COPY READING AND HEADLINE WRITING Copyreading is much like the work of a communication arts teacher correcting compositions,

except that he usesdifferent symbols.A copy may be a news item, an editorial, a feature story or any literary article. Duties of a copyreader: 1. Straighten out ungrammatical construction.2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.3. See that the papers style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses, title, designations,identifications, figures, etc.4. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.5. Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the facts unlesshe is sure of his corrections.6. Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or sources.7. Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.8. Watch for libelous statements.9. Recheck figures and totals.10. Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to make a story sound over-written.11. Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary.12. Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.13. Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible.14. Check sluglines and paging sequences15. Write headline What to copyread? 1. Errors in fact2.

Errors in grammar 3. Errors in structure4. Errors in style5. Libelous and derogatory statements6. Seditious and rebellious matter 7. Expressions contrary to law and good taste8. Opinion and editorializing statements9. Verbal deadwood, redundancy10. Technical terms, slang, jargons Copy-reading symbols Punctuation Marks Symbols Meaning Outcome The Bionic Woman Emphasize quotes The Bionic Woman Dr Arthur Cruz Jr Emphasize periods Dr. Arthur Cruz Jr.said I must go. Emphasize comma said, I must go. Numbers and Abbreviations in Nov. Spell out in November Doctor Arthur Cruz Abbreviate Dr. Arthur Cruztwenty boys Use numeral 20 boys2 girls were Spell out Two girls were Special form of type Manila, philippines Capitalize MANILA, Philippines Letter and word changes meet on Saturday Bridge over meet Saturdaythose b oys Close up space those boysFe Cruz Principal Transpose Principal Fe Cruzrecieve Transpose receivepamplet Insert letter pamphletwent market Insert word went to marketManila pAper Lower case Manila paper received free gifts Delete word received gifts judgement Delete letter within judgmentdevelope iskill Delete before/after develop skillthe most talented and Kill the principalenthusiastic principalAllright wehave time Insert space All right we have timeWe were indeed very Run in copy We were indeed veryhappy because happy because Others Paco, Manila Indent for paragraph Paco, ManilaToday he will Today he willWelfrido Cruz Spell as written Welfrido KruzOne boy came Restore text; disregard On boy camecorrectionElected prexy Center subhead Elected prexythe un Syllabicate the un-finished task finished taskThe gong Set in boldface the gong She read Les Miserables Set in italics She read

Les Miserables 30 or # Story is finishedmore or ) Story is unfinishedSeminar Text continued on the(2) Next page# - folio copy See copy as writtenNote: To arrange paragraphs just place the number (e.g. #1, #3) of the corresponding paragraphs in theleft portion of the copy. SAMPLE COPY TEST Slug line: ________________________ Headline: _____________________________ No. of units: ____________ The PNU elementary school launch the anual cleanliness & beatification contest September 16 at theschool social hole.In a mating with Presidents and vice-presidents of each class from Grade III to Gr. Six, Mrs. Alegria FloraPrincipal explain the prosedures to folow.According to the principal, its class class will be given an areas to cleaned. Ones a week, school officialswill vissit the area and chose the cleanest amongst them.Prices will be awarded to the class whos area will be pick the cleanest for 3 times. ThThis will give insentives to the students explained Mrs. Flores.The handsome and intelligent Mr. Garcia Ramon, vocation al teacher who facilitated the meeting told thestudes that thru the contest cooperation will be developedwhile order and cleanliness be maintained.Congrattulations Mrs. Garcia Headlining It is easy to write the news headline. Just look at the first paragraph called the lead which contains the gist, Just writethe gist of that lead. Dos and donts in writing traditional headlines 1.Make your headline answer as many Ws as possible 2.The headline should summarize the news story, but must avoid using all the words used in the lead. It shouldcontain nothing that is not found in the story. 3.Positive heads are preferable to negative ones. School physician allays flu fear is better than Flu epidemic not rampant in city . 4.Out a verb expressed or implied in every deck.5. Omit articles like a, an, and the, and all forms of the verb to be (is, are, be, etc.), unless needed to make themeaning clear. 6.Use the strongest word in the first line as much as possible. 7.The active verb is better than the passive verb in headlines (Food production drive intensified; RPs lost imageabroad regained Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive form for future stories (Archbishop Sin bats for nationalreconciliation; Lantern parade to cap Xmas affairs). 9.Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts .10.Avoid heads that carry double meaning.11.

Use only common abbreviations. Punctuating a headline 1.Use a comma in place of the conjuction and 2.Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon .3.The dash may be used in smaller decks but not for headlines in large types. 4.The single quotation marks are used in headlines .5.Follow the other rules of punctuations. Unit counting in headline unit - jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (--), and the question mark (?)1 unit - the question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, all lower case letters except jiltf 1 units - the em dash, lower case m and w, and all capital letters except capital M and W and JILTF2 units - capital M, W Headline vocabulary (Formula: subject-verb-object ala text message) 1.Faculty club strengthened (beefed up) 2.Enrolment decreases(dips) 3.Science examinations announced (quiz bared) 4.Contests highlight Animal Week (cap) 5.Santosurgescooperation (bats for, calls for)6. DepEd disapproves tuition fee increase (bucks, nixes, axes)7. Ateneo wins 12 medals in presscontest (bags, romp away with; tilt, parley)8. Principal praises editors humility (lauds, extols) Local staff dominates press tilt (rules, lords over) Local basketball Players retain championship (sluggers; crown) USAttacks Russ nuclear test (hits) Laurel ends diplomatic tour (winds up) Cops ended syndicate (busted) Slay suspect questioned (grilled, probed) RP sees import hike (eyes) 456 pass bar exams (hurdle Lim dismisses 5 cops (fires) RP-Malaysia dispute solved (row) Fiscal dismiss rapecharge(dismiss; rap) Import talk delayed (snagged

Mga halimbawa Huwag gumamit ng pangalan maliban kung kilala ito MaliJaime Diaz, nahalal na panguloTamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nahalal na pangulo ng samahan Maging tiyak (specific) MaliMag-aaral, nagwagi sa paligsahanTamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nagwagi sa pagsulat ng balita Iwasan ang opinyon sa balita MaliPaaralang Datu Puti, lumaro ng kahanga-hangaTamaPaaralang Datu Puti, nanalo ng 3 sa 4 na laban Lagyan ng pandiwa ang bawat ulo MaliLimang guro sa seminar TamaLimang guro, dadalo sa seminar Iwasan ang paggamit ng negatibong pandiwa MaliPaligsahan sa talumpatian, hindi matutuloyTamaPaligsahan sat al;umpatian, pinagpaliban Gumamit ng makakatawag-pansing pandiwa MahinaTinato ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36MalakasPinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36 Gamitin ang maikli at kilalang salita MasalitaBayang Pilipinas, sasali sa pandaigdig na palaroMaikliRP, sasali sa olimpiyada Iwasan ang paggamit ng pantukoy at ng pandiwang pantulong nahango sa verb to be MaliSi Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng RipplesTamaJaphet Burgos, napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples Lead (pamatnubay) Most important facts A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life of his blind master, Thursday night, but the canines loyalty cost thetrusty animal his life. BridgeElaboration of lead In serious condition today in Doctors Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a street sweeper. Escobanez of SSS Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City was found early this morning unconscious on a sidewalk near the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo Terminal Market. Less important facts Police theorized that Escobanez was knocked unconscious when he fell, his head hitting a stone. Potpot, hisdog, apparently tried to shield its master from the cold and the rain by draping itself over the fallen man.When discovered this morning by the Police Patrol, Escobanez was still out cold. The dog lay near, dead.Relatives of Escobanez who is still a bachelor, told authorities that he always took nightly strolls at about 11p.m. with his dog. Minor facts According to doctors, only the warmth from the dogs body saved Escobanez from certain death.Escobanez told police that he remembers nothing of the incident. A wallet containing PhP 500.00 was still in hispocket leading the authorities to rule out robbery. How to write a lead? t is a single word, a phrase, a clause, a brief sentence, an entire paragraph or a series of paragraphs. The mainfunction of the lead, aside from introducing the news

story, are to tell the story in capsule form and to answer rightaway the questions the reader would naturally ask.A good lead answers all the important questions of the reader, indicates the facts if they are all important, andarouses the readers interest to continue reading the story. In Filipino news, a good lead starts with a verb likeNilamon ng Conventional or summary lead This kind of lead used in straight news, answers right away all or any of the 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why)and/or the H (How) . It may be one of the following: 1. WHO lead PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed, April 20, the PMA graduates in Baguio City. 2. WHAT lead AN ENTRANCE examination will be given Nov. 24 to all graduating high school students desiring to enroll in the four-year college course. 3. WHERE lead TRAPICHE, Oton, Iloilo will be the site of the next International Film Festival. 4. WHEN lead TODAY, almost to the hour, the Revolutionary Government was proclaimed by former President Corazon Aquino. 5. WHY lead BECAUSE of poverty, around a hundred students dropped from school last year. This was learned from Ateneo deIloilo principal Aurora dela Cruz. 6. HOW lead BY APPEALING to the school board, the University of Iloilo was able to construct a 30storey, concrete building. Dos and Donts in writing a news story

Write the story immediately.2. Play up the dominant points.3.

Be accurate and truthful.4. Avoid opinions called editorializing.5. Use adjectives sparingly.6. Avoid libelous, seditious and rebellious matters, prejudice and bad taste.7. Give source (attribution) of the news. Use quotes!8. Write names in full when these are mentioned for the first time.9. Identify the names mentioned.10. Avoid redundancy.11. Watch out for errors in fact, grammar, structure, and style.12. Observe the guidelines for clear effective writing (unity, coherence, emphasis, brevity, clarity, etc.)13. Adopt a paper stylesheet or stylebook for consistency and professionalism (in Ripples, we officially adopt theDaily Inquirer Stylebook) Guidelines in writing a news story 1. Give your lead sentence a punch to catch the interest of the readers.2. Starts with the most important event or idea.3. Use the rule or proximity and explain how the news affects the people in the locality or the students in school.4. If your story has something unusual or novel to tell, bank on that for the lead. Its hot copy.5. Make your sentences concise and clear so that they could be easily understood. Long tedious sentences will likelykill the readers interest. Besides, they usually lose the readers along the way. News stories are not luxury or pleasure reading. They have the basic function to inform.6. Use simple words. Using highfalutin words does not prove anything but pedantry and literary pretentions. Even literary writers try as much as possible to use simple words

Guidelines in writing a news story 1. Give your lead sentence a punch to catch the interest of the readers.2. Starts with the most important event or idea.3. Use the rule or proximity and explain how the news affects the people in the locality or the students in school.4. If your story has something unusual or novel to tell, bank on that for the lead. Its hot copy.5. Make your sentences concise and clear so that they could be easily understood. Long tedious sentences will likelykill the readers interest. Besides, they usually lose the readers along the way. News stories are not luxury or pleasure reading. They have the basic function to inform.6. Use simple words. Using highfalutin words does not prove anything but pedantry and literary pretentions. Evenliterary writers try as much as possible to use simple words Copy Reading 2hernan - Presentation Transcript 1.Mr. Hernane B. Buella 2.Copyreading o is much is like the work of a communication arts teacher correcting compositions,except that he uses different symbols. o symbols are universally known to printers. o the symbols used in copyreading are the same symbols used in pagwawasto ng sipito eliminate or correct errors to improve the copy. o a copy may be a news item, editorial, a feature story or any literary article.3. o Errors could be of any kind errors in fact, in grammar in structure or in style. o Like a teacher of English you correct errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalizationabbreviation, the use of the different parts of speech, in subject-verb agreement, tenses, mood,number, case and the like. o In copy editing a news report, you should see to it that the proper lead is used andthat this lead contains the most important element. o See to it that the paragraphs are arranged according to decreasing importancefollowing the inverted pyramid structure.

o In editing an editorial see to it that it begins with an introduction composed of anewspeg and reaction. This is followed by the body (the arguments and stand of the editor on theissue), then by the conclusion. In short, correct errors in structure.4. o There is also a thing called newspaper or editorial style. o Every paper should have a stylesheet or stylebook as a guideline for the sake of consistency . o A stylesheet is a set of rules mainly in punctuation, abbreviation, syllabication, usesfigures, capitalization and spelling. You may use the Manila Times Style Book by Jose Luna Castro.Most metropolitan dailies use it. You may find one in Campus Journalism by Ceciliano-Jose Cruz,pp.213-2205. o There is no question of right or wrong, just a matter of style. After you have adoptedone, be consistent. o Also, eliminate opinion in news stories; this is called editorializing. Delete libelouswords and expressions, vulgar and indecent words. Cross out redundant words and verbaldeadwood. Use adjectives sparingly. News is supposed to be objective and factual. Delete alsoseditious and rebellious matter and those violative of our laws.6.COPYREADING Defined for corrections for improvement For style sheet accordance EDITINGarticle News Features Sports Editorials Cutline Mga Pananda sa Pagwawasto ng sipi pangulo ng pilipinas - limbagin sa malaking titik Pag-asang Bayan - limbagin sa maliit na titik Manila Times - limbagin na maitim(boldface) Dahil saIsang Bulaklak - limbagin ng palihis(italics)8.Dahil sa iyo, ang sabi niya - lagyan ng panipi Paco Manila - lagyan ng kuwit 2000-01 - lagyanng kudlit barangay singitan ng titik inang baayn - pagpalitin ang lugar ng titik9.Jose Lina Jr., Gobernador - pagpalitin ang lugar ng salita pinunong ng bayan - alisin atpagkabitin Pang. Gloria M. Arroyo - isulat nang buo 8 katao - isulat nang pasalita labingdalawang katao - isulat sa numero o tambilang Doktor Warren Cruz - daglatin10.Simula bukas - wastong pasok ng talataan kahapon. Simula bukas - panibagong talataannatapos ang panayam Subalit wala pang tiyak - pagdugtungin o pasunurin Ngunit di pa yari -walang bagong talataan pin untahan - pagkabitin11.Malaking Panayam - igitna ang subhead Panggulo ng Pilipinas - alisin at paglapitin Maynilas kaltasin/pungusin Wilfredo Krus - hayaang manatili ang pagkabaybay Mabait na bata -panatilihin, huwag baguhin more pa - may karugtong 30 # - wakes ng artikulo12.Headline Writing o News stories, are important, but the headlines that introduce these stories to thereaders are also important. Good headlines will make a newspaper page attractive; poorheadlines will make a page seem dull. Poor headlines might discourage them from reading thestories. o A headline is the title of a news story. It summarizes the whole news story.Oftentimes, it is the gist of the lead. o

What kind of headline style does your newspaper use? In the traditional newspaperheadline, every word is capitalized except for short prepositions like at, by, for, from, in, on, to,etc. and the . They are capitalized only when they appear at the beginning of a line.13. o A newer style of headline writing; however, capitalizes only the first word and propernouns that would be capitalized in a normal sentence. The two styles of headlines are shownbelow: o Traditional Style Newer Style o Clc (cap & lower case) Ds (Down Style) o Food Production Food production o Drive Intensified drive intensified14. o If a newspaper wishes to call special attention to a news story, it will capitalize everyletter in every word. o (All Caps) o DOPE UPSURGE IN SCHOOL COMMUNITY NOTED o Ordinarily, most newspapers call attention to their most important news stories bygiving them multiple-column headlines. A multiple-column headline is one which extends overtwo, three, four or more column width. Such wide headlines; however, are set in much larger typethan single column headlines.15. o Example: o Nation celebrates Centennial Year, o Chief Executive delivers message o The examples of headlines we have seen so far have been written in two lines. Thisis called a running head . But sometimes newspapers print three-line headline: o 3 rd seminar o on family o planning held16. o In longer stories, a newspaper may even add a second headline called a deck , alsocalled bank or readout . o

Torch 2 nd in nat l. press tilts o Chief editor o bags seven o NSPC medals17.Unit Counting in Headlines o Writing headlines is not so simple as it seems to be. A headline should fit theallotted space by a system of unit counts given to each letter, figure or space. This is done toavoid a thin head , a fat head or a bleeding head .18. o An example of a thin head where the spaces between the letters of words, or thespace after the words in a line are so wide that the effect is ugly. o Schooljoinspresstilts o An example of a fat head where the letters or the words are so crowded that thereare no spaces between them or the spaces are so small that several words read as one. o Schooljoinspresstilts19. o An example of bleeding headline in which some letter or words extend inside thecolumn Schooljoins o presstilts o However, in computerized headline writing, there is no need to count units. Thecomputer does the fitting of the words in the allotted space. In many provinces, printing is stilldone through the obsolete letter press.20. o The corresponding unit counts are given as follows: unit jilt and all punctuations except the em dash (-) and the questionsmark (?) 1 unit the questions mark, space, all figures, capital, JILTF, all lower caseletters except jiltf 1 units the em dash, lower case m and w, all capital letters except Mand W and JILTF 2 units capital M, W