DIVISION TRAINING OF SCHOOL PAPER ADVISERS

July 16 18, 2014

Lecturer: Rogelio D. Dela Cruz
School Paper Adviser
San Fernando Sur Elementary School
Cabiao District
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)

QUALITIES OF NEWS

Accuracy-correct statements, names, figures, etc.

Objective-does not take side
Factual- actual persons and events
Balance-gives proper emphasis on each fact in relation to other facts; gives
attention to both sides in a controversial issue.
Concise-short enough to contain the most important facts
Timely-refers to the freshness or immediacy of events

ELEMENTS OF NEWS

Prominence
Proximity
Immediacy
Oddity
Human interest
Conflict
Names
Numbers and Statistics
Romance and Adventure
Significance
Change and Development
Animals
Calamity

GENERAL KINDS OF NEWS

Straight News the data are presented in direct fashion using the summary
lead. (also called hard news)
News feature the data are presented indirectly through the use of novelty
lead. (also called soft news)

TIPS IN NEWS WRITING

Write the news as soon as you have gathered the facts.

List down the facts according to their decreasing importance.
Highlight the most important data as your lead.
Write the full name of the person/organization when first mentioned.
Thereafter, use only the surname or any appropriate title of the person and
acronym for the organization.
Attribute authority or source of news to strengthen the credibility of the news
story and to protect the newspaper from libel suit.
Identify names mentioned. If the person has several identifications, use the
one relevant to the facts of the story.
Avoid editorializing.
Be objective
Make short paragraphs. Write one-idea, one sentence paragraph.
Use simple words.
Use short sentences but vary their length. Do not involve yourself in the news
by using the first person.
Prefer the active to the passive voice.
Present both sides of the persons involved in the news.
Place direct and indirect quotation separately in paragraphs.
Numbers from 1 to 9 should be written in word.
Numbers 10 and above should be in numerical form.
Do not start the sentence with numerical figure. Have it in word.

THE LEAD

The lead is the storys 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 readers interest.

THE INVERTED PYRAMID

LEAD

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 [YRAMID 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.

CLASSIFICATION OF LEADS
1. Summary Lead. It answers the five Ws 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 readers attention, arouses his curiosity and
sustains his interest. It is used in writing a news feature.
SAMPLE: What Lead
Landslides and floods brought by heavy monsoon rains in Southern Luzon
have killed at least five people, as soldiers on rubber boats rushed food and relief
supplies to nearly 200,000 affected residents, officials said yesterday.
SAMPLE:

Who lead

Inmates of Davao del Norte provincial jail staged a noise barrage early
yesterday, calling for the ouster of two jail guards they accused of committing
abuses, prison officials said.
SAMPLE: Where lead
Subic hosted the annual National Schools Press Conference on April 7-10,
2014 attended by elementary and secondary school campus journalists and school
paper advisers of the 17 regions of the Philippines.
SAMPLE: When Lead (seldom used)
February 14 is the deadline for the submission of the nomination forms of the
2014 Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers.
SAMPLE: Why lead
To bring the services of the government to the doorsteps of its constituents,
Sangguniang Panglunsod of General Santos City yesterday launched the City Hall
sa Barangay.
SAMPLE: How Lead

By installing more closed-circuit cameras in Manila malls, sending out guards

with dogs and setting up checkpoints, police acted on the warning of a senior official
of a possible terrorists attack in the capital following a ferry bombing in Zamboanga
City that killed 30 people yesterday.

SAMPLE DATA SHEET:

A banca capsized at Laguna Bay due to big waves brought about by heavy
rains.

The incident happened on Tuesday in Binangonan, Rizal.

3 died and were identified as Joemar Radam, 18 years old, of Cainta, Riza;
Junie Barroso, 35, and Bernard Mondalis, 40 of San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

Police said the victims came from a fiesta celebration from Talim Island.

They were on their way home when the banca they were in sank off the coast
of Laguna Bay about 700 meters away from Pritil warf at 4:20 a.m.

Passengers were rushing to get hold of life vests when the banca tilted to its
side and capsized.

The banca is loaded with more than 40 passengers.

SAMPLE NEWS OUTPUT

Banca capsizes, 3 killed

Three persons were killed when a banca loaded with more than 40 passengers capsized in Laguna
Bay at Binangonan, Rizal,Tuesday.
The victims were identified as Joemar Radam, 18 of Cainta, Rizal; Junie Barroso, 35 and
Bernard Mondalis, 40 of San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
Police said the victims came from a fiesta celebration from Talim Island and were on their way
home when the banca they were riding sank off the coast of Laguna Bay about 700 meters away from
Pritil warf at 4:20 a.m.
Passengers were rushing to get hold of life vests when the banca tilted to its side and capsized due
to big waves brought about by heavy rains.

Reference:
Campus Journalism Workbook
By Gelly Elegio Alkuino