WHAT IS JOURNALISM?

JOURNALISM is the art of writing for publication in newspapers and other media, embracing all thoughts and actions
that have significance and interest to the readers. In this kit, we will only concentrate on print journalism.
***
WHAT IS NEWS?
News is an oral or written report of an event that happened, is happening, will happen in the North, East, West, or South
that is of interest to the reader and which should be reported.
But what is interesting to one is not always interesting to another.
***
Elements of the News
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Conflict
Immediacy or Timeliness
Proximity or Nearness
Prominence
Significance
Names
Drama
Oddity and Unusualness
Romance and Adventure
Sex
Progress
Animals
Number
Emotion

***
BASIC RULE IN WRITING: ACCURACY, BREVITY, CLARITY. ABC.
***
NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Identify the elements involved on the following headlines. There may be more than one answer.
1.
Principal issues new school policy
2.
Dog saves masters life by attacking robbers
3.
Cure for AIDS discovered
4.
Man becomes pregnant
5.
Icebergs appear in Northern Luzon
6.
Senator injured in a car accident
7.
Two solons lambaste each other, then end in a fist fight
8.
Woman permitted to celebrate holy mass
9.
Filipino wins Miss World title
10.
10 killed in shootout
***
Different forms of writing an incident
Situation: A fire broke out and four persons made their separate essays on what happened.
For a 10-year-old grade school pupil,
I saw a fire. It was a big red fire. It burned a house. There were many people around. Some men put water on the fire.
For a romantic high school student,
Fearful scarlet tongues arose to the star-studded heaven and licked greedily at the doomed edifice while the stout-hearted
firefighters risked their all to quench the terrible conflagration.

For a lady bystander,

You know, Mare, there was a fire in our community. I think it cost the owner a great deal of money. The date was August
8. August is the eighth month. So I bet in the lottery, 8-16-24-32-40-48.
For a campus paper writer,

A fire of undetermined origin razed to the ground a two-storey apartment owned by lawyer Herman Lagon of 80 Lopez
Jaena St., Jaro Iloilo City, last night. Four trucks from the Jaro Fire Station subdued the fire within an hour. The damage
estimated by the police at P500,000 was covered by insurance.
The combination of simple, vivid and dignified articles produces a copy simple enough for Mr. Average Reader to
understand. We call it news article.
***
Narrative vs News
(Example: Dog hero story)
Narrative: Pyramid (from less important to climax)
News: Inverted Pyramid (from climax to less important)
***
Sample News
Headline (ulo ng balita)
Dog dies saving blind master
Lead (pamatnubay) Most important facts
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life of his blind master, Thursday night, but the canines loyalty cost the trusty
animal his life.
BridgeElaboration of lead
In serious condition today in Doctors Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a street sweeper. Escobanez of SSS Building,
Rizal St., Iloilo City was found early this morning unconscious on a sidewalk near the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo
Terminal Market.
Less important facts
Police theorized that Escobanez was knocked unconscious when he fell, his head hitting a stone. Potpot, his dog,
apparently tried to shield its master from the cold and the rain by draping itself over the fallen man.
When discovered this morning by the Police Patrol, Escobanez was still out cold. The dog lay near, dead.
Relatives of Escobanez who is still a bachelor, told authorities that he always took nightly strolls at about 11 p.m. with his
dog.
Minor facts
According to doctors, only the warmth from the dogs body saved Escobanez from certain death.
Escobanez told police that he remembers nothing of the incident. A wallet containing P500 was still in his pocket
leading the authorities to rule out robbery.
***
Types of news stories
A.
Scope or origin
a.
Local news
b.
Foreign news
c.
Dateline news
B.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Chronology or sequence
Advanced or anticipated (dope or prognostication)
Spot news (reporter an eyewitness of the event)
Coverage news (beat)
Follow-up news

C.
a.
b.
c.

Treatment
Fact story (plain exposition)
Action story (narrative of actions)
Speech or quote story

D.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Content
Routine story
Police reports
Science news
Development communication
Sports news

E.
Structure
a.
Straight news
b.
News feature
b.1 Single-feature structure
b.2 Several-feature structure

F.
a.
b.
c.

Advanced news
Investigative
Interpretative
Depthnews

G.
Minor
a.
News brief
b.
News bulletin (gist of the news)
c.
News-featurette (quirks in the news)
d.
Sidebar (side by side with the mother story)
e.
Flash (boxed message)
***
HOW TO WRITE A LEAD?
Lead
It is a single word, a phrase, a clause, a brief sentence, an entire paragraph or a series of paragraphs. The main function of
the lead, aside from introducing the news story, are to tell the story in capsule form and to answer right away the questions
the reader would naturally ask.
A good lead answers all the important questions of the reader, indicates the facts if they are all important, and arouses the
readers interest to continue reading the story.
***
Kinds of lead
A.
Conventional or summary lead
B.
Grammatical beginning lead
C.
Novelty lead
***
Conventional or summary lead
This kind of lead used in straight news, answers right away all or any of the 5 Ws and/or the H. It may be one of the
following:
1.
WHO lead
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed, April 20, the PMA graduates in Baguio City.
2.
WHAT lead
AN ENTRANCE examination will be given Nov. 24 to all graduating high school students desiring to enroll in the fouryear college course.
3.
WHERE lead
TRAPICHE, Oton, Iloilo will be the site of the next International Film Festival.
4.
WHEN lead
TODAY, almost to the hour, the Revolutionary Government was proclaimed by former President Corazon Aquino.
5.
WHY lead
BECAUSE of poverty, around a hundred students dropped from school last year. This was learned from Iloilo Scholastic
Academy principal Juan dela Cruz.
6.

HOW lead

BY APPEALING to the school board, the University of Iloilo was able to construct a 30-storey, concrete building.
***
Grammatical-beginning lead
1.
Prepositional-phrase lead
WITH BROOMS and other cleaning equipment, boy scouts from the Iloilo public high schools cleaned the city markets in
consonance with the city mayors Clean and Beautiful Drive.
2.
Infinitive-phrase lead
TO ENCOURAGE tourism, balikbayans are given a warm welcome by their fellow Filipinos.
3.
Participial-phrase lead
HOPING to cop first place, the ISA woodpushers honed up for the chess championship games. (present participle)
DRESSED like priests, robbers were able to enter the bank. (past participle)
4.
Gerundial-phrase lead
WINNING the developmental communications trophy during the national press conference was Iloilo Scholastic
Academys best achievement of the year.
5.

Clause lead

BECAUSE Sept. 9 was Osmena Day, all lessons in class dealt with the life of the late President Sergio Osmena Sr.
(subordinate, adverbial)
***
Novelty lead
1.
Astonisher lead
CHAMPION of Division of Iloilo City!
BETTER look your best this week!
2.
Contrast lead
FOUR MONTHS before the Green Drive, Zone 3 of Brgy. Bo. Obrero, Iloilo City was the dirtiest community. Three
months after the campaign, it won first place in the cleanliness contest sponsored by the Department of Interior and Local
Government.
3.
Epigram
LIKE father, like son.
Herman Lagon Jr. graduated first honor this year. Twenty years ago, his father, Engr. Herman Lagon Sr. also topped his
class and delivered his valedictory address on the same rostrum where the young Lagon gave his.
4.
Picture lead
THE NEW principal, Ms. Arianne Agnes Ciao, although only in her early thirties, is already silver-haired. She seldom
talks, but when she does, she talks with sense.
5.
Background lead
THE CPU campus was turned into a miniature carnival ground Sept. 1 during the 89th Foundation Day celebration of the
school. Decorated with buntings and multicolored lights, the University quadrangle was a grand setting for a barrio fiesta.
6.
Descriptive lead
DRESSED in white polo barong, and with diplomas in their hands, 109 graduates marched down the stage to the tune of
Hail Alma Mater.
7.
Parody lead
WATER, water everywhere, but no water to drink. This was what the flood victims found to their dismay.
8.
Punch lead
VICTORY Day!
Bonifacio High School celebrated March 18 its fifth victory in the city-wide journalism contest.
9.
One-word lead
MARCH!
Thus ordered Chess Club president Pol Buenconsejo to start the Walk to Win fund-raising drive.
10.
Quotation lead
THE YOUTH sucks, thus said Association of Dimwits president Don Pepot in a seminar-workshop yesterday in Brgy.
Walang Kwenta, Siete Pecados, Guimaras.
11.
Question lead
WHO WILL reign as Miss Intramurals this year?
This will be known Aug. 8 after the final screening to be held at the WVSU gym.
***
NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Identify what kind of lead is used in the following:
1.

He used to be a mechanic. Now, he is president of a college.

2.
Dressed in caps and gowns, and with diplomas in their hands, the graduates sang their farewell song to their alma
mater.
3.
There was food and fun galore! The student body of Lally Jane Cabanilla High School held an excursion in Villa
beach last Sunday.
4.
Supt. Rasan Trompeta was the guest speaker during the investiture of boy scouts held Jan. 15 at Jaz Tandug High
School.
***
News leads are not always one sentence in length, but because of the frequent paragraphing in journalistic writing, a onesentence lead (of at most 25-35 words) is the most common. Whatever the arrangement, the lead answers some or all of
the 5 Ws and 1 H. The shorter, more complete and clearer the lead, the better it is.
***
NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Find the 5 Ws and 1 H

1.

On Saturday, April 30, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun causing a total eclipse for half an hour.

2.
Aboard an airplane flying 30,000 feet above the ground was born a fat plump baby boy this morning to a 60-yearold woman.
3.
At least 100 young surfers, who are members of the Surfing Association of Brgy. Ortiz will go to Siargao on Nov.
22-26 to view the Annual Championship Competition.
***
NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Write a summary lead using the data below:

reforestation drive

held at the foot of Mt. Makunat in Lambunao

last April 10

local boy scouts participated in the three planting activities

they were headed by Scout Master Joven Kidlat

Write a summary lead using the data below:

seminar on population education

third of a series

being currently held this year in Laklak High School

reason: in observance of World Population Year

held March 31 at the school social hall

***
Dos and Donts in writing a news story
1.
Write the story immediately.
2.
Play up the dominant points.
3.
Be accurate and truthful.
4.
Avoid opinions called editorializing.
5.
Use adjectives sparingly.
6.
Avoid libelous, seditious and rebellious matters, prejudice and bad taste.
7.
Give source (attribution) of the news.
8.
Write names in full when these are mentioned for the first time.
9.
Identify the names mentioned.
10.
Avoid redundancy.
11.
Watch out for errors in fact, grammar, structure, and style.
12.
Observe the guidelines for clear effective writing (unity, coherence, emphasis, brevity, clarity, etc.)
13.
Adopt a paper stylesheet or stylebook for consistency and professionalism (in Ripples, we officially adopt the
Daily Inquirer Stylebook)
***
Guidelines in writing a news story
1.
Give your lead sentence a punch to catch the interest of the readers.
2.
Starts with the most important event or idea.
3.
Use the rule or proximity and explain how the news affects the people in the locality or the students in school.
4.
If your story has something unusual or novel to tell, bank on that for the lead. Its hot copy.
5.
Make your sentences concise and clear so that they could be easily understood. Long tedious sentences will likely
kill the readers interest. Besides, they usually lose the readers along the way. News stories are not luxury or
pleasure reading. They have the basic function to inform.
6.
Use simple words. Using highfalutin words does not prove anything but pedantry and literary pretentions. Even
literary writers try as much as possible to use simple words.
7.
Never be afraid of breaking the rules if it will prove helpful in making a good copy.
***
NEWS WRITING EXERCISE
Make a four-paragraph news report of Ripples Phase 1 Basic Journalism Course. The article shall be published tomorrow,
April 12. Supply the headline.
***
SAMPLES:
Failed bank heist ends with 1 dead
AN ALLEGED bank robber was shot dead by a security guard in a robbery hold-up at Equitable Bank, Quezon St., Iloilo
City noontime yesterday.
Police Supt. Bakleng Bading of Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) identified the fatality as Garin Farm thru a Comelec
identification card, while the security guard was identified as Neil Andrew Tupaz y Falayfay, 42, of 17 Gen. Blanco St.,
Iloilo City.
Police reports revealed that at 10:45 a.m. Monday, the suspect entered the said bank to encash a check with a companion
waiting outside. The suspect demanded money from the teller, Ethel Booba Sya, but the latter refused prompting Farm to
grab the guards shotgun. In the commotion, the guard fired the gun, hitting the victim in the abdomen.
A certain Mr. Pelongsya informed the police thru a phone call about the incident.

The companion of the suspect evaded arrest and is still being hunted by the authorities. No amount was reportedly
lost.
6 killed in attacks vs cops
THE PHILIPPINE National Police has blamed the New People's Army rebels for the two ambush attacks yesterday, April
10 that killed five policemen and a security guard.
Three policemen were responding to a call about an alleged bomb in Silang town, Cavite when they were shot dead on
Thursday afternoon, a police report said.
Two hours later, unidentified men sprayed a police checkpoint in Olongapo City with bullets, killing two policemen and a
security guard. Two other police officers were seriously wounded.
Authorities said they have launched an investigation of the attacks that could be the work of the NPA.
PNP chief Director General Edgardo Aglipay said the communists were known to step up their attacks just ahead of their
anniversaries.
The Communist Party of the Philippines marks its 36th anniversary on December 26.
Aglipay also noted that the communists announced in October that they would step up their attacks.
Sanggol, binigti at itinapon ng ina
IMUS, Cavite Upang maitago ang kanyang pagbubuntis at panganganak, isang 17-anyos na babae ang dinakip ng mga
awtoridad matapos na patayin ang kanyang sariling sanggol na kapapanganak pa lamang kamakalawa ng hapon sa Bacoor,
Cavite.
Kasalukuyang nakakulong si Monica Merca, tubong-San Mariano, Isabela at stay-in maid sa Alabang Hills Village,
Muntinlupa City habang pansamantalang inilibing ang sanggol na si Baby Merca sa Public Cemetery sa Bacoor, Cavite.
Ayon kay SPO3 Rodolfo Arboleda, alas-2:30 ng hapon nang matagpuan ang isang patay na sanggol na nakalagay sa itim
na plastic bag na nakalagay sa basurahan.
Tinungo ng mga pulis ang lugar at nakita nila na nakabigti ng panty ang leeg ng sanggol at nakabalot ng t-shirt na puti.
Isang sobre din ang nakuha ng mga pulis sa nakabalot sa sanggol na mula sa San Beda College at nakapangalan sa magasawang Alvin Domingo ng Alabang Hills Village, ng nasabing lungsod.
Hindi nag-aksaya ng oras ang mga awtoridad at agad na nagtungo sa bahay ng mga Domingo kung saan nakita nila si
Merca na namumutla at kasalukuyan pa ring dinudugo.
Dito inamin ni Merca na mag-isa niyang ipinanganak ang kanyang sanggol noong Miyerkules ng gabi at siya na rin ang
nagputol ng pusod nito.
At sa takot na malaman ng kanyang mga magulang sa probinsiya ang kanyang pagbubuntis, ipinasya na lamang niyang
patayin ang sanggol.
Ayon naman sa amo ng suspek natatakot ito sa kanyang mga magulang dahil madalas umano itong sinasabihan na sagabal
ang pagbubuntis sa kanyang trabaho. (Ulat ni Herman Landi)