NEWS
REPORTING
What is News?
Any oral or written report of an
event that happened, is happening,
will happen in the North, East, West
and South that is of interest to the
reader and which should be reported.
(Soriano et.al 2012)
News is basically about an event,
idea or a reaction that is presented
factually and simply in written form
to give reader an idea of what is
currently happening around him or
her, particularly on matters of interest
of the society.(Malinao 2008)
News is any
information that is
significant to the a
particular set of readers.
(Puig and Flores 2005)
What events are
news worthy?
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD NEWS
• Timely
• Accurate
• Significant
• Odd
• Objective
• Factual
• Concise
• Balance/ Fair
Types of News Stories
According to News Stories
• Straight News (Hard News)
The data in presented in direct fashion using the summary
lead.
• News Feature (Soft News)
The data are presented indirectly through the use of novelty
lead.
According to Sources
• Spot News
• Based on the Records News
• Speech News
• Interview News
According to the Sequence of Occurrence
• Advance News
• Spot News
• Coverage News
• Follow-up News
• Routine News Story
Basic Structure of News
Primary Lead
Secondary Lead
OID
LI
D
Lead
•Summary Lead
•Unorthodox or Novelty Lead
Summary Lead
• It answers the 5 W’s and one H.
Example:
At the Commission on Higher Education Central
Office yesterday, the Board of Trustees of the Isabela
State University approved the new grading system which
will take effect next semester.
Different Kinds of Summary Lead
• What lead
• Who Lead
• Where Lead
• When Lead
• Why Lead
• How Lead
Dont’s of News Writing
• Colloquialism
• Avoid using 1st or 2nd person pronoun
• Ambiguity
• Clichés
• Grandiloquence
Tips in Writing News
• Use active voice
• Use simple words
• Keep the lead short (Those with 35 words or less are preferred)
• Attribution
• Parallelism
• Use transitional devices
• Get the strongest angle
• Make sure that your sentences are under 25 words and contain one
idea only.
• For past events, report it happened “Friday” NOT “last Friday”. For
future event, report it will happen “Monday” NOT “ next Monday.”
• Eliminate “when asked” and “concluded.” These are weak
transitions. Just report what was said.
• Identify names mentioned. If the person has a lot of identification,
use the relevant to the facts of the story.
• Do not mention any name in the first paragraph unless the person is
popular.
• Avoid words that reinforce ageist, racial and ethnic stereotypes.
• Use comma with “according to.”
• Avoid comma splice and comma blunders.
Examples: The Fountain of Youth, is not in Uyugan. (Comma Splice)
The Fountain of Youth is not in Uyugan, it is in Mahatao. (Comma Fault)
Improved: The Fountain of Youth is not in Uyugan. It is in Mahatao.
The Fountain of Youth is not in Uyugan; it is in Mahatao.
• A comma should precede “such as,” “especially” and “including” when
these words introduce examples.
Example: He likes fruit, especially oranges.
• Quotation marks go outside the comma(,”) and
periods(.”). They go inside semicolons (“;) and
colon (“:).
• Avoid using the same word in a sentence.
• Avoid contractions
• Be wary of your time.
• Always stick with the instruction and taste of the
lecturer-judge. Do bot insist what you want.
Headlines
News stories have no titles; they have
headlines.
Headlines perform the following functions.
They advertise the stories. They arouse interest so that
people will read the stories. They give the high spots, the
foci of interest and the attention-arresting elements.
Headlines
They summarize the stories. That’s why headlines should be
taken from the lead which in itself is a summary of the story.
Exaggerated and misleading headlines have no place in a
newspaper.
They beautify the page on which they appear. Because of their
variety in size and type, they do much to make the page attractive.
They introduce contrast and relief to the dull gray of the body type.
They bring balance, symmetry and typographical beauty to a well-
arranged page.
You need a facile vocabulary for a headline writing. If
the maximum count or the number of units that will get
into the space if 14 units, you cannot squeeze 15 unit into
it. You must reconstruct the headline.
Headlines must say exactly what the stories say. The
former must reflect the facts and flavor of the story.
Although they must be bright to attract the readers, they
must give the precise meaning of the stories and not leave
any false impression.
TIPS TO HEADLINE WRITERS
1. First, read the story for general impression and
meaning.
2. Search for key words on which to base your headline
The Philippines proposed yesterday immediate adoption of an
emergency program that will have an effective impact on the “ruinously”
low world market price of sugar.
3. Clues to the headlines are usually in the lead.
What happened?
Who did what?
How did it happen?
4. Use brief, clipped language. Use the shortest words possible.
Ph backs plan designed
to hike world sugar prices
5. Use colorful nouns; vigorous, active verbs
Curbs on gov’t. borrowing urged
Revenue bureau to purge misfits
Cebu grape industry perks up
6. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting with a verb; the
headline might sound as if it were giving orders.
Not - revise money mart guidelines
But - CB revises money mart guidelines
7. Omit articles (a, an, the)
Disabled athlete reaps medals
Lowly goat gets rural uplift
8. Use a comma instead of and
Delays, confusion bug asiad
Offerings, programs cap Villamor Day
9. Use the exclamation point sparingly.
10. Use single quotes in headlines. When you have assertions, and
the sources are given, quotation marks are not needed a one-
em dash will serve the purpose.
‘Basketball team brings home bacon’
Techno club for dedicated, task-oriented students -
Pastor
11. Omit forms of to be especially when used as a helping verb.
Sanchez chosen editor
12. Use the historical present for finished events, the infinitive to indicate future
event CNHS garden cops first place
New Razote building to be completed soon
13. Avoid splitting words that naturally go together.
Wrong: CNHS observes Linggo
ng Wika with tilts
Right: CNHS holds Linggo ng Wika tilt
14. Use the down style – only the first word and proper pronouns are capitalised.
This is more readable because people are used to reading sentences this way.
1,744 seniors
to take NCC
Faculty honors Nunes
15. Don’t leave a preposition at the end of the line.
Mentor call
for reform
of schools
16. Use only widely known abbreviations
SCA to play Santa this Christmas
17. Be positive. Don’t use negatives in headlines. They weaken
not only the headlines but also the stories.
Not: US doesn’t trust Peking – Moscow normalization
overtures
But: US wary of Peking – Moscow normalization overtures
18. Don’t use X-mas for Christmas
19. Use kickers to attract attention or add more information into
your headlines. Kickers are short lines, placed above the
headlines and usually underlined.
Triple treat
English club to stage ‘Sabina’, ‘our Strange Ways’
‘Lan Ying’
From sea grave
Henry VIII’s ship up for salvaging
20. Reflect the tone of your story in the headline.
Who will be this year’s Principe, Princesita?
Pass the box, please
HEADLINE VOCABULARY
Headline vocabulary gives priority to short words. Note how newspapers have
used shorter word instead of its longer synonym, and how some newspapers have
coined their own short words to stand for their longer counterparts.
Accord – agreement
Allay – to calm
Apiece – each
Assail – to attack with arguments
Aussie – Australian
Balk – impede, thwart
Bare – expose, reveal
To bat – speak for, defend
Benedict – a married man
Berth – sleeping place, appointment or
position
Bid, ask – invite, request
Blast – criticize
Body – committee, organization
Bog down – to encounter unexpectedly
difficulty in reaching
agreement over an issue
Booter – football player
Cite – enumerate, mention, accuse
Clinic – an informal class where
participants keen on a subject
(often a game) learn pointers
from an expert
Confab – conference
Cop – police
Bandwagon – the winning side or a steadily mounting
campaign that has every indication of
winning a popular support
To eye – to consider
Feud – dispute, quarrel
Five – basketball team
Flay – criticize
Foil – thwart, reject
Fringe benefits – additional or supplementary job concessions
made by management to labor such as
commissary, free rides to and from work,
apart from those required by law
Gab – conference
Get the axe – to be dismissed
Gimmick – a device or trick to sell
something or put over an idea
Grid – to prepare, brace
Go – try
Grill – investigate, question
Hail – welcome
Ham – overacting actor, an amateur
Couch – to express in words; include
(as couched in strong language
Crown – championship
Curb – restrain; control
Dip – go down (as the temperature
dips), decline, decrease
Distaff side – women
To dog – to continue to trouble
Draw fire – to be criticize
Dry run – rehearsal for an event
Due – scheduled
Ex – former
Exodus – going out, as of a large number from any given
area (summer exodus to Baguio)
Memo – memorandum
Mum – silent, noncommital
Nad – arrest, capture
Nix – reject
Okay – approve, accept
Pan – a book or article) – criticize severely
Panacea – universal remedy, cure-all
Peg – fixed at a certain amount or level
Pit – oppose
Post – position
Power – electricity
Probe – investigate
Prod – to goad or to prick
Quasi – seemingly, to a certain degree
Quit – resign
Quiz – question
Ratify – sanction, approve, confirm
Raze – destroy
Revamp – to renovate, to change
Rift – disagreement,separation
Row – dispute, fight, disagree, quarrel
Rule – decision
Tryst – clandestine meeting
Urge – advocate
Underscore – to stress
Vet – veterinarian
Vie – to challenge or content compete
hike – increase
Inquiry – investigation
Junk – to throw away, dispose of
Kegler – bowling aficianado
Kin – family
Kitty – collection
Lair – shelter or nest
Leaf – tobacco
Letup – temporary easing up
Link – connect
Lull – calm
Meet – conference (n.)
convene (v.)
Megman – movie director
Sans – without
Samaritan – one who does a good deed for his fellowmen
Savant – a learned man
Scan – examine
Scribe – a news paperman
Set – schedule
Shift – transfer
Sked – schedule
Slay – murder
Smut – pornography
Sortie – any swift movement, mission
Spark – encourage
Spawning grounds – breeding grounds
Stir – incite, induce
Stopgap – temporary solution
Spelunker – one who explore and studies caves
Spikers – volleyball players
Spurn – turn down
Stymie – to frustrate or hold up proceeedings
Swap – exchange
Tiff – slight quarrel, argument
Tilt – exchange
Thwart or foil – frustrate, oppose
Try – attempt
Void – nullify
Vow – pledge, promise
Directions: Write a straight news using the data below.
You may change some weak words or phrases, but
maintain the accuracy of the given facts.
• The windscreen of an Australian jet cracked mid-flight
• It caused major scare, especially when the cabin rapidly decompressed according to
ambulance officer’s statement
• According to Queensland ambulance service spokesman, nine people were treated in the
hospital for nosebleeds, nausea and earaches
• This is after Virgin Blue Boeing made an emergency landing at Brisbane airport on
Friday morning
• When an outer widescreen cracked during the flight from Townsville to Brisbane, the
pilot was forced to rapidly descend from 34, 000 to 10, 000 feet
• 13 brand new dump trucks and 8 brand new pick-up trucks were acquired by City
Hall for road maintenance, flood control and urban development projects
• Manila Mayor Lito Atienza turned over to the City Engineers office yesterday
• the turnover rites was a simple one at the Manila City Hall quadrangle
• Atienza instructed City Engineer Armand Andres to minimize the use of the new
trucks to speed up completion of ongoing City development projects
• the trucks should also be made available during emergency situations including
ferrying stranded commuters in flood-prone areas and rescuing residence in low-
lying districts during typhoons
• all trucks were bought locally amounting to 29.5 million pesos
• Philippines and Austria signed an agreement on the development of the Mindanao Railway system
• It was said by the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday
• Top Filipino and Austrian officials in Vienna the agreement for a corporation to develop the MRS last June
20, using the Australian technology and materials
• This is according to Philippine Ambassador to Austria Victor Garcia
• In a press statement posted at the DFA website, Garcia said the agreement was entered into by the
Philippine Department of Transportation and Communications and the Austrian Bundesministerium fur
Verkehr , innovation und technologie.
• The agreement also includes the establishment of the Philippine National Railways Academy
• According to the statement, Austria will identify the constructor for the construction of railroad tunnels, as
well as supply the rails and switches for the network
• DOTC Undersecretary Guiling Mamonding signed the agreement for the Philippines, while Austrian state
Secretary for Transport, Innovation and Technology Eduard Maiononi signed for Austria
• The planned railways system in Mindanao includes the 390-kilometer Butuan-Davao-General Santos
route, 82.5-kilometer Cagayan de Oro-Iligan route, the 576-kilometer Iligan-Zamboanga route and the 320-
kilometer Cagayan-Butuan-Surigao route.
