News

Is information that has meaning

for a set of readers, a timely and
factual narration of past, present,
and future events that may arise
from the North, East, West or
South.

Adequate Coverage

Quality Writing

Characteristics of News
Accuracy

Statements
Names
Figures
Other information

Objective
Fair, just
impartiality

Factual
Actual persons
Actual events
Nothing invented

Balance
Correct emphasis

Concise
Short
KISS

Timely
New
Fresh

Elements of NEWS
Conflict or struggle

Immediacy or
timeliness
Proximity or nearness
Significance or
consequence
Romance or adventure
Oddity or unusualness
names

Drama
Sex
Progress
Animals
Number
Emotion

TYPES
OForNEWS STORIES
According
to scope
Origin:
- Local
- National
According to Chronology
- Foreign
or Sequence:
- Dateline
- Advance/Anticipated
- Spot
- Coverage
- Follow-up

According to Treatment:
- Fact
- Action
- Quote
- Speech
- Interview

According to Content:
- Routine (elections,
celebrations, etc
- Sports
- DEVCOM
- Police (calamities,
crimes, accidents)
- Science
(development news)

As to Structure:
- Straight News
- News Feature

Advanced Type:
- Investigative
- Interpretive
- depthnews

Minor Type:
-Sidebars
-Bulletins
-Quirks
-Newsbriefs
-Flash
-Roundups

Parts of a News Story

LEAD

-first paragraph of the news

story, summary of the story,
contains the important s in
sentence.

BRIDGE
BODY -inverted pyramid structure.
LEAD: Most Important Facts
Next most important facts
Less important
Least
important

-transition from the lead to

story, explains the (blind)
lead, uses key words to
provide transition from the
lead to the chronological
details of the body.

Blind
Lead

-complete identification held until the second paragraph,

helps create interest.
2 examples of Blind Lead and Bridge

A Nueva Vizcaya delegate clinched the top place in newswriting at

the Regional Schools Press Conference held Nov. 12 in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
(Blind Lead)
Victor R. Cudal, chief editor of The Little Marian, campus paper of
the St. Marys university Grade School Department in Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya bested some 75 provincial winners. (Bridge)
A high school freshman was slightly injured Sunday near the
school in what police described as a one-in-a-million freak accident. (Blind
Lead)
Rayver G. Cruz,12, was treated and discharged from the Veterans
Regl Hospital following the noon accident in which his bicycle was hit
twice by the same tricycle. (Bridge)

LEADS are like runways. Before a plane can take off, it needs
momentum to leave upward and stay afloat. W. Mencken

STIPS (Steps and Tips) in news writing:

1. List down facts according to descending importance.
2. Highlight the most important data as the LEAD.
3. Be accurate in presenting facts.
4. Names should be given in full when first mentioned. Thereafter,
use Mr./ Miss / Mrs. (surname) or appropriate title.
5. Attribute authority or source of news.
6. Identify names mentioned.
7. Avoid editorializing. No opinions!
8. Be objective. Present facts without bias.
9. Make short paragraphs. One-idea, one-sentence paragraph.
10. Use simple words, short sentences but vary their length.
11. Dont use first person (I, my, our).
12. Prefer active to passive voice.
13. Number from 1-9 spelled out; 10-above in numerical figures.
14. Dont start news with numerals, there is, there are and
avoid, when possible, use of articles (a, an, the) as beginning
word.
15. Dont use an important or unusual word twice in the same
sentence.

Fact 1:your

Competition in sports was held in July in

school and Reinier Mabalo, Senior; Josh
Gregorio, junior, and Michael Zamora, junior, won
first places in table tennis, badminton, and lawn
tennis, respectively. The three are writers of your
school paper.

Lead

Three Spectrum writers emerged

champions in three sports games played during
the Intramurals Meet at St. Marys University, High
School Dept., July 20.
Reinier Mabalo, senior, dominated table
tennis while Josh Gregorio and Michael Zamora,
both juniors, championed badminton and lawn
tennis, respectively.

Below are different versions of a story for a piece of news.

From a policeman:
The red car was speeding from Recto Avenue to Dagupan when a cargo truck from Dagupan St.
swerved left. The owner of the car obviously did not notice the oncoming truck. So, it did not slow down. It
was the truck drivers fault but he said he lost his brake and could not do anything but went left to avoid
hitting a pedestrian. The man in the car was severely injured but his companion, an old lady, died on the
spot. Identified trough his ID card, he was Randal Benitez of Retiro, La Loma Quezon City and the old lady,
Crisanta Benitez was his mother.
From a pedestrian:
I just saw the red car coming from Recto and a big truck going to its direction. Suddenly I heard a
loud bang and I saw blood on the side-mirror of the car. The man was brought to Mary Johnston but the old
woman died.
From a street vendor:
I have been here since three oclock this afternoon. A few minutes later, I saw the red car hitting
the big truck. The woman infront covered her face with her bag. When the policeman opened the car, she
was already dead. But the man was still alive although the front side of the car was crumpled like a piece of
paper.
From another policeman:
A cargo truck should not be around the busy streets from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The driver is now
charged of violating the law on trucks carrying heavy cargoes. Negligence and reckless driving resulting to
serious injury and death are also filed against him.
Guide Questions for the Lead (first paragraph)
1. Who died on the spot and was seriously injured in an accident?
2. How did the accident happen?
3. When and where did it occur?

Lecture demonstration
ROGER S. SEBASTIAN, master teacher1
NVGCHS
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya