EDITORIAL

WRITING
DR. MARK JOSEPH B. LAYUG
TRAINER
WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL PAGE?

THE EDITORIAL PAGE IS ONE

OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
PARTS OF A NEWSPAPER. IT
IS THERE WHERE OPINIONS
CAN BE AIRED, AND THE
“NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS”
CAN BE BARED.
WHAT IS INSIDE AN EDITORIAL PAGE?

EDITORIAL
OPINIONS
EDITORIAL CARTOON
MASTHEAD
WHAT IS AN EDITORIAL?

THE EDITORIAL IS THE

HEART AND SOUL OF A
NEWSPAPER. ITS PRIME
FUNCTION IS TO DECLARE
THE NEWSPAPER’S POLICIES
AND PRINCIPLES.
WHO WRITES THE EDITORIAL?

THE EDITORIAL IS USUALLY

WRITTEN BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
OR THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
HOWEVER, ANY MEMBER OF THE
EDITORIAL BOARD CAN WRITE IT AS
LONG AS IT REFLECTS THE STAND
OF THE NEWSPAPER ON A
PARTICULAR ISSUE AND IS
APPROVED BY THE EDITORIAL
BOARD.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
AN EDITORIAL WRITER?
The editorial writer must know how to write.
The editorial writer must be well-equipped as regards
the subject matter presented.
The editorial writer must present facts honestly and
fully.
The editorial writer must not be motivated by personal
interest.
The editorial writer should never write anything that
goes against his conscience.
The editorial writer should support his colleagues in
their highest standards of professional integrity.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF EDITORIAL?

Editorial of Information
Editorial of Interpretation
Editorial of Criticism
Editorial of Entertainment
Editorial of Commendation/Appreciation
Editorial of Argument
WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF AN
EDITORIAL?

AN EDITORIAL COMPRISES OF
FOUR PARTS: TITLE, LEAD OR
INTRODUCTION, BODY AND
CONCLUSION.
HOW TO WRITE AN
EDITORIAL
REMEMBER THE SHAPE
OF THE HOUR GLASS.
1. Determine the type of editorial to be written.

2. Determine a timely topic or issue. The banner

news which happens to be the most important
news in the newspaper may serve as the editorial
topic. Other headlines may also be considered.

3. Upon determining the topic, the writer can

already give a title. In some cases, the editorial
writer chooses to give the title after the writing of
the draft.
4. Make a comprehensive research about the topic
or issue.

5. Create an outline. The outline may consist of a

sentence or two which will further be elaborated in
the lead, body and conclusion.

6. Write the lead or introduction. The writer can

start the editorial using the following leads:
ATTENTION-GETTER – GET THE
READER’S INTEREST ON THE
INTRODUCTION BY USING
EMOTIONALLY APPEALING
STATEMENTS.
PROMISES ARE SAID TO BE MADE TO
BE BROKEN, BUT SUCH IS NOT THE CASE
FOR PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE AS
HE CONTINUOUSLY PAINTS THE STREETS
RED IN ORDER TO LIVE UP TO HIS BLOODY
VOW OF WIPING OUT ALL THE DRUG
PUSHERS AND ADDICTS IN THE COUNTRY.
QUOTATION – START THE EDITORIAL WITH A
DIRECT STATEMENT OF A WELL-KNOWN
PERSONALITY OR SOURCE.

“IM TELLING THE FILIPINO PEOPLE H’W AG AKO, IT’S GOING TO B E

BLOODY.” THIS WAS THE STE RN WARNIN G OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA
DUTERTE DURING THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN BUT 16 MILLION
FILIPINOS WERE SEEMINGLY UN MINDFUL OF DUTERTE’S PRECAUTION .
HOWEVER, BAR ELY SIX MO NTHS AFTER HIS LANDSLIDE VICTORY IN THE
PRESIDENTIAL BID, FOREIGN AND LOC AL CR ITICS HAVE STARTED THEIR
TIRADE ON THE BLOODY W AR OF DUTERTE AGAINST DRU GS. BUT ONE MAY
START TO WO N DER – ISN’T TH IS WHAT WAS P RO MISED PRIOR TO THE MAY
2016 ELECTIONS? IF THE B LOODY WAR AGAINST DRUGS BECAME T HE
TURNING POI NT OF DUTE RTE IN AMA SSING HUGE NU MBERS O F
SUPPORTERS, LOGIC WILL TELL THAT THE B LOODY WAR AG AINST DRUGS
IS ALSO THE BATTLE CRY OF THE FILIPINO MAJORITY.
SUMMARY – GIVE A BRIEF
INFORMATIVE OR INTERPRETATIVE
SUMMARY AS REGARDS THE ISSUE.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

PROMISED A BLOODY WAR AGAINST DRUGS
DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IN
2016 AND HE IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE
PROMISED.
QUESTION – POSES AN ATTENTION
GETTING QUESTION.

SHOULD THE KILLINGS STOP?

APPARENTLY, PRESIDENT RODRIGO
ROA DUTERTE ANSWERS WITH A
RESOUNDING NO! AS HE LIVES UP TO
HIS PROMISE OF WIPING OUT ALL
THE THE DRUG PUSHERS AND
ADDICTS IN THE COUNTRY.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT – START BY
TELLING A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF WHAT
HAPPENED.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

IN HIS SONA EMPHASIZED THAT HIS
GOVERNMENT WILL NOT STOP UNTIL
THE LAST DRUG LORD, THE LAST
DRUG FINANCER AND THE LAST
DRUG PUSHER HAVE SURRENDERED,
PUT BEHIND BARS OR BURIED
UNDERGROUND.
7. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW THE LEAD WITH YOUR
THESIS STATEMENT. THE THESIS STATEMENT IS A
SENTENCE WHICH GIVES OR PRESENTS YOUR
STAND ON A SPECIFIC ISSUE.

8. WRITE THE BODY.

9. PRESENT ONE MAJOR POINT PER PARAGRAPH IN

THE BODY TO JUSTIFY THE THESIS STATEMENT IN
THE INTRODUCTION.
10. Write the conclusion. The conclusion must summarize all
the major points presented in the body to further concretize
the thesis statement presented in the introduction.

11. End with a BIG BANG!

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF
OUTLINES AND ARTICLES…
WHAT IS A
NEWS
FEATURE?
A NEWS FEATURE IS NEWS LIGHTLY
PRESENTED WRITTEN WITH
SUFFICIENT DEGREE OF CREATIVITY
AND STYLE.

(SOFT NEWS)
PURPOSES OF FEATURE WRITING

ENTERTAIN

INFORM

TEACH
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FEATURE
WRITER
 A FEATURE WRITER MUST BE FULLY
AWARE AS REGARDS THE ART OF
FINE WRITING.
 A FEATURE WRITER MUST BE A
GOOD STORY TELLER.
 A FEATURE WRITER MUST KNOW
HOW TO EVOKE EMOTION.
 A FEATURE WRITER MUST HAVE A
CREATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE MIND.
 A FEATURE WRITER MUST BE
COMMITTED TO TRUTH AT ALL
TIMES.
TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES
HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE –
ACQUIRES READER’S ATTENTION BY
STIMULATING EMOTION.
BIOGRAPHICAL FEATURE – SKETCHES
ABOUT INTERESTING PEOPLE OR
PERSONALITIES IN THE PAST AND IN
THE PRESENT.
I-ACCOUNT – BASED ON DESCRIPTION,
ON-THE-SCENE OBSERVATION AND
PERSONAL COMMENT OF THE WRITER.
HISTORICAL FEATURE –
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE
PAST THAT INVOLVES EVENTS AND
PERSONALITIES.
PERSONALITY SKETCH – FOCUSES
ON THE TRAITS OF AN INTERESTING
PERSON.
CONFESSION – MUST BE
DELICATELY HANDLED SINCE THE
REPORTER WILL BE REVEALING
FACTS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
ELEMENTS OF
FEATURE STORY
Creativity
Subjectivity
Information
Entertainment
Imperishable
FEATURE ARTICLE LEADS
SUMMARY
NARRATIVE
DESCRIPTIVE
QUOTATION
ANECDOTES
QUESTION
DIRECT ADDRESS
TEASER
GUIDELINES IN WRITING
FEATURE LEADS
Be succinct.
Write short paragraphs.
Use action words.
Maximize the use of modifiers.
Hook the reader for the first few words.
PARTS OF A NEWS FEATURE
I. LEAD (STRIKING STATEMENT)

II. BODY (FACTS, QUOTES,

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS, EMOTION,
STORY TELL)
A. NARRATIVE # 1
B. NARRATIVE # 2
C. NARRATIVE # 3

III. CONCLUSION (BOOM!)

FEATURE ENDINGS
Summary
Stinger
Climax
Un-ending
HEADLINES
A headline is a title of any news story.

The headline of the top story is called the banner.

If the banner news runs across the page, it may also be

called a streamer.
WHAT ARE THE
HEADLINE’S
OBJECTIVES?
1. To tell in capsule form what the story is all about.
2. To attract readers to buy the newspaper.
3. To give the readers an opportunity to choose news
stories of interest.
4. To add variety and attractiveness to the page.
Headline Writing
Guidelines
1. Tell the story immediately and accurately.

Pnoy prods Corona to resign

Paquiao wins
2. Contain a subject and a verb but do not start with a verb as
much as possible.

Peru lifts martial law

Lim fires 5 cops.

3. The active voice is always preferred than the passive
voice.

Gordon aids Maguindanao flood victims

Miriam scolds Aguirre
4. Be in the present tense.

US donates cash
KMU bats for salary increase.
5. Never repeat words.

Enrile affirms Garcia’s humility on Garcia’s humble act

(wrong)

Enrile affirms Garcia’s humility. (better)

6. Avoid the use of articles (a, an, the, etc) and be verbs (is,
are, be, was, were, etc)

A young boy curses a traffic policeman. (wrong)

Kid curses traffic cop (better)

7. Use only well-known abbreviations.

CHED approves UP budget proposal

DOH launches Anti Dengue Campaign
8. Be typographically and mechanically perfect.

Kuya Gerns supports Erao (unacceptable)

ABS CBN, GMA supports Pnoy

9. Do not split a phrases, abbreviations and words between
lines.

Gloria seeks for Co-

rona’s councel

Mendoza apologizes to S
C Commissioner Arcilla
10. Avoid label heads.

Christmas party

To hold trial
11. Do not editorialize or propagandize.

Miriam cries
Story content: Miriam almost cried because of a good laugh.

Miriam interested to run for President

Story content: Miriam asked Pnoy how it’s like to be
President.
12. Use correct punctuations.

RP, UK extend help to Haiti.

Aquino to descend in 2016;

Roxas eyes presidential post
Lacson ‘touch me if you dare’

Lacson: touch if you dare

TYPES OF HEADLINE
FLUSH LEFT

Cyber Crime Law

raises inquiries
DROP LINE

Cyber Crime Law

angers blog fanatics
INVERTED PYRAMID

School launches
kalinisan
drive
HANGING
INDENTIONS

Chief editor
bats for more
development news
CROSSLINE OR
BARLINE

MCSA slates 8th Mis-en-Scene Film Festival