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COPY READING AND HEADLINE WRITING

Copyreading is much like the work of a

communication arts teacher correcting compositions, except that he usesdifferent symbols.A copy may be a news item, an editorial, a feature story or any literary article.

Duties of a copyreader:
1.

Straighten out ungrammatical construction.2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.3. See that the papers style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses, title,

designations,identificati ons, figures, etc.4. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.5. Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the facts unlesshe is

sure of his corrections.6. Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or sources.7. Watch out for slanting or any attempt to

present the story in a subtly biased way.8. Watch for libelous statements.9. Recheck figures and totals.10. Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to

make a story sound over-written.11. Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary.12. Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.13.

Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible.14. Check sluglines and paging sequences15. Write headlines

What to copyread?
1.

Errors in fact2. Errors in grammar 3. Errors in structure4. Errors in style5. Libelous and derogatory statements6.

Seditious and rebellious matter 7. Expressions contrary to law and good taste8. Opinion and editorializing statements9. Verbal deadwood, redundancy10.

Technical terms, slang, jargons

Copy-reading symbols
Punctuation Marks Symbols Meaning OutcomeThe Bionic Woman Emphasize quotes The Bionic

WomanDr Arthur Cruz Jr Emphasize periods Dr. Arthur Cruz Jr.said I must go. Emphasize comma said, I must go. Numbers and Abbreviations

in Nov. Spell out in November Doctor Arthur Cruz Abbreviate Dr. Arthur Cruztwenty boys Use numeral 20 boys2 girls were Spell out Two girls were Special form of type

Manila, philippines Capitalize MANILA, Philippines Letter and word changes meet on Saturday Bridge over meet Saturdaythose b oys Close up space those boysFe Cruz

Principal Transpose Principal Fe Cruzrecieve Transpose receivepamplet Insert letter pamphletwent market Insert word went to marketManila pAper Lower case Manila

paper received free gifts Delete word received gifts judgement Delete letter within judgmentdevelope iskill Delete before/after develop skillthe most talented and Kill the

principalenthusiastic principalAllright wehave time Insert space All right we have timeWe were indeed very Run in copy We were indeed veryhappy because happy because Others

Paco, Manila Indent for paragraph Paco, ManilaToday he will Today he willWelfrido Cruz Spell as written Welfrido KruzOne boy came Restore text; disregard On boy

camecorrectionElecte d prexy Center subhead Elected prexythe un Syllabicate the unfinished task finished taskThe gong Set in boldface the gong

She read Les Miserables Set in italics She read Les Miserables 30 or # Story is finishedmore or ) Story is unfinishedSeminar Text continued on the(2) Next page# -

folio copy See copy as writtenNote: To arrange paragraphs just place the number (e.g. #1, #3) of the corresponding paragraphs in theleft portion of the copy. SAMPLE COPY TEST

Slug line: _________________ _______ Headline: _________________ ____________ No. of units: ____________ The PNU elementary school launch the anual cleanliness &

beatification contest September 16 at theschool social hole.In a mating with Presidents and vicepresidents of each class from Grade III to Gr. Six, Mrs. Alegria FloraPrincipal

explain the prosedures to folow.According to the principal, its class class will be given an areas to cleaned. Ones a week, school officialswill vissit the area and chose the cleanest amongst

them.Prices will be awarded to the class whos area will be pick the cleanest for 3 times. ThThis will give insentives to the students explained Mrs. Flores.The handsome and intelligent Mr. Garcia

Ramon, vocation al teacher who facilitated the meeting told thestudes that thru the contest cooperation will be developedwhile order and cleanliness be

maintained.Congrattu lations Mrs. Garcia

Headlining
It is easy to write the news headline. Just look at the first paragraph called the lead which contains the gist, Just writethe gist of that lead.

Dos and donts in writing traditional headlines

1. Make your headline answer as many Ws as possible.2.

The headline should summarize the news story, but must avoid using all the words used in the lead. It shouldcontain nothing that is not found in the story.3. Positive heads are preferable to negative ones.

School physician allays flu fear is better than Flu epidemic not rampant in city .4. Out a verb expressed or implied in every deck.5. Omit articles like a, an, and the, and all forms of

the verb to be (is, are, be, etc.), unless needed to make themeaning clear.6. Use the strongest word in the first line as much as possible.7. The active verb is better than the passive verb in headlines (Food

production drive intensified; RPs lost imageabroad regained)

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

(Archbishop Sin bats for nationalreconciliation; Lantern parade to cap Xmas affairs).9. Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts.10.

Avoid heads that carry double meaning.11. Use only common abbreviations.

Punctuating a headline
1. Use a comma in place of the conjuction

and 2. Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon.3. The dash may be used in smaller decks but not for headlines in large types.4.

The single quotation marks are used in headlines.5. Follow the other rules of punctuations.

Unit counting in headline

unit - jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (--), and the

question mark (?)1 unit - the question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, all lower case letters except jiltf 1 units - the em dash, lower case m and w, and all capital letters except capital M and W and JILTF2 units capital M, W

Headline vocabulary (Formula: subjectverb-object ala text message)

1. Faculty club strengthened (beefed up)2. Enrolment

decreases (dips)3. Science examinations announced (quiz bared)4. Contests highlight Animal Week (cap)5.

Santos urges cooperation (bats for, calls for)6. DepEd disapproves tuition fee increase (bucks, nixes, axes)7. Ateneo wins

12 medals in press contest (bags, romp away with; tilt, parley)8. Principal praises editors humility (lauds, extols)9. Local staff dominates

press tilt (rules, lords over)10. Local basketball players retain championship (sluggers; crown)11. US attacks

Russ nuclear test (hits)12. Laurel ends diplomatic tour (winds up)13. Cops ended syndicate (busted)14.

Slay suspect questioned (grilled, probed)15. RP sees import hike (eyes)16. 456 pass bar exams (hurdle)17.

Lim dismisses 5 cops (fires)18. RP-Malaysia dispute solved (row)19. Fiscal dismiss rape charge

(dismiss; rap)20. Import talk delayed (snagged)

Mga halimbawa
Huwag gumamit ng pangalan maliban kung kilala ito MaliJaime Diaz, nahalal na

panguloTamaMagaaral ng Mapa, nahalal na pangulo ng samahan Maging tiyak (specific) MaliMag-aaral, nagwagi sa paligsahanTamaMagaaral ng Mapa, nagwagi sa pagsulat ng balita Iwasan ang opinyon sa balita

MaliPaaralang Datu Puti, lumaro ng kahanga-hangaTama Paaralang Datu Puti, nanalo ng 3 sa 4 na laban Lagyan ng pandiwa ang bawat ulo MaliLimang guro sa seminar TamaLimang guro, dadalo sa seminar

Iwasan ang paggamit ng negatibong pandiwa MaliPaligsahan sa talumpatian, hindi matutuloyTama Paligsahan sat al;umpatian, pinagpaliban Gumamit ng makakatawag-pansing pandiwa

MahinaTinato ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36Malakas Pinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36

Gamitin ang maikli at kilalang salita

MasalitaBayang Pilipinas, sasali sa pandaigdig na

palaroMaikliRP, sasali sa olimpiyada Iwasan ang paggamit ng pantukoy at ng pandiwang pantulong nahango sa
verb to be

MaliSi Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng RipplesTamaJaphet Burgos, napiling

punong patnugot ng Ripples Lead (pamatnubay) Most important facts A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life of his blind master, Thursday night, but the canines loyalty cost thetrusty animal his life.

BridgeElaboration of lead In serious condition today in Doctors Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a street sweeper. Escobanez of SSS Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City was found early this morning unconscious on

a sidewalk near the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo Terminal Market. Less important facts Police theorized that Escobanez was knocked unconscious when he fell, his head hitting a stone. Potpot, hisdog, apparently tried to

shield its master from the cold and the rain by draping itself over the fallen man.When discovered this morning by the Police Patrol, Escobanez was still out cold. The dog lay near, dead.Relatives of Escobanez who is still a bachelor, told

authorities that he always took nightly strolls at about 11p.m. with his dog. Minor facts According to doctors, only the warmth from the dogs body saved Escobanez from certain death.Escobanez told police that he

remembers nothing of the incident. A wallet containing PhP 500.00 was still in hispocket leading the authorities to rule out robbery.

How to write a lead?

Lead
Copy Reading and Headline Writing
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