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Watch Out For Libelous Statements.: Copyreading and Headline Writing

Copy Editing or Copy Reading is Editing a New1

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Benonie Torres Vecina
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117 views

Watch Out For Libelous Statements.: Copyreading and Headline Writing

Copy Editing or Copy Reading is Editing a New1

Uploaded by

Benonie Torres Vecina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Copyreading and Headline Writing

Discussed by Elma Concepcion A. Herrera,


Division of Tacloban City
Copy editing or Copyreading is editing a copy written by a reporter before it gets to the
typesetter. It is much like the work of an English teacher correcting compositions, except that
the copyreader uses symbols universally known by printers.
Preparing a Copy (Reporter)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Use a typewriter or a computer.


Type on one side of the sheet only and double space.
Begin the story (for news) about three inches from the top of the page.
Indent deeply- at least 5 spaces- the beginning of each paragraph.
Identify on the first page of the story with a slug line.
-name of paper
-word/s to identify the story
-reporter
-date
6. Type the word More at the bottom of each page except the last, where 30 or # is
indicated.
Duties of a Copy Reader:
The job of the copyreader may be condensed into one short sentence: Make sure its
accurate. Copy editors do many things, but their most essential function is to watch for
mistakes.
A copyreader goes over the story once to get a general idea of what it is all about.
This will likewise help him formulate the headline, which is a part of his job.
Then, he goes over it a second time to do any or all of the following as the case may
be:
1. Straighten out ungrammatical construction.
2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs
3. See that the papers style requirement are strictly followed
4. Check names, addresses, titles, designation, identification, figures, totals, etc.
5. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.

6. Rewrite the lead whenever necessary but must never tamper with the facts
unless sure of his correction.
7. Delete all opinions, specifications, and statements which are without attribution of
sources.

8. Watch out for libelous statements.


9. Cross out adjectives which tend to make a story sound over-written.
10. Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical, &
incredible.
11. Check slug lines and paging sequences.
12. Write headlines.

Copy editing Symbols


Indent for paragraph

or

Insert a letter

or
w
she told the crod

Lower case

he Ran with the ball

Capitalize

the student council also

Delete and close up

the studdent council also

Delete and close up

he ran with the the ball

Delete and close up

Tech won its ninth title

Abbreviate

occurred at 9 No. 10th Street

Delete and close up

the life-saving equipment

Spell out

7 persons were arrested

Insert a dash

17 persons all under 21 wore

Set in numerals

thirty-seven fled the scene

Spell out

the gov. Tuesday told

Transpose letters

the footabll coach said

Insert a hyphen

a well-dressed person

Transpose words

..also chosen was

Insert a word

something was out

Separate words

they arrivedon Tuesday

Insert comma

never again she said

Insert period

he said But Jones

Let it stand; ignore copy mark

this is wrong

Center

Copyright 1992

Set flush right

By the Associated Press

Set flush left


No paragraph

By the Associated Press


but not until.
Later, however, she said

Insert quotation marks

Get out, he said

Insert apostrophe

its always like this

Delete lines or paragraphs

Writing Headlines
Headline writing is considered a nearly impossible task because it entails choosing 5
to 7 words that would tell an entire story consisting of 500 words. And this must be done
according to a rather strict set of rules.
The headlines job is to lure the reader into the story. It must be done honestly, not
promising something that isnt in the story. It must use lively, interesting and sparkling verbs,
cramming as much information into those words as possible.
Type Size:
Heads are measured by points. A point is 1/72 of an inch high. Thus, a 72-point head
is 1 inch high, a 36 point head is inch high, an 18-point head is inch high.
For body type, the type of the story itself is set in, is usually 8-point, 9 point, or a maximum
of 12 points.
Width:
An example of a technical instruction for a headline is the following.
3 20 BB UN w/ KICKER
The first number (3) means that the head will run across three columns of the page.
The second number (20) stands for the type size to be used. BB refers to Bodoni Bold, a
type family with the corresponding weight (how thick and black the letters will appear on the
page). UN stands for universe a type of style. Kicker refers to the preliminarily head. The
line below refers to the number of lines or decks your headline will have.
Supreme Court Ruling (kicker)

Govt plan to register aliens


unconstitutional
(main headline)
The Unit Count System:
Making headlines fit into the space and at the same time tell story requires skill and a
lot of patience. This numerical system is very useful to headline writers.
Letter

Count

Capital I
Capital M, W, O
All other capitals
Lowercase j, l, t, f, I
Lowercase w, m
All other lowercase letters

1
2
1

1
1

Letter
Spaces
Numerals
The numeral 1
Question mark, dash
All other punctuations

References:
Cruz, Cecillano-Jose. Campus Journalism and School Paper Advising.
Manila: REX Bookstore

Count

Ferguson, Donald and Jim Patten. Journalism Today!, Fourth Edition.


Illinois: National Textbook Company
Malinao, Alito. Journalism for Filipinos. Mandaluyong: National Book Store.

Exercise: Copyread the following news item and prepare a one line head with a count of
not more than 20.

The bureau of Immigration (bi) deports yesterday twenty one


foreignnationales detained at its Detention center in Bicutan. Taguig city in
whatt could considered as significant in terms of numbers in the campain of the
bureau to deports illegall aleins in Philipine
Emigration commissioner Nonoy Labanan ordered the members of the
Bureau of Immigration Civil security unit to ecsort the detainees to the Ninay
Aquino interl Airport (Naia)
Upon arriving at the airport Immigrattion offices lead by teodororo piolo
pascual bi naia supervisor proccesed the travel papers of the depotees b4 the
latter boarded a 10 oclock am flight of the china souhtern airlines Z378
Lawyer floro balato Junior, BI Spokesman, said the aliens was deported
pursuant to a depotation order that the bureaus board of commisioners isseud
last August 25.
Labanan said the depostation of twenty one foreignesr were implemented after
they where found to engaged in the legal mining of black sands w/o the
necessery clearans from the Deppartment of environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) and without securing workign visas from the bureu.
While the comitee praised the Indegenious Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) ,
it urged the govt. to implement the law more fuly.

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