members of the
Academic Council approved the new grading
system at John Paul College yesterday.
 Some examples of these
KINDS/CLASSIFICATIONS grammatical beginning leads
OF LEAD
are:
 Prepositional phrase lead
2. Grammatical – the phrase is introduced
beginning lead – is by a preposition.
when the lead is Example:
introduced by kind of With the power of resolution
numbered 47 approved by the
grammatical form members of Academic Council of
which usually a phrase John Paul College yesterday, the
or a clause used to new grading system of the college
emphasize a feature. will take effect this semester.
11
  Infinitive phrase lead – it begins with the sign of the
infinitive to plus the main verb.
Example:
To meet the demands of the Association of Private Schools, the
members of the Academic Council of John Paul College
approved the new grading system yesterday.
 Gerundial phrase lead – – it is introduced by a gerund
(a verbal noun ending in ing)
Example:
Synchronizing with the standards of Association of Private
Schools was the primordial aim of the members of the Academic
Council in approving yesterday the new grading system of John
12
Paul College.
  Cause 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.
Example:
Because there is a need to synchronize with the standards of
Association of Private Schools, the members of the Academic
Council of John Paul College approved the new grading system
yesterday.

13
 KINDS/CLASSIFICATIONS
OF LEAD

3. Novelty lead – carries  Narrative Lead

out a definite purpose. – draws the reader into the
story by allowing him/her to
relate himself/herself with
the character of the story.

14
  Astonisher lead – uses an interjection or an exclamatory
sentence.
Example:
Unbeatable, indeed!
After grabbing the Intramural crown from the Green Warriors
team 2 years ago, the Blue Trojans (team) has sustained its
supremacy as it sent all its foes kneeling before its royalty throne.
The awarding ceremonies happened at the JPC-MGA Gymnasium
of John Paul College on August 12, 2016, the last day of five-day
clash.

15
  Contrast lead – describes two extremes or opposites for
emphasis. The sharper the contrast, the more effective
the lead will be.
Example:
Last year, she campaigned for Maygun Yang as the president of the
student body. Today, Maria Malou Wang, the head of Students
Performing Arts, takes the lead in calling for Yang’s resignation.

 Punch lead – is short, striking one-sentence lead.

Example:
Hungry farmers in Kidapawan were asking for food, but the
enforcers of the law fed them with bullets.
16
  Background lead – similar to the picture lead except
that it describes the setting which may be more
prominent than the characters and the events.
Example:
With the glittering and shimmering bantings along the skimpy
roads, as if throng of rainbows came to visit the town of Gattaran,
Cagayan to celebrate with its 30th Agsalukag Festival on April 13,
2016.

17
  Descriptive lead – used when comparatively few
descriptive words can vividly formulate an imagery.
Example:
If Palawan were a class record, it must have received a nearly
perfect grade weighted average for the unending praises of tourists
coming in to experience its breathtaking grandeur. Who would not
drop his jaw when he sees the evidence of God’s dexterous hand
that crafted the seascapes and landscapes of Palawan! Add on the
list the cerulean waves that unendingly race towards the stony foot
of the island. And if hoarding is legal, one must have put in a tank
the cool and pristine breeze. Indeed, when God said in Genesis “it
is good,” He must be looking at the northernmost island in the
18
Philippines – Palawan.
  Parody lead – consists of a parody of a well-known
song, poem, lines, etc.
Example:
“There was never an us.”
This familiar line from a movie of Sarah Geronimo was the exact
statement of Ms. Sug Poe to Mr. Cheap Ezcuderow yesterday
when asked if there was a time when both agreed to share stocks in
the top performing Paquino Airline Company.

19
  One-word lead – uses a very significant word to capture
or arouse the interest of the reader.
Example:
“There was never an us.”
Boom!
Residents in Basco, Batanes seemingly ran to nowhere when a
restaurant situated in Kayhuvokan exploded on April 1, 2016
around 9:15 in the morning.
20
  Quotation lead/quoted statement lead – consists of the
speaker’s direct words which are very striking and
which are usually quoted from a speech, a public
address, or an interview.
Example:
“You have to spread your wings and fly!”
This was emphasized by Dr. Malou H. Wang, the guest of honor
and commencement speaker of Mindanao State College last April 5
at the auditorium.
21
  Teaser – is generally short, crisp and witty, this is a device to
deceive the reader in a jesting manner as it arouses his
curiosity and gently leads him into the story.
Example:
Which comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be made
possible without the hen. But where does the hen come from?

 Staccato lead – – primarily rooted from musical parlance,

this term suggests a lead that consists of series of words and
phrases, punctuated by periods, commas or dashes.
Example:
Neglected. Denuded. Abused. Abandoned. This is the real picture of our
forest today.
22
  Freak lead – in order to enhance its appeal and to easily catch
the attention of the reader, this kind of unique lead uses
typographical effects.
Example:
Wanted: Loyal Filipino Teachers
This is the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education yesterday,
amidst the exodus of many Filipino teachers abroad.

23
 REASONS FOR USING NOVELTY
LEAD

24
 REASONS FOR USING
NOVELYY LEAD

1. To enhance the readability of the newspaper

2. To arouse the reader’s interest
3. To add vigor and color to writing
4. To challenge the ability of the writer

25
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

26
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

1. Make sure the leads include the most important of the

five W’s and H, particularly the “who” (person or thing),
(did) what and when. For a story about a report, never
begin with the statement. “A report was issued by….”
2. The lead should be simple, brief, compact, vigorous and
attractive; it should not inject too much information. In
general, keep the lead to 17-35 words. Try letting other
read your lead. When he cannot grasp the meaning at
once, consider revising it.
27
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

3. Facts first: Do not start with WHEN or WHERE, unless

such information weighs the heaviest importance.
4. Consider your subject matter. Not all news articles are
treated light as well as serious. However, bear in mind
that all news articles should be forceful. A writer one
opined that in making the lead forceful, the main verb
should be embedded within the first six words. Try
doing it.
28
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

5. Keep it up-to-date. Use the correct tense. If in doubt,

consult a grammar book or bring with you a
pocketbook of grammar rules. Remember, being
accurate and being correct are foundations of
journalism.
6. Your lead should not carry your gratuitous opinion. To
avoid this, indicate the person or the source from whom
such opinionated statement came from.
29
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

7. Practice avoiding to begin the lead with the time, day

or date, or place. Better focus on the action, the “who”
or “what”.
8. Cut off non-essential details. News writing or news
reporting is straight to the point. Hence, do not begin
with an empty, say-nothing expression or a generality
that fails to distinguish this news from other news:
There were… In a report released today… According
to…”
30
 RULES OF THUMB IN
LEAD WRITING

9. “Practice makes perfect,” so the saying goes. Avoid

using a form of the verb to be in the lead, if possible.
Use an action verb, instead. Action verbs are more
forceful, more vigorous than verbs to be.

31
 2 CHAPTER VI
Writing the Whole News
Story
32
 Qualities of News

The aim of a news writers is to provide stories to startle

and to engage the readers within the first few sentences,
and, in the middle, to widen, deepen or sharpen their
knowledge. As a writer, you should ensure that the news
articles are of quality.

33
 Qualities of News

1. Fairness
Learn to get other’s point of view (POV). This may mean
calling a person late at night to get his side of the story or
even holding back an investigative story for a day. But you
must do so. This is the best way to bring balance in the
copy.

34
 There may be times when an individual may avoid making
a statement. In such a case, state the point, indicating the
efforts you made to get his point of view.

Fairness requires that you do not impute motives.

Remember that your news report is going to read by
hundreds of people, and you can influence their thinking by
using loaded words. It is always best to use neutral words.

35
 Qualities of News

2. Accuracy
As a reporter, you have much power. What you write can
influence decisions, help form public opinions of people
and contribute to the general attitude of your readers.

36
 With that opportunity in dipping your finger to public
forum come the huge responsibilities that cannot be
taken so lightly. Say, you inadvertently committed an
error of detail like, misspelt the name of the guest
speaker, misquoted the witness of the school crime or
omitted an essential piece of information. You not only
distort the truth, which is the foreground and anchor of
the news. You not only misinform the public. You also
damage the credibility of your campus paper. Hence,
being accurate in your writing, whatever article that may
be, is your primordial yardstick in telling if your article
is of good quality.
37
 A writer once opined “I pardon the slight error on
comma and period, but Labhor the error on detail and
fact.” Further, by being accurate means editing the
article before you send it.

The facts that you need to check are:

a) names and their spellings
b) their school designations
c) incident details. In case it is an accident, you must
know the exact number of people who were injured
or killed.
38
 d) Statements: “The quote reported in the news report
must be accurate and in context. It should not be
misinterpreted to imply another meaning.
e) Scientific names if it is a science story, you must
make sure that all scientific names are correctly spelt
and explained.
f) Number of runs or goals made or goals scored is
mentioned accurately.

39
 Qualities of News

3. Attribution
All news reports, with a few exceptions, must be sourced.
This ensures that you are injecting both facts and opinions,
but the opinions are not yours. Always ask yourself, “Who
said this?” The source can be identified as follows:

40
 a. Individual – is a someone who witnessed an
accident or survived an earthquake, can be quoted
name as an eyewitness.
b. Organization - do not forget to attribute the
statement to a spokesperson authorized by an
organization to brief the media on its behalf. An
organization in the school may be the Parents
Teachers Association, the Faculty, Performing Arts
Society, Coordinating Council and others.

41
 The spokesman can be referred to by:
i. name and designation
Example:
Mr. Pedro Agdeppa, president of the Parents Teachers
Association, said that the auditorium is ……
ii. designation alone
Example:
The president of the Parents Teachers Association said that
the auditorium…
42
 iii. anonymous sources. There are occasions when a
news source, who happens to be a senior
government official or an important leader, does not
want his or her name to be used. In such case, the
reporter can attribute the story to informed sources,
well-connected sources, official sources or sources
who do not wish to be named. However, the reporter
must know the source well and should trust that the
information provided is correct.
Example:
According to a trusted source coming from the school, the
auditorium…
43
 iv. exceptions: The reporter need not to worry about the
attribution in those cases that he/she has witnessed.
For instance, the reporter can report a volleyball
match or a rally stating what happened. This is
because these are statements of fact that have
occurred in public domain and have been witnessed
by scores of people. The same applies to the
swearing in of a new principal or president of the
college or historical facts.

44
 Qualities of News

4. Brevity and Clarity

Newspaper writing is not just academic writing. Hence, a
journalist, do not use big words and long sentences to
show the readers how smart you are or how extensive your
vocabulary is. Remember that, as a writer, your target
readers or audience are pressed of time. You have to give
the news very quickly, concisely and briefly.

45
 When the reader starts to scratch his scalp, there are only
two reasons why the reader does so. First, his scalp is
truly itchy. Second, you, as the writer, have failed to
attain clarity. If his reason is the second one, then the
reader must be lying on a bed of thorns to grasp the
details of your news story. The culprit must be your
lengthy sentences and paragraphs. In short, write short.
Write short sentences, short paragraphs and short
articles. Use simple words. One tip to ensure clarity is to
read your story aloud. Doing this technique may be
awkward, but it will help you find sentences difficult to
understand.
46
 The importance of this characteristic cannot be over
stressed. You must learn to write short stories without
missing important facts. Please remember that today’s
reader is in a hurry. He does not have lengthy patience to
go through long news reports. Brevity does not only mean
writing a short story. It also means using short words, short
sentences and short paragraphs.

47
 5. Style
Qualities of News Good writers are artists, so are
news writers. As a promising
news writer, you can entertain, inspire, educate, and sometimes earn
the ire of your readers. A song goes, “Never to walk in anyone’s
shadow.” So, act according to your own style. Do not copy others’ style
but always remember to follow the guidelines in writing news articles.
Look for some opportunities like the construction of your paragraphs
and phrases, to veer from the old and traditional scenes in the
newspaper. Never forget, though, that your primordial objective is to
tell people what they need to know, not to show them how much of a
literary artist you are.

48
 FIRST FIVE FORMULA FOR AN
INVERTED TRIANGLE STORY

49
 First Five Formula for
an Inverted Triangle
Story
1) Effective lead, focused, short, memorable
2) A second paragraph that amplifies the lead
3) A third paragraph that continues to build details
4) Additional details in decreasing importance
5) Power quote: an interesting quote that propels
meaning, not just a fluffy quote that gets in the way

50
 THE DO’S OF NEWSWRITING STYLE

51
 The Do’s of
Newswriting Style

1) Omit needless words.

2) Be sparing with adjectives but lavish with verbs.
3) Be ware of your special words.
4) Simplify words.
5) Remember your signposts.

52
 THE DON’TS OF
NEWSWRITING STYLE

53
 The Don'ts of 1. Colloquialism
Newswriting Style

 described as writing in the way that one would speak.

In doing so, you should avoid using ‘filler’ words like
beginning the sentence with ‘basically’, ‘often’, ‘well’,
and ‘so’.
Avoiding contractions is also included in the ambit of
colloquialism. As a journalist, you replace ‘can’t’ with cannot
[take note: cannot is one word], ‘doesn’t’ with does not,
‘aren’t’ with are not, ‘could’ve’ with could have, and so on.
54
 In newswriting, too, you should limit your use of
subjective pronouns. That is, use third person
perspective. Do not use first or second person pronouns
like ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘you’, and ‘we’.

Included in the list of rules in writing is to avoid vague

words (expressions or words that are open to
interpretation or that do not express precise ideas).

55
 The Don'ts of 2. Circumlocution
Newswriting Style

 a figure of speech where the meaning of a word or a

phrase is indirectly expressed through several or many
words. It is in contrast to brevity and conciseness. Here,
the writer uses many words where few could do.

56
 The Don'ts of 3. Ambiguity
Newswriting Style

 this case may be syntactical or semantical. Ambiguity

can be either intentional or unintentional. Intentional
ambiguity may be used to mislead a reader or might be
necessary due to the context or subject matter.
Unintentional ambiguity, on the other hand, should
always be avoided and can be with care and practice.

57
 Samples of ambiguous sentences from a news report:
1. Dr. Malou Ho, the school principal, tells her secretary,
Mrs. Any B. Yan, that the fault was hers. (Whose fault?)
2. According to some sources, when Mr. Carreon put the jar
atop the glass table, it was broken. (What was broken?)
3. Ambiguous: The dean of the Agriculture Department
requires eggs to be stamped with the date when they are
laid by the animal science majors. (Who laid eggs?)
Improved: The Dean of Agriculture Department required
the animal science majors to stamp the eggs with the date
when they are laid.

58
 The Don'ts of 4. Clichés
Newswriting Style

 These are phrases that have been exhausted to the point

where they have completely lost originality.
Avoid these clichés:
 No shadow of doubt  Last but not the least
 Needless to say  In any shape or form
 Strange as it may seem  Leave no stone unturned
 Stands the reason

59
 The Don'ts of 5. Grandiloquence
Newswriting Style
 There are expressions that are too pompous and use too colorful
language.
Grandiloquent paragraph:
▪ A conflagration which spurred before the sun stroke its rays heightened
the anxiousness of the neighboring families of Maasim Elementary School
on the 25th day of our Lord last year.
Clearer paragraph:
▪ Started at dawn of April 25 last year, the fire in the Home Economics
Building of Maasim Elementary School created commotion among the
neighboring families.
60
 TRADITIONAL DEVICES

61
 TRADITIONAL
DEVICES
List of common transitional devices that can be used to cue
readers in a given way:
1. To add: and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally,
further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what’s more,
moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)
2. To compare: whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however,
nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared
to, up against, balanced against, wis a vis, but, although,
conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may
62 be true.
 3. To prove: because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously,
evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in
addition, in any case, that is
4. To show exception: yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of,
despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes
5. To show time: immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours,
finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc), next,
and then
6. To repeat: in brief, as said, as noted
7. To emphasize: definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in
any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always,
forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically,
unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without
63
reservation
 8. To show sequence: first, second, third, and so forth. A, B. C,
and so forth, next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this
point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently,
previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus,
therefore, hence, next and then, soon
9. To give an example: for example, for instance, in this case, in
another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of,
to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate
10. To summarize or conclude: in brief, on the whole, summing
up, to conclude, in conclusion, as shown, as said, hence,
therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

64
 TIPS IN NEWSWRITING CONTEST

In writing through, the following may be helpful tips that

may veer your work from the typical entries:

65
 1. When writing a news report, use the active voice.
The active voice is more understandable and has
more impact. Make short, concise sentences with
action verbs.
The passive voice is formed by using some form of
the verb ‘be’ with the past participle of an action
verb: is shot, was shot, has been shot, had been shot,
had been shot, may be shot, will be shot. The word
‘by’ may also signal the sentence is written in passive
voice. Rewrite sentences to eliminate the word ‘by’.

66
 Examples:

Passive voice: The PTA officers were ordered by the

principal to make the payment.
 
Active voice: The principal ordered the PTA officers to
make the payment.

67
 2. The lead needs to be strong so it will grab the readers’
attention and make them want to read more.
Remember, the main verb should be housed within the
first six or seven words of the paragraph. Also, if it is a
hard news story, which is the breaking news or up-to-
the-minute news, then you include as many facts as
you can in the summary of the story. If it is a news
story, a human-interest story or background
information, then you put the facts in the body of the
story.
68
 3. The lead to tell the reader what the story is about and
why it is important. The lead tells the reader why it
should read the story. It needs to sound like you are
having a conversation and that you are telling a friend
about the latest news.
4. Some errors that are found in leads include the lead
having more than one main idea. When this happens,
the reader will be confused.
5. Leads can exclude certain readers if they are full of
jargons. Make sure the news report is suitable for
everyone to read.
69
 6. Make sure your sentences are under 25 words and contain
only one idea.
7. Use a simple subject-verb-object form.
8. Do not use too many commas.
9. Paragraphs need to say something new and, like sentences,
they should be short and to the point.
10. Never put more than three prepositional phrases into one
sentence.
11. Never put more than three numbers in one sentence.
12. Keep leads short. Those with 35 words or less are
preferred.
13. Avoid starting with ‘who’ or ‘what’. Avoid beginning leads
70
with ‘there’ or ‘this’.
 14. In leads about future events, the time, day (date) and place
usually go at the end of the paragraph.
15. In leads about past events, the day (date) of the event
usually appears before or after the verb. Sometimes the
day (date) comes at the end of the first sentence or the
paragraph if it is a one-sentence lead.
16. Keep paragraph short. Those limited to 60 words or less or
no longer than 10 typeset lines are preferred. Paragraphs
limited to one to three sentences are preferred.
17. Remember short paragraphs encourage readers to
continue reading.
18. Eliminate too many ‘that’ whenever possible.
71
 19. For past events, report it happened ‘Friday’, ‘NOT’ ‘last
Friday’. Eliminate the word ‘last’. For future events, report
it will happen ‘Monday’, ‘NOT’ ‘next Monday’. Eliminate
the word ‘next’.
20. Eliminate the ‘be’ verb. Write ‘she will resign’ instead of
she will be resigning’. Write in future tense (will) instead
of future progressive tense (will be ‘ing’).
21. Eliminate words such as ‘when asked’ and ‘concluded’.
These are weak transitions. Just report what was said.
22. A long title should follow the name. a title that follows the
name should be lowercased and set off in commas. Shorter
titles that precede names should be capitalized.
72
 23. Avoid the contractions of he’d and they’d. “He’d” can mean
both ‘he had’ and ‘he would’, and “they’d’ can mean both
‘they had’ and ‘they would’.
24. Always double check the spelling of names.
25. Make sure numbers match the items listed.
26. Make sure ‘only’ is placed properly in a sentence. The
location of ‘only’ can change the meaning of a sentence.
27. Write. Rewrite. Revise. Rewrite. Revise. Edit. Revise. Edit.
Edit. The first version of a story is NOT good enough.
Someone once said, ‘There is no great writing, only great
rewriting’.
28. Read the story out loud to catch awkward sentence
73
construction.
 29. Be very wary of your time. Remember, you are in a contest.
30. Always stick to the instructions and taste of the lecturer-
judge. Do not insist what you want. Remember, you are in a
contest.
31. Of ‘none’ means ‘no one’ or ‘not one’, use a singular ver.
Consult the AP Stylebook or Grammar for Journalists for
more information.
Example:
None was found guilty.
32. When you use a pronoun to refer to a team or a group, the
proper pronoun to use is ‘its’, NOT they.
Example:
74
The team wants to improve its record.
 33. Make sure verbs or other phrases are ‘parallel’ or the
same in structure when they appear in stories or list.
Examples:
 He likes gardening, fishing and hunting.
The fire killed at least 12 persons, injured 60 more
and forced scores of residents to leap from windows.
34. Use third person (she, he, it, its, her, hers, him, his,
they, them, their, theirs) in news stories. Only on rare
occasions do you use first person (I, mine, we, our,
ours) or second person (you, your, yours) in news
stories.
75
 35. When ‘either…or’ and ‘neither…nor’ are used, the verb
agrees in person with the nearer subject.
Examples:
Neither the principal nor the advisers are to blame.
Neither the advisers nor the principal is to blame.

76
 Miscellaneous

36. When something is not clear, make a drawing of it.

Putting it on paper can clarify the situation.

37. When in doubt, leave it out. This has to do with

questionable information that may be libelous,
incomplete information and information the writer
does not have a clear understanding of.

77
 Nonsexist, Non-ageist, Nondiscriminatory Communication
38. Avoid words that reinforce ageist, racial and ethnic
stereotypes.
39. Avoid racial identification except when it is essential to
communication.
40. Substitute asexual words for ‘man’ words or sexist words.
NO YES
mankind people, humanity, human beings, human race
man-made synthetic, artificial, manufactured, of human origin
manpower workers, work force, staff, personnel

78
 41. Make sure information introduced or outlined in the
lead is covered in the same order in the body of the
story.
42. Avoid introducing new information at the end of a
story. All aspects of a story should usually be
introduced or outlined in the first few paragraphs.
43. Transitions are necessary to show the reader that the
writer has a sense of direction. A word, phrase,
sentence or paragraph can move the reader from one
thought to another.
79
 Parts of Speech
44. Avoid using ‘like’ for ‘as’. The word ‘like’ is a
preposition and takes a noun or pronoun object. ‘As’ is
a subordinate conjunction that introduces dependent
clauses.
Example:
As the guest speaker was about to finish, she conducted a
mini-quiz bee.
45. Most adverbs are unnecessary. Redundant adverbs
weaken strong verbs.
instead of ‘tightly clenched teeth’, write ‘clenched teeth’
80
instead of ‘the radio blared loudly’, write ‘the radio blared’
 46. Most adjectives are unnecessary. The concept is
oftentimes already in the noun. Use adjectives
sparingly.

47. Choose verbs that suggest what they mean. ‘Active’

verbs add pace, clarity and vigor to writing. Verbs are
writer’s most important tools. Avoid ‘be’ verbs.

81
 Punctuation
48. Use a comma with ‘according to.’
Example: According to the news release…
49. Avoid comma splices and comma blunders. If a comma
is placed between the subject (noun) and predicate
(verb), it is called a ‘comma splice.’
Example:
The Foundation of Youth, is not in Uyugan. (The
comma is NOT needed)

82
 If two independent clauses are joined by a comma, this is a
‘comma blunder’ or ‘comma fault.’
Example:
The Foundation of Youth is not in Uyugan, it is in Mahatao.
(This is known as a run-on sentence. A period or a
semicolon, should replace the comma. If a period is used, the
‘I’ on ‘it is’ also needs to be capitalized.)

Improved:
• The Fountain of Youth is not in Uyugan. It is in Mahatao.
• The Fountain of Youth is not in Uyugan; it is is Mahatao.
83
 50. A comma should precede ‘such as’, ‘especially’ and
‘including’ when these words introduce examples.
Examples:
a. The advertised price of the tour does not cover some personal
expenses, such as laundry, entertainment and tips.
b. He likes fruit, especially oranges.
c. In newswriting, students study various approaches to
writing, including the inverted triangle, chronological,
narrative, personalized and first-person. When ‘such as’
is used with a restrictive application, the comma is
omitted.
Example: Magazines such as these should be thrown in the trash.
84
 51. Quotation marks go outside commas (,”) and periods (.”).
They go inside semicolons (“,) and colons (“:).
52. In a series, a comma is NOT needed before ‘and’.
Example: red, white and blue
53. The dash is a long mark (--- or ;). There should be a space
before and after the dash. The dash should be used before
words and sentences run as lists.
54. The hyphen is a short mark ( - ) and is used to divide
words or to link hyphenated adjectives. Do not
hyphenate adverbs ending in ‘ly’ with adjectives. Write
‘frequently missed words,’ NOT ‘frequently – missed
words.”
85
 55. Use an exclamation point in only the rarest of situations
and only after brief interjections. Exclamation points are
‘graphic tantrums’ and sometimes demonstrate a lack of
control on the writer’s part. The order of the words in a
sentence should be arranged in such a way that they
make the desired impression. Let the reader decide if the
content is humorous or exciting on his or her own.

86
 Quotes and Attribution
56. Use attribution only one per paragraph.
57. Attribution is needed when policy change statements are
made, when opinions are expressed or when
‘professional’ opinions from physicians, scientists,
engineers and others are used. Attribution is also needed
with direct quotations and indirect quotations
(paraphrased information).
58. Attribution is NOT needed when facts are commonplace
and NOT subject to dispute or when they are accepted
and historically true.
87
 59. Attribution should be placed at the end of the first
sentence when the quote is made of two or more
sentences.
60. When one quote follows another, but the second one is
from a different source, attribution for the second quote
should be placed at the beginning of it. This helps the
reader know immediately that a different person is
speaking.
61. ‘Said’ is the best word for attribution. Other words can
be used, but they should accurately represent how
something is said.
88
 62. Use past tense verbs (said vs. says) for attribution of
news stories.
63. Let quotes begin the paragraph. Show them off. Quote
marks attract the reader’s eye. Use them to encourage the
reader to continue reading.
64. Avoid the use of partial quotes. Quote or paraphrase
material. Do not mix the two.
65. Each time a different source is cited, start a new
paragraph

89
 Sentence Structure
66. Avoid using the same word twice in a sentence.
67. The optimum number of words to use in a sentence is 14
to 17. The average reader can hardly comprehend a
sentence with more than 35 words.
68. When writing becomes cumbersome, turn one long
sentence into two or three shorter ones.
69. If a long sentence must be used, place a short sentence
before and after it.

90
 70. Do not have more than three consecutive prepositional
phrases in a sentence. Prepositional phrases start with
about, above, against, at, between, by, down, during, for,
from, in, like, on, over, through, toward, under, up, until,
upon, with…
71. Count the words in a story’s sentences. Sentence length
should vary. Stories become dull when sentences are all
the same in length.
72. Do not start or end in a sentence with ‘however.’ Start
the sentence and then work ‘however’ into it as soon as
possible. This word is intended to cause an interruption
in thought.
91
 Vocabulary
73. Use simple words. Never send the reader to the
dictionary.
74. Words such as ‘thing’ and ‘a lot’ annoy some readers.
Avoid using them. (Note the correct spelling “of a lot.”
Specify the amount, instead.
75. Be careful how the word ‘held’ is used. Make sure the
object can be ‘held’ physically.
Example:
Weak: The meeting will be held at noon on Monday in
gymnasium.
Better:
92 The meeting will be at noon Monday in gymnasium.
 76. Avoid using words that qualify how someone feels, thinks
or sees. “Little qualifiers” include the following: a bit, a
little, sort of, kind of, rather, around, quite, very, pretty,
much, in a very real sense, somewhat.
77. Avoid technical jargon unless 95 percent or more of the
readers will understand it. If technical jargon is used, and
it will not be understood by the majority of readers, be
sure to explain each term used.
78. Learn the difference between ‘affect’ (usually a verb) and
‘effect’ (usually a noun). Consult the AP Stylebook or a
dictionary for more information.
93
 79. Know the difference between its (no apostrophe for
possessive pronoun) and it’s (the contraction for ‘it is.’)
Examples:
The dog has a thorn in its (possessive pronoun) paw.
It’s (contraction) time to go.
80. Know when to use ‘their’ (possessive pronoun), there
(adverb) and ‘they’re’ (the contraction for ‘they are’.)
Examples:
It is their (possessive pronoun) project.
The project is over there (adverb of place)
They’re (contraction) working together on the project.
94
 81. Know the difference between whose (possessive pronoun)
and who’s (the contraction of ‘who is’.)
Examples:
Whose (possessive pronoun) coat is this?
Who’s (contraction) going on the trip?
82. Know when to use ‘to’ (preposition), ‘too’ (adverb) and
‘two’ (adjective)
Examples:
The team is going to (preposition) Palarong Pambansa in
Albay.
The public relations group wants to go, too (adverb).
95
The two (adjective) groups will go to Legazpi, instead.
 83. A person dies “unexpectedly”, “apparently of a heart
attack,” “after a brief illness,” “after a long illness,” “of
injuries suffered or sustained,” “following or after an
“operation,” or “of disease.”

84. In connection with suicides, it is best to say the person was

‘found dead’ or ‘fell or plunged to his or her death’ until
the coronel completes his or her investigation. When
suicide is reported, used died by suicide vs. committed
suicide.

96
 85. In connection with arrests, write: “arrested in connection
with,” “sought in connection with,” “charged with,” or
“arrested on charges of.” If a confession is involved but the
confession has not yet been admitted as evidence in court,
report only that the prisoner “has made a statement.”
86. Injuries are “suffered or sustained,” not received.
87. With murder, arrests are made “in connection with the
death of,” It should not be reported that a victim was
murdered until someone is convicted of the crime. In
obituaries, it may be said the victim was “killed” or
“slain.”
97
 88. Remember two objects must be moving to “collide.” If a
vehicle runs into a parked one or object, say the vehicle
“struck” the stationary one.

89. Sometimes information cannot be verified. If doubt exists

regarding a person’s name, report the persons “was listed
by police as John Dimagiba” or he “gave his name as John
Dimagiba.” If a person is dead or unconscious and there is
no identification, he or she is “unidentified,” NOT
unnamed. If there are questions about where a person
lives, report “address not given” or “address unknown.”
98
 90. With fires, a building is “destroyed,” NOT completely
destroyed. Buildings also are damaged “lightly,”
“moderately,” or “heavily.” A fire may ‘gut” or “destroy”
the interior of a building. To raze a building is to level it to
the ground.

99
 VARIOUS TYPES OF NEWS STRUCTURE

100
 STRAIGHT NEWS
STORY

a. The summary lead answers the most important W’s

depending on which of the W’s is the most prominent
among them.
b. The body consists of the elaboration of the W’s and the
H.

101
 NEWS – FEATURE
STORY

News feature should not be confused with feature articles (features)

which are sometimes called special features and printed in the feature
sections of the newspapers or in magazines.

Human interest and news-feature stories are classified as news since

both are gathered and written daily by reports as their regular
assignments. Furthermore, both emphasize the element of timeliness of
immediacy which distinguishes news from other types of reading
although they differ in important respects from the straight news
102
story.
 a. The single-feature story – A single-feature or one incident
story such as an account of a speech, an interview, or an
election deals with an isolated event.

In writing a news-feature story with this kind of structure,

include the on-feature in the lead. Add in the body details
which clarify and explain the lead.

See that the story breaks logically at every paragraph and

that the story may be cut or lengthened as space dictates.
103
 the
b. The several-feature, multiple-angleteorincomposite ch story –
r a i
h aspects of a
In a composite story, two or more b o divergent w
e la r i n le s s nt
news topic are drawn together n d for r d e sake
the at e of space rt a and
in a e o le g p o
coherence. In structure, p l a the n th
composite s , r e story
s im may a ctsresemble
e x s i th i l es f f a s
s o
t story u e
r in ithat g both t oof them o
n aim d
leto
that of a follow-up i a t o n r e a i d
st ep e fe In d eatu h ch han
consolidate
e x t component
f t h d. parts. h f However, e a c they
b e differ in the
e n ch o le a e a c
h a t u ld
Th that
sense e a the follow-up
th e o f story r t endsshin o a tie-in with a past
d y i n ils mb tely e
o
story;
b whereas, r e thet a
e composite e a story is composed of units,
y a t d r e m a r
h e
eacht one omader ta n up u t
of fresh s epspot news frequently with
p s . B re d y .
im ito n
othe future. v e to r
relevance ti c o d s
pos ough nifie
u
alth gle,
s in
104
a
 FACT STORY

This is a plain exposition of a simple situation or of a series

of closely related events which conform to the inverted
pyramid design more closely than any other kind of news.
The component parts are the series of facts that may be
likened to rectangles of diminishing length arranged one
after the other in order of their importance.

105
 i z i ng t
m ar rtan
ACTION STORY s u m mpo
i te a
o s t i tory he
t w r e m he s gin t
, fi rs te th ell t o be
t o ry Rela rm. T not t e
This is a narrative involving of s ornot m . merely fo efusimple l ivfacts, but
d f ic a l r g . G t
s k in a te
i lo g e c a n i n r ta n nt il
dramatic actions thi– incidents,
r o pr ronodescription u t b
e g in ofmpersons,
p o ch u
ti ng p p e ch s . B e b o f i . E a
r i
perhapsntestimonies y a of
i t l
ai ter thas well
v witnesses, on astiexplanatory
on
w a n a t e ti a
I i n n a rr ore d st af bora pret
data. lea s in g m er ju
d e l a nter
et ail givin l ord to the and i
d in , i ca tion und .
a o g
ag nol atten kgro cked
o
chr cient n, bac nterlo
o i
suffi rmati osely
l
info t be c
s
106
mu
 Inverted – Pyramid Style
ORGANIZING NEWS – traditional news
STORIES writing form in which the
key points of a story are
put in the opening
paragraph and the news
is stacked in the
following paragraphs in
order of descending
importance.

107
 OUTLINE OF A
Spot news
SPORT NEWS STORY stories
 also called breaking news stories – usually follow a
standard formula for writing called the inverted
pyramid.
1. Lead (1-2) paragraphs
 Sums up the focus of the story,
 Orients readers by telling them something surprising;
entices them to continue reading for more details,
 Answers Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
108
 OUTLINE OF A
SPORT NEWS STORY
2. Impact (1 paragraph) (Answers: How will this affect the
reader?)
3. Reaction and response (1 paragraph)
4. Cosmic quote that sums up story’s focus (1 paragraph)
5. Background (1 paragraph)
6. Explication of lead, including facts, quotes, anecdotes,
and other evidence that support the story’s focus.
109
 A sidebar to a story explores an idea that, while interesting,
fails to fil into the main story because it remains tangential to
the focus. Sidebars engage readers by giving more
information if they want it, helping to draw them into the
issues of the main story.
Hourglass Style – a style of writing in
which the major news of a story is
reported in the first few paragraphs
and then a transitional paragraph
introduces a chronology of the events
of the story.
110
MICRO-ORGANIZATION
1. Each sentence should contain one central idea.
2. Each sentence should contain one central idea.
3. Each sentence should lead logically to the next.
4. When necessary, transitions should ease the reader from one
issue to the next and connect the main issues of your story.
5. The top of your story should include the essential information
needed to inform the reader of the news and, if necessary, should
have a background paragraph, a news hook and a cosmic quote.
6. Put attributions at the end of a sentence, unless who’s saying it is
more important than what’s being said.
News hook – “With only one mouth to go before the first
votes are cast in the Student Body Organization elections.”

Nut graph: “News before have so many political parties

contended so avidly for the voters of the silent majority which
definitely will decide the outcome of the elections.”

Background: “Largely ignored in the past, the silent majority

have become the focus of government platforms of the
contending parties, the identified audience in the campaigns.”
Cosmic quote: “This is the first time in the local executive
body election since the 1980s that for political parties try to
mobilize the majority to end their silence and finally speak
up,” said Maritess Gomez, secretary general of the Sprite-7Up
Party Coalition.

But Mr. Gomez, who is confident her party will win the
elections, said she saw no cause of alarm in this. While the
silent majority “have not been mobilized in the past,” she
said, “there silence has been our inspiration to speak up and
stand for them.”
 DEPTH NEWS

Depth news is a king of news-feature that contains, aside

from the essential facts attendant to a news story,
A depth report should be distinguished from depth
background, interpretation, and analyses.
treatment. The former is the result of investigative
reporting, as had been explained, is reporting in depth to
It present
is not a news story inon
information the traditional
a topic beyond sense sincefacts
surface it isand
not
based on a timely
interpretative even that
reporting answers
which the 5W’sthe
is reporting andmeaning
the H. or
however, the emphasis
the possible meaning isof on the facts.
those elaboration of one W, the
why.
114
 1 CHAPTER VII
FEATURE STORY
115
 FEATURE STORY: CONCEPTS AND NATURE

If defining news were a hard task for many writers due to its
many perspectives, feature stories would be less difficult.
Many writers agree on the concepts and nature of feature
stories.
 

116
A feature story is an interesting article that focuses on certain
people, places, events or subject matters like career,
relationships, money, health, lifestyle, among others. Because
it is so elaborative, a writer is “free as a bird” in crafting his
ideas, in weaving his ideas and in presenting his ideas.
Redundant as it may, feature writing breaks the box of rules
where news writing is incarcerated.

A feature story primarily banks on special human interest

that may or may nor be closely tied to a recent news event. It
goes into great detail regarding concepts and ideas of specific
market of interest.
“A feature story is an in-depth and factual write-up on a
topical issue which seeks to give comprehensive information
in a more captivating and relaxed style than straight news.” –
Okoye (2012)

Feature story is a SOFT news story written like a piece of short

fiction.
 FORMS OF FEATURE
ARTICLE
narrative stories
poems
essays
tales
anecdotes, etc.

119
 SUBJECTS OF
FEATURE ARTICLE
love
hatred
jealousy
emotions
war
friendship
other human forms of experiences
120
With its diverse forms, many campus papers believe that
feature page is the same with literary page. That is why there
are campus papers which have a section titled as
“literary/feature” page. It must be clear to both beginning and
developing campus papers that literary and features are NOT
similar.

Finally, writing a feature is a war of creativity on the use of

language. It is so stylistic that it entails a writer’s constant
reading and interminable practice.
 CHARACTERISTICS
OF FEATURE
STORIES
1. Variety of subject matter
A feature story can take any topic under the sun. the
kindling of the reader’s interest on such a topic
primarily depends on the writer’s creativity on using
the language.

122
2. Variety of tones
Since feature stories are meant to entertain other than to
inform, the feature writer may use variety of dramatic
tone, say a creepy story, exciting narration, suspensive
drama, angry letter, morbid experience, and the like.

3. Variety of form and style

Feature stories may use any form and any style
depending on the writer’s judicious judgment to capture
easily the reader’s attention. One may use acrostic or
literary techniques in crafting stories, so long as the
content is factual.
 
4. Well-organized
A feature story is actually an essay. Therefore, it follows a
general format of having an introduction, body and ending.
Its comments, like all other pieces of writing, should be
logically arranged such that a smooth flow of ideas is
attained. Hence, it still follows the rules of thumb in
effective writing.
5. Variety of form and style
Feature stories may use any form and any style
depending on the writer’s judicious judgment to capture
easily the reader’s attention. One may use acrostic or
literary techniques in crafting stories, so long as the
content is factual.
5. Strikes keynotes in a first sentence
The secret of arousing reader’s attention is to intrigue him
at the beginning. That is why feature stories need to be
very striking at the first part. It does not necessarily mean,
though, that the first sentence summarizes the important
details in the first sentence like in straight news. If one does
this, suspense is forfeited, excitement is lost.

6. May or may not be timely

Unlike news articles, feature stories may skip immediacy
because it is up for the writer’s dexterous use of the
language to make the antiquated subject rise from the tomb
and capture the attention of the current readers.
 FEATURE
FLOURISHES IN:
Color
Fancy
Wit and humor
Anecdotes
Quotations

126
 QUALITIES OF A WELL-
WRITTEN FEATURE
STORY
Well – researched Emotional
Catchy Engaging
Descriptive Neutral
Exciting Thorough
Reflective

127
 FEATURE VS. NEWS

128
  News Features
Timing - Time-sensitive and of - Can be published at any point. It
immediate interest. Think content is often evergreen or at
election results, an least lasting.
accident, a robbery report,
a product launch, a court
verdict, a medical report
release, a set of basketball
game scores.
Content - Reports the facts: who, - A human-interest story about a
what, where, when, why, person, event, or place. Rather
and how. Written than simply summarizing the
straightforward, concise subject, feature article highlights
reporting style one aspect or significance of the
story. Its less formal style may
take an odd twist or heartwarming
angle.
  News Features
Structure - Structured in the - Allows the subject matter to
inverted pyramid determine its format, whether in
format with key facts a standard outline form or the
at the beginning of the main story formats.
article.
Length - Are short, averaging - Are longer and dig more deeply
100-400 words into the topic. Length varies for
depending upon the each publication, but a typical
type of news and feature word count runs between
where it is placed in 1,000-2,000 words
the publication. They
are meant to be
digested quickly.
 TYPES OF FEATURE
STORIES
1. Informative feature. This gives information on subject
of current interest. This feature is usually based on
interview and research.
2. Human interest feature. Sometimes called “concerned
story,” it deals with minor incidents that deserve
attention because of dramatic, humorous, tragic,
sensational or unusual angle of the story.
3. News feature. It gets its materials from current events,
covering details that were omitted by the news.
131
4. Personal experience. This tells of some unusual true-to-life
experiences written in the first-person account.
5. Personality sketch. Some books differ in nomenclature;
others regard this as profile feature. Examples are silver
screen celebrities, political figures, athletes, beauty titlist.
6. Human feature. Primary objective is to entertain. So, what
is more fitting than making people laugh and be relieved
of the stress of life while reading your article?
7. Interpretative feature. The feature helps the reader
understand the background and significance of social,
economic, political and other problems of everyday life.
8. Sensational or holiday feature. Includes subjects like
events celebrated once a year. Primarily magnifies the
significance and relevance of holidays, anniversaries and
special events.
9. Travelogue. An account of one’s travel experience and a
vivid description of places visited. Highlights the beauty
of interacting with people and places. It offers
endorsements and guidelines on places where money
would be worth spending.
10. Science and Technology feature. It is concentrated on the
latest advancement in science and technology with the aim
of informing the readers and arousing their interests.
11. Historical and cultural feature. Historical events and sites
can provide readers a sense of identity. By comparing the
present to the past, they can see how time has changed
their environment, culture, values and perspectives.
12. How-to and what-to-do features. They provide
knowledge about process or activity. Most often, they
showcase step-by-step procedure in doing something.
13. Business and development feature. It provides a glimpse
and insight on the business world and the development of
certain sector or area. This writing requires a working
knowledge and special interest on the workings and
operations of the business community.
14. Lifestyle feature. The quick change of fashion trends and
lifestyles makes an interesting reading.
15. Entertainment feature. Movie stars, pop singers and show
business events are common subjects. The goal is to
entertain and give relief to people.
16. Hobby feature. This type of feature primarily interests the
readers who are into exceptional hobbies.
17. Career feature. It is a type of feature that focuses on career
guidance, tips or issues.
18. Insider feature. Take note, insiders look at unusual
occupations. Issues, or events which are hidden from the
public.
 THE EFFECTIVE
FEATURE WRITER

1. Is a keen observer
A feature writer should be very wary on processes, on
figures, on shapes, on taste, on temperature, on attitude and
many more. He should see not only the forest but also the
small and large trees, the wild animals and the insects in it.
Thus, a feature writer should unleash his/her skills in
observing,
136
2. Has an analytical mind
According to psychologists, analysis is the process of breaking
down an idea. A good feature writer, therefore, should be
adept at explaining in details. For instance, when he/she
wants to say Juan is thin, the writer should know how to
describe Juan to show that he/she is indeed thin.
3. Is a wide reader and a good listener
Facts are the foundations of journalism. Feature articles are
journalistic in nature. Hence, feature stories are factual. Like
news, feature stories should be packed with facts. A writer,
therefore, should be a wide reader and a good listener to
capture facts. As Francis Bacon once said, “Reading maketh a
full man.”
4. Is a frequent writer
“Practice makes perfect,” so a saying goes. A feature writer
hones his ability, style and creativity through constant picture.

5. Is a master of language
A good feature banks on the craftmanship of the writer in
playing with the words, sprinkled with color, suspense and
drama. As he/she uses the language, he/she also must
consider the rules of grammar, thus his/her mastery of its
rules.
 SOURCES OF
FEATURES

a) News a) Travel
b) Magazine articles b) Familiar places
c) Books c) Interview
d) Scrapbooks d) Observation
e) Experience e) Speeches
f) Casual conversation f) Files of old materials
like bulletins

139
 THE STAGES OF
WRITING A FEATURE
STORY
2. Writing
1. Pre-writing Determining the
Finding the story organization
Gathering the information Drafting the lead
Determining the type of feature Drafting the body
Choosing the single focus Drafting the conclusion
Preparing the headline

140
3. Revising
Checking for good writing techniques
o Does the article reflect careful complete research?
o Do I attract my reader’s attention in the opening
paragraph?
o Does the article maintain interest throughout?
o Did I follow a logical organization to achieve my purpose?
o Have a I maintained unity?
o Have I varied sentence structure in keeping with the tone
and purpose?
o Are transitions sufficient to guarantee smooth reading?
o Does the word choice show freshness and originality?
o Have I eliminated wordiness?
o Do I use good-story-writing techniques?
3. Proofreading
Check the details
o Be sure to check your copy carefully for correctness.
 STRUCTURE OF A
FEATURE STORY

• beginning = lead/lede
 starts with a premise or a theme

• middle = body/story development

 presents information and opinions that back your
point

• end = conclusion
 bring the reader to a close
143
 FEATURE WRITING: THE
LEAD

 The most important part

 The first paragraph, but may include the second or
even the third paragraph
 Entices your readers, hooks them in
 Uses drama, emotion, quotations, questions, and/or
descriptions
 Sets the tone

144
 ATTENTION-GETTING  Refer to an event, either
DEVICES historical or current
 Show controversy or
 Ask a question or
contradiction
questions
 Use a quotation, adage, or
 Make an unusual
proverb
statement
 State an unusual opinion
 Describe a scene
 Riddle
 Present a conversation
 Dialogue
 Tell a brief story
 Onomatopoeia
 Present surprising or
145
alarming statistic

TYPES OF LEADS TO
AVOID
 Trite dictionary lead
“According to Webster’s
Dictionary…”
 Dumb declarative lead
“It’s official…”
 Mystery “it” lead
“It’s round, it’s red, it’s
juicy…yes, it’s a tomato!”
146
 Weird linkage or a typical
lead
“What did Borix Karloff, Jane
Fonda and Richard Nixon
have in common? Ring
around the collar.” Who
cares?
 The uninformative question
lead
Avoid asking questions that
might provoke your readers to
respond, ‘Who cares?”
Turn questions into short,
informative statements instead.

NUT GRAPH
Nut graph is the
paragraph in which the
main points of a story are
summarized. Nut graphs
are often used in
conjunction with delayed
(leads) on feature stories.
147
Nut graph is sometimes referred
to as the thesis statement of
your story, where you lay out for
the reader exactly what the story
is all about.
Nut graph is usually found in
the third of fourth paragraph,
and it explains why the story is
being written. It likewise
provides vital information while
it educates, entertains and
emotionally ties an audience to
the subject.
 Important Components
Include
FEATURE WRITING:
 Background information
THE BODY
>brings the reader up to date
 The “guts” of the story  The “thread” of the story
 Longest part… so you >connects the introduction,
need to vary the pace body and conclusion
and keep it fresh by  Dialogue
using: >gives strong mental images;
o Quotes and anecdotes keeps them attached
o Description and details  Voice
o Specific examples >the signature or personal
style of the writer
148
 FEATURE WRITING:
CONCLUSION
 While the lead draws the
reader in, the conclusion
should be written to help
the reader remember the
story.
 Will wrap up the story and
come back to the lead,
often with a quotation or a
149
surprising climax.
 Unlike hard news
stories, features need
endings
 The end can be
o A comment
o A concluding quote
o A question
o A summary of the
article

WRITING TITLES OF
FEATURE STORIES
Title of feature stories is the
door to arresting one’s
curiosity. It is read first and
cited most often.
Some ways to create a
snappy, brief and witty title:
150
1. You may use a one-word
title, just make sure that it
capsulizes the theme or
the subject of your feature
story.
2. You make use a brief
question.
Example: Where are the
clowns?
3. You may use a contrasting
phrase.
Example: Brusko Pink
4. You may use a description with alliteration.
Example: Love. Love. Love

5. You may use one brief sentence.

Example: After a decade, he repaid the tree.
 HOW DO YOU MAKE A
GOOD FEATUER STORY?
 Be timeless – let your story
 Be creative – imagine. linger in the hearts of your
 Be subjective – inject your readers.
own thoughts and  Limit to 500 words or less.
emotions.  Consider your audience.
 Be informative – give  Use sounds - Onomatopoeia
useful details  Use personification – make
 Be entertaining – not your subject move.
boring!
153
 SPORTS WRITING

154
 QUALITIES OF A GOOD
SPORTS WRITER

Aside from a working knowledge of the medium he is

going to use in writing his story, the sports writer should
also have the following know-how:
 Must know sports: rules, strategy, team and players’
records.
 Must attend the games or meets as a reporter, not as a
spectator or cheerer.
 Must know coaches and players as intimately as possible.
155
 Must observe accuracy.
 Must be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of
the play.
 Must be fait and unbiased in reporting, even though he has a
favorite team.
 Must not make comments without supporting them with facts on
which they are based, although sports writers have more
freedom than any other news writers.
 Must use the specialized language of the particular sports that he
is reporting.
 Must avoid sports slang and trite expressions which hack writers
use today. He should tell the story in plain, factual terms, that
describe the action.
 Must bear in mind that he writes for his readers and not for
himself.
 THE LEAD

Like any other news story, a sports story has a lead and a
body. The sports lead is the attention-getter, the news in
nutshell.

157
The classic “Five W’s”
appear in the sports
lead as: The lead can also
 Who won? dramatize other
 Against whom? elements like:
 By what score?  The key play
 Where?  The outstanding
 When? player
 Analytical approach
 THE BODY

After the lead, the other elements follow in descending

order:

 Team and/or individual standing

 Decisive play
 Best scores for the day
 Play-by-play
 Quotation
159
 SPORTS LINGO AND
CRUTCHES/SLANGUAGE

Basketball - five, quintet, shot twinner, pivot, rally,

rebound, technical foul, quarter count, 15-foot line, hook
shot, lay-up, ice-breaker, tip-in, press, one defense, man to
man, 30 second rule, full court, gun time, lemon time,
keyhole area, long tom, follow-up, trey, rainbow country.

160
Baseball and softball - diamond, pitcher, backstop, deep
center, struck out, lower fourth, shut out, hitless inning,
hit a homerun, one-bagger, two-baggers, force out,
scorcher, fly back, pitcher’s mound, upper third, lower
fourth, flier, rolling ball, umpire, struck out, bunt, slide,
shortstop, fielder, southpaw, no-hit run, fanned, out-
pegged at third, deep center, a scorcher to left outfield.

Volleyball - spikes, neat placing, change court, Chinese

kill, wallop, block, scored off, straight set, two out of
three, spiker, blocked his kill, booming service, netball,
return play, three out of five.
Soccer/football – soccerites, goalie, full back, corner kick,
centrada, penalty kick, free kick, pigskin.

Sipa – fancy kick, dead ball, ball on play, single, double,

etc.

Dashes – 100-200-800m; runs – 200, 400, 800 and 1500m

Hurdles – 110m high, 400m low and 80m low; Relay –

4x100m and 4x400m; breasted the tape, burned the
cinders, clock a new record, bore down on him, home
stretch, photo finish, middle-distance runner, long-
distance runner, anchor man, passed on the baton.
Field – heaved the shotput, hurled the javelin, threw the
discus, hop step and jump, broad jump, high or long
jump, pole vault, Grecian disc.

Tennis – best of three matches, surfeit services, straight

set, singles, smash cut.

Swimming – tanker, naiads, aquabelle

 PHOTOJOURNALISM

164
 PICTURE SELECTION

The newspaperman has two things to bear in mind when

selecting pictures for publication.
 pictures technical value
 editorial value

A picture has technical value when it is technically perfect

with proper light and shadow, is free from smudges, and
is clean and clear for publication.
165
A picture loses its technical values as a result of poor
screening by the photographer; or maybe, the original
picture was already dirty, faded or worn-pout when it
was submitted for reproduction.

A picture, on the other hand has editorial value when it

tells a story at a glance and when it shows life’s
happenings and moments of truth and significance.
 WRITINT CAPTION

A caption is the text or body type accompanying photos

or artwork or any pictorial illustration. It is sometimes
called cutline should
Captions or underline. The related
be closely tile or explanatory matter
to the picture so
above anthe
that illustration is called
reader may overline.
be able to take in picture and
caption at a glance. This explains why the caption
should be underneath the picture when there are
other materials on the page. The caption can be on
the side picture and caption are isolated.
167
 � The End!
� Thank you♥
✋👆👉👍👤👦👧👨👩👪💃🏃💑❤😂😉😋
😒😭😸💣
👶😸 🐟🍒🍔💣 📌📖🔨🎃🎈🎨🏈🏰🌏🔌🔑
God bless…

168