COPYREADING AND
HEADLINE WRITING
MEDEM FADRIQUELA, NEW ERA UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT COPYREADING
The art of arranging, correc/ng, and selec/ng the quality and type of news that are within acceptable journalis/c standards in terms of style and editorial policy. Copyreading gives the ar/cle the final touch before it goes to the printer. Copyreading, edi/ng, correc/ng the ar/cle are synonymous terms. RESPONSIBILITIES OF A COPYREADER
edits errors on grammar (spelling, tenses, etc.) edits errors of fact (accuracy check) judges news value (grading of news) edits verbose copy (keeps the copy /ght) writes the headline QUALITIES OF A GOOD COPYREADER
Must possess certain quali/es not everybody in the staff may have. Must have a good command of the language. Must have at his finger/ps a good working knowledge of the rules of grammar. Must have a wide vocabulary. Must be well-­‐aware of libel news. COPYREADER’S MARKS & SYMBOLS
connect leEers ( cea se fire wonʼt be an issue ) transpose leEers (/me si glod) transpose words (if you happen know to the rules) delete leEers/words
(to prevent the plounder/ reached a final conclusion) COPYREADER’S MARKS & SYMBOLS
spell out (numbers) (10 human rights vic/ms) spell out (words) (VP Noli de Castro) abbreviate (numbers) (one-­‐hundred per cent of the respondents) abbreviate (words) (President Barack Obama) insert leEers/words (the trimph of Pcquiao dela Hoya) separate words (theissue on CharterChange) capitalize leEers (gen. jovito Palparan) make leEer lowercase (Two solons) period mark (The seamen were freed) restore (The kidnap vic/m was released) COPYREADER’S MARKS & SYMBOLS
insert space (andthey live happily everaPer) bold face (the pauper) paragraph (Villar called for an entrepreneurial revolu/on) do not paragraph (Villar called for an entrepreneurial revolu/on) PROCEDURES ON COPYREADING
Whenever the copyreader sits down to work, he has the inten/on of making the copy free of errors. It is the goal of copyreader, therefore, to do his work systema/cally and efficiently. It would be good to follow the following steps. 1. Read the whole ar/cle first to determine what kind of story it is. 2. Having determined the type of story, read the ar/cle again. 3. This /me, determine which is the lead paragraph. PROCEDURES ON COPYREADING
4. Read the story again and mark all paragraph beginnings. Then correct errors in grammar, spelling, punctua/ons and style using copyreading symbols. 5. Improve the organiza/on of the story. Make sure the lead features the lead fact. 6. Go over the whole story again. Remove all unnecessary and irrelevant materials. 7. Check the length of the story, then prepare the clean copy. PROCEDURES ON COPYREADING
8. Write a very catchy and fi]ng headline for the story. 9. Give the printerʼs mark for the body text and the headline. Encircle the slug line. 10. The ar/cle is now ready for prin/ng. THE HEADLINE
An assemblage of words wriEen in bigger, bolder leEers than the usual page text at the beginning of the news, also known as the head, but not a /tle. THE HEADLINE
The word “headline” is understood by many people to mean the biggest story of the day. In journalism however, “headline” is the /tle of a news story big or small. GUIDELINES ON HEADLINE WRITING
• There’s no doubt headlines are one of things to get right, unfortunately they can also be the most problema/c too. • A good headline grabs the reader’s aEen/on, and compels them to read on. GUIDELINES ON HEADLINE WRITING
Well-­‐wriEen headlines grab the reader's aEen/on. They convey clear, concise thoughts while poorly wriEen headlines mislead and confuse a reader. GUIDELINES ON HEADLINE WRITING
A well-­‐wriEen story will go unread if the headline does not grab the reader. Headlines also serve as a graphic element on the page. TYPES OF HEADLINES
• NEWS HEADLINE – Deals with hard facts and summary. Example: Business leaders tackle global crisis. • FEATURES HEADLINE – Deals with novelty and human interest element. Example: The sea is on red alert! (pertains to red /de menace) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Observes the basic rules of headline wri/ng. 2. Sees to it that the headline tells what the story is about. 3. Avoids editorializing, that is, putting one's opinion in the headline. 4. Sees to it that the sizes and types of fonts used in the headline are appropriate. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headline summarizes the story. It highlights the main elements of the story. It is not label. It tells readers what kind of story it is as well as what the story is about. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
It allows the hurried reader to get a quick glimpse of the news. Later in the day, when he has the /me, he will read the story in its en/rety. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headline helps organize the news for readers. It shows where one story ends and the next one begins, serving as a visual cut-­‐off rule. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Contributes to the physical aErac/veness of the paper. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headline sells the story to the readers. It is like bait in that it should lure readers into the lead. The lead should then hook the reader into finishing the story. As they say in adver/sing, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.” FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headline priori/zes the news for readers. Stories with big headlines are generally more important than stories with smaller headlines. Stories which go across one or two columns are less important than those which go across three, four, five or six columns. FUNCTIONS OF A HEADLINE
Headlines reflect the style and personality of the newspaper. Style is reflected in the publica/onʼs standing heads and logos, the type style used and the way headlines are displayed. Personality is reflected in the way editors and writers look at the news and how they employ humor, wit and cleverness. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
1. The headline presents the news in capsule, thus it is telegraphic. 2. It must contain the most important, the most intriguing, the most unusual fact of the story. It is not the place for details. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
3. The head is an adver/sement, and like all good adver/sements it should be honest, holding out no promise that the story does not fulfill. It should be based on the facts as set forth in the story and nothing else. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
4. Like the story, the head should be simple. The head is a mosaic. Words must be fiEed into a certain fixed space, in such a way that the meaning will not be obscured. This is the head writer's chief problem — to meet the mechanical requirements of the head and at the same /me make the thought so plain. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
5. Get ac/on into the head. Make the head a statement of fact, not a mere label. Never say "Shocking Accident " or “Terrible Fire," but tell what happened as specifically as possible. Try to get a verb in the head, either ex-­‐pressed or implied. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
6. Heads are usually wriEen in the present tense unless they relate to a future event. This is the historical present, used instead of the past tense for the sake of greater vividness. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
On the contrary there are occasions when it would be absurd to use anything else. The copy reader would write, “William Smith Dies" or “William Smith is Dead," but in giving details of the dead man's life it would be manifestly foolish to say, “Is Born in Maryland,” “Is a civil war veteran”. REQUISITES OF A GOOD HEAD
7. The headline makes use of special vocabulary which is not suitable for ordinary communica/on situa/ons. For example: the word “stude” is headline equivalent for “student” as in “Four studes win in quiz bee.” However, it is not acceptable to say there are 2,000 studes in our school. WHAT TO AVOID
Allitera/on occasionally may be used with good effect in a head, but uninten/onal allitera/on — as " Commercial Club Considers Cleaning Contracts " — should be avoided. Slang, unless apt and /mely, has no greater jusOficaOon in the head than in the story WHAT TO AVOID
Another style of head discouraged or forbidden altogether by some papers is the uninten/onal impera/ve. This is a head beginning with a verb in the third person plural form, which may be read as an injunc/on to do something “Kill Thirty Men" may be the Head on a story of an insurrec/on. It Means, of course, “Marines Kill Thirty Men," WHAT TO AVOID
Trite phrasing should be avoided in the head whenever possible. “Score” and “probe" and " rap " are handy words for the copy reader because of their brevity and are liable to overuse. The head that contains worn-­‐out expressions or that fails to get anywhere is, in the office vernacular, wooden. Woodenness is an unpardonable sin. Try to give the head a swing and an element of originality. WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid nega/ve statements in the head. Tell what happened rather than what didn't happen, unless a nega/on is the feature of the story. Other things being equal, the ac/ve voice is beEer than the passive. “Pacman Defeats Hitman" is preferable to “Hitman Is Defeated by Pacman." WHAT TO AVOID
Donʼt use the ar/cles-­‐ a, an, the Wrong: A fire hits the squaEersʼ Correct: Fire hits squaEers’ area Donʼt use names unless the person is well-­‐known Wrong: Simon electrocuted Correct: Electrician electrocuted WHAT TO AVOID
Avoid unintended double meanings: Actor sent to jail for not finishing sentence HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Put an action verb, expressed or implied, in every headline: HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Do not begin with a verb, preposi/on, ar/cle or conjunc/on. Beginning with a verb turns the headline into a command, which usually results in an unintended meaning: Eat right before surgery or Kill bill, says Newt HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Avoid the verb form to be. In most cases, a more suitable verb can be subs/tuted. Weak: Matson to be at D.C. conference BeJer: Matson to speak in D.C. next week HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Avoid the verb form to be. In most cases, a more suitable verb can be subsOtuted. Weak: Matson to be at D.C. conference Be(er: Matson to speak in D.C. next week HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use present tense verbs in wri/ng headlines describing past events. Past tense is appropriate on occasion, but a majority of headlines are wriEen in present tense because it is easier to understand and it uses fewer words: HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use future tense verbs to write headlines about future events: House to start hearings on disease outbreaks HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use the –ing verb form to write headlines about events that are happening at the /me the newspaper is distributed: Bank of America merging with Na/on Bank HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use numbers in headlines only if they are important. Avoid star/ng a headline with a number. When numbers appear in a headline, they should be wriEen as figures: 12 Americans killed in embassy bombings HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Abbreviate the month only when a specific date follows it: October /me for ancient rites and > Halloween dance on Oct. 31 HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Subs/tute a comma for the conjunc/on and: Gang member tells of violence, killing Use single quote marks in place of double quote marks in a headline: Sims, Venables land ʻWizard of Oz’ leads HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Donʼt split a verb phrase: Delegates chosen to go to Youth Legislature Donʼt split a preposi/on and its object: Belfast man charged for Harrods bomb HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Don’t separate an adjective and the noun it modifies: Seniors to hold spaghetti dinner fundraiser next week HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Use abbrevia/ons only if they are well-­‐known. When ini/als are used, do not use spaces or periods between leEers. KBP kicks its way into spotlight GMA declares Friday Na/onal Day of celebra/on HEADLINE GRAMMAR
The verb is said to be in the ac/ve voice when the doer of the ac/on is in the subject posi/on. Ac/ve voice is preferred over the passive voice because it is more vigorous; however, the passive voice must be used when the ac/on is more significant than the doer of the ac/on. HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Exercise 1: Write the correct form of the verb in the following headlines. Observe agreement between subject and the verb. • CA ______ (deny) Leviste’s pe//on for bail • World pirate aEacks ____(soar) in first quarter • Noli _____(hail) Syria as RP ‘strategic partner’ • Shell, Petron _______ (raise) gas prices • SC ______ (uphold) oil deregula/on law • Senate resolu/on _____ (eye) workers incen/ve • PNP ______(gear) up for swine flu outbreak • Health experts _______(gauge) flue outbreak • Fishermen _______(stage) Earth Day protest • Rotary Club ________(donate) computers • COMELEC ______(proclaim) 32 party list bets • Failon _________(appeal) for privacy HEADLINE GRAMMAR
• Cuadra ______ (cop) 3 Na/onal awards • Researcher _________ (receive) US grant • New AFP chief ______ (vow) to end insurgency • RP, Spain _________ (ink) accord • Pacquaio-­‐HaEon fight ____ (carve) ring history HEADLINE GRAMMAR
Exercise 2: Write the correct form of the verb in the passive voice: •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alleged NPA hitman _______ (kill) Two jail guards caught gambling _____ (fire) Resto owner ______ (sue) Governor _______ (probe) for P72M deficit Jueteng protectors in CL _______(iden/fy) Scout master _____ (kill) in camp site Shan/es in Quiapo _______ (demolish) Absentees _______ (warn) of expulsion Parents of honor studes ______ (cite) 4 holduppers ______ (nab) in Tondo HEADLINE CHECKLIST
Does the headline express the main idea of the story? Does the headline effec/vely label the story's content? Will it create reader interest? Will it move readers into the story? HEADLINE CHECKLIST
Does the headline focus match the lead focus? Are the words short, common, colorful, powerful, specific? Would you read a story with this headline? IMPROVING YOUR HEADLINE
Eleven ways to improve your headlines: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Use ac/ve voice Use present tense Avoid abbrevia/ons Use short words Be specific Make posi/ve statements Donʼt repeat key word Man bites dog Robber flees (not fleed) Actor wins trip to LV Panel or Group: CommiEee Editor wins award Pacquiao to win the fight Bank ousts bankʼs chair IMPROVING YOUR HEADLINE
8. Be accurate State facts with aEribu/on 9. Avoid punctua/on as much as possible 10. Avoid ʻto beʼ words delete is-­‐are helping verbs 11. Be impar/al Words can color headline watch for ‘denies’ or ‘claims’ HEADLINE VOCABULARY
congressman decrease examina/on announce highlight speak conference inves/ga/on inves/gator disapprove dismiss dispute solon dip quiz bare cap urge confab probe prober buck, scrap quash row charge strengthen
agreement prac/ce sign praise ques/on year urge delay mad killer rap beef up accord hone up ink laud grill milestone prod snag amok HEADLINE VOCABULARY
iden/fy capture start disregard end lessen approval arrest student writer government councilor finger net trigger rule out wind up allay nod nab student scribe govt dad UNIT COUNTING
j i l t f
= ½ unit ?
J I L T F
= 1 unit *SPACE
= 1 unit *ALL FIGURES
= 1 unit *ALL SMALL LETTERS
= 1 unit -
= 1 ½ unit m w
M W
= 1 ½ unit (dash)
(question mark)
*ALL CAPS EXCEPT
M W J I L T F
= 1 unit = 2 units = 1 ½ unit HEADLINE INSTRUCTIONS
42 points -­‐ 3 cols. – (21) max. count ___________________________ ___________________________(no. of decks) Race Bias in Schools -­‐20 unit counts Described as Stupid -­‐19.5 unit counts VARIETY OF HEADTYPES
drop-­‐line (like a staircase) XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX hanging inden/on (top line flush at right) XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX inverted pyramid (from wide to narrow) XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX VARIETY OF HEADTYPES
flush-­‐leP (begin at leP hand corner) XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX block (flush leP and right, from margin to margin) XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX cross-­‐line (one-­‐line headline) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________ Two people died and five others were hurt when an uniden/fied man lobbed a fragmenta/on grenade along Baguio Cityʼs Leonard Wood Road shortly before dawn Tuesday, a police official said. EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________ The Philippine government will repatriate some Filipinos who were affected by the earthquake in Italy early this month, according to Overseas Workers Welfare Administra/on chief Carmelita Dimzon. EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________ Whoever becomes the next president of the country will face a bigger economic burden. Former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno yesterday warned that the next president will be inheri/ng from the Arroyo administra/on a weaker economy and higher unemployment. EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________ MANILA, Philippines – A downpour at around noon on Wednesday caused floods ranging from thigh-­‐ to guEer-­‐deep in several areas across Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported. EXERCISES
headline: ___________________________________ MANILA, Philippines -­‐ The Philippines and Spain signed three agreements on assistance for health reform efforts in the Bicol and Caraga regions. PARTING SHOT
DON’T FORGET: The only way to learn how to write heads, aPer one knows the general principles, is to write them. Headline wri/ng is like learning to play a musical instrument -­‐-­‐ the more you pracRce, the easier it gets and the beEer you become. END OF THE LECTURE
MEDEM FADRIQUELA, NEW ERA UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT