MIDTERM REVIEWER FOR CAMPUS JOURNALISM Example.

If he/she is gathering data for the newly imposed rules on

wearing the prescribed uniform, he/she may look into the minutes of
STAIRWAY TO NEWS WRITING: TECHNIQUES AND the meeting or the resolution where such rules are inscribed.
PRINCIPLES
Discussants: Kent and Sunshine 3. Observation
- This may be done through a keen empirical observation. It exists as a
SOURCES OF NEWS writer bears witness using the physical senses to what is happening in
 One should bear in mind that facts are the main foundations the local communities.
of news articles.
In the context of school paper, a writer must be wary of the places
 Hence, a writer or a journalist must have a high sense of
and goings-on in the campus. These may be activities that are not
smelling ability to newsworthy issues. This special ability is
visible to the eyes of the many.
dubbed as "nose for news" in journalism parlance. To be able
to do so, a journalist must know the avenues where he can
4. Tips from co-writers, teachers and students
gather data for his news articles.
- Tips from co-writers, teachers, and students can be a valuable
avenue for news gathering, providing journalists with unique
1. Beat perspectives, local knowledge, diverse sources, trustworthy
- The beat is the stable assignment of the reporter. For instance, in a information, and cost-effectiveness.
school setting, the chief editor or the adviser is identifying assignments
for the writers. Jane, a news writer is assigned to gather news from 5. Gantt Chart of Schedule or Calendar of activities
the student body. - Gantt charts and calendars of activities are essential tools for news
gathering because they provide a clear, organized, and visual
Example: Jane's beat is the student council only; thus, what she representation of the project timeline, facilitating efficient resource
concentrates on is only issues about the student body. allocation, deadline tracking, communication, and risk management.

6. Interviewing Key Informants

2. Written and Printed Documents
- This is the gathering of information on a person-to-person basis,
- A good journalist is resourceful in looking for newsworthy issues. One
straight from the experts or any resource person as a credible source.
of his/her sets of sources includes public documents - either
electronically or physically posted.
MORE SOURCES OF NEWS See For Yourself
Blogs - Nothing is more vivid when one sees the event right before his own
- They represent another source of news, free from traditional eyes. Becoming the first-hand witness, other than gathering through
economic, corporate, political, or advertising considerations. There are hearsay, keeps the spontaneity of ideas of the writer.
blogs devoted to all sorts of topics. Blogs offer alternative points of
Find the Person Who Knows
view to traditional media. Blogs provide an additional outlet for
- The writer should go directly to the person who is considered as the
reporters to explain why they reported a story in the way they did.
key participant of the issue. Such a person may give the writer a sense
Citizen Journalism of confidence that what he/she will write is taken from the statements
- In citizen journalism, ordinary citizens become amateur reporters. and ideas of the persons, rather than surmising the ideas, effects and
This trend is facilitated by digital and cell phone video cameras and impacts of an issue. Further, this act champions objectivity, thus
high-speed internet access. Traditional news media encourage citizen diminishing bias.
journalism, and many media outlets ask audience members to submit
Compare All Versions
photos and video clips. Citizen journalism is popular with the
- A writer must not rely solely on one version. As discussed in the
mainstream news media in part because it is free content, but it also
previous chapter, one should set myriads of perspectives, so as to limit
empowers the audience.
the holes of biases. Moreover, feel free to question inconsistencies
Hyperlocal News and ensure the veracity of each statement or information.
- This is a news referring to news coverage for a very small community.
Be Tactful and Courteous
It can be a single Zip Code or interest group in a defined geographic
- A writer is respectful of time. Hence, he should focus only on the data
area. Most hyperlocal news appears on web sites. Publishers of
needed. He should avoid spending the time of the interviewee on
hyperlocal news hope that the extremely local focus and the coverage
futile topics. Courtesy is likewise seen in acts and words of the writer
of topics ignored by the traditional media will draw in people who
who gathers data. More often than not, saying thank you is a good
generally do not consume news. Twitter and Facebook have examples
gesture to pay the interviewee the bother fee incurred.
of hyperlocal news, and visitors can find news of interest to them and
their close circle of friends. Make and Keep Friends
- Dependable informants are most valued assets, especially when a
Rules of Thumb in News Gathering
writer is assigned in a single beat throughout the academic year.
- A writer must not only have the nose for news, but also considers the
When needed, give them favorable mention in your stories. Never
guidelines of gathering data. Ramirez (2009) has published some of
break their trust in the name of having a good scoop of the news.
these rules of thumb in data gathering for news writing.
Print It STAGES IN INTERVIEW
- This rule of thumb reminds a writer or a journalist that unpublished Here are some steps in conducting an interview using the formula
news is wasted. The fact that one has gathered data, the news is now known as the GOSS, developed by Rue de Guilleland.
considered a newsworthy item. 1. Know your Goal or purpose.
2. Present Obstacle encountered
HANDLING INTERVIEW IN NEWS GATHERING
3. Offer Solutions to these obstacles.
The interviewer is the bedrock of information gathering in news
4. Start writing the interview story.
writing. It is defined as the process of “dyadic, rational
communication, with a predetermined and serious purpose designed
STAGES IN CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
to interchange behavior involving the asking and answering of
1. Define the purpose
questions (Soriano and Henson, 1995). Simply put, the interview is
2. Conduct background research of the topic you are assigned to.
purpose-driven. Its main aim is to exchange ideas through question-
3. Set an interview appointment.
and-answer style. Hence, the interviewer is the person who asks
4. Make preliminary planning by listing down possible questions. There
questions, while the interviewee is the person who gives the answers.
are six questions with five W’s and one H. However, be sure to ask
specific who, another who, one more who and final who. For instance,
1. Dyadic denotes that the interview is a person-to-person
you are interviewing the principal of your school regarding the Brigada
interaction between two parties.
Eskwela conducted last May. You may ask as many “WHO” questions
2. Rational strongly suggests an interpersonal connection
as you wish like:
between the interview parties.
Who was the proponent of the program?
3. Predetermined and serious purpose means that at least
Who were the benefactors?
one of the two parties comes to the interview with a
Who were the participants?
goal and has planned the interview to focus on specific
Who else attended the activity?
subject matter.
Who may be benefitted by the program?
4. Interchanging behavior connotes sharing of
expectations, roles, feelings and information.
This technique should be practiced by a good data gathered for a news
5. Asking and answering questions (taken as a single
article so that he/she accumulate basketfuls of data. In such a way,
process) is crucial to the interviewing process;
he/she may diminish subjectivity; subsequently, he/she presents many
questions serve as tools to obtain information.
perspectives as he/she can.
5. Make the interviewee. REASONS FOR THE INVERTED TRIANGLE STRUCTURE
6. Get down to business. Ask the first question. The inverted triangle is used in news writing because it makes reading
7. Establish easy rapport, that is, from formal to less formal. easier and faster. It also enables the hurried reader to get all the
8. Tackle the more sensitive topic with respect and tactfulness. important facts in a very short period of time. Say, as he reads the first
9. Express some recovery statements. three paragraphs, he knows already the gist of the news. It likewise
10. Leave a thank you note. satisfies curiosity in a logical way, as it makes page makeup easier.
Finally, it makes the work of the editor easier.
STRUCTURE OF NEWS
Newspaper articles are written using the inverted triangle format.
Most journalism experts agree to use triangle not pyramid. The
inverted pyramid format is three-dimensional that is referring to
special cases of development communication and interpretative GETTING STARTED: CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
journalism or investigate reportage. Discussants: Honeyleth, Hanna and Kaycee

Using the inverted triangle structure, a writer bears in mind that the Parts of the News
most important information is at the top (beginning of article) and the - Newspaper articles require a style of writing different from what is
least important information is at the bottom (end of article). With this used in writing a story. For the purpose of iteration, the opening
format, the story or the news article will have the ability to undergo statement or paragraph bears the most important information. This
cutoff test (removing last scenario(s) of the story to quickly shorten one-sentence-one-paragraph is called "lead".
story), without distorting its gist.
Five Basic Parts of a Typical Skeleton Newspaper
1. Headline. This is a short attention-getting statement about the
event. It capsulizes the first paragraph.

2. Byline. This indicates the name of the writer or writers of the

news article.

3. Lead Paragraph. A writer must find the answers to the major five
(W's) Who, What, When, Where, Why and one How in it.
4. Major details. The writer will now decide to weave the major 2. The Grammatical-Beginning Lead. Still gives emphasis on the
details into paragraphs. For beginners, the use of one-sentence logical importance of the major details; however, it is also equally
equivalent to-one-paragraph rule should be strictly followed. concerned with its grammatical structure. There is an avenue to break
the monotony of summary or conventional lead paragraphs.
5. Minor details. This will give the editor a wider perspective of
the news, that he/she may paraphrase or inject some of them in 3. Unorthodox lead or novelty lead. It is best used to attract the
major details. reader's attention, to arouse his/her curiosity and to sustain his/her
interest. It is used in writing a news feature or a feature article.

The Lead
- As iterated, the lead is the story's opening sentence or two. In a Kinds of Summary Lead
feature article or news feature, the lead could be a word, a phrase, a Example: At the Commission on Higher Education Central Office
sentence or a paragraph that attracts and sustains the reader's yesterday, the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College
interest. approved the new grading system which will take effect next
semester.
- It is a rule of thumb that the lead in a news story, particularly in
straight news, need not be too long. American researches suggest A. What Lead
that for an average reader, one sentence or paragraph should contain - This is applied if the most important angle of the news is the event
per se.
17 to 35 words for him/her to comprehend at once the message of
the sentence.
Example: The new grading system in Batanes State College will be
imposed next semester after the Board of Trustees approved the
Major Classifications of Lead
resolution at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office
1. Summary lead. As iterated, the story is presented using the
yesterday.
inverted triangle form where the most important data are in the first
and the second paragraphs. This is used in the straight news. As the
B. Who Lead
nomenclature suggests, it summarizes only the MOST important five
- This type of lead is used if the most important angle of the news is
W's and H.
the person involved, thus, more significant than the event.
Example: The members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State F. How Lead
College approved yesterday the new grading system at the - If the process or the manner of how the event happened is most
Commission on Higher Education Central Office. important among the other angles of the news, the how lead is used.

C. Where Lead Example: Through a 7-5 vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of
- If the location where the event takes place is more significant than the Batanes State College approved the new grading system at the
the other aspects of the news, then this kind of lead is best applied. Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday.

Example: At the Commission on Higher Education Central Office

yesterday, the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College
approved the new grading system which will take effect next Kinds of Grammatical Beginning Lead
semester. A. Prepositional Phrase Lead
- a phrase is introduced by a preposition.
D. When Lead
- This type of lead is seldom used since this is only applicable when the Example: With the power of resolution numbered 37 approved by the
time element is more important than the other angles of the story. members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas State College
Nonetheless, it suggests urgency and immediacy. yesterday, the new grading system of the College will take effect next
semester.
Example: Yesterday at the Commission on Higher Education Central
Office, the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College approved B. Infinitive Phrase Lead
the new grading system which will take effect next semester. - as the name suggests, it starts with the preposition “to” plus the
main verb.
E. Why Lead
If the cause of the event is the most effective angle of the story, this Example: To meet the demands of the ASEAN integration, the
type of lead is best suited. members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas State College
approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher
Example: To cope with the standards of ASEAN integration, the Board Education Central Office yesterday.
of Trustees of the Batanes State College approved yesterday the new
grading system which will take effect next semester. C. Participial Phrase Lead
- this lead is signaled by the presence of the present or past participle Example: Because there is a need to synchronize with the standards of
of the verb, acting as a modifier. ASEAN integration, the members of the Board of Trustees of the
Batangas State College approved the new grading system at the
Examples: Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday.
Receiving a 7-5 margin vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of (Subordinate, adverbial)
the Batangas State College approved the new grading system at the
Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday. (Present Kinds of Novelty Lead
Participle) A. Narrative Lead
- it draws the reader into the story by allowing him/her to relate
Armed with the desire to synchronize the standards of the ASEAN himself/herself with the character of the story.
integration, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas Example: The fifth of June 2015, Herodes Barabas, 34, experienced the
State College approved the new grading system at the Commission on longest one hour in his life as he sat on a swivel chair in front of his
Higher Education Central Office yesterday. (Past Participle) eight interviewers at Aklan State University. It was an entrance
interview of the long queue of applicants mustering their patience in
D. Gerundial Phrase Lead waiting for instructor I position.
- this lead is introduced by a gerund. It is a verbal ending in –ing, which
acts as a noun. Many beginning writers interchange the present B. Descriptive Lead
participial lead to gerundial lead. Remember, the former acts as a - effective in writing personality sketches, travelogues and the like, this
modifier, while the latter acts as a noun. lead illustrates a mental picture of the subject to satisfy the readers.

Example: Synchronizing with the standards of ASEAN integration was Example: If Palawan were a class record, it must have received a
the primordial aim of the members of the Board of Trustees in nearly perfect grade weighted average for the unending praises of
approving yesterday the new grading system of Batangas State tourists coming in to experience its breathtaking grandeur. Who would
College. not drop his jaw when he sees the evidence of God's dexterous hand
that crafted the seascapes and landscapes of Palawan? Add on the list
E. Clause Lead the cerulean waves that unendingly race towards the stony foot of the
- this lead commences with a clause, which may become either an island. And hoarding is legal, one must have put in a tank the cool and
independent or subordinate, or may transform as either a noun or an pristine breeze. Indeed, when God said in Genesis "it is good, " He
adjectival or adverbial clause. must be looking at the northernmost island in Philippines- Palawan.
C. Quoted Statement Lead - it is short, striking one-sentence lead.
- it is a statement uttered by a well-known personality or celebrity.
Usually used when student journalists want to highlight the Example: Hungry farmers in Kidapawan were asking for food, but the
importance of a speaker, they use this type of lead. enforcers of the law fed them with bullets.

Example: "You have to spread your wings and fly!" This was
emphasized by Dr. Malou H. Wang, the guest of honor and
commencement speaker of Mindanao State College last April 5 at the
auditorium.

D. Question Lead G. Astonisher Lead

- it is a thought-provoking question to capture the interest of the - this lead aims to give the reader a strong sense of emotional value.
readers and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding Thus, it primarily uses an exclamatory sentence.
details of the story.
Example:
Example: When was the last time you told your mother you loved her? Unbeatable, indeed!
Maria Mantis, 35, wishes she could tell her a thousand times how After grabbing the Intramural crown from the Green Aggies team
much she loves her now, but her mother is already heedless inside her three years ago, the Blue Titans (team) has sustained its supremacy as
coffin. it sent all its foes kneeling before its royalty throne. The awarding
ceremonies happened at the Cagayan State University - Lal-lo
E. Teaser Gymnasium on August 12, 2015, the last day of the three-day clash.
- generally short, crisp and witty, this is a device to deceive the reader
in believing that it arouses his curiosity and gently leads him into the H. One-word Lead
story. These leads are mostly adjective and humorous. - it uses a very significant word to capture or arouse the interest of the
reader.
Example: Which comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not
be made possible without the hen, but where does the hen come Example:
from? Boom!

F. Punch Lead
Residents in Basco, Batanes seemingly ran to nowhere when a This is the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education yesterday,
restaurant situated in Kayhuvokan exploded on April 1, 2016 around amidst the exodus of many Filipino teachers abroad.
9:15 in the morning.
L. Contrast Lead
I. Parody Lead - it is used to point out opposites and extremes.
- it consists of a parody of a well-known quotation, song, poem, book
or movie film title. Example: Last year, she campaigned for Maygun Yang as the president
Example: of the student body Today, Maria Malou Wang, the head of Students
"There was never an us!" Performing Arts, takes the lead in calling for Yang's resignation.
This familiar line from a movie of Sarah Geronimo was the exact
statement of Ms. Sug Poe to Mr. Cheap Ezcuderow yesterday when
asked if there was a time when both agreed to share stocks in the top M. Staccato Lead
performing Paquino Airline Company. - primarily rooted from musical parlance, this term suggests a lead that
consists of a series of words and phrases, punctuated by periods,
J. Background Lead commas or dashes.
- it describes an event in which the background overshadows the Example: Neglected. Denuded. Abused. Abandoned. This is the real
individuals who participate in it; often, it uses stories about carnivals, picture of our forest today.
festivals, dances and others.
Reasons for Using Novelty Lead
Example: With the glittering and shimmering bantings along the 1. To enhance the readability of the newspaper.
skimpy reads, as if throng of rainbows came to visit the town of 2. To arouse the reader's interest.
Gattaran, Cagayan to celebrate with its 30th Agsalukag Festival on 3. To add vigor and color to writing.
April 13, 2016. 4. To challenge the ability of the writer.

K. Freak Lead Rules of Thumb in Lead Writing

- in order to enhance its appeal and to easily catch the attention of the 1. Make sure the lead includes the most important of the five W's and
reader, this kind of unique lead uses typographical effects. H. particularly the "who" (person or thing), (did) what and when. For a
story about report, never begin with the statement "A report was
Example: issued by...."
Wanted: Loyal Filipino Teachers
2. The lead should be simple, brief, compact, vigorous and attractive; it 9. "Practice makes perfect," so the saying goes. Soon, you will enter
should not inject too much information. In general, keep the lead to the threshold of skilled writers; so, avoid using a form of the verb to be
17-35 words. Tη letting others read your lead. When he cannot grasp in the lead, if possible. Use an action verb, instead. Action verbs are
the meaning at once, consider revising it. more forceful, more vigorous than verbs to be.

3. Facts first: Do not start with WHEN or WHERE, unless such

information weighs the heaviest importance.

4. Consider your subject matter. Not all news articles are treated light
as well as serious. However, bear in mind that all news articles should CHAPTER 6:
be forceful. A writer once opined that in making the lead forceful, the IN FOCUS: WRITING THE WHOLE NEWS STORY
main verb should be embedded within the first six words. Try doing it. Discussant: Abby

5. Keep it up-to-date. Use the correct tense. If in doubt, consult a

MORE CONCEPTS IN NEWS WRITING
grammar book or bring with you a pocketbook of grammar rules.
If the lead tells the story in capsule, the body of the news explains the
Remember, being accurate and being correct are foundations of
facts in detail. Should one base the meaning of news writing on this
journalism.
argument, a writer may surmise two concepts:

6. Your lead should not carry your gratuitous opinion. To avoid this,
1. The body of the news retells the story found in the lead.
indicate the person or the source from whom such opinionated
2. The facts are to be arranged logically in the body of the news.
statement came from.
With these conclusions, the writer should not only be good at sensing
7. Practice avoiding to begin the lead with the time, day or date, or
newsworthy items and gathering news but also adept in weaving facts
place. Better focus on the action, the "who or what".
into the most comprehensible and logical way.

8. Cut off non-essential details. News writing or news reporting is

As you go on to write the body of the news item, you should not
straight to the point. Hence, do not begin with an empty, say-nothing
delete the image of the inverted triangle, which tells that the most
expression or a generality that fails to distinguish this news from other
important facts should come first. However, this is mostly true to a
news: There were... In a report released today... According to...
fact story or a straight news.
For an action story, the version is different. The action story follows a - As a reporter, you have much power. What you write can influence
chronological arrangement of data other than according to the decisions, help form public opinions of people and contribute to the
importance of facts. Sample stories under action story include stories general attitude of your readers.
that lead to themselves such as accident, fire, some sports events and - Being accurate in your writing, whatever article that may be, is your
the like. primordial yardstick in telling if your article is of good quality.

5 QUALITIES OF NEWS The facts that you need to check are:

The aim of news writers is to provide stories to startle and to engage names and their spellings
the readers within the first few sentences and, in the middle, to their school designations
widen, deepen or sharpen their knowledge. As a writer, you should incident details. Incase it is an accident, you must know the
ensure that the news articles are of quality. exact number of people who were injured or killed.
When can you say that your articles are of good quality? statements: The quote reported in the news report must be
accurate and in context. It should not be misinterpreted to
1. Fairness and Balance imply another meaning.
- As a reporter, you must learn to get other’s point of view. This mean scientific names if it is a science story, you must make sure that
calling a person late at night to get his side of the story or even holding all scientific names are correctly spelt and explained.
back an investigative story for a day. But you must do so. This is the number of runs or goals if it is a sports story, then you must
best way to bring balance in the copy. make sure that the number of runs made or goals scored is
- There may be times when an individual may avoid making a mentioned accurately.
statement. In such a case, state the point, indicating the efforts you
made to get his point of view. 3. Attribution
- Fairness requires that you do not impute motives. Remember that - All news reports, with a few exceptions, must be sourced. This
your news report is going to be read by hundreds of people, and you ensures that you are injecting both facts and opinions, but the
can influence their thinking by using loaded words. It is always best to opinions are not yours. Always ask yourself, “Who said this?” The
use neutral words. source can be identified as follows:

2. Accuracy
a. Individual. An individual, who witnessed an accident or survived an - Good writers are artists, so are news writers. As a promising news
earthquake, can be quoted by name as an eyewitness. writer, you can entertain, inspire, educate, and sometimes earn the ire
of your readers. A song goes, “Never to walk in anyone’s shadow.” So,
b. Organization. Do not forget to attribute the statement to a act according your own style. Do not copy others’ style but always
spokesperson authorized by an organization to brief the media on its remember to follow the guidelines in writing news articles.
behalf. An organization in the school may be the Parent Teachers
Association, the Faculty Club, Performing Arts Society, Supreme
Student Government and others.

The spokesman can be referred to by:

name and designation First Five Formula for an Inverted Triangle News Story
designation alone 1.) Effective lead, focused, short, memorable
anonymous sources 2.) A second paragraph that amplifies the lead
exceptions 3.) A third paragraph that continues to build detail
4.) Additional details in decreasing importance
4. Brevity and Clarity 5.) Power quote: an interesting quote that propels meaning, not just a
- Newspaper writing is not just academic writing. Hence, as a fluffy quote that gets in the way
journalist, do not use big words and long sentences to show the
readers how smart you are or how extensive your vocabulary is. Do’s and Dont’s of News Writing Styles
Discussant: Guilly
- The importance of this characteristic cannot be overstressed. You
must learn to write short stories without missing important facts. The Do’s of News Writing Styles
Please remember that today’s reader is in hurry. He does not have 1. Omit needless words
lengthy patience to go through long news reports. Brevity does not 2. Be sparing with adjectives but lavish with verbs.
only mean writing a short story. It also means using short words, short 3. Beware of your special words
sentences and short paragraphs. 4. Simplify words
5. Remember your signposts
5. Style
The Dont’s of News Writing Styles
1. Colloquialism Needless to say
- this can be described as writing in the way that one would speak. In Strange as it may seem
doing so, you should avoid using “filler” like beginning the sentence Stands to reason
with “basically,” “often,” “well,” and “so.” Last but not least
In any shape or form
2. Circumlocution Leave no stone unturned
- this mean that the writer uses many words where few would do.
Circumlocution is basically a figure of speech where the meaning of a 5. Grandiloquence
word or a phrase is indirectly expressed through several or many - these are expressions that are too pompous and too colorful
words. It is in contrast to brevity and conciseness. language.

3. Ambiguity Example:
- this case may be syntactical or semantical. Ambiguity can be either “A conflagration which spurred before the sunstroke its rays
intentional or unintentional. Intentional Ambiguity may be used to heightened the anxiousness of the neighboring families of Maasim
mislead a reader or might be necessary due to the context or subject Elementary School on the 25th day of our lord last year.”
matter. Unintentional Ambiguity, on the other hand, should always be
avoided and can be with care and practice. Clearer paragraph
“Started at dawn of April 25 last year, the fire in the Home Economics
Here are samples of Ambiguous sentences from a news report: Building of Maasim Elementary School created commotion among the
1. Dr. Malou Ho, the school principal, tells her secretary, Mrs. Anna B. neighboring families.”
Yan, that the fault was hers. (Whose fault?)

Improved: Talking to her secretary, Dr. Malou Ho admitted her fault.

4. Clichés
- these are phrases that have been exhausted to the point where they
have completely lost originality.

Avoid these clichés:

No shadow of doubt