CORDILLERA CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Click or tap here to enter text. COLLEGE

Buyagan, Poblacion, La Trinidad Benguet

LEARNING MODULE IN SED JOURN

(CAMPUS JOURNALISM)
for remote teaching and learning use only.

COMPILED BY:
DINA P. AMDOS

AUGUST 2021
 INTRODUCTION

“Journalism is about results. It’s about affecting your community or

your society in the most progressive way.”
-Anas Aremeyaw Anas
As we continue facing the demands of the brave new world, we
need to be skilled with various skills-academically or non-
academically. To cope with the changes and challenges around us,
we have to be open-minded, and driven with purpose to learn,
unlearn, and re-learn things.
This course, Campus Journalism, can be of help in achieving
this. This course will teach future teachers the skills, principles, and
strategies of writing, lay-outing and publishing a campus paper in
traditional and new media formats. Ideas on how to get sources of
news and how to be able to collate information from various sources
will also be taught to those taking the course. The pre-service English
teachers will be able to demonstrate content knowledge and
application of this allied field while showing skills in the positive use
of ICT in Desktop Publishing and ultimately to teaching and learning
of journalism. Lastly, they are prompted to uphold the dignity of
teaching and the journalism field through a caring attitude, social
responsibility, respect, and integrity.
This module is divided into ten chapters. The first chapter
introduces what campus journalism is about. The second chapter is
about the print media. The third chapter will teach students how to
write the news. The fourth chapter is on feature and science writing.
The fifth one is about editorial writing and cartooning. The sixth
chapter is about sports writing. The seventh chapter is on revising,
editing, proofreading/ copyreading, and publishing. Chapter 8 is on
photojournalism. Chapter 9 deals with the different ways on how to
layout articles, and Chapter 10 is finalizing the campus paper.

Enjoy learning and be the voice for the betterment of our

society, and the world.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my students for

their undying love of learning that makes them want to learn
more and beyond despite the challenges they are facing in
today’s education milieu.

I thank the learning materials team- the librarians, Mrs.

Vilma Mondero and Ms. Thelma Amayag, for eagerly providing
reference materials that are substantial for the learning materials
making. I am also grateful to Ma’am Sherry Junette Tagle for
sharing her notes in Campus Journalism. In addition, I appreciate
the collecting, printing, sorting, and dispatching teams of both
printed and electronic materials for their patience and kindness in
dealing with the difficulties they encounter in the production of
learning materials.

Further, I acknowledge my friends, colleagues and the

school management for nourishing me with their words of
encouragement and guidance as I widen my horizon in both the
teaching and learning processes.

Lastly, I am so much grateful to my family for helping me

in all aspects to achieve my goal in my teaching mission and
vocation.

May God bless us all!

-dpamdos

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 OVERVIEW OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM 1

Lesson 1. Introduction to Journalism . . . . 2
Lesson 2. Definition, Function and Purpose of Journalism . 2
Lesson 3: History of Journalism in the World . . . 4
Lesson 4: History of Campus Journalism in the Philippines . 6
Lesson 5: Journalistic Working Process . . . . 12
Lesson 6: Scope of Journalism . . . . . . 13
Lesson 7: Principles of Journalism . . . . 15

Chapter 2 THE PRINT MEDIA 21

Lesson 1: Types of Publication . . . . . . 23
Lesson 2 Sections of a Campus Paper .. . . . 24
Lesson 3 Going About Writing for Newspapers . . . 26

CHAPTER 3 NEWS WRITING 29

Lesson 1: Elements of a Newspaper . . . . . 30
Lesson 2: Types of News Stories . . . . . 31
Lesson 3: Headlines . . . . . . . 36

CHAPTER 4 Feature and Science Writing 42

Lesson 1: Feature Writing . . . . . . 42
Lesson 2: Science Writing . . . . . . 44
CHAPTER 5 Editorial Writing and Cartooning 45
CHAPTER 6 Sports Writing 50
CHAPTER 7 Revising, Editing, Proofreading/
Copyreading, and Publishing 53
CHAPTER 8 Photojournalism 56
CHAPTER 9 Layout or Composition 57
CHAPTER 10 Finalizing the Paper 62
References . . . . . . 63

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 CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW OF CAMPUS JOURNALISM

This chapter gives an overview of what campus journalism is. It focuses

on the introduction, definition, history, principles, and features of campus
journalism

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. determine the significance of journalism from its history down to its

modern cultural relevance;

b. recognize the principles of journalism in sample articles;

c. create implications to the teaching of Campus Journalism to future

students through the analysis of RA 7079;

d. convey contentions and possible solutions to issues in Campus Journalism;

and

develop the sense of social responsibility in responding to events guided with the
principles of journalism.

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Lesson 1 Introduction to Journalism

For this lesson, I would like you to watch the video ‘Introduction to
Journalism’ uploaded in the LMS. Then, make a word pool based on the video
watched so that you can come up with the connection of social media and
journalism. The word pool can also be used for the reflection activity in this
chapter.

Lesson 2 Definition, Function and Purpose of Journalism

Definition of Journalism

The word journal comes from the Latin word diurna which means “daily”. In
ancient Rome, short bulletins of battles, fires, and elections compiled by
government officials were posted up in public places. These were called acta
diurnal which meant “daily events”.

Other definitions of journalism:

 The occupation of writing for publication in newspapers and other
periodicals. – Noah Webster
 Something that embraces all forms in which or through which the
news and comments on the news reach the public. All that happens
in the world, if such happenings hold interest for the public, and all
the thoughts, actions, and ideas which these happenings stimulate,
become basic materials for the journalist.- Fraser F. Bond
 Enjoyable co-curricular activity of the school paper staff in collecting,
organizing, and presenting news; in writing editorials, columns,
literary articles, and features; in copyreading, proofreading,
dummying, and writing headlines – all for the purpose of putting out
a school organ. – School Paper Advisers of the City Schools of Manila

Functions of modern campus papers:

 Information function
 Opinion function
 Education function
 Watchdog function
 Laboratory function
 Documentation function
 Entertainment function
 Developmental function

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 Journalism in its most basic sense is the process of gathering and
presenting factual information. This information is used to transmit a story to the
public and to create a record for archival purposes. This can be by print, digital,
broadcast, photography, or through alternative medias.
Typically a piece of news journalism will be fact-based and not opinion-
based, written in a third-person style (meaning no use of "I" or "you"), and is
usually governed by a style guide of conventions for word usage, capitalization,
spelling, and such.
One of the essential elements of journalism is that it relies on first-hand
accounts, quotations, and research for its factual basis. Reporters and other
creators of journalistic work conduct investigations by searching for primary
source material and talking to eyewitnesses and others involved in the story.
They then construct a finished work that makes a coherent whole out of the
information they have gathered.
Journalism covers news from several different angles. Events happen that
news editors know their readership would want to be informed of, such as
catastrophic fires or accidents. There are regular events and planned activities
that are considered newsworthy, too, such as county Commissioners' meetings
and local football games. Coverage is often assigned to report on these types of
stories.
The public also supplies news items. Organizations are permitted to send
press releases to the media to announce developments that the news outlets
might want to publish. Best practices for press releases require that they must
be fact-based, not promotional, and releases are often edited to fit size
constraints . Readers may send photos and notices in for publication as well.
Throughout the ages, journalism has vastly changed not only lives, but
entire countries and society in general, just by making sure people are informed
and know the truth. In some countries, the government controls all means of
news and journalism, but in most others, it is a free entity allowing access to
important information to all who seek it.
When trying to differentiate journalism and any other form of
communication, it is important to note that journalists devote their career to
reporting the truth. They focus on bringing the verified facts to the readers,
steering away from any expressly influenced thoughts. People crave the specifics
and the entire story, so not only do journalists write about the realities, but they
also research and delve deep for the hidden essentials that not a lot of people
can find.
Purpose of Journalism
It is nearly impossible to say journalism has one sole purpose. Ensuring
society becomes well informed and providing them with reliable information is
incredibly important. It is also a journalist's duty to deliver accurate news, true
to the source without being biased or taking sides.
Journalists are counted on for supplying a wide range of information from
political updates to technology news. Millions of people rely on the work of
journalists to keep them actively knowledgeable in various topics. With our world
ever changing and news being available on phones, society is able to read
journalist's work just about anywhere they go. This opens the channels of
knowledge and education to anyone who is willing to embrace it.
Outside of news, the journalism world by itself has made a large impact
on the written word and languages spoken around the world. Not only providing
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an outlook for many writers to speak the truth in all countries, it also provides
new writing styles for journalists to experiment with or even create on their own.
Many journalists in previous decades made huge stands against governments or
regimes in order to get their written word exposed to society, opening new
pathways for multitudes of languages.

Lesson 3 History of Journalism in the World

Journalism spans history, going back all the way to the 1400s. It really
took off in the 1600s, however, when the printing press was created in
Germany. Soon after, newspapers and gazettes began to flood the streets,
beginning to keep the public educated on the events happening around them.
Political pamphlets were distributed, leading to the first periodical to be
published in 1655. This was called the Oxford Gazette and it inhabited all of the
qualifications needed in a newspaper.
In the late 1600s, people began to question the lines of press freedom.
The only laws that actually were in place before the Stamp Act of 1712 were
those that prevented treason, reporting Parliamentary actions, and rebellious
slander. Journalists were cautious of publishing any material that spoke against
the government until later acts that protected freedom of the press were put
into place. Once journalism began to grow and become a more respected
profession, it began to play a significant part in the political and public dealings
of many countries.
The world of journalism began to significantly increase in the 18th century
with the boost of literacy and political interest. The first piece of what is
considered modern journalism was published in 1703 by Daniel Dafoe,
highlighting the Great Storm of 1703 in Britain. Just six years later, a news and
gossip publication called The Tattler was created. The government began to
frown upon such an increase in production of newspapers and magazines that
they began to try placing taxes on them via parliament votes. After many
attempts at censorship, the government eventually backed down after many
rebels began to step up in the name of press freedom. Once taxes began to raise
on newspapers in London, numbers of untaxed papers showed up, with a very
revolutionary political tone to them. Even after having the publishers prosecuted,
they refused to go away, causing an eventual repeal.
The 1700s were beneficial for American journalism as well. The first
successful periodical was The Boston News-Letter in 1704. Ben Franklin ran the
Pennsylvania Gazette in 1728, publishing newspapers for the six biggest
colonies. By 1800s, there were nearly 234 newspapers being published in the
new United States of America. Both the Federalist and Republican parties went
back and forth, attacking each other on the pages. As the cities began growing,
journalism began to spread to smaller towns and cities, in hopes to communicate
and campaign for the political parties.
During the American Civil War, war correspondents began working for
newspapers. Since telegraphs were so expensive to send, writing had to be
developed into shorter forms. This eventually led to the establishment of wire
services, with the Associated Press becoming one of the first. New and
untraditional forms of journalism began to grow as well, redefining what people
thought they knew of journalism. The first African American newspaper was
established in 1827 and foreign language newspapers soon followed.
In the 21st century, the growth of the Internet had a significant impact on
the journalism world. The Internet brought free news and major newspapers saw
troubling financial times. Large publications decided to end print editions and go
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to solely online papers for small subscription fees. Other companies decided to
try hybrid publishing, where they would print some hard copy editions and the
rest would be available on the Internet. With a whole new world being available
on the World Wide Web, publications had a lot to decide in a short time if they
wanted to save their companies.

Lesson 4 History of Campus Journalism in the Philippines

The Philippine press was born and nurtured amidst a climate of political
reform. The early Philippine newspapers played critical role in the nation’s quest
for freedom and independence. Thus, the pantheon of our national heroes
include such journalists as Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce,
Antonio Luna, to name a few. Their writings inspired the Philippine revolution
against Spain, the first challenge by an Asian people against western colonials.

This nationalistic fervor is to be ingrained in the spirit of succeeding Filipino

journalists throughout our nation’s history. Perhaps equally dramatic as the
Propaganda Movement during the Spanish regime was the struggle of the so-
called alternative press during the Marcos regime, whose collective vision saw
fulfillment in the EDSA Poeple Power Revolution in 1986. The politicization or
conscientization of the Filipinos were fired up by journalists, many of whom were
women, who like their noble predecessors, risked their lives for freedom and
democracy.

The Philippine press is known as the freest and liveliest in Asia. Because of
the libertarian and free enterprise principles institutionalized by the American
colonizers, it essentially played a “watchdog” function and has often taken an
adversarial stance against government. The freedom enjoyed by Philippine press
(media), however, has become a double-edged sword. The press (media) began
to be criticized for being rambunctious and sensational. Being commercial in
nature, the press is dependent on advertising as its lifeblood.

The Philippine Press: Its Initial Pages

The first Philippine newspaper was established in 1811. Del Superior

Govierno was published with the Spanish Governor General himself as editor.
Its intended readers were the local Spaniards and therefore the content was
primarily news from Spain. The first daily newspaper, La Esperanza (1846),
also catered to the Spanish elite. It dealt with non-controversial subjects such as
religion, science, and history. The best edited newspaper, Diario de
Manila, was suppressed by the Governor General after 38 years of publication,
allegedly for inciting the Filipinos to rebel against the Spaniards. Meanwhile, the
first local publication was El Ilocano which started in 1893 while the first
publication for and by women, El Hogar was published in 1893.

The history of the free press in the Philippines has its roots in nationalistic
newspapers published in Europe and in the Philippines during the Spanish
colonial rule. The aim was to raise the level of consciousness with respect to
oppressive conditions prevailing in the country then. These newspapers were
mainly published and written by the so-called ilustrados.

Foremost among the nationalistic newspapers was the La Solidaridad,

the mouthpiece of the revolution and the fortnightly organ of the Propaganda
Movement. Published in Spain, it first appeared in 1889 with the policy “to work

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peacefully for social and economic reforms, to expose the real plight of the
Philippines, and to champion liberalism and democracy.”

Other newspapers which advocated for political reforms

included Kalayaan (Liberty), the only issue of which was published
1898. Kalayaan served as the official organ of the revolutionaries. La
Independencia (1898), was the most widely read newspaper of the revolution.
Other newspapers were La Libertad (1898), and El Heraldo de Iloilo (1898).

The use of the power of the pen by the early heroes proved the feasibility of
using non-violent strategies for social and political reforms, a lesson well
imbibed by Filipino journalists even today.

The American regime saw the introduction of new newspapers published

mostly by American journalists: The Manila Times (1898), The Bounding
Billow and Official Gazette (1898), Manila Daily Bulletin (1900), and
the Philippine Free Press (1908). Some of these publications are still with us
today. In 1920, The Philippine Herald, a pro-Filipino newspaper, came out.

Other nationalistic newspapers during the period did not last long due to
American suppression. Among these were El Nuevo Dia (The New
Day) published in Cebu and El Renacimiento. But the most popular among
the masa was the Tagalog newspaper Sakdal which attacked regressive taxes,
big government, and abusive capitalists and landlords — issues which remain
relevant today.

When World War II broke out, all publications except those used by the
Japanese were disbanded. Only theManila Tribune, Taliba, and La
Vanguardia were allowed to publish under regular censorship by the Japanese
Imperial Army. However, Filipinos during the period were not left without an
“alternative” media. Underground “newspapers”, mostly typewritten or
mimeographed, proliferated to provide the people with counter information.

The Golden Age of Philippine Journalism

The post-war era to pre-martial law period (1945-1972) is called the golden
age of Philippine journalism. The Philippine press began to be known as “the
freest in Asia.”

The press functioned as a real watchdog of the government, It was

sensitive to national issues and critical of government mistakes and abuses.
Among its practitioners were a clutch of scholarly, noble-minded writers and
editors — Mauro Mendez, Arsenio Lacson, Modesto Farolan, Leon Guerrero,
Armando Malay, S.P. Lopez, Jose Bautista, to name a few.

The press during the period was forced into a “marriage of convenience”
with large business enterprises and political groups. Most of the newspapers
were wholly or partly owned by large business complexes. Some newspapers
had control and interest in other media particularly radio and television.

In 1952, the National Press Club was organized “to promote cooperation
among journalists and uphold press freedom and the dignity of journalists.” In
1964, the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) was organized “to foster the
development and improvement of journalism in the country.”

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The Marcos Years: Controlled and Alternative Press

When martial law was declared on September 21, 1972, the first order
issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos was the “take over and control
of all privately owned newspapers, magazines, radio and television facilities and
all other media communications.” Editors and journalists were among the first to
be arrested and incarcerated in military prison camps. Of the pre-martial law
papers, only the Daily Express and Bulletin Today (Manila Bulletin) were
allowed to re-open. A new newspaper, Times Journal, was allowed to open one
month after the proclamation. These newspapers were later to be known as
“establishment press.”

As expected, the press during the martial law period was highly controlled.
Almost overnight, the print media changed its traditional adversary relationship
with the government to that of “cooperation.” Many journalists learned to
practice brinkmanship and even self-censorship in order to survive or avoid
direct confrontation with the regime.

To counter propaganda churned out by the pro-government private media

and the government’s own media infrastructure, the so-called alternative press
emerged in the 1980s. These were a handful of tabloid newspapers and some
radio stations which defied government instructions on how to handle news
stories (despite constant harassment and intimidations). Among these
publications and the people behind them were: the father and son team of Jose
Burgos who were behind the courageous tabloid WE Forum and its broadsheet
affiliate, Pahayagang Malaya; Felix Bautista and Melinda Q. de Jesus
edited Veritas; Raul and Leticia Locsin published Business Day (now Business
World); Eugenia D. Apostol and Leticia J. Magsanoc published and
edited Inquirer and Mr. and Ms. Magazine.

In addition to the alternative press, the people also opted for samizdat or
xerox journalism. These were news clippings, mostly from foreign publications,
censored for mass dissemination by the regime, which provided an accurate
reading of developments in the country. Many of these articles were written by
Filipinos working for the foreign news services.

The nationalistic fervor was also strongly manifested among the youth
through campus publications which have taken an activist stand on national
issues. Notable among them were the Philippine Collegian of UP-Diliman, Ang
Malaya of the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the
Philippines), Pandayan of Ateneo de Manila University, Ang Hasik of the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Balawis of Mapua Institute of
Technology.

Women journalists proved to be equally if not more daring than men in

their writing. Even the emergence of the so-called alternative press came about
essentially through the efforts of women editors and journalists. Several women
journalists were subjected to harassment, threats and intimidation by the
military. Among these courageous women journalists were Eugenia D. Apostol,
Betty Go-Belmonte, Letty Magsanoc, Arlene Babst, Ninez Cacho Olivares, Domini

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Torrevillas, Melinda de Jesus, Tina Monzon Palma, Malou Mangahas, Sheila
Coronel, and Ceres Doyo.

Among the outstanding heroes during the struggle against the Marcos
regime was Joaquin “Chino” Roces, publisher of the pre-martial law The Manila
Times and regarded as the Grand Old Man of Philippine journalism.

Newspapers Today: A Press in Transition

There are a total of 14 “national” daily broadsheets and 19 tabloids

published in Metro Manila (1998 Philippine Media Factbook). The combined
circulation of these newspapers is estimated to be only about 7 million, including
pass on readership, in a country of almost 75 million.

Of the 14 broadsheets, only two are in Filipino — Kabayan andNumero

Uno. Among the newspapers with biggest claimed daily circulation are Manila
Bulletin (280,000 on weekdays and 300,000 on Sundays), Philippine Daily
Inquirer,(260,000 and 280,000 respectively) and Philippine Star (271,687).

Tabloids, with an average cost of half the broadsheets enjoy a higher

circulation and seem to be preferred by readers in the C, D and E income
brackets. Tabloids are written in Taglish, a combination of English and Filipino
and have an entertainment gossip slant. The most popular tabloid
is Abante with a claimed circulation of 417,600. Another favorite is People’s
Journal with claimed circulation of 382,000.

There are also five Chinese broadsheets, all published in Binondo, Manila’s
Chinatown. These include Universal Daily News, China Times, World News,
United Daily News, and Chinese Commercial News.

Enjoying a “revival” are the provincial newspapers. The 1998 Philippine

Media Factbook reported that there are now 408 provincial publications
nationwide. Of this number, 30 are daily publications, 292 come out weekly, and
the rest are either monthly or quarterly publications. In the 1980s, there were
less than 10 provincial dailies located in the key cities. The immediate readership
of provincial newspapers is estimated at about 2,000 subscribers for each of the
publications. Assuming that each subscriber passes on the newspaper to at least
one person, there are a million Filipinos reached by the provincial dailies.

An important trend is the emergence of a chain of provincial newspapers

nationwide owned by a single corporation. An example is the Sun Star dailies
found in major cities nationwide such as Baguio, Angeles, Cebu, Iloilo,
Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Most of these provincial papers were
existing but not viable when bought by Sun Star. The acquisition has enabled
the new owners to infuse additional capital, acquire new printing equipment and
facilities, and hire more editorial staff. The result is significant improvement in
the editorial quality of most of these newspapers.. Some provincial dailies can
now compete with the so-called national (Metro Manila-based) dailies in terms of
editorial quality.

But the most popular reading fare in the country is still the
illustrated komiks. The Media factbook reported 46 komik titles published either
weekly or twice a week. Most of these feature drama-love story and horror.
Among the popular ones are Aliwan Lovelife, Beloved, True Horror, True
Ghost, Shocker, and Halimaw.
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 Another popular reading fare are the magazines. Of the 38 magazines listed
in the Media factbook, almost half are movie/fan magazines such as Gossip,
Glitter, Kislap, Hot Copy, Rumors and Moviestars.

The Good News

Perhaps because it gives priority on its watchdog function, newspaper

content tends to be dominated by government issues and events, inevitably
involving government officials a.k.a. politicians. This has resulted in frequent
misunderstanding between the “rulers” and the fourth estate. Government
officials often criticize newspapers for inaccurate and sloppy reporting and even
for having a “hidden agenda,” leading to the filing of multi-million libel cases
against editors and journalists. One major daily experienced advertising pullout
by advertisers sympathetic to a top national official who feel aggrieved by the
negative coverage he gets from the newspaper. The press regard negative
reportage as part of their “watchdog function” and consider libel suits (and ad
boycott) as serious threats to press freedom.

Newspaper pages have served as an effective forum for dialogue (and even
debate) on national and local issues — constitutional amendments or cha cha,
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), death penalty , among others. It has
succeeded in ventilating local issues into national consciousness such as the
agrarian problem of farmers from Sumilao and other places. Another good news
is the increasing number of investigative stories focusing on diverse issues —
graft and corruption in government (and business), environment, human rights,
agrarian and urban land reform, and the Marcos hidden wealth. Many of these
articles had led to investigations by Congress and other appropriate government
agencies. Investigative stories have significantly enhanced transparency in
governance and may have reduced if not prevented abuses and corruption. Many
of these stories are being written by journalists from the Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism.

Business and economics is given adequate coverage it deserves. Many

major business stories are given front page treatment while business sections of
most newspapers have been expanded both in terms of additional pages and
topics. Business stories are not only limited to news but now carry features
(including personalities), in-depth articles and in some newspapers, even
corporate “gossips.”

Likewise, there have been significant improvements in the coverage of

science and technology, agriculture, education, health and similar topics. Many
newspapers provide at least a page (or section) on these topics once a week.
The major dailies now have a weekly information technology (IT) page.

Although our so-called national dailies are still Manila-centric in terms of

content, there are now serious efforts to feature more diverse stories from the
regions beyond the traditional natural and man-made calamities. Sections or
pages are devoted to human interest stories from various regions of Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. Some major dailies such as the Philippine Daily
Inquirer has set up a full-time news bureau in major regions throughout the
country .

If our pages have improved in terms of their contents and appearances, this
can be partly attributed to continuing efforts towards professionalism in the
industry. These efforts can come from professional organizations and the
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academe. The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) conducts about a dozen training
courses each year on various aspects of newspaper publication — editorial,
management, and ethics. It also sponsors the annual Community Press Awards
which recognizes excellence among provincial newspapers. The Center for Media
Freedom and Responsibility focuses on the upgrading of professionalism and
responsibility of media workers through workshops and publications. In addition
to offering graduate degrees in journalism and communication management, the
Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) conducts short-term
training, media research, policy advocacy, and publications.

There are over 100 communication departments/colleges nationwide which

provide a ready source for media practitioners. However, the quality of their
curriculum, and therefore their graduates, may need improvement, a task which
requires partnership and support from the industry.

And Some Bad News

A common complaint against the press is its alleged tendency to

sensationalize and to focus on or foment conflict situations. Sensationalism is
defined as exaggerating an non-issue/event or a “minor” one so as to create a
startling or scandalous effect.

Critics say that the press resort to this unwritten “editorial policy” in order
to “sell” or increase circulation and of course, attract more advertisers.

A related concern is the lack of follow-up stories. Newspapers (and media in

general) do not display the same tenacity that can uncover a Watergate scandal.
Journalists have such short memories that there is little or no follow-through of
heretofore major stories.

Journalists themselves acknowledge that one of their serious problems is

“envelopmental journalism” practiced by some of their colleagues. This refers to
envelopes with some money distributed to journalists in return for a favor — a
positive media coverage or an end to negative publicity. Some unscrupulous
journalists have shifted to ATM cards to make the transaction less obvious.

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) has adopted the Journalists Code of
Ethics. The Code provides, among others that the journalists must “adhere to
scrupulous” reporting or interpretation of news, not to suppress essential facts
or distort the trust by improper omission or emphasis.” But adherence to the
Code is voluntary and at best imposed through the ombudsman and press
council system. There is a need to improve the mechanisms for both.

The other issues often raised focused on the quality of newspaper coverage
of specific sectors — women, children, cultural communities, among others.

Women and child rights advocates have noted a significant increase in the
coverage of women’s and children’s issues over the past decade. While this has
succeeded in integrating such issues into the mainstream of national agenda,
they also lament the tendency of mass media, including newspapers, to prefer
stories which easily lend to a sensational and controversial slant — child abuse,
prostitution, child labor, and similar stories. On the other hand, equally
important but less controversial stories on malnutrition, lack of access to pre-
school and primary health care still need wider and more sustained coverage.

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 A related concern is the quality of coverage on women as they are
portrayed as weaker sex and sex objects. Tabloids have been singled out for
splashing scantily-dressed “starlets” in provocative poses in their front pages as
a marketing strategy. Respect for privacy and dignity of women and children
have often been raised, especially in abuse cases. A Guideline on the Coverage
of Crimes Against Women and Minors prepared by the Center for Media Freedom
and Responsibility has been distributed to newspapers to help ensure a more
gender-sensitive newspaper reporting. Likewise, the Department of Justice
prepared a Guideline for Media Coverage of Children.

Although regional news stories have increased, media coverage of the

country’s 120 ethnic groups and cultural communities are still wanting. The
limited coverage tend to focus on conflict situations (tribal wars), calamities,
drought and hunger, etc. Stories about their way of life is almost nil although
there is a continuing attempt at preservation of their dances, songs and
ethnographic materials. The more “visible” cultural communities like the Igorots
and various Muslim tribes are most apt to be stereotyped (e.g. tattooed Igorots
and fierce-tempered Muslim tribes).

From the Underwood to Computer Age: Challenges for the Print Media

How are newspapers coping with the advent of new information technology?
Most of our national dailies have integrated computers in their operations. Some
are now automated — from news sourcing and gathering, editing, layout and
design to production. Among the highly automated newspapers are Business
World, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin. Most of the daily
newspapers are also on-line, reaching even people who would not normally read
the printed page.

Using computers require continuing retooling among editors, journalists and

the production people. Some jobs may eventually have to be phased out as
machines take over the work to be done e.g. paste up. Some veteran journalists
admit difficulty in adjusting as they miss the sounds of the typewriters. But even
some new journalism graduates are not fully equipped with the tools of the
computer age. Many journalism departments or schools lack electronic
laboratories to prepare their students with desktop editorial skills.

Many provincial newspapers are still in the “Underwood (or Remington)

age.” Only the bigger provincial dailies such as the Sun Star chain, The
Freeman, Visayan Daily Star, to name a few, have access to more advanced
technologies.

Will newspapers be eventually replaced by television and other new media

(e.g., cable TV and Internet) as main source of news?

Not necessarily, according to the World Trends in the Newspaper

Industry as reported in a national daily recently. The report noted that
newspapers have a number of advantages: (1) strong relationship with readers
and advertisers, and (2) high degree of credibility. Online services are regarded
not as replacement but as a supplement to newspapers.

Even the threat of advertisers transferring to the web is still quite remote in
the Philippines considering the small population of Internet users in the
Philippines. It is estimated that our Internet base user is only 80,000 with a

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possible multiplying factor of four. This brings the total Internet user base to
320,000. However, the annual growth rate of Internet users is at 30 percent.

But the newspaper industry will continue to compete with television, cable
TV, radio and other media channels for advertising revenue. This would require
more creative news packaging amidst threats of declining readers in favor of the
visual media.

Assessment

Instruction: There will be a 30-point quiz on the introduction of journalism to

the history of journalism. It will be administered at the LMS.

Lesson 5 Journalistic Working Process

Journalism is all about the story. Finding the right topic to write about is
the first step along the journey. You have to decide what topic you want to write
about and choose your story from there. It has to be something factual and
something you can find information to base your words off of. Once the topic is
selected, you can narrow it down to a location or even a specific person if
needed.
After you have your story selected, you have to set out a plan and
agenda. It is important not to procrastinate as the story is not going to write
itself. Implementing a detailed agenda and incorporating all of the things you
need to do for the writing process will not only help keep you organized in the
process, but it will also prevent you from skipping any important steps needed
along the way.
Gathering information is the next step in the journalistic working process.
This can also be one of the most fun parts for the reporter as it can include
interviews, research, investigating, etc. Whatever information you need to add
subject matter to your story, do it! If it involves conducting interviews, contact
whoever you can to plan them ahead of time just to save everyone involved time
and distress. When performing research, use any sources you can think of
including books, internet, or people. Show the world why you want to write the
story and why you have what it takes.
After compiling all of the data needed, it comes time to actually write your
content. Set aside some time and actually focus on writing everything. Do
whatever it takes to write in the best way you write. This could mean you blast
music as loud as you possibly can or you sit in complete silence. Writing the
main content of the story is part where you showcase your personality and
talent, so do not hold anything back.
The final step in the working process is editing. Some journalists edit their
work themselves while others have friends, family, or fellow journalists help out.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you go over your work again and again
until you are comfortable that everything is good to submit to your publisher or
online. If it is, you have just completed your story!

Lesson 6 Scope of Journalism

In this lesson, we will be having an e-discussion. Be guided by the
concepts written below.

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 Media encompasses a wide range of areas in the news world, including
print, broadcasting, and Internet. Journalism is actively a part of each and every
one of these capacities, helping bring information to the public. The focus of the
news media is to distribute news to society by means of mass media. With times
evolving, we have many capabilities to do this now.
Journalism may be divided into three areas: written, oral, and visual
• Periodicals such as newspapers and magazines fall under written
journalism. A periodical, defined broadly, is a publication that comes out at
regular intervals – daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly,
annually, etc.
• A newspaper, compared to a magazine, prints more news, has no special
cover, and is printed on a special paper called newsprint. News is printed on the
front page as well as on
the inside and back pages.
• A magazine, on the other hand, prints more features and human interest
stories, has a special cover usually with a big cut on it, and is often printed on
bookpaper. If ever news is printed, it is brief, featurized, and found in the inside
pages.
• Periodicals, brochures, journals, books, and graphic arts are classified
under print media. Radio falls under oral journalism, while television, movies,
and documentaries are under visual journalism.
• Radio and television are examples of broadcast media while movies and
documentaries are examples of film media.

Mass Media Components Compared

Even the average person who has not studied sociology would
know instinctively the importance of communication in society.
Communication is the fabric that holds society together.
Society is a consensus among people – they agree on certain norms
and rules of behavior that govern their living together. Without
consensus, there would be no society but anarchy.
To achieve consensus, people must be able to communicate to each
other their wants and desires, their attitudes and ideas. This power to
communicate is what makes man superior to animals.
- Crispin C. Maslog

PRINT
Advantages
1. It can be read and studied at leisure
2. Information is usually definite and well-organized.
3. It is contains more detailed information, hence facilitates
deeper understanding of the topic.
4. Can be compiled for future reference
5. It has a multiplier effect
6. In general, people have confidence in the printed word.

Disadvantages

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 1. Print materials may not be suitable for people with limited education,
those who could barely read or write.
2. Print materials may include information designed for general audience
which may not suit local conditions.
3. Print media is the most impersonal of all media, allowing very little
opportunity for feedback and interaction with those who have designed
the message and the reader
4. Publications need frequent revision and publication process can be very
long.

RADIO
Advantages

1. It reaches more people at the same time.

2. It is inexpensive and can be taken anywhere. Therefore, it is useful in
transmitting emergency information.
3. Radio allows busy listeners to continue their work while doing something
else.
4. Radio is the most popular and affordable medium in the countryside.
5. So far, nothing has surpassed the ability of radio to influence listeners,
particularly in the rural areas, regardless of educational background.

Disadvantages

1. Broadcast facilities are not easily available.

2. Radio is largely patronized for entertainment value rather than for its
educational value.
3. It is difficult to check on results. Most radio stations don’t bother to
conduct listenership studies to determine if their programming really
made an impact on their intended audiences.
4. Radio messages are transient in nature, the listener has very little
opportunity to check up on what was said. This causes a lot of
miscommunication, which can snowball into more serious consequences
specially with regard to controversial issues.

TELEVISION AND VIDEO

Advantages

1. TV comes closest to face-to-face discussion and is,

therefore the most “personal” of the three media.
2. Like radio, it is far-reaching and can reach various
audiences in various locations simultaneously.
3. TV and video are highly visual, this undeniably increases comprehension
and retention.
4. Video can be used to show complex processes in easy-to-follow sequence.

Disadvantages

1. TV and video is very expensive. Equipment as well as production costs

remain high. Moreover, television sets and video equipment are usually
inaccessible in rural areas.
2. Like radio, TV and video lose their educational potential to entertainment
programs.

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ONLINE/DIGITAL JOURNALISM

When content is circulated by means of the Internet, it is considered

digital journalism. This form of journalism assures lesser circulation costs, fewer
obstacles to enter to overall market, and a larger amount of resourcefulness in
the hands of the media team. Digital journalism began in the 1970s with teletext
and eventually became one of the top leading forms of journalism today. By
2008, the majority of Americans receive their news from the Internet over
newspapers, especially youth.
Digital journalism has given audiences an opportunity to develop singular
interests and has opened up new ways of writing. Most websites are interactive,
allowing the readers to network and establish relationships with each other
based on common interests, as well as discuss whatever topics are being
published. It allows reporters to provide quick updates on events happening in
the area that would normally have to wait until the next day to be printed.
With the growth of digital journalism, publications have been creating
their own websites and spaces as a part of the World Wide Web. As either free
or inexpensive, many journalists and writers can make themselves known. The
impact that the Internet has had on journalism as a whole has been beyond
expectations and it continues to lead the way for the future.

Lesson 7 Principles of Journalism

Journalistic Ethics and Standards

After many years of having to handle various ethical dilemmas or conflicts
of interests, many journalistic codes of ethics were established worldwide. There
are some common principles which help provide journalists with a structure to
follow for self-regulation. Created by journalists and publications together, they
help protect not only the writers, but the companies and the sources as well.

1. Truth and Accuracy

It is a journalist's top priority to report and write the truth. This is the
reason why truthfulness and accuracy make up one of the most important
standards in the code of ethics. Reporters are always anticipated to look for
trustworthy sources and to be as accurate as they possibly can with the size of
the project given to them. When editors come across different errors, it is
important for the writers to correct them in the most accurate and true way
possible. Most journalists fact-check alongside another employee or writer to
help verify everything is in line before submitting to the editor as well.
When reporting on crimes or incidents, it is very important that journalists
remember to consider that those under trial or being regarded as suspects are
always innocent until proven guilty. If this is not followed, there is the possibility
of wrongful conviction. The best word reporters use in this incident is "allegedly",
until sentencing. Afterwards, the crimes can then be reported as fact.
A basic rule journalists follow is when there is two or more individual
witnesses of an event, it can be reported as fact. If there is only one witness,
the event is conveyed with acknowledgment to the witness. This also goes for
controversial facts.

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2. Limitation of Harm
The Harm Limitation principle is vital to the world of journalism and deals
with whether or not things that are learned should be reported, and how. A
reporter often goes through many great lengths to get their information
including carrying out interviews, performing background checks, recording
sound bites, videotaping, and even taking photographs. It is up to them to
decide how exactly to report that information and if it is ethical to do so. Full
disclosure sometimes means negative consequences, so occasionally the
principle of limitation can create an ethical dilemma for journalists as well.
There are specific guidelines that journalists follow to ensure their limiting
harm done to their sources. They include being sensitive when in search of or
even using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy. It is
important to show empathy for those who may be negatively affected by news
coverage. When dealing with children or inexperienced sources, it is vital to use
unique compassion and be vigilant about revealing their identities, as well as
victims of sex crimes. It is also imperative to be extra cautious when handling
criminal suspects, avoiding naming them before the filing of charges and trying
to balance the suspect's fair trial rights with the right to inform the public.

3. Accountability
Regardless of the situation or piece, all journalists need to be accountable
for their work. They are responsible to their readers, viewers, listeners, and each
other. There are several things writers can do in order to ensure they are
holding themselves to this code to the fullest. Firstly, they not only need to
admit their mistakes, but they should correct them in a prompt manner.
Journalists can also explain and describe different news coverage, inviting
dialogue with the public and encouraging them to voice their criticisms. They can
live by the exact same principles that they hold others to and expose any
unethical practices they witness or hear of.

4. Objectivity and Impartiality

Great journalists know to stay away from any conflicts of interest and act
independently. Doing the opposite can compromise the integrity of their work
and eventually damage their credibility or career. The main focus of the job is
the public's right to know the truth.
Although it may be difficult at first, journalists need to decline all gifts,
favors, and special treatment if it compromises journalistic integrity. This also
includes political involvement and public office offers as well. Bidding for news
and sources offering information in return for money or favors is on the same
terms as this and ethically frowned upon. Journalists should resist the pressure
from advertisers and special interest companies when trying to influence certain
news coverage. This could involve gifts or favors in order to sway views.

5. Considering Slander and Libel

Libel, or written defamation of character, is something journalists need to
stay away from. It can completely damage the reputation of the writer and the
publication they work for. Most companies do have libel insurance to cover their

16
writers in order to wholly defend them against lawsuits. If a journalist sticks with
reporting the truth, they can easily avoid libel or slander.
Regardless of the guidelines set forth by pioneering journalists, there are
instances where the codes and principles are not followed. When this happens,
major implications are faced, like loss of reputation or even careers. The two
most common complaints when it comes to breaking the journalistic codes of
ethics are involving media bias and sensationalism.

6. Media bias
Media bias is when the media shows favoritism in the selection of events
and stories. This is in regards to how the stories are reported or covered. There
are several watchdog groups internationally that help detect and report media
bias in order to keep it out of the industry.

7. Sensationalism
When journalists over-hype their stories in the hopes to get more viewers
or advertising numbers, this is called sensationalism. There are numerous tactics
to do this, like failing to reporting certain elements of the truth, purposely being
controversial, engaging emotions, acting out to gain attention, or even
intentionally being dull-witted.
Sensationalism was seen all the way back in the Ancient Roman times in
the Acta Diurna, as well as a teaching mechanism for moral lessons in the 16th
and 17th centuries. It began as a way to bring the news to those in the lower
classes who did not have much of a need to fully understand politics and
economy. It actually encouraged them to further educate themselves and take
more interest in the news, causing the news to hit more of an audience.

Self-assessment

Instruction: The following are some of the attitudes that a journalist must
have. Define each word in relation to the function of a journalist. You may base
your explanations on the readings above.

Word Description
1. Inquisitive

2. Creative

3. Resourceful

4. Observant

5. Objective

Journalists’ Code of Ethics

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1. I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress
essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I
recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive
errors promptly.
2. I shall not violate confidential information on material given me in the
exercise of my calling.
3. I shall resort only to fair and honest methods in my effort to obtain news,
photographs and/or documents, and shall properly identify myself as a
representative of the press when obtaining any personal interview intended
for publication.
4. I shall refrain from writing reports which will adversely affect a private
reputation unless the public interests justifies it. At the same time, I shall
write vigorously for public access to information, as provided for in the
constitution.
5. I shall not let personal motives or interests influence me in the performance
of my duties; nor shall I accept or offer any present, gift or other
consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on my professional integrity.
6. I shall not commit any act of plagiarism.
7. I shall not in any manner ridicule, cast aspersions on or degrade any person
by reason of sex, creed, religious belief, political conviction, cultural and
ethnic origin.
8. I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven
otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors, and women
involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in
society.
9. I shall not take unfair advantage of a fellow journalist.
10. I shall accept only such tasks as are compatible with the integrity and
dignity of my profession, invoking the "conscience clause" when duties
imposed on me conflict with the voice of my conscience.
11. I shall comport myself in public or while performing my duties as journalist in
such manner as to maintain the dignity of my profession. When in doubt,
decency should be my watchword.

-Approved by the Philippines Press Institute and the National Press Club in 1988

Campus Journalism Act

Pursuant to Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7079, otherwise known as the

“Campus Journalism Act of 1991”, the Department of Education, Culture and
Sports, in coordination with the officers of the national elementary, secondary
and tertiary organizations or official advisers of student publications, together
with student journalists at the tertiary level, existing organizations of student
journalists, and representatives of public and private schools management,
hereby promulgates the rules and regulations necessary for the effective
implementation of the said Act.

Declaration of Principles: Aims of Student Journalists

The International Student Press Conference, considering

*That journalism plays one of the most essential roles in the life of man,
i.e. the expression of thinking;

*that student journalism as a means of expressing thought tends to

strengthen unity, understanding and friendship among all the students
of the world;
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 *that through a mandate of the press conference, it is the duty of the
student press to take a position on current problems based on the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on the Charter of the
Student Press;

*that in order to define the responsibility of the student press in a

Code of Ethics, it is necessary first of all to establish the duties and
obligations of the student journalist and make a declaration of
principles containing the aims and objectives to be implemented by
the student press, resolves to declare as fundamental principles to be
implemented by the student journalists the following:

1. Culture: Student journalism must be a means of propagating culture

in all its forms;

2. Freedom of the Press: it is necessary in order to insure the very

existence of journalism that full freedom of the press exists in the
country in which student publications are issued because the freedom
of the press exactly reflects the liberty of opinion and expression in
any democratic country;

3. Freedom of Culture: As the exchange of ideas and opinions is an

effective means of obtaining understanding between all students of the
world it is indispensable for such understanding that all men have full
freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

4. Totalitarianism, Colonialism, Imperialism: Student journalists should

pursue and condemn totalitarianism, colonialism, and imperialism in all
their forms as these are systems opposed to the highest aspirations of
students around the world;

5. Student Dignity: Student journalism, recognizing its responsibility

as a medium of expression and orientation, declares that it will try
to be effective in favor of student and human rights in accordance
with various resolutions of the International Student Press Conference
which says that:

“… all people should have access to an education enabling them

to realize their full potentialities and available equally to all
without regard for color, economic circumstances, sex, political
or religious convictions and social standing; that all people
should be free to develop their educational systems in keeping
with their own culture and traditions.”

Duties and Responsibilities of a Publication Staff

A journalist (also called a newspaper man) is a person who practices

journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current issues.

Chief Editor: Editor is the key head who ensures consistency and continuity of
the newspaper or magazine.

Associate Editor: Would direct the preparation of a section of the newspaper or

magazine.

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Managing Editor: Sorting the contents of the material to be printed, rewriting
articles to ensure that they fit into the assigned space, improving the language
and giving appropriate and attractive headlines will be his job.
Section Editors
News Editor – assigned the reporter to cover events relevant to the school
activities he/she writes news articles on assignment from the chief editor or
through his/her own initiative in consultation.
Filipino Editor – this is an optional staff function or position, nonetheless, his/her
prime job is to write the editorial of the Filipino section.
Feature Editor – gives out assignments to feature writers.
Exchange Editor – makes up a list of school papers sent by other school.
Layout Section Editors – assigned to cause the assignment of the school’s official
photographer to take pictures on school’s activities for the month or for a
specified time.
The Reporters – the life of contents depends on the skills of the reporters. They
secure the cold and raw facts of an assigned event and write articles out of the
same.
Assignment

Instruction: Make a propaganda on how to become a principled campus

journalist. Be guided by the rubric in the Course Guide. You may write your plan
below.
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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CHAPTER 2

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 THE PRINT MEDIA

This chapter is about the pre-writing concerns in campus journalism. It

tells about the sections of a campus paper, researching about topics to be
written for the campus paper, interviewing from sources, and producing a story
pitch.
At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. describe the various sections of the Campus Paper;

b. identify how to choose a topic for writing and publishing in the Campus
Paper;

c. produce a story pitch – in video –

applying strategies in choosing a topic and researching while using ICT tools;

d. quote sources for Campus Paper articles through ICT tools;

e. trace the print media process from choosing a topic to publishing the
article; and
f. display a caring attitude and social responsibility in one’s story pitch.

PRINT MEDIUM: An Overview

In many books, the history of printing begins in Europe little

more than 500 years ago. But printing is much older and
really began in Asia.

The Chinese had developed the basics of printing more than

1800 years ago. By then they had the three things needed for printing: paper,

21
ink, and text carved in relief – that is, the drawings and word-characters carved
on stones.

After many years came Johannes Gutenberg, the man who probably
invented movable type in Europe about 1480. The great advantage of this type,
over any previous kinds, was that it could be cast easily and quickly, in letters of
different widths and heights, using a simple hand mold and a metal that melted
at a low temperature. He combined this type with a special kind of ink and a
printing press molded on the wine presses of his time. All of a sudden it was
possible to make hundreds of identical copies of a book or other manuscripts,
and do it relatively quickly.

From that time, printing spread rapidly across Europe and revolutionized
the growth of knowledge. For almost 300 years the technology remained almost
unchanged. The new kinds of presses were developed, built of metal and
eventually run on steam and then electric power. But Gutenberg and the
printers who followed him are all part of a line of history that stretches back a
thousand years earlier to Asia.

Printing Press

The printing press makes it possible to produce hundreds, thousands and

even hundred of thousands of identical copies of a publication quickly and
economically. The spread of research results depends greatly on printing press.
Two basic kinds of printing methods used today are: letterpress and offset
lithography.

Letterpress is the traditional form of printing that works like a rubber

stamp. The surfaces to be printed are higher than the parts that are not to be
printed. Ink is rolled on the raised portions. Then paper is pressed against
them. The ink leaves on the paper an impression of the characters or
illustrations. Then the raised portion is inked again, and the process is
repeated.

Letterpress is one of the oldest printing methods that is still being used
today by most community newspapers in the Philippines.

Offset Lithography. Modern lithographers no longer use stones. They

print with thin plates that may be made of metal, plastic or paper. Nor do they
use crayons. The plates they use are specially treated with chemicals that are
sensitive to light. The printing image is laced on them by photography.
The first step is to create a perfect copy (camera-ready copy) of the words
or any illustrations that are to be printed. This is photographed in a special large
camera that produces a negative the same size as the image to be printed. This
negative is pressed tightly against a blank printing plate in another machine and
exposed to bright light. The image then appears on the printing plate; on it
areas that are light will accept water which repels ink, areas that are dark will
repel water and accept ink. This process is used in making metal plates.
Plates of specially treated paper can be made more simply in a machine that
operates like an ordinary office photocopier.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The invention of the process of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg (1398-

1468) increased the number of books and made
22 them available for the emerging middle
class. Movable type allowed molds of alphabet character to be rearranged to form any
message desired.

*Note: Prior to that time, books were handwritten and very time-consuming to produce.
Hence, reading materials were scarce and limited to those in the elite culture. Also,
Lesson 1 Types of Publication

1. Manual – a comprehensive guidebook or “how-to” publication.

It usually comes with new appliances. Manuals for laboratory
classes also serve as guidebooks for students.
2. Booklet – small book, consists of around 20 pages and joined
at the spine. It usually talks about a single topic or theme.
3. Newsletter – a publication, of several pages, released
regularly for a group of people engaged in a similar
work/community.
4. Newspaper – a regular publication, of several pages, released for a general
audience containing news and current events.
5. Leaflet – single sheet, folded, that tells about one main topic or subject
matter. It is highly illustrated. It is largely to inform.
6. Brochures – single sheet, usually folded that tells about an organization. It is
largely to promote.
7. Fact sheet – a printed single sheet, not folded containing useful information
or instruction about a specific subject matter.
8. Photo novel – comics format containing a story told both in pictures and
words.

Lesson 2 Sections of a Campus Paper

Whether it is a community, metropolitan, or national paper, its parts and

sections are more or less the same.

Traditionally, these are:

A. Front Page
1. Local news – news that takes place within the country.

2. Foreign news – news that takes place outside the country.

3. Dateline news – an out-of-town news story. It is introduced by a dateline

which states the place from which the story was reported, the date, and the
source of the material if not written by the local staff, as Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 25
(AP).

4. Weather news – usually a boxed forecast of the area, sometimes the

temperature, wind directions, and velocities.

5. Index – a slug line indicating an important inside page story and the page
where it is found.

6. Other things found on the Front Page: (Those with asterisk may or may not
be present).
a.Nameplate – The engraved or printed name of the newspaper, as the
Manila Times or PNC Torch.
b. Ears – The little boxes on either side of the nameplate.
c. Banner – The principal headline bearing the boldest and biggest type.
It is the title of the most important news of the day which is called
banner news. It may or may not run across the page. It id does, it may
also be called a streamer.

23
 d. Running head – a head made up of two or more lines.
e.Headline – The title of any news story. The word headline is used only
for titles of news stories.
f. Deck – a subordinate headline placed immediately below its mother
headline, also known as bank or readout.
g. Lead – The beginning of a news story. It may be a word, a group of
words, a sentence, or even a paragraph.
h. News story – The whole story of an event composed of the lead and
the text which is the elaboration of the lead.
i. Columns – The horizontal division into parts of a newspaper. Many
national papers are divided into eight columns while a typical school
paper is divided into five columns of 12 ems each.
j. Column rule – The vertical line that divides the page into columns.
Most pages of newspaper are divided into columns by a space usually
one em wide. This space is called the sunken rule.
k.Fold – The imaginary horizontal line that divides the newspaper equally
into two parts.
l. Byline – The signature of a reporter preceding a news-feature, as
By Warren Cruz.
m. Box – News materials enclosed by line rules.
n. Cut – A metal plate bearing a newspaper’s illustration, also known
as cliché.
o.Cutline – The text accompanying photos and other art work, better
known as a caption. If written above the photo just like a slugline, it is
called an overline.
p. Kicker – A tagline placed above but smaller than a headline, also
known as teaser. If it is bigger than the headline, it is called a hammer.
q. Credit line – A line giving the source of story or illustration, as
Reprinted from the “Manila Times” or Photo by MPI.
B. Front Page
1. Folio – Consists of the page number, date of publication, and
name of the newspaper, usually written on top of the page. This
is also found in the other pages.
2. Masthead – The editorial box containing the logo, names of the
staff members and position in the staff, subscription rate, the
publisher, and other pertinent data about the newspaper. A logo
(a shorter word for logotype) is a cut which contains an
identifying word or words, such as the name of the newspaper or
of a section.
3. Editorial proper – A commentary written by any of the editors
who comments or gives the opinion of the staff or of the whole
paper on various subjects. It is the stand of the paper.
4. Editorial column - A personal opinion written by the columnist
himself or herself. Like the editorial proper, it may attack, teach,
entertain, or appeal depending upon its purpose.
5. Editorial cartoon – Usually a caricature emphasizing a simple
point. Usually humorous, it has the function of the editorial. It
stands by itself and is not a complement of the editorial proper.

24
 6. Editorial liner – a short statement or quoted saying placed at the
end of an editorial column or editorial to drive home a message.
7. Letter to the editor – A letter sent in by the reader giving his
personal views on certain aspects.

C. Sports Page
Sports stories are classified as news stories; therefore, what may be
found in the news page may also be found in the sports section. Other
things that may be found in the sports section are the sports
commentaries and sports features.

D. Special Features
The modern newspaper has taken some special features and eliminated
some which have become irrelevant to the needs of the times. An
example of this is the
 Society page
 Life and Leisure (The arts, Religion, Entertainment and Comics)
and
 Finance and Business
 The feature page may contain home and culture,
entertainment, comics, shipping, classified ads, movie, TV and
radio guides, and the comics page.

Assessment

Instruction: There will be a quiz on types of publication, and parts of a section

paper. It will be administered at the LMS.

Lesson 3 Going About Writing for Newspapers

Skills needed for effective interpersonal communication:

1. MINDFULNESS. Presence of mind.

- must be able to respond to specific situations
- Consider appropriate alternative responses and be able to detect “cues”
which behavior will be effective or not.
2. CULTURAL SENSITIVITY.
- respect one’s culture/ awareness and respect to existing practices, values,
beliefs and traditions.
- Be aware of differences so that you will know what you are going to say.
3. FLEXIBILITY. Be flexible for possible changes in setting and questions.
4. COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE.
a. openness. To disclose yourself
b. empathy. The ability of one person to know what another is experiencing
at any given moment.
To achieve empathy, you should:

- resist the temptation of evaluating, judging, criticizing, focus on

understanding.
- Try to experience what the other person is feeling from his point of view.
5. SUPPORTIVENESS. Willingness to listen, listen to both sides, to opposing
views. Express complimentary statements
6. EQUALITY. Everyone should be given the chance to speak up.
7. CONFIDENCE. An effective communicator should show social confidence
where his anxiety is not readily perceived.
25
8. IMMEDIACY. Refers to a joint statement of the speaker and the audience
creating a sense of togetherness or oneness.
9. META COMMUNICATION ABILITY. Ability to express what we think or feel
without being boastful.

How Do I Gather Information?

Since news should be timely and informative, gathering news and

information is considered much more difficult than writing them down. Largely,
all written news items should be based on primary sources, which include
experts. Hence, interviews are crucial for news writing. Experts will include
those who have earned academic degrees, or even those who have earned their
knowledge through years of experience, eye witnesses, community leaders, and
many more.

Secondary sources too, can become sources of information,

although in news writing, they only serve to supplement interviews, and news
articles, based on secondary sources defeats the “immediacy” and “newness”
feature of news. Remember that, yesterday’s news is today’s garbage. Hence,
if we just re-write information from books, reference materials or newspapers,
we are not writing news (take note of the first three letters of the word news).
However, if there are updates on the field being covered, such may be included
although primary sources still have to be interviewed of extreme importance.
Example, all along, we have been taught that Pluto is the farthest planet away
from the sun, however, this no longer holds true. In order to write a news item
out of this information, we have to interview a scientist who have been involved
in this discovery and may be use secondary information from books to set off
our topic.

An interview is said to be a “conversation with a purpose”. There are

two types of interviews: a) Man-On-The-Street interviews – interviewing one
or two questions to a number of people. This is appropriate when we want to
ask the community about their thoughts on a government project for example or
opinion on a statement issued by an actress etc. b) Expert Interview –
interviewing one person and asking a series of questions, discussing the topic in
full detail.

Guidelines in Conducting an Interview

Setting the Interview Date:

1. Properly introduce yourself and explain in the best way you can the
purpose of what you are doing.
2. Ask if he is willing to be interviewed.
3. Set a schedule personally if possible. Make yourself available at the
time and date given by the expert.
Before the Interview:
1. Dress appropriately.
2. Arrive on time. Better yet, arrive 5-10 minutes before the set time.

During the Interview:

1. Properly introduce yourself to the individual before starting the
interview. Make a good impression.
2. Ask permission before taking down notes or recording.

26
 3. Put respondents at ease before starting the interview. Ask easier
questions first and observe rational sequencing of questions
4. Interviewers should be familiar with the local dialect
5. Probe for more details if one does not fully understand the local
situation.
6. Do not ask questions simultaneously. Ask one question at a time.
7. Do not ask for information that you could avail yourself of in secondary
sources.
8. When asking structured questions, be sure to follow it up, in order to get
the details.
9. Use indirect questions for sensitive aspects. E.g. ownership, income,
disability, age, marital status.
10. Show genuine interest – nod, smile, and be courteous.
11. Be conscious about the time spent for the interview. Do not abuse your
interviewee’s hospitability.
12. Observe the interviewee’s non-verbal gestures. They may indicate
uncertainty or avoidance of questions.
13. Aside from your list of guide questions, do an on-the-spot probing
questions using the six “helpers” namely: who, what, why, when, where,
how.
14. Pay attention to local terms which may have particular meanings.
15. Clarify whether the interviewee is answering for himself or for a certain
group.
16. Inform the interviewee that you are to ask the last question. After
he/she had finished answering your last question. Ask him if he would
like to add anything else.
17. Thank the interviewee for his time.

What do you do when the interviewee is:

1. Beating around the bush? Try to be more specific or rephrase your

questions.
2. When the interviewee gets awkward, stammers, etc? Rephrase or change
your question.
3. The interviewee answers curtly, yes and no, only? – follow up your
questions, ask for examples etc.

How to establish rapport:

1. find a common bond of interest

2. show genuine interest
3. ask open questions
4. try to be an interesting and worthwhile person.

Kinds of Questions:

1. Close/structured. Questions to be answered by yes or no.

2. Open/unstructured.

Self-assessment

Instruction: Make a progress chart for the sequence of writing a news story.

27
Assignment

Instruction: Pitch a news story in video form, using technology tools. Be guided
by the process in writing a news story, and read the rubric for news story
pitching in the Course Guide. You may write the sequence of the events below.

CHAPTER 3

News Writing

This chapter is about news writing. It deals with the essentials of news,
elements of news, types of news, parts of news, and sources and citations in
news writing.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. trace the different sources and process of news topics and events;
b. discuss the elements of news and principles of journalism which should be
present in articles;
c. identify the Inverted Pyramid as a structure in writing news articles;
d. recognize the different types of news according to area, topic, and
heaviness;
e. recognize the lead, its function and its types as an important part of the
news article;
28
f. write a news article using ICT tools applying the principles, structure, and
strategies shared;
and
g. appreciate tact, courtesy, truthfulness, and respect in writing a campus
news article.

Lesson 1 Elements of a Newspaper

1. Conflict - involves physical or mental conflicts e.g athletics, olympics.

2. Immediacy/Timeliness – new issues or updates on an earlier story
3. Prominence –importance of the subject of the news. People who figure in
the news do so because they are either famous or notorious.
4. Proximity or nearness – may refer to the geographical proximity or
psychological proximity – like kinship
5. Significance, Impact or Consequence – people are interested in issues or
events that directly or indirectly affect them. Ex. Oil price
hike
6. Suspense - Unexpected turn of events generate interest
in issues like sports, elections etc.
7. Human Interest - May include stories appealing to the
emotion. Human drama, stories about children or
accounts of ordinary people and their extraordinary life stories will be
likely to be read because people can relate to them. They add color, the
more dramatic the actions are, the more appealing.
8. Oddity or novelty – news about unusual events, persons, objects, places
or anything unique, original is always interesting.
9. Romance and Adventure – may be experienced with other things
10. Gender– stories on sex is usually related to stories of romance, marriage,
divorce etc.
11. Progress – development oriented and may include numbers – scores,
statistics, election scores.
12. Humor – People like to find reasons to laugh. People try to find the lighter
side of things, if only to escape the seriousness of life.
13. Animals – Stories of animals, especially those with talents are good
reading matter because of their human-interest value.
14. Number – Sweepstakes numbers, vital statistics, election results, scores
in games, casualties, fatalities, price of goods, and ages of women make
good news.
15. Emotion – All the other elements of news mentioned above appeal to
the emotion. But the term emotion here includes the various human
responses such as the innate desire for food, clothing, shelter; the
universal interest in children, animals, and nature; and the natural feeling
of love, sympathy and generosity, of fear, hatred, and jealousy.

Qualities of a Good News Story

29
 A good journalist is one who knows he has a duty to report the facts in the
best possible way. A good news story is one that:

1. is accurate and objective – Information in news should be factual; it should

not be the figment of anyone’s imagination. Committing errors destroys
the integrity of the paper and of the writer.
2. has and interesting appeal – A good news writer should be able to identify
an angle that people will find interesting and significant.
3. is balanced – a writer has to consult many sources, from both sides of the
issue
4. is clear and concise, and; - use few words as possible
5. is generally done out of good judgment

Lesson 2 Types of News Stories

For this lesson, we will be having an E-discussion paired with reading the
module.
News stories may fall under the following types according to:

1. Scope or origin

-Local News – report of events that take place within the immediate
locality

-National News – News that takes place within the country

- Foreign News – takes place outside the country

-Dateline news – news preceded by the date and place of origin or place
where it was written or filed

2. Chronology or sequence

-Advanced or anticipated – news published before its occurrence,

sometimes called dope of prognostication. The reporter foretells events expected
to occur at a definite time in the future.

-Spot news – news that is gathered reporter on the spot. It deals with
unscheduled information demanding immediate publication. The reporter himself
is an eyewitness to the event that took place.

-Coverage news – news written from a given beat. Both spot news and
coverage news are good examples of first-hand reporting.

-Follow-up news - A sequel to a previous story. Having a new lead of

its own, it is a second, third or subsequent chapter of a serial.

3. Structure

- Straight News – News that consists of facts given straight without

embellishment. Its main aim is to inform. It uses the summary lead
and is written using the inverted pyramid structure.

- News-feature (Featurized news distinguished from a feature article) – It

is also based on facts, but it entertains more than it informs. It uses the

30
suspended interest structure like the narrative; thus, it cannot meet the cut-off
test. In writing a news-feature, the writer may give his impression, may
describe and narrate, but without resorting to biased opinion; i.e.
without editorializing. The reporter’s by-line usually appears with his story.

ingle-feature or one-incident story – The story deals with an

isolated event. A
single fact is featured in the lead and is explained further in the succeeding
paragraphs.
The story breaks logically at every paragraph; thus enabling the
reporter to cut or
lengthen it as space dictates.
- Single-feature or one-incident story – The story deals with
an isolated event. A single fact is featured in the lead and is explained further
in the succeeding paragraphs. The story breaks logically at every
paragraph; thus enabling the reporter to cut or lengthen it as space
dictates.

-Several-feature, multiple-angled, or composite story – Several facts are

included in the lead in their order of importance. These facts are elaborated one
after the other in the body. The several-feature story aims to draw
together two or more divergent aspects of related news items separately;
the writer writes them in one big story.

4. Treatment

a. Fact story – This is a plain exposition setting forth a single situation or a

series of closely related facts that inform. It is written in the inverted pyramid
design.
b. Action story – A narrative of actions involving not mere simple facts but also
of dramatic events, description of persons and events, perhaps testimony of
witnesses, as well as explanatory data. Sports games, competitions,
accidents, and war reports are examples of action stories.
c. Speech report- a news story usually written from a public addresses, talks,
and speeches
d. Quote story- speeches, statements, and letters, and to some extent,
interviews when reported, are regarded as quote stories. All are based on
recorded information, either written or spoken, and transcribed by the reporter
in the form of news.
e. interview story- a news report written from an interview.
f. hard news- events, such as killings, city council meetings and speeches by
leading government officials, are timely and are reported almost automatically
by the media.
g. soft news- events, such as a lunch to honor a retiring school custodian or a
boy scouting jamboree are not usually considered immediately important or
timely to a wide audience.

5. Content

a. Routine story – celebrations, enrollment, graduation, election stories reported

year in and year out
b. police reports-accident, calamity fire, crime stories
c. science news
d. development news
31
e. sports stories

6. Minor forms
a. news brief- a short term of news interest, written like a brief telegraphic
message, giving mainly the result with details

b. news bulletin- it is similar to the lead of a straight news story. Its aim is to
just give the gist of the news.

c. news feature- this is a short news feature usually used as filler

d. flash- a bulletin that conveys the first word

A straight news story is direct to the point. It is more formal; it uses the
third person point of view. It is more timely and is often much shorter than a
feature story.
The Inverted Pyramid Structure of a News Story
The inverted pyramid structure is the standard form prescribed for news stories.
It essentially required the writer to place the most important information in the
beginning of the story and the least important information in the end.

Most important information

Supporting information

Least important information

Writing Leads

Importance of the Lead

1. Introductions are important. They announce the subject, set the

tone/angle/slant, and arouse interest.
2. The lead draws readers into the article, pulling them farther into the hear
of the story.

Kinds of Lead
1. Conventional or summary lead
This kind of lead used in straight news answers right away all or any of the 5
W’s and/or the H. It may be one of the following:
• WHO lead – Used when the person involved is more prominent that
what he does or what happens
to him.
• WHAT lead – Used when the event or what took place is more
important than the person involved in the story.
• WHERE lead – Used when the place is unique and no prominent
person is involved.

32
• WHEN lead – Rarely used as the reader presumes the story to be
timely. However, this lead is useful when speaking of deadlines, holidays, and
important dates.
• WHY lead – Used when the reason is more prominent or unique than
what happens.
• HOW lead – Used when the manner, mode, means, or method of
achieving the story is the unnatural way.
2. Grammatical beginning lead
Some examples of these grammatical beginning leads are:
• Prepositional phrase lead – The phrase is introduced by a
preposition.
• Infinitive phrase lead – It begins with the sign of the infinitive to plus
the main verb.
• Participial phrase lead – It is introduced by the present or past
participle form of the verb
• Gerundial Phrase lead – It is introduced by a gerund (a verbal noun
ending in ing)
• Clause lead – The lead begins with a clause which may either be
independent or subordinate; or may either be a noun or an adjectival or
adverbial clause.

3. Novelty lead
• Astonisher lead – Uses an interjection or an exclamatory sentence.
• Contrast lead – Describes two extremes or opposites for emphasis.
The sharper the contrast, the more effective the lead will be.
• Epigram lead – Opens by quoting a common expression, verse, or
epigram, at least familiar in the locality.
• Picture lead – Describes a person, a place, or an event, at the same
time creating a mental picture of the subject matter in the mind of the reader.
• Background lead – Similar to the picture lead except that it describes
the setting which may be more prominent than the characters and the events.
• Descriptive lead – Used when comparatively few descriptive words
can vividly formulate an imagery.
• Parody lead – Consists of a parody of a well-known song, poem,
lines, etc.
• Punch lead – A short, forceful word or expression.
• One word lead – (self-explanatory)
• Quotation lead – Consists of the speaker’s direct words which are
very striking and which are usually quoted from a speech, a public address, or
an interview.
• Question lead – An answer to a question which is the basis of the
news story.
Various Types of News Structure

33
1. Straight News Story
a. The summary lead answers the most important W’s depending on
which of the W’s is the most prominent among them.
b. The body consists of the elaboration of the W’s and the H.
2. News-Feature Story
News-feature should not be confused with feature articles (features) which are
sometimes called special features and printed in the features sections of the
newspapers or in magazines.
Human interest and news-feature stories are classified as news since both are
gathered and written daily by reporters as their regular assignments.
Furthermore, both emphasize the element of timeliness or immediacy which
distinguishes news from other types of reading, although they differ in
important respects from the straight news story.
a. The single-feature story – A single-feature or one incident story such
as an account of a speech, an interview, or an election, deals with an isolated
event.
In writing a news-feature story with this kind of structure, include the one-
feature in the lead. Add in the body details which clarify and explain the lead.
See that the story breaks logically at every paragraph and that the story may
be cut or lengthened as space dictates.
b. The several-feature, multiple-angle or composite story – In a
composite story, two or more divergent aspects of a news topic are drawn
together for the sake of space and coherence. In structure, the composite story
may resemble that of a follow-up story in that both of them aim to consolidate
component pars. However, they differ in the sense that the follow-up story
ends in a tie-in with a past story; whereas, the composite story is composed of
units, each one made up of fresh spot news frequently with reference to the
future.
In writing the several-feature or composite story, include all of the feature in a
comprehensive lead in the order of their importance.
Fact Story
The next step is to explain and elaborate in the body each of the
features in the order in which they are in the lead. In doing this, relegate less
important details of each feature to less important positions. But remember
that each chain of facts although covered separately should be handled as a
single, unified story.
This is a plain exposition of a simple situation or of a series of closely
related events which conform to the inverted pyramid design more closely than
any other kind of news. The component parts are the series of facts that may
be likened to rectangles of diminishing length arranged one after the other in
order of their importance.
3. Action Story
This is a narrative involving not merely simple facts, but dramatic
actions – incidents, description of persons, perhaps testimonies of witnesses, as
well as explanatory data.
In writing this kind of story, first write a summarizing lead in any
appropriate form. Relate the most important details in narrative or
chronological form. Tell the story again, giving more details. But be careful not

34
to begin the chronological order just after the beginning. Give sufficient
attention to the elaboration of important information, background and
interpretation. Each unit must be closely interlocked.
4. Speech report, quote, and interview stories
The arrangement of a speech reports, a quote story, and of an
interview are to a great extent similar.
The quote story may be charted as alternating large and small
rectangles of diminishing sizes: summary, quote, summary, quote, summary
arrangement. The quotations may be direct, indirect, or a combination of both.
In writing this kind of story, the following suggestions may be
helpful: 1) Write a summarizing lead in any appropriate form, 2) Write the body
of the story in a summary-quote-summary arrangement.
The lead may be a summarizing statement – the gist of the speech,
statement, letter, or interview; or it may be the most important quotation in
the story written as a direct quote.
The Body of the Story

Here are some tips for developing the body:

 Organize your ideas logically

 Tackle one main idea at a time
 Emphasize your main point and support it with
necessary information
 Strive for good transitions between paragraphs and
among ideas
 Useful and informative subheads for long and complex stories
 Make the story three-dimensional by:
o Adding local color
o Using figures of speech
o Using anecdotes
o Using quotes
o Appealing to the senses of the readers
o Citing statistics
o Adding more human interest
o BUT don’t editorialize r give your own opinion
o Attribute and cite your sources
o Apply the principles of clear and effective writing

Ending the Story

How do we end our story? Next to beginning the story, this is the part that even
the most seasoned writers find difficult to accomplish. Sometimes a writer can
go on and on and suddenly, for lack of any idea of how to end gracefully,
abruptly stops and ends the story.

35
A story should always come full circle. The writer should make it a point to tie
his endings with his beginnings – again, keeping in mind his objectives for
writing. Here are some ways of ending a story:

1. Summary ending – like the summary lead, the summary ending wraps up
the story with the most important facts.
2. Climax ending – the writer focuses on the peak of the event, ironically
creating an anti-climatic effect in the reader.
3. Stinger – the writer ends with something totally
unexpected by the reader.
4. Un-ending – this type purposely ends on a limb, creating
suspense and interest in a follow up.

Lesson 3 Headlines

Main functions of the Headline

1. Summarizes the
reader
2. Indicates relative importance of the news
3. Adds variety to the typographical appearance of
the page
4. Advertises the contents of the news story.

The headline of the Number One story on Page 1 is called a banner. If it

runs across the page it may also be called a streamer.

Among the important functions of the headline are the following: 1) to

tell in capsule form what the story is all about, 2) to grade the news as to
importance, and 3) to make the page look attractive.

While the lead summarizes the story, the headline, on the other hand,
summarizes the lead.

Structure of Headlines
There are different kinds of headlines according to structure. However, for the
sake of consistency, only one kind should be adopted by a newspaper.
Common among these are illustrated and briefly explained as follows:

1. Flush left – Both lines are flushed to the left margin. This is also true
with a one-line headline. This has no exact count for the units in
each line.
2. Dropline or Step Form - The first line is flushed left while the second is
indented. It may consist of two or three, and sometimes four lines
of types of the same length, somewhat less than a column in
width, so that the first line is flushed to the left, the second
centered, and the third flushed to the right.
3. Inverted pyramid – This is self-explanatory. Each of the three or four
lines in this head is successively shorter than the line about it.

4. Hanging indention – The first line is flushed left. This is followed by two
indented parallel lines.
5. Crossline or Barline – A one-line headline that runs across the column.
The simplest form, it is a single line across the allotted space. If it
runs across the page, it is called a streamer.
36
 Local students join CLEAN drive

6. Boxed headline – For emphasis or art’s sake, some headlines are boxed:
a. Full box
b. Half box
c. Quarter box

7. Jump story headline – A jump story (a story continued on another

page) has a headline of its own. This may be the same as the
original headline or it may just be a word, a phrase or a group of
words followed by a series of dots.

Local students…
From page 1)

Dos and Don’ts in Writing Traditional Headlines

A. Do’s
1. Make your headline answer as many W’s as possible.
2. The headline should summarize the news story. It should contain
nothing that is not found in the story.
3. Positive heads are preferable to negative ones: School physician
allays flu fear is better and shorter than Flu epidemic not rampant
in city.
4. Put 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 the meaning clear.

Reclaimed banks cause of recurrent flood

(Are before cause is not necessary)

Clinton is new US President

(Is is necessary to make the meaning cleaner.)

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. Local
Hi-Y aids flood victim is stronger than – Flood victims aided by local
Hi-Y. But, for variation, and especially when the doer is unknown or
not prominent, the passive verb may be used.

Food production drive intensified

RP’s lost image abroad regained

8. Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive form for
future stories.

Archbishop Sin bats for national reconciliation

9. Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your

needs for your unit counts.
10.Use any of the following headline styles, but be consistent once you
have adopted one.

37
 a. All caps
CHARACTER, NATIONALISM VITAL COGS IN EDUCATION

b. Cap and lower case

Character, Nationalism Vital Cogs in Education

c. Down style
Character, nationalism vital cogs in education

B. What to Avoid in Writing Headlines

1. Avoid the following kinds of headlines:

a. Fat head – A headline in which the letters or the words are so
crowded that there are no more spaces between them or that the spaces are so
small that several words read as one.

BSP LAUNCHES DRIVE

b. Thin head – the spaces between the letters of words, or the space
after the words in a line are so wide that the effect is ugly.

BSPLAUNCHESDRIVE
Label head – An incomplete headline, like the label of a product

CHRISTMAS PARTY
Wooden head – A very weak headline that is devoid of meaning, sometimes
due to the absence of a subject or the lack of a verb.

TO HOLD EXCURSION
Mandatory head – It gives a command because it begins with a verb.

HOLD DIALOG WITH PRINCIPAL

Screaming head – It is a big and bold headline of a short and unimportant story.
A sensational head is another kind of screaming headline

2. Don’t tell the same thing even though you use a different word. Each
succeeding deck should contribute new information.

3. Don’t comment directly or indirectly. Avoid editorializing even in headlines.

4. Unless the subject is implied or has been mentioned in the first deck, avoid
beginning a headline with a verb.

5. Don’t end a line with a preposition. Neither should you separate a

preposition from its object. Don’t confuse a hanging preposition with a two-
word verb that ends with a preposition.

Wrong: Students vote for

SSG officials
(“for” is a hanging preposition)

6. Don’t break off abbreviations, names, and hyphenated words.

7. Avoid repeating principal words regardless of the number of decks.

38
8. Avoid heads that carry a double meaning.

9. Don’t coin abbreviations of your own. Use only those that are common to the
readers like PNRC, DECS, DCS, etc.

10. Don’t abbreviate days and months unless figures follow, as:

Mon., Jan.23
Punctuating Headlines
A few pointers as regards punctuation of headlines should be observed.
As a rule, headlines, just like titles of editorials, features, and literary articles
should not end with a period.
Other simple rules follow:
1. Use a comma in place of the conjunction and.

Self-reliance, discipline us at Baguio confab

2. Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon. As

much as possible this should be at the end of the line if the
headline is a two-line headline or a running head.

School joins Operasyon Linis;

P.E. – CAT boys drain estero

3. The dash may be used for smaller decks, but not for headlines in
large types.

4. The single quotation marks, not the double quotation

marks are used in headlines. Cultural development:
‘Linggo ng Wika’ theme

5. Follow the other rules of punctuation.

Unit Counting in Headlines

(In Letterpress Printing)
Writing headlines is not as simple and easy as it seems. A headline
should fit the allotted space by a system of unit counts given to each letter,
figure or space. This is done to avoid a thin head, a fat head, or a bleeding
headline (one that extends out of the column or page).

The corresponding unit counts are given as follows:

½ unit – jiltf and all punctuations except the

em dash (–), and the question mark (?)

1 unit – the question mark, space, all

figures, capital JILTF, a lower case
letters except jiltf.

1½ units – the em dash, lower-case m and w,

39
 and all capital letters except capital M and
W and JILTF.

2 units – capital M, W

1½ ½ ½ 1, 1 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ 1
C i t y S c h o o l s f e t e = 15½

1½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1
C h i e f E x e c u t i v e = 14

Preparing a Headline for Letterpress Counting

Every student editor should be acquainted with the types used by the
printing press where his school paper is being printed. In this way, he can set
up a headline schedule to be followed by the staff.

A headline schedule is a complete collection of headline types that a

particular newspaper uses. This collection should specify the unit counts for all
the heads.

Here is an example:

HEADLINE SCHEDULE

Headline Unit Count Size/Family Columns

Type
Osmeña High 12 48 Radiant 2

revives comedia 14½

Reclaimed cause 21 36 Caslon 2

banks
of recurrent 17
floods
Dope upsurge 12½ 30 Cheltenham

in community, 11½ 1

school noted 11½

Food production drive

intensified 29 24 Century 2

Science 7
journalism 9 1
caps NSTA 11

seminar 7

Assessment

Instruction: We will be having a 30-point quiz on the lessons learned. A prompt

with be given by the teacher at the LMS.
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Assignment

Instruction: Write a news article following the principles in writing a news

story. Be guided by the rubric in the Course Guide.

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CHAPTER 4

Feature and Science Writing

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 This chapter is about the elements of feature and science writing, the
structures of the feature article, the types of feature article, and writing a
feature article.

At the end of this chapter, the students will be able to:

a. define feature and science writing;

b. discuss the principles of journalism which should be present in feature
articles;
c. recognize the different types of feature articles;
d. write a feature/science article using ICT tools and applying the principles,
structure, and strategies shared; and
e. appreciate accuracy, creativity and integrity in writing a campus
feature/science article.

Lesson 1 Feature Writing

Newspaper prints more news; i.e., report of facts about events or of

information, written in straightforward manner usually answering what
happened, who said what, when, where, why, and how. On the other hand, a
magazine prints more features and human-interest stories.

• A feature article may instruct, advise, inform, and entertain

• A feature article may be of any length ranging from a rather long
magazine article published to the short human interest story that may or may
not be timely
• A feature article may be written in any form and style. It rarely has a
summary lead.
• A feature article to entertain rather than to inform although it may do
both at the same time.

Characteristics of a Good Feature Article

A good feature article should have the following characteristics:

• It may inform, instruct, or advise, but its primary purpose is to

entertain. It is usually read after the news in a leisure moment.
• It may be of any length – from a short human interest story to a rather
long magazine article.
• It may or may not be timely.
• It may be written in any form or style.
• It usually uses the novelty lead rather than the summary lead.
• The reporter may use any of the following devices – suspense, dialog,
description, narration, exposition, argumentation, climax and the like in
presenting his story.
• Although the writer applies his imagination to the facts, the feature story
is not fiction. It is based on facts.
• It uses specific nouns, adjectives, and verbs to create vivid images,
sound, and feeling for the
readers.
• It applies the principles of effective writing to achieve unity, coherence,
and emphasis which are essential to all good writing.
• It is written with friendly simplicity.
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 Feature is an umbrella term for a number of soft news stories that profile,
humanize, add color, educate, entertain or illuminate. It usually recaps major
news that was reported in a previous news cycle. It can stand alone, or it can be
a sidebar to the main story, the mainbar.

News feature is a story based upon a news event that has already been
covered by the newspaper. It’s the story behind the story.

Interpretative feature analyzes the facts of a news story to explain the causes
and motivations leading to the event, then discusses the possible consequences.

Straight feature is a general category referring to any interesting story about a

person, place, or event that has no “news peg” or timeliness associated with it.

Personality feature makes the readers aware of the subject’s personality by

detailing the person’s experiences, thoughts, mannerisms, and actions.

Interview feature is usually about a prominent individual or an authority on a

particular subject or event, the information of which is obtained in an interview.

Human-interest feature establishes a mood and provoke an emotional

reaction in a reader. It can be humorous or sad, suspenseful or fast-paced.

Backgrounder – also called an analysis piece – adds meaning to current issues

in the news by explaining them further.

Brites is a newspaper term for brief feature items – usually humorous. Less
than 100 words, they begin with a clever lead that grabs the reader’s attention
and go on to a brief, chronological description of an event that builds swiftly to a
climax – usually a surprise ending – or to a catchy, summary thought. Ex.
Reader’s Digest

Development Feature. In a developing country like the Philippines, editors

should keep in step with the developments that affect mankind and should steer
away from routine reporting. Publications should focus on advancing national,
social, economic and educational programs such as those in food production, war
against addiction, criminality and all kinds of vices. Topics should also include
those with the environment, health, agriculture, science and technology.

Structure of the Feature Story

Lead
 It should create an image, send a verbal message and capture the reader's
imagination.
 The tone should fit the mood of the story and supply the theme or angle.
 It should lead the reader into the story.
What makes a good lead:
 An anecdote that represents the universal truth.
 The description of a scene that helps to establish a tone or mood.
 A description of a subject: face, demeanor, posture.
 A powerful quote.
 A startling statement.
 The strength of any sentence is judged by its degree of improbability. "Fall is
here and that means the start of football season" tells the reader nothing.

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 The following lead is much better: "Fall is here, a fact that head coach Bill
Smith may view with some trepidation. Not only does he have to replace
14 seniors from a 2-8 season, he must deal with the recent season-ending
injury to returning quarterback Dave Jones."
Body
 It should be unified with all material relating to the theme. All unnecessary
data should be omitted. Care should be taken to make certain that each
sentence and paragraph adds to the impact of the narrative.
 The story is organized in a logical order. This does not necessarily mean
chronological order. However, the reader should be able to follow the
narrative of the story as action jumps back and forth from the past, the
present and even the future.
Conclusion
 The ending should give a sense of finality and resolution to the reader. It
wraps up all loose ends and leaves the reader with a single, significant
thought. It stands alone as the reader's final impression.

Lesson 2 Science Writing

For this lesson, please watch the video Science Writing uploaded in the
LMS.

Assessment

Instruction: Make a tabular analysis of the elements, structure, and types of

Feature and Science writing.

Assignment

Instruction: Write one feature article, and one science article. Be guided by the
rubric in the Course Guide. Also, keep in mind the structures, and elements of
each.

CHAPTER 5
Editorial Writing, and Cartooning

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 This chapter deals with the essentials of editorial, structures of editorial,
types of editorials, and writing an actual editorial article.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. define an editorial and an opinion column;

b. discuss the principles of journalism which should be present in editorial
articles;
c. identify the persuasive structure in writing editorial articles;
d. recognize the news peg, different types of editorials and the techniques in
presenting opinions and supporting claims;
e. write an editorial article using ICT tools and applying the principles,
structure, and techniques shared; and
f. appreciate tact, courtesy, truthfulness, and integrity in writing a campus
editorial article.

Purpose of the Editorial Column

• To form or help to form public opinion

• To inform, interpret and focalize

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Other Purposes of the Column
1. To explain the news
a. Giving the background of an event.
b. Determining whether a certain event is an isolated case or part of
the pattern.
c. Pointing out how an event will affect (or not affect) his readers.
d. Pooling together and assessing comments of readers from the
different segments of society.
e. Presenting fairly the ideas in a controversy.

2. To entertain the readers Form of Writing Used in Columns

Types of editorial column according to content:

1. The “opinion” column (also called the “signed editorial column”) –

Resembles an editorial in form but, in contrast with the editorial’s impersonal
and anonymous approach, carries the personal, stamp of the writer’s own ideas.
(I hesitate to use a local example, thus a safe one is Walter Lippman’s “Today
and Tomorrow.”)
2. The hodge-podge column – Where the author lumps together odds and
ends of information, a poem here, an announcement there, a point paragraph, a
modernized proverb, a joke, or an interesting quotation.
3. The essay column (increasingly rare) – Is a legacy from a more leisurely
age when writers could sit and scribble and muse in light or purple prose. (The
exponents of this form were Addison and Steele of the famed Spectator papers,
Charles Lamb, Oliver Goldsmith, G.K. Chesterton, and Christopher Morley. The
Filipino columnist who best approximated this type was Godofredo Rivera of the
Graphic.
4. The gossip column – Caters to the inherent interest of human beings in
human beings. Unfortunately, the reader’s eyes light up more frequently when
they spy the vices rather than the virtues of others. The society columnists (as
well as the otherwise sober ones who occasionally dabble in small talk) chronicle
here the facts and foibles of the great and near- great, the social climbers, and
the true celebrities. The first example that comes to mind is Walter Winchell and
his “keyhole” journalism.
5. The dopester’s column – Written by the columnist who also has his eye to
the keyhole but with a more serious purpose. He uses much the same technique
as the gossip columnist but rises above the chatterbox variety of news to poke
into the activities of the “men who make the decisions.” The “victims” are
usually the government’s leader-politicians, congressmen, senators, Cabinet
officials, titans of industry and commerce, and institutions which have to do with
national international affairs. The columnist’s “pipelines” to sources of
information often give him the ability to “forecast” news before it happens, bare
still unannounced plans and appointments, reveal “secret pacts,” and lay bare
the secrets of government and finance open to public scrutiny.

How to Write an Editorial

source: Ceciliano, Jose (1997) Campus Journalism. Manila: Philippines

In writing the editorial, select only one specific idea to develop. Be sure
the topic is of interest to the reader.
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 Organize your editorial in three parts; 1) the introduction, 2) the body ,
and 3)the ending. The first contains the newspeg with the reaction. It is usually
one short paragraph. (A newspeg is a brief statement about the news event at
issue upon which the editorial is based).

The body may take two or three short paragraphs that support or justify
the reaction. The ending, sometimes clincher, summarizes the editorial’s stand.

The following are examples of editorial’s introductions composed of the

newspeg and the reaction, not necessarily in that order.

Editorial Beginnings

An editorial may start with:

1. A simple statement that gives enough of the situation, problem or news to
be discussed.
2. A question which calls attention to, gives an idea about the problem, or
points out the logical development of the topic.
3. A striking statement which jolts the imagination and arouses the interest
of the reader.
4. A quotation relevant to the subject under discussion.
5. A narrative illustrating the problem or situation .

For example, the new office policy of requiring tardy students (i.e. late for 10
minutes and above) to study their lessons in the library while they wait for the
next period is wise.
Newspeg: Discipline and being responsible should be inculcated in students
while they are young. Hence, tardy students should not enter their first
class, but rather finish the time in the library to read and enter the next
period inorder to avoid disturbing the class. It also shows that they are
responsible for the consequences of their action.
Body: The PTA has approved this policy of the school.
Conclusion: Given the deteriorating status of Philippine education,
mechanisms should be in place to emphasize discipline but at the same
time, remediation should still be in place for students who would be
missing two or more classes due to tardiness.
The body should prove or justify the reaction or stand already made in the
information. In a, the body should prove that the office policy is really wise. The
figures on tardy students may also be included. Further, the end or last
paragraph of an editorial is sometimes called the punch line or clincher. But if
the preceding lead and body have been well organized and carefully written, the
conclusion may be omitted.

Pointers on Writing an Editorial

1. `Make the editorial interesting enough to read.
2. Develop it from one specific, limited idea, phrased in one sentence, and
expand it into body of the editorial.
3 Have a purpose well in mind which should be accomplished with sufficient
data.
4. Organize all data into well-reasoned arguments, with each argument leading
up to the conclusion.
5. Peg the lead sentence on a recent relevant news for its impact values.
6. Present both sides of an issue and clarity tricky aspects with a widely
understand analogy or with an illustration that makes for easier
understanding.
7. Direct the editorial towards the establishment of a consensus.
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8. Is the writing simple, direct, clear, and forceful?
9. Does it not carry a double meaning?
10. Does it reflect clear, logical thinking?
11. Is the subject matter significant to the students, the school, the community,
and the country?
12. Are the sentences and paragraphs relatively short?

Additional Pointers to Check Your Editorial

After having written your editorial, check it. The following guides will be helpful
to you.
1. Is the form and style appropriate to its content and purpose?
2. Were you able to accomplish your purpose?
3. Is it sincere, such that it will make the reader think?
4. Is it short and direct to the point?
5. Does it hang from a real or an artificial newspeg?
6. Was there no preaching?
7. Is it original and was it written skillfully?

Cartooning

• An editorial cartoon is an editorial page illustration expressing opinion and

interpretation. The word
cartoon is derived from two words: caricature and lampoon.
• A caricature is an exaggerated description, generally by sketching. It is a
pictorial representation of a person or thing in which a defect or peculiarity is
exaggerated so as to produce a ludicrous effect.
• A lampoon, on the other hand, is a piece of malicious writing, a personal
written satire that attacks and ridicules.
• An editorial cartoon also performs any of the three functions of the
newspress – to inform, influence,
or entertain.
• A good cartoon appeals to the reader’s sense of humor in order to
persuade him to accept an opinion; an effective social force.
• A cartoon like the top editorial, deals with only a single idea and is about
political and social
conditions and problems. Some cartoons are good–natured and humorous;
others are serious and sophisticated.

Cartoon ideas cover a wide range or subjects. Some may be:

Inspirational – e.g., the school represented as a mother taking care of her

children Satirical – e.g., the embarrassment of having girls wear miniskirt in the
classroom. Correctional – e.g., problems involving people taking prohibited
drugs.
Suggestion for Cartooning
• should say something
• should deal with only one topic
• should limit the use of words and labels
• should use universal symbols i.e., easily understood even by ordinary
reader
• should be original

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• should not defame nor expose a person or object to hatred, ridicule, or
contempt

Assessment

Instruction: Make an iconic representation of the essential concepts of editorial

writing.

Assignment

Instruction: Write an editorial/ opinion about a current issue. Draw a cartoon

representing it afterwards. Please be guided by the rubric in the Course Guide.

CHAPTER 6
Sports Writing
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 This chapter deals with the essentials of sports writing, jargons in the
different sports events, and how to do a sports coverage.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. discuss the principles of journalism which should be present in sports

articles;

b. identify the descriptive structure in writing sports articles;

c. recognize the different types of sports events and their corresponding

jargons;

d. write a sports coverage article using ICT tools and applying the principles,
structure, and strategies shared; and

e. appreciate tact, creativity, and respect in writing a campus sports article.

Qualities of a Good Sports Writer

Aside from a working knowledge of the medium he is going to use in writing his
story, the sports writer should also have the following know-how:

• Must know sports: rules, strategy, team and players’ records.

• Must attend the games or meets as a reporter, not as a spectator or
cheerer.
• Must know coaches and players as intimately as possible.
• Must observe accuracy.
• Must be able to take notes quickly without losing the sequence of the
play.
• Must be fair and unbiased in reporting, even though he has a favorite
team.
• Must not make comments without supporting them with facts on which
they are based, although sports writers have more freedom than any other news
writers.

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• Must use the specialized language of the particular sports that he is
reporting.
• Must avoid sports slang and trite expressions which hack writers use
today. He should tell the story in plain, factual terms, that describe the action.
• Must bear in mind that he writes for his readers and not for himself.

The Lead

Like any other news story, a sports story has a lead and a body. The sports lead
is the attention-getter, the news in a nutshell.

The classic “Five W’s” appear in the sports lead as:

• Who won?
• Against whom?
• By what score?
• Where?
• When?
The lead can also dramatize other elements like:

• The key play

• The outstanding player
• Analytical approach

The Body

After the lead, the other elements follow in descending order. These will include:

• Team and / or individual standing

• Decisive play
• Best scores for the day
• Play-by-play
• Quotation

Sports Lingo and Crutches/Slanguage

• Basketball – five, quintet, shot twinner, pivot, rally, rebound, technical

foul, quarter count, 15- foot line, hook shot, lay-up, ice-breaker, tip-in, press,
one defense, man to man, 30 second rule, full court, gun time, lemon time,
keyhole area, long tom, tip-in, follow-up, trey, rainbow country
• Baseball and Softball – diamond, pitcher, backstop, deep center, struck
out, lower fourth, shut out, hitless inning, hit a homerun, one-bagger, two-
baggers, force out, scorcher, fly back,
pitcher’s mound, upper third, lower fourth, flier, rolling ball, umpire, struck out,
bunt, slide, shortstop, fielder, southpaw, no-hit run, fanned, out-pegged at third,
deep center, a scorcher to left outfield.
• Volleyball – Spikes, neat placing, change court, Chinese kill, wallop, block,
scored off, straight set, two out of three, spiker, blocked his kill, booming
service, netball, return play, three out of five.
• Soccer of Football – soccerites, goalie, full back, corner kick, centrada,
penalty kick, free kick, pigskin.
• Sepak Takraw – fancy kick, dead ball, ball on play, single, double, etc.
• Track:
• Dashes – 100-200-80m; Runs – 200-400;800 and1500 m;

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• Hurdles – 110 m. high, 400 m low and 80 m low; Relay – 4 x 100 m and 4
x 400 m; breasted the tape, burned the cinders, clock a new record, bore down
on him, home stretch, photo finish, middle-distance runner, long-distance
runner, anchor man, passed on the baton.
• Field – heaved the shotput, hurled the javelin, threw the discuss, hop step
and jump, broad jump, high or long jump, pole vault, Grecian disc
• Tennis – best of three matches, surfeit services, straight set, singles,
smash cut
• Swimming – tanker, naiads, aquabelle

Self-assessment

Instruction: Answer the crossword puzzle in the googleform to be uploaded by

the facilitator at the Googleclassroom.

Assessment

Instruction: In the LMS, there will be a quiz on sports writing- multiple choice,
and short answer.

Assignment

Instruction: Write a sports article of your favorite sports. Be guided by the

rubric on sports writing in the Course Guide.

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CHAPTER 7
Revising, Editing, Proofreading/ Copyreading,
52
 and Publishing

This chapter deals with the steps to follow in publishing the campus paper.
An online discussion will be provided for this chapter.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. discuss the revising up to the publishing process in campus print;

b. identify the duties and characteristics of the copyreader and editor;

c. use the copyreading and proofreading symbols in editing campus articles;

d. edit articles using a Word Processing application to display one’s ICT

skills; and

e. display accuracy, respect, and integrity in editing campus paper articles.

Preparing the Copy

In preparing the copy, the reporter should:

• Use a typewriter or a computer – never submitting it in long hand.
• Type on one side of the sheet only and double space.
53
• Begin his story (for news) about three inches from the top of the page
• Indent deeply – at least five spaces – the beginning of each paragraph.
• Identify on the first page the story with a slugline – the name of the
paper, words identifying the story like “Fire,” or “Student election”; the reporter
and the date.
• Type the word “More” at the bottom of each page except the last,
where he has to indicate the end of the story with a “30” or # mark.

Duties of a Copyreader

A copyreader goes over the story once to get a general idea of what it is all
about. This will likewise help him/her formulate the headline, which is a part of
his/her job.

Then, he/she goes over it a second time to do any or all of the following as the
case may be:
• Straighten out ungrammatical constructions.
• Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
• See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed.
• Check names, addresses, titles, designations, identifications, figures, etc.
• Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.
• Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but
must never tamper with the facts unless he/she is sure of his/her corrections.
• Delete all opinion, speculations, and statements which are without
attribution or sources.
• Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly
biased way.
• Watch out for libelous statements.
• Recheck figures and totals.
• Cross out adjectives which tend to make a story sound over-written.
• Cut a story to size or to the required length if need be.
• Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.
• Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical,
and incredible.
• Check sluglines and paging sequences.
• Write headlines.

Proofreading Symbols

54
Self-assessment

Instruction: Since you will be tasked to proofread the written work/s of your
classmates, please share your insights and realizations in doing the activity.

Assessment

Instruction: You will be assigned a written article (submitted by classmates) to

proofread. Proofread it using the proofreading symbols.

Assignment

Instruction: After proofreading, write a critique paper of your peer’s article. Be

guided by the rubric in the Course Guide.

CHAPTER 8
55
 Photojournalism

For this chapter, we will be having an online discussion.

At the end of the discussion, the students will be able to:

a. discuss the qualities of an effective photo for the campus paper;

b. produce a photo essay applying the principles and techniques in taking

photos, captioning, and photo editing;

c. use a Photo Editing software to

show one’s ICT skills; and

display a caring attitude and social responsibility in the produced photo essay
about a school/ community issue.

Assessment

Instruction: We will be having a short quiz. Quiz will be uploaded using the
LMS.

Assignment

Instruction: Make a photo essay online presentation of photos that you like
most. Have a storyboard for it. Be guided by the rubric in the Course Guide.

CHAPTER 9
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 Layout or Makeup or Composition

This chapter is about doing the layout of a campus paper.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:
a. discuss the qualities of an effective cartoon and layout for the campus
paper;
b. produce an editorial cartoon applying the principles and techniques in
cartooning;
c. differentiate the types of layouts to be applied in the campus paper;
d. identify the physical parts of the campus paper;
e. discuss as an editorial board how the layout of the campus paper will look
like to tap aesthetic quality and functionality;
f. use a Publication Software to show one’s ICT skills; and
g. display a caring attitude and social responsibility in the produced cartoon
about a school/ community issue.

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 After choosing the letters or words, graphics or illustrations and colors for
your materials, the next step is how to put them altogether in a visual space to
become a coherent whole and an effective communication material. This will be
the concern of our lesson.

Why do we need to layout or compose the material? Isn’t it enough that we

just put all these elements together in any way we like? But remember, you’re
going to design materials for your audience, not for yourself. Thus your message
must be clear, organized and will have impact on your audience. Layouting or
composition will help you achieve these.

What is layouting or composition?

It is a composite arrangement of visual elements like letters, illustration, or

graphics, colors and other symbols in a given space or area.

Page Makeup
• Makeup – refers to the assembling of type, cuts, and / or ads on a page
• Type – refers to the texts or fonts used
• Cuts – in letterpress terminology, photoengraving of any kind which
includes photos, illustrations, boxes, etc.

Dos and Don’ts in Makeup

A. Experiment with thumbnail dummies before deciding on the one that fits
your needs.
B. Don’t use two pictures of the same size on any one page. Try to contrast
horizontal and vertical shapes.
C. Avoid piling type blocks of similar depth on top of each other or running
them in the order of ascending or descending size.
D. Use size heads on horizontal stories that do not deserve a full line.
E. Mix vertical blocks with horizontal ones.
F. Don’t always put the most important story at the top of the page.
G. Use editorial freaks (inserts) and refers sparingly in breaking up gray
areas.
H. With flush-left style do not ever center display heads.
I. Avoid clutter by avoiding doglegs. Dogleg refers to a column of type
extending down page, not squared off under multicolumn headline.
J. Use italic head sparingly, if at all.
K. Don’t use label-type heads on columns.
L. Use normal word spacing in headline types.
M. Standardize the spacing between paragraphs – make no exceptions.
N. Avoid “armpit” placement – a headline directly under a multicolumn head.
O. Take good care of the bottom of the page by placing heads and pictures
there, depending on balance with the top of the page.

A newspaper should be carefully and properly laid out for the following reasons:
• to give prominence to the news in proportion to its importance,
• to make the different contents easy to find and to read,
• to give the pages an attractive appearance, and
• to give the paper a personality of its own.

Types of Front Page Makeup

By Way of Headline and Text Arrangement

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Scholastic Journalism by Earl English and Clarence Hach gives the following
types of front page makeup by way of headline and text arrangement.
• Perfect Balance (Balance or Symmetrical) Makeup
• Brace or Focus
• Broken Column Makeup Occult Makeup
• Streamlined Makeup
• Circus Makeup

Makeup By Way of Text and Photo Combination

Another way of laying out a page is through the text and photo combination. The
following illustrations are self-explanatory:
• The X Format
• The Curve Format
• The L Format
• The J Format
• The Umbrella Format

Types of Layout
The next question is, how do you arrange or organize these different
elements? There are a variety of ways to arrange the visual elements in a given
space or area. Here are some of them:

1. Symmetrical lay-out

Vertically divide the space into two then distribute the

elements evenly on both sides or put them in the middle.
You’ll come up with a balanced lay-out, with one side being a
mirror image of the other side.
You can also arrange the elements diagonally and have a more dynamic
and moving lay-out.
.
2. Assymetrical lay-out

Divide the space vertically and horizontally. Having these two

axes will allow you to arrange the elements in a variety of
ways.

You can also consider proportions. Look at how the axes can
be put in proportion with each other:

Decide where you want to put the elements based on these proportions. Here
are some examples.

59
 Divide the space in 2/3, 1/3 proportion horizontally and vertically. Place the
visual elements accordingly. These illustrations can help you in lay-outing.

3. Rule of thirds

 Divide the space into three horizontally and vertically.

Look at the points where the lines intersect. These are the
areas where you can place the visual elements.

Most of these lay-outs, except for symmetrical, aims to eliminate “dead center”,
since putting elements at the center makes the visual dull and static. To avoid
“dead centered” lay-outs, try using assymetrical, 2/3 1/3 lay-outs or the rule of
thirds to make your visual materials more attractive, dynamic and pleasing.

But remember, never sacrifice message comprehension for an extravagant

lay-out. Remember that your audience should always come first. Before
deciding that your lay-out is good enough for you, check first if it’s good for
your audience or viewers. Let them evaluate the material before you actually
reproduce it. This can help you decide on how you can improve that material.

Factors to Consider in the Layout of Campus Paper

In laying out the articles, you have to consider some factors:

1. Look at how people generally look at things. We can refer to this as the Eye
Movement. Our usual way of reading is from left to right. But it may differ in
other cultures. Japanese read from right to left, while Chinese read
downwards. Others may do it from bottom to top. The point here is,
knowing how the viewer will look at and read the visual can help you decide
on the arrangement or lay-out of your material.
For example, you can arrange more attention-getting stimuli in relation to
less attention-getting stimuli by using larger, brighter and more unusual
pictures, or by putting pictures and words far from other visual stimuli.

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  You can also control line of sight or action. Put more space or area
where the subject is facing or is about to more. The viewers will tend
to look in this direction, too.
2. Consider also the proportion of visual to the space. To be more effective, the
visual must occupy at most ¾ or 75% of the given space.

3. Rule of thirds to eliminate “dead center”. I have mentioned this previously.

Remember that we want to produce a moving, dynamic and interesting
visual.
4. Apply the principles of balance, simplicity, emphasis, unity and contrast in
your design and lay-out.

Here are some guidelines:

a. balance
 arrange the visual elements to achieve a pleasing
distribution of weight within the lay-out
 this can be done by using symmetrical and assymetrical
layout
 this visual shows a symmetrical balance since you have
elements on both sides. It can be considered assymetrical,
however, since, there are two different animals.
b. simplicity
 eliminate unnecessary details and use simple background
 This example shows a stylized drawing of a family against a simple
plain background

c. emphasis
Since not all parts of the lay-out can be equal in importance, decide which
parts are the most important and emphasize them with color, size, shape,
texture and others.

This example focuses on the elements in the middle, the hands touching the
flowing water.

Take note of eye movement.

Use numbers, bullets, arrows and other directing device

d. unity

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 Create a sense of “oneness” by relating or grouping visual elements and
words to achieve a unified composition.

Avoid splitting the visual material into sections which stands

independent of one another.

Use of “overlapping “ technique, “borders”, “fencing in” or repetition of

shape or color.

The prints put so close together such that they overlap each other
depict oneness. So is the frame that encloses them.

d. contrast
Use contrasting values or color, particular texture of paper or unusual
shapes.

This creates an overall effect which will make the visual materials stand
out favorably among others and avoids monotony in the shape and
arrangement of visual elements.

The contrasting black and white colors of this visual below obviously
shows the contrast between the elements.

CHAPTER 10
Finalizing the Paper
This chapter will be on the paper publication, and broadcasting.

For this chapter, please watch the sample videos of broadcasting. Also, it
will be utilized for the finalization of our news, feature, sports, editorial/opinion
articles. Then, we will be making use of Microsoft publisher or Adobe Indesign.

At the end of the chapter, the students will be able to:

a. identify principles in news broadcasting for television and radio

b. discuss the relevance of broadcasting in the spreading of accurate

information and propagation of responsible journalism in the community and
country

c. publish the final campus paper complete with original articles in the
different sections using several ICT productivity tools

evaluate on the effectiveness and social responsibility of one’s campus paper in

the school community

For this chapter, please watch the sample videos of broadcasting uploaded
in the LMS. Also, it will be utilized for the finalization of our news, feature,
sports, editorial/opinion articles. Then, we will be making use of Microsoft
publisher or Adobe Indesign.

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 REFERENCES

About Journalism. Open School for Journalism.

https://www.openschoolofjournalism.com/resources/about-journalism/
history-of-journalism

Campus Journalism. Bohol State University.

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/bohol-island-state-university/
education/lecture-notes/campus-journalism/5334734/view

Cruz , Ceciliano- J. (2008). Basic Campus Journalism. Rex Bookstore: Manila.

Cruz, Ceciliano- J. (2010). Campus Journalism and School Paper Advising. 2nd
edition. Rex Bookstore: Manila. Khan, R. E. (2010). Campus
Journalism. Anvil Publishing: Quezon City.

Duties And Responsibilities Of Publication Staff. 2019.

http://www.ruelpositive.com/duties-responsibilities-publication-staff
Hawthorne, B. 2020. Structure of the feature story.
https://www.uiltexas.org/journalism/resources-forms/structure-of-the-
feature-story

Journalists’ Code of Ethics. https://philpressinstitute.net/journalists-code-of-

ethics-2/

Sunggay, R. R. (2014). Ink. Paper. Color. Sounds Pixel: A Campus Journalism

Book. MP Princess Digital Solutions: General Santos City.

Tuazon, R. n.d. The Print Media: A Tradition of Freedom.

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-
cultural-disseminationscd/communication/the-print-media-a-tradition-of-
freedom/#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20free,during%20the
%20Spanish%20colonial%20rule.&text=La
%20Independencia(1898)%2C%20was,Heraldo%20de%20Iloilo
%20(1898).

*Notes shared by Sherry Junette M. Tagle, PhD

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