VISION

An empowered studentry that is well-informed,

responsible and actively involved in matters that
will help them become better Christians, more
dutiful SPCians and vigilant Filipino citizens.
 MISSION
To promote the use of the printed word for
forging alert and responsible involvement of the
studentry through the school publication
Writing a News Story
 N

W E

S
 A man aged 25 marrying
A 9 year old a girl aged 20?
girl going to or a man aged 55
primary school? marrying a girl aged 15?
to high school?
or to university?

NEWS
A car killing a chicken?
a pig?
or a child?
 Timeliness

Policy
Proximity News Values

Importance
 Timeliness

First
Implies
determinant
Reason for immediacy
when
the news or
deciding if
story nearness to
facts of
the present
story are
newsworthy
 Proximity

Measures Implies Did the

The second
nearness greater event
news
of the audience occur in
determinant
story to interest the city,
audience province,
or a
country?
 Importance

Becomes a
Measures the
stronger
magnitude
determinant as
and
the magnitude or
significance
significance
of the event
affects more of
the audience
 Policy

Refers to a May determine

newspaper's length of a
attitude news story
toward and
newsworthy prominence it
events is given
 na l NEWS Va lues
Additio

CONFLICT PROGRESS
refers to all types the improvements
of struggles made by many

UNUSUALNESS HUMAN
covers the rare, out INTEREST
of the ordinary, events that have a
odd and often strong affect on or
unforeseen ideas, appeal to human
events or situation emotions
 d d it iona l NEWS Va lues
Ad d it iona l…A

the BIGGER
Big
the event, How much
NAMES
more likely MONEY is
Make,
to be involved?
Big News
covered
 K I S S

Keep it short, simple.

 News Style

Average 15 to 20 words per sentence

– Sentences longer than 30 words are

difficult to understand

– (18 is perfect!)

Paragraphs should be limited to 50 –

60 words
 News Style

One thought per paragraph

Use short, simple words

– no jargon
The Inverted Pyramid

Body

Order of
Importance
 5 Ws & H

Who, what, when, where, why &

how

Have to answer the questions, but

choose the one that’s most
important and build on that first.
Others may be expanded later in
the article.
 Summary Lead
One sentence

Answers the 5 W’s & H

Second Paragraph

Should further explain the lead

sentence

Should provide background

information
 Summary Lead

Body
Should further explain the subject
matter

Present information in order of

importance; not chronological order
Putting it all together

Collect all available information

Write in order of importance

Write a good lead

Choose active verbs

Be accurate and specific

No opinions
Putting it all together
Attribute information

Simple Language Body

Should further explain the subject matter

Present information in order of

importance; not chronological order

Edit (proof read)

Elements of a good news
story
Follow the inverted pyramid style with the most
important facts first.

Keep sentences short.

Use short, well-known words. Avoid jargon.

Use active words to add zest to your writing.

Avoid, for example, “it was said,” or “it is

thought.”
Elements of a good news
story
Use specific, concrete – not abstract – words and
terms.

Do not editorialize, which means injecting your

own preferences or even preferences of the
subject you are writing about without attributing.

Avoid adjectives that reflect opinion.

Stick to the facts.

Keep paragraphs short.

Elements of a good
news story

Avoid overusing prepositions in

sentences.

Write stories in third person (he, she, it

or they, or “John said”). It is, however,
becoming more common to write in the
second person (you).
Elements of a good news
story

Proofread the story and edit unnecessary

words; eliminate grammar and spelling
errors.

For good measure, have others read the

story and have them tell you what they
think it said.
 HARD NEWS

It is a chronicle of current
events/incidents and is the
most common news style on
the front page of your
typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary
lead.
 Lead of Hard News

"Homeless youth marched down

to the Ormoc City Stage,
Wednesday afternoon demanding
the local government to provide
emergency shelter during the
typhoon season."
 Soft News

News that isn't time-

sensitive.
Includes profiles of people,
programs or organizations.
The lead should present the
subject of the story by
allusion
Somewhat literary
 Soft News

Grab the attention of the

reader
Once the reader is drawn
in, the 5 "W's" should be
incorporated into the body
of the story
 Lead of Soft News

“ Until four years ago, Mario dela Cruz

slept in alleyways with only a tattered
cardboard to serve as blanket… “
Feature Article
 Don’t TELL us…

DESCRIBE it to
A feature story is a prominent news
story written like a piece of short fiction.

Feature stories place a greater emphasis

on facts that have human interest.

Features put people in the story; they

make the reader think and care.
 Tips on writing feature stories:

■ Keep a brainstorming notebook handy

■ Do your research
■ Start with something light, like an anecdote
or a descriptive passage
■ KISS (Keep it short and simple)
■ Hold it with the highfalutin language
■ Reread your article in a day or two 

SECRETS for successful Feature Articles

• Gather as many descriptive details as possible

when at the scene or when talking to people
or as you read other accounts.
• Pay attention to all of your 5 senses!
• Watch out for the small details - shoes,
clothes, pictures on the walls, plants, animals
and trees, things happening around the scene.
SECRETS for successful Feature Articles

• Write down exact details as clearly and

precisely as possible.
• Only use the details when important to the
story.
 NEWS ITEM STYLE FEATURE ARTICLE STYLE

■ The argument between ■ Two nicely dressed people

the two people took place had a loud, violent
outside the Court building. argument on the steps of
the stately Court building.

■ The injured man came all

■ The injured man came to
alone to the busy hospital
the hospital emergency
emergency room, while
room by himself.
dragging his bleeding leg
along the clean tile floor.
 Editorial Writing

Presented by:
Cherry Con-ui Bertulfo, MAEd - ELT
 An Expresses
informed a point of
opinion view

Editorial

the
consensus
of the group Voice of the
— editorial organization
board
The Process
Pick an issue.

Get the facts.

Get in early.

Don’t overreach.

Be consistent.
 Writing the Editorial

Keep it short.
200 - 400 words would do…
for special cases —1,200 words for the cover ed
500 for the one inside
 Writing the Editorial

Don’t equivocate. Avoid “on the one hand…on

the other hand” wishy-washiness
 Writing the Editorial

State a firm “bottom line.”

The bottom line is the sentence that tells the
reader exactly what you think. (It is not the last
line of the editorial). It should be absolutely
clear, and you should get to it quickly: in the first
or second paragraph of the editorial. No later.
 How to begin..
• Introduce the subject.
• State your bottom line.
• Spell out your prescription.
• Provide enough background and facts so that a reader
who has no prior knowledge of your subject will
understand what you’re talking about.
• Meet the tough questions head on. Remember the
most convincing points made by people who disagree
with you and spell out your counter-arguments.
• End with a solid “kicker” that reiterates your opinion in
one pithy sentence.
 TYPES OF EDITORIALS

1. Explanatory - seeks to give readers a better

understanding of an issue any the particular
approach the paper had taken in covering an issue.

2. Interpretative - seeks to interpret a timely event,

telling the reader the editor’s view of the situation.
 TYPES OF EDITORIALS

3. Critique - makes critical assessment of policies,

actions, decisions.

4. Persuasive - aims to influence readers into accepting

a solution or action proposed by the newspaper.

5. Praise - could be used to praise an achievement by a

person or institution.
 Assignment

Create a HARD NEWS LEAD

and a SOFT NEWS LEAD based
on the following photos. For
every picture, you are given
10 minutes to come up with
the necessary details and to
write your output.
Thank you!