Learning Basic News Writing the Easy Way

Filemon V. Viduya

What is journalism? Journalism is defined in many ways such as

follows:
1. Journalism is the occupation of writing for publication in newspaper and other
periodicals. Noah Webster
2. Journalism embraces all forms in which or through which the news and
comments on the news reaches the public.Fraser F. Band, noted American
journalist
3. But the most accepted definition is, An occupation of reporting, writing, editing,
photographing or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organizations.

Far reaching power of media

1. Promote and hold back changes

2. Influence behavior
3. Persuade
4. Structure definition
5. Inform quickly
6. Confer status and legitimize media serves

Who are the people considered as journalists?

They are the news correspondents, news reporters, editors, lay-out artists,
columnists, editorial writers, publishers, radio-tv reporters, writers, editors,
newscasters/newsreaders, radio-tv commentators.

Main functions of journalism

1. Source of true and accurate information

2. Source of important instruction
3. Entertainment, and

4. Through the information and instruction. The members of the community will
form their individual opinion and these individual opinions become the basis
of public information. The government, on the other hand, can formulate its
programs and policies based on the public opinion.

There are other functions

1. It influences behavior
2. It persuades
3. It confers status and legitimize
4. It serves as a forum for debate
5. It encircles democracy
6. It educates the public on important issues
7. It enables the citizens to questions, unsound policies
8. It is a critical factor in staging the capacity of sovereign people to exact
accountability

What is news and how it differs from journalism?

Just like journalism, news writing is defined in various ways:

1. News is anything that interest people.
Jose Luna Castro, former editor- in- chief of the Manila Times
2. News is a product and a point of view.
George A. Hough 3rd, a professor emeritus of University of Georgia

But the best definition which is frequently quoted by journalists and authors of
journalism books is that of M. Lyle Spencer, a long-time dean of the School of
Journalism in Syracuse University, which says, News is any event, idea or
opinion that is timely, that interests or affects large number of persons in
a community, and that is capable of being understood by them.

There are important elements of news that one must always consider when
writing his story:

Timeliness or immediacy- This refers to the nature of freshness which means it

deals with the latest angle or development of an incident, event or news that breaks
out. The news should be reported immediately following the occurrence of the event
or incident.
Example:

A fire of mysterious origin struck in Sta. Mesa, Manila this morning.

Proximity - This element refers to the nearness of the event or incident to the
place of the reader.
A reader is usually more interested to news about his community than from places
afar from him. Its likely that the occurrence of a shipwreck in Manila Bay will
interest more a Manila resident than that of similar mishap that happened in Pacific
Ocean though the number of fatalities is much more than that in Manila Bay.
Example:
Five persons died when a domestic passenger ship sank yesterday in Manila Bay.
Prominence- This element is present when popular celebrities, very rich and
influential businessmen or high government officials are involved in an event or
accident such as when they die, marry or charge in court.

That is the reason why a news story becomes bigger or sensational when these
highly popular and Influential people die.
Example:
A governor from the north was gunned down last night a few meters away from his
house in a plushy subdivision in Quezon City.

Oddity This element is about the unusualness of the event or incident. As

observed by a British politician-historian, It isnt news when a dog bites a man, but
it is news when a man bites a dog.
Example:

A 35-year-old mother fearlessly grabbed and killed a venomous rattlesnake before it

could bite her sleeping one-year-old on the bamboo floor of their hut yesterday in
Camarines Norte.

Significance- This element refers to the importance or impact of an event or

incident to the life of the reader or to his community.

A good example for this is the signing by the President of the RH bill into law.
This bill had been the object bitter debates between the church and the government
because of the controversial population control that it contains.
Example:

President Noynoy Aquino signed yesterday the highly controversial RH bill into law
before the all-smile supporters.

There are two parts of the news:

1. The Lead- It is commonly known as the first paragraph of a news story
and usually summarizes the news and dictates its mood. In short, it tells the
news in a nutshell.
2. The Body- The body of the news, on the other hand, is the entirety of the
story. If the lead tells the story in a nutshell, the body retells story in details.

And it does that by:

Explaining or elaborating the features in the lead,

Adding minor features not summarized in the lead
Of course, the reporter may not retell his story or parts of it several times but
should do this by putting additional details. And there is not out-and-out
repetition of facts already used.

Generally, there two kinds of lead:

1. Summary lead- It gives the summary of the whole story. It is usually used in a
straight or orthodox news.
And it is characterized by the questions who, what, where, when, why and how
which usually known as the 5Ws and H.

Example:
A second year journalism student of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
(PUP) won yesterday first prize in a prestigious international debate competition
held in Beijing, China.
There are several types of novelty lead which are commonly used as leads for
news features and feature articles.

a. Cartridge lead

This kind of lead is short, abrupt and definite. It tells the gist of the news.
Example:
Pres. Noynoy Aquino issued yesterday a strong warning against all corrupt
government officials.

b. Punch Lead

This lead is similar to cartridge lead, but it surprises and intrigues the leader. .
Example:
There will be no classes at all levels tomorrow.

c. Picture lead

This lead attempts a pictorial account of the event or incident.

Example:

Clutching his five-year-old son, Pedro Sison, 32, could not control his tears to roll
down on his cheek when he heard that his wife and their two-year-old daughter
were among those killed in the Manor Hotel fire incident in Quezon City.

D. Contrast lead

It is a lead which emphasizes the contrast.

Example:

Ten years ago he was known as one of the non-performing legislators, but today
Pres. Noynoy Aquino is widely watched as an effective anti-corruption President in
Asia.

E. Question lead

This lead raises a query in the hope of inducing the reader to read on.

Example:

Can the Filipino people effectively stop the political dynasty in the country.

A young reporter, who is aspiring to become a skillful writer, must

familiarized himself with the characteristics of a good lead. According to
Pangilinan (1988), a good lead must have the following characteristics:
1. Includes only the 5Ws and the H which is important.
Example: A small contingent of U.S. developmental gymnasts traveled to the
Sovient Union last February to take a closer look at Soviet Gymnasts.
What: travel
Who: U.S. Developmental gymnasts
Where: Soviet Union
When: Last February
Why: To take a closer look at Soviet Gymnasts
2. Starts with the feature of the story which may either be the most important, or
the most interesting fact or both.
3. It is short, usually 25-35 words if it is one paragraph.
4. Begins with specific, interesting-arousing word.
5. Avoid when possible, beginning with such words and phrases: a, an, the; as a
meeting; yesterday, last night, last week, recently, and days of the week.
6. Avoid overloading the first sentence of the lead.

7. Identify the persons mentioned.

8. Relates the 5Ws and H and the authority in a clearly constructive, well-organized
sentence, often by the use of such words as when, where, and as.

Shown below is a series of rewriting done to the lead

paragraph of an oil strike made by oil prospectors.

Facts Gathered
Drillers struck oil in a well five miles southeast of Midland well are a wildcat
they summoned owners and lessees then shot the wellpetroleum went over the
derrick at 3 oclock spectators were soaked they demonstrated pleasure.
First Draft
A gusher came in. seeding oil over the rigging of a wildcat well five miles from
Midland of 3pm yesterday afternoonfinancially, interested onlookers do need
happily as they were soaked.
Second Draft (more polished miles from midland of 3pm yesterday wildest delighted
investors copy)
A giant column of oil rose over the rigging of a wildcat well five miles from Midland
at 3pm yesterday wildest delighted investors danced in sudden shower of riches.
Final Draft
A gleaming geyser of oil spurted skyward over the rig of a wild cat well five miles
from Midland at 3 pm yesterday while lucky investors danced in delirium under the
rain of riches.

Here are some examples of news stories with their lead and body:

Secondary Lead

The measure will be taken up by a bicameral conference committee today.

Details

The senate approved appropriation measures gave the Office of the Press
Secretary, Philippine Tourism Authority and the Kilos Asenso Support Fund zero
budgets.

Additional Details

The OPS has proposed budget of P10 million; PTA P50 million; and Kilos
Asenso P 1 billion.

More Details

The senate version also cut the budgets of the Departments of Agrarian Reform by
3.1 billion; Energy, 61 million; Finance, 13 million; Local Government, 436 million;
Justice, 215 million; Armed Forces, 75 million; Public Works, 3.4 billion; Social
Welfare, 243 million; and National Economic Development Authority, 25 million.

Another example is a police story written by yours truly of course. The facts
of this story were taken from police blotter, police report, and interviews from
the investigators and witnesses.

This is another example of inverted pyramid kind of story written by this author and
was published by the Manila Times in 1989; its about the killing of a Japanese
businessman by one of his employees in Makati City.

Japanese executive robbed,

killed by his own liaison officer
By Fil Viduya
The Lead
A JAPANESE operator of a multi-million peso promotion agency in Manila and his
housemaid were stabbed to death by four armed men inside his residence in Makati
City the other night.
Secondary Lead
Killed were Hichiro Cubota, 57, and Hazel Arzona, 21,
housemaid.The two were hogtied and repeatedly stabbed by the suspects.
Details
The victims were declared dead on arrival at the Manila Medical Center. Cubotas
Filipina common law wife, Elizabeth Hamon, 27, was badly beaten.
Another maid, Marlene Jogilon, 18, was also wounded.

The suspects, allegedly led by Cubotas liaison officer, Enrique Constantino, did not
harm the Japanese two children.
Another Detail

They ransacked the couples two-storey at 1667 Baler St. Barangay Valenzuela and
fled with P1 million worth jewelry, 2,000 yen and 5,000.

Below is an example of how a reporter may cover a meeting and write his
fact story. The facts as gathered by the reporter from a fictional meeting
conducted by the Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and attended by City
Mayor Sonny Belmonte as their guest speaker. Please note that some of the
facts here were not existing. They were not included purposely to make the
fictional news story more interesting. This is how the story is written in its
draft:

A meeting was held this noon at the Quezon City Hall by the QC of Commerce
(QCCC) where a number of civic improvements were discussed. QCCC President
Juan Dela Cruz presided the meeting.

Mayor Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City was the principal speaker. He talked
about the future of QC as a music center with its two schools: The Academy of Fine
Arts and the QC College Music.

The city has decided, he said, to build a new opera house if the
businessmen will subscribe P2.5 million to pay for half of it. The mayor stressed the
demand of the QC people for good music.

The opera house will cost P5 million. Members of the chamber responded
readily.

President Dela Cruz assured the mayor the organization would cooperate and
P1million was pledged when a hat passed around.

Belmonte pointed out that his administration is sponsoring an important

street paving and parking program. He said this park would be the best in the
country.

The new opera house will be located in Diliman district near the University of
the Philippines.

The proposed opera house will be large enough for 3,000 people.
Sifting the Jumbled Facts

As his first step, the reporter should sift the jumbled facts and arrange them
according to their importance. |He would draft his lead from the most important or
interesting fact or facts:

1. Meeting of the chamber of commerce today.

2. Mayor Sonny Belmonte spoke of the need for the city businessmen to engage
in civic activities that may enhance the city.
3. QC people are music lovers.
4. QC government plans to erect a new opera house.
5. The government will set aside P 2.5 million fund for the project.
6. The building will be situated in Diliman district near the University of the
Philippines.
7. The capacity of the center will be 3,000 people.
The most logical choice for the lead is apparently No. 4. Lets see how the lead
would be finally written:

A PLAN FOR the construction of a new P5-million opera house in Diliman, Quezon
City near the University of the Philippines was announced yesterday by QC Mayor
Sonny Belmonte at a luncheon meeting of the Quezon City Chamber of Commerce
(QCCC).

The proposed music center was the joint response of the city government and the
QCC to the persistent public clamor for the putting up of such structure.

Mayor Belmonte, who was the principal speaker of the meeting hosted by the city
chamber of commerce, pointed out that through the center, Quezon City may yet
realize the dream of many of its residents that the city would become the countrys
music center.

The city chief executive noted with pride that QC is the location of two reputable
music schools. He was apparently referring to the Academy of Fine Arts and Music
and the QC College of Music. (both are fictional schools)
The city has decided to build a new opera house if the businessmen will subscribe
the P 2.5 million to pay the other half of the building budget.

Belmonte said the proposed center could accommodate some 3,000 people.
According to the city mayor, the Quezon City residents have intense clamor for good
music.