COPYREADING &

HEADLINE WRITING

(Pagwawasto at pag-uulo
ng balita)
CRHW prepared by
Ana Marie Contreras-Calapit
What is copyreading?

 It is the art of arranging,

correcting, and selecting the
quality and type of news.
 It is also called copyediting.
 One who edits copies is called a
copyreader or copyeditor.
Responsibilities of a copyreader

 edits error on grammar (spelling, tenses,

and agreement, etc.)
 edits errors of fact (accuracy, check)
 edits verbose copy
 deletes opinion or slant and libelous
statements
 writes the headline
 What are the essential qualities of a
copyreader?
He has good command of a language
and comprehensive knowledge of rules of
grammar.
He must be wide reader and always
updated on current information.
As watchman of newspaper he must
know well the policies of newspaper.
Exercises:
A. Identify the error, then tell whether it is in
form or in content. Explain your answer.
1. The guard did not saw all the students
coming in.

2. The agenda for the meeting is quite long.

Pagsasanay:
A. Hanapin ang mali sa pangungusap

1. Nagtatalumpati bukas sa palatuntunan

ang pangulo nang SSG.

2. Sasama din ang mga bata kong hindi

umulan.
Exercises:
Copyread the following leads.

B. President Aquino yesterday said graduates

off the philippine military academy (PMA)
this year were embarking on a military
Carreer not to enrich themselves but to serve
the NATION.
Pagsasanay:
B. Wastuhin ang sipi ng sumusunod na lead.

Isinusulong ng mga pamil yang pilipino, lalo

na ng mahihirap, ang agarang pgpasa ng
“Bawas Presyo Bill” sa pagsasabing
makatutulong ang panulaka upang ma­pagaan
ang kanilang pasanin samataas na presyo ng
bilihin dahil sa Tax Reform for acceleration
and inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
 COPY READING
SYMBOL
• SYMBOL
S
 MEANING
-Professor Juan Masipag
Abbreviate
-Prof. Masipag
- Bought ten cans Spell out word
- 8 participants Set in numerals
Spell out
 • SYMBOL MEANING
- Local govermnent
Transpose letters
- Administration school Transpose words
- Manila, philippines Set in capitals Set
- She Edited the in lower case
- occassion Delete letter
- The new recruits Delete & close up
- Pretty girl Insert word
- occurence Insert letter
• SYMBO  MEANING
L
…over. He said Begin a new
paragraph

anew dress separate Close

Gentle man up

Species Homo Set in boldface

sapiens Set in italics
  SYMBO  MEANING
L
Dr ‘
Juan Flavier Put period
Mary s book
“ Insert apostrophe

“I don’t Insert quotation

believe it, mark
she said
Los Insert comma

Insert hyphen
Angeles ,
Numbers
- The numbers 1-9 are written in words while the
numbers 10 and above are written in figures.
Example:
nine students walong bata
13 children 21 bata
Exceptions:
- dates, address: always in figures
- proper nouns: may be written in
figures/ words
- beginning of sentence: always in words
- events: 1st -9th is allowed
 Spelling
- look for misspelled words
- Here in the Philippines, American
English is used, not British English.
Example: color, not colour
-If a word has more than one
accepted spelling, the shortest one
is preferred.
Example:
Judgment, instead of judgement
• Acronyms
- Acronyms are usually written in capital letters.
Example: BFAR

- Check if the letters of the acronym are in the

correct order.

- When an acronym appears for the first time in

a news story, it is written after its meaning and it is
enclosed in parentheses.

Example: University of the Philippines (UP)

 Abbreviations
- Spell out Dept., gov’t. and other abbreviations.
- The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in
names.
- A title or position of a person may be abbreviated
if it appears before the name but not if simply used in
the sentence.
Examples:
Sen. Ralph Recto filed another taxation bill
yesterday.
The senator filed another taxation bill yesterday.
Reminders:
- Watch out for jumbled letters, words and
paragraphs.
- Check for joined/ disjoined words.
Example: class room, newteacher

- Delete editorializing words/phrases.

Examples:
The very beautiful and intelligent principal…
The cops were right in arresting…
Reminders:
- Check for redundancies (recurring words/
phrases/paragraphs, synonymous or redundant
terms).
Example: The concert the concert ended

Remember: After editing the news story, write 30 at the

end of the article. If the article is not yet finished, write
more at the bottom of the page.
EXERCISE NO.
1
Copyread
 HEADLINE
WRITING
HEADLINE is the title of a newspaper story.
It serves as a quick source of information. It is
written to tell the story what is it all about, to
attract readers, and to grade the news on its
importance. It is always short and simple.
Headline writing requires skill and
concentration .It must give the essence of the
story. While explaining the story accurately,
your headline also must fit into a limited space.
GUIDELINES IN
WRITING
HEADLINE
- It should tell the gist of the story
immediately and accurately.
- It should contain a verb but do not
start the headline with it.
- Never repeat words
- Avoid the use of articles to begin a
headline
 HEADLINES
 Persuade / Excite readers …
 Break up the page

GOOD HEADS DO THREE THINGS:

 Tell the reader what the story is about
 Give this information in quick and easy form
 Entice the reader to follow the story and “read all
about it”
 USE THE PRESENT
• TENSE
Microcredit access for Agri sector backed
vs
• Agri Party-list backs microcredit access

• Misuari trial transferred to Taguig

vs
• SC moves Misuari trial to Taguig
 USE THE PRESENT
TENSE
• Services resumed
vs
• DFA reopens services

• Ukay-Ukay traders charged

vs
• Customs charge Ukay-Ukay traders
 USE THE PRESENT
 20 were hurtTENSE  20 are hurt
as trains crash as trains crash

 ASEAN, US
special meeting ASEAN, US hold
held special meeting

 3 drug pushers
Drug sting nets 3
arrested
 USE ACTIVE
• Whistle-blowers areVOICE
sued by solon
vs
• Bong sues whistle-blowers

• Man with P25-M shabu is arrested by police

vs
• Makati sting nets man with P25-M shabu

• 1 dead, 7 hurt in Zambo blast

vs
• Zambo blast kills 1, hurts 7
 USE ACTIVE
• Bank manager VOICE
 Masked men
is shot by masked men shoot bank
manager
• Grocery robbed by
Children  Children rob
Grocer
• Two jail guards
caught
gambling fired  Chief fires
gambling jail
guards
 IN
CONTRAST…
• Loyal bashers ni Nancy, nabuhay

• Higanteng buwaya, nahuli sa Palawan

• Coup vs Pnoy, inimbento ni Trillanes

• Budget sa SONA, tinipid

• Abad, ginisa ng Senado sa DAP

 FUTURE EVENT –
USE
INFINITIVE
• P8 billion to solve Bataan flooding
‘TO’
• Surigao to boost seaweed industry

• DOJ panel to pursue raps vs Misuari et al.

• CamSur power rates to increase in December

• Japan to spend $500 million to fix Fukushima leaks

• 2 LPA pa nagbabanta
PANGHINAHARAP

• Jinggoy hindi pa suspendido

• DAP ng PNP, pinasisiyasat ng VACC

• DAP gagawing legal

• Pope Francis bibisita sa Pinas (sa Enero 2015)

• ‘Inday’ lalabas sa Biyernes

• ‘Inday’ palabas na
 IS, ARE, THE &
• The mayor’s wife is hurt A Mayor’s wife hurt
in a car crash in car crash
• The forensic experts are
in Manila  Forensic experts
• An American tourist is arrive in Manila
slain
 Psycho slays
American tourist
 IS, ARE, THE &
Asurrenders
• The cop in a lawyer’s slay
• Cop in lawyer’s slay surrenders

• The meteor showers are visible over PH

• Meteor showers visible over PH

• 5 soldiers are hurt in a clash with the NPA

rebels
• 5 soldiers hurt in clash with NPA rebels
 ANG, SI, NG, AT, NANG
• Ang bata, nahuli sa shabu
• Bata, huli sa shabu
• Senado at Kamara, nagbalik-sesyon
• Senado, Kamara balik-sesyon
• DAP gagawin nang legal
• DAP gagawing legal
• Si Napoles ay nasa Bicutan na
• Napoles, nasa Bicutan na
 LABEL
S
Tourism potentials
• P210 million to boost Davao tourism

Auxiliary services
• Civilian groups beef up Coast Guard
 LABEL
Day-care upgrading
S
• Sarangani allots P2.5 million for day-care centers

Tagum port
• P3-billion int’l port construction to start in 2014
 USE VERBS THAT PAINT A
 PICTURE
Typhoon Pablo hits  Typhoon Pablo
Northern Mindanao lashes Northern
Mindanao
•Tubbataha mgmt: Chinese boat wrecked
4,000 sq m of reef

•‘Yolanda’ roars toward Visayas

•Cyclone wreaks havoc in India

 AVOID WORDS THAT ADD
NOTHING TO THE
OF THE
POWER
• Valuable jewelry HEADLINE
 Thieves grab
15,000 gems
stolen

• Big reduction in tax  Beer tax cut by

on beer 20 percent

• President’s SONA
speech  President pledges
better conditions
for labor
 AVOID WORDS THAT ADD
NOTHING TO THE POWER
OF THE
HEADLINE
• 66K retiradong pulis, di makatatanggap ng pension

• 12.1 M Pinoy mahirap pa rin – SWS

• 2.6 trillion budget sa 2015 isinumite na sa Kamara

 AVOID WORDS THAT ADD
NOTHING TO THE POWER
OF THE
HEADLINE
• PLDT to expand fiber network investment in Bohol
• PLDT to invest P1 billion in Bohol fiber network

• 6 administration senators DAP recipients

• 6 senators get P100 million each from DAP
 AVOID WORDS THAT ADD
NOTHING TO THE POWER
OF THE
HEADLINE
• Salceda heads UN’s climate change body
• Albay governor leads UN agency with $100 billion
climate fund

• Teachers say no to poll work

• 700 teachers shun poll duty
 4 judge kay ‘Ma’m Arlene’ sisiyasatin

 Ika-100 milyong Pinoy isinilang

 Nawawalang P90-B savings hinahanap kay

Abad

 38K pirma pabor sa FOI bill isiunumite sa

Palasyo
 • Special allowance ng SC justices,
sisilipin ng Kamara
• 2K sako ng NFA rice nabawi sa Iloilo
• BIR ihihirit uli ang SALN ng SC justices

ABBREVIATION
S
 Government – gov’t
 Department – dep’t
 Intramurals – intrams

 PUNCTUATION
Commas  VP Binay, anak
Ridiculous
S
kinasuhan ng
Councilor Calls P1.5 B plunder
rates rise

 PNoy sa mga
FOR Ridiculous , kritiko:
Councilor Calls Magmahalan,
rates rise magtulungan
tayo
 PUNCTUATION
Dash S
We will stay in power—PGMA

Wife tried to stab me—court told

PNoy parang si Jesse Robredo noong

SONA—Leni
Colon
 Abad: DAP hindi bago, hindi sikreto
 DepED: Bonus ng guro, di galing sa
DAP
 PNoy: DAP ideya ni Mabini
 Binay: Pinupulitika ako

Combination
 Glenda death toll: 80 na

4 nawawala--NDRRMC
 Quotation marks:
To indicate doubt
- ‘Dead’ man attends own funeral
- ‘Lost’ boy safe in bed
- Show ‘proof’ of corruption, senator urges critics

Names
- ‘Inday’ palabas na,
- isa pang bagyo binabantayan
 SIMPLICITY IS THE
KEY
• Witnessed – saw
• Depart – go
• Consultations – talks
• Commence – start
• Purchase – buy
• Line-up – slate
• Recommend – urge
• Appropriate – due
 VERBAL DEADWOOD
• for the reason that - because
• a large proportion - many
• at the present time - now
• succumbed to injuries - died
• at an early date - soon
• is of the opinion that - believes
• In the neighborhood of - near
• In the event of - in case
 VERBAL DEADWOOD
• In spite of the fact that - although
• Draw attention of - remind
• Tendered his resignation - resigned
• Affixed his signature signed
- married
•• United in holy matrimony -
Held a conference - met said
• Told his listeners -
EXERCISE NO.
2
Arranging jumbled
headline
 UNIT
COUNTING
• jiltf - ½ JILTF 1
• ?% - 1 space 1
• All figures - 1 all small letters 1
• dash - 1½ small m, w 1½
• M, W - 2
• All caps except M W J I L T F – 1 ½
EXERCISE NO.
3
Unit Counting
POINT
SIZES
HEADLINE
SCHEDULE
 HEADLINE
A second principle SCHEDULE
of balance and proportion:
shorter heds have more lines, longer heds fewer
lines. Huge headlines on small stories and small
headlines on big stories confuse both the eye and
the brain.
Printer’s Direction
Font Size No. of lines and decks

Column
3 – 36 – 2 or 3 - 36 TNR - 2
ds/fl ds/fl

downstyle flush left

KINDS OF
HEADLIN
E
 1. FLUSH LEFT (Pantay-Kaliwa)
Two or more lines of headline are aligned at
the left edge of the column.

Example:

Malacanang considers
Abat adventure over
 2. FLUSH RIGHT (Pantay-Kanan)
Two or more lines of headline are
aligned at the right edge of the column.

Example:

Malacanang considers
Abat adventure over
 3. DROPLINE
Two or three lines of headline usually of the
same length and arranged diagonally.

Example:

Malacanang considers
Abat adventure over
 4. HANGING INDENTION
Usually three or more lines of headline, the
first line of which is flush left and right and
the succeeding lines are indented to the right.

Example:

Meralco hikes
supply deal
with Napocor
 5. Crossline
A single line of headline running over two
or more columns.

Example:

Grenade blast kills 2 kids

 6. INVERTED PYRAMID
Two or more lines of headline with the first
line flush left and right and the succeeding
lines getting shorter and centered.

Example:

DepEd sets new guidelines

for teacher-applicants
 7. FLUSHLINE OR FULL LINE
Consist of two or more lines of the same
length.

Example:

Garci names Solon

who also called him
EXERCISE NO.
4
Headlining
EXERCISE NO.
5
Paragraphing
EXERCISE NO.
6
Copyreading &
headling writing
Thank You