Prepared by:

MIRALUNA T. SABID, EdD

Course Facilitator
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Course Guide in Eng 116 –Campus Journalism

Course Description:
Course Description: Develops skills and applies principles and strategies in writing for
traditional and new media

Intended Learning Outcomes:

The learners will be able to:
1. Discuss concepts relevant to campus journalism
2. Write news, sports, features, column, and editorial articles using traditional and new
media
3. Take photos following various principles in photojournalism
4. Edited articles and lay-out newsletter
5. Produce and publish sample products of each media type.

Course Requirements:
1. Midterm and Final Examination
2. Written articles
3. E- Photo Portfolio / Printed Photo Portfolio
(Compilation of photos based on different photo categories)
4. E – Publication / Printed desktop publication
5. Recorded Radio and TV broadcasting (Submitted online or in USB drive)
6. Blog / Vlog

Topic Outline

Module 1. Introduction to Campus Journalism

Lesson 1. Scope and Nature of Journalism
Lesson 2. Journalism vs Literature
Lesson 3. Tenets of Journalism
Lesson 4. Killers of Balanced Reporting
Lesson 5. Legal basis of Campus Journalism
Module 2. Campus Paper and Publication Staff
Lesson 1. Newspaper VS Campus Paper
Lesson 2. Brief History of Campus Journalism
Lesson 3. Functions of Campus Paper
Lesson 4. Duties and Responsibilities of Publication Staff
Lesson 5. Parts of Campus Paper
Module 3. Journalistic Skills : Focus on Print Media
Lesson 1. News and Writing the News
1.1.News Story
1.2.Sports News
1.3 Science News
Lesson 2. Feature article and writing feature article
Lesson 3. Editorial Writing and Editorial Cartooning

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Lesson 4. Column and column writing

Module 4. Copy Reading and Headline Writing
Lesson 1. Copy Reading and Proof Reading
Lesson 2. Mechanics and Patterns of Headline Writing
Module 5. Photo Journalism 1
Lesson 1. Photography
Lesson 2. Caption Writing
Module 6 . Publication Style 1
Lesson 1. Guide to publication style
Lesson 2. Lay out of Makeup
Module 7. Journalistic Skills : Focus on Broadcast Media
(Radio and TV Broadcasting)
Lesson 1. Introduction to Broadcast Media
Lesson 2. Elements of radio broadcasting
Lesson 3. Elements of Television Production
Lesson 4. Writing of Television and Radio News Scripts
Lesson 5. News Hole
Module 8. Journalistic Skills : Focus on Digital / Online Media
Lesson 1. Introduction to Digital / Online Media
Lesson 2. Characteristics and Types of Digital / Online Journalism
Lesson 3. Tips and Rules in writing for digital media

Delivery Methods
This class will use the blended learning approach for those who have available
gadgets and internet connection to be used and Modular Distance Learning.
Blended learning is an approach to education combines online educational materials and
opportunities for interaction online and offline individual activities. It will be synchronous
and asynchronous in nature. Discussion of lessons online will be scheduled for students’
guidance. Queries for the topics and other learning materials will be made available in the GC
and LMS which is Facebook Social Learning Group. Other activities will be done offline
with the activities given on the GC and or LMS.

Modular instruction for those who don’t have gadgets or internet signal. Consultation will
be done through text messaging. Learning materials will be distributed / picked up on a
schedule made by the college and will be returned after a period of time. Please be reminded
that there are other activities to be done other than what is on the module. This activities will
be sent through text messaging.
Grading System

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Midterm Final

Performance Tasks 20% 20%

Mid – Term and Final Exam 40% 40%

Projects and other Requirements 40% 40%

TOTAL
100% 100%

Final Grade Midterm 30%

Final 70%

Total 100%

Policy on Academic Integrity

Policies on Cheating
Students caught cheating during exam and written works will be warned for the first
offense, papers will be confiscated and not scored. For the second offense they will be
subjected for guidance and counselling.

Policies on Plagiarism
Students caught and proven plagiarizing the works of others will be warned and will be
given another tasked , if caught for the second time papers will not be scored and students
will be subjected to guidance and counselling.

Policies Submission of Project / Output/ Written works

Submit all requirements and other tasks assigned on time. Late submission of outputs
would mean an automatic deduction on timeliness in the scoring criterion. Further, failure
to submit at all would mean no grade on a certain output / project.
Late submission with valid reason will be given considerations.

Class Policies on attending online classes / meetings

1. Wear descent clothes.
2. Turn off microphone unless recognized to speak
3. Turn on camera at all times.
4. Be respectful to others and others’ opinion
5. Queries, questions, problems and other should be discussed in the GC or through text
messaging between students and course facilitator.

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MODULE 1. Introduction to Campus Journalism

In today’s era of communication and technology, people want to be aware and it is the role of the mass
media to spread information about every relevant happening in the world. Newspapers, radio, television and
more recently the internet are various means of spreading information and journalists have a very significant
role to play in this practice. Politics, economics, art, culture, history, business, sports, entertainment and many
other areas are covered by journalists.

This topic will discuss to you the entire scope, nature of journalism and all of its concepts. It is the craft
of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include
newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and even, more recently, the cell phone. It is the
process of collection, writing, editing, and publishing news in newspapers and magazines collectively.

Lesson 1. Scope and Nature of Journalism

A. Scope:

Journalism is the timely reporting of events at the local, provincial, national and international levels.
Reporting involves the gathering of information through interviewing and research, the results of which are turned
into a fair and balanced story for publication or for television or radio broadcast.

Journalism is not just fact-finding media analysis opinion writing or commentary although all of those
aspects can play a part at times. Journalism is that part of social activity which is concerned with the dissemination
of news and views about the society.

Modern journalism feeds five areas of mass communication – (1) Newspapers and Periodicals, (2) Radio, (3)
Television, (4) Films, (5) Advertising & Public Relations.

In modern societies, Journalism has become the media of mass education providing supplementary
education to students at all stages and to the general masses – educated and uneducated. In modern times, the
horizon of journalism has widened and it has transcended the limits of mere reporting of political and economic
news.

Journalism has as its main activity the reporting of events stating who, what, where, why and how, and
explaining the significance and effects of events or trends. Journalism exists in a number of media: newspapers,
television, radio, magazines and, most recently, the World Wide Web through the internet.

Types of Journalism

1. Media based journalism

Depending on the type of medium used, journalism can be divided into:

-Print journalism
Print journalism includes writing and publishing for newspapers, news magazines.

-Broadcast journalism
Includes broadcasting for both radio and television.

-On-line journalism
The fast and vast growth of the internet and World Wide Web has spawned the newest medium
for journalism, on-line journalism.

2. Content based journalism

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Depending on the type of content that is generated in the media, journalism can be divided into
various types. Each or all of these can be found in all the media mentioned above.

-Feature journalism
Periodicals often contain features written by journalists, many of whom specialize in this form
of in depth journalism.

-Sports journalism
Sports journalism covers many aspects of human athletic competition, and is an integral part
of most journalism products, including newspapers, magazines, and radio and television news
broadcasts.

-Science journalism
Science journalism is a relatively new branch of journalism, in which journalists reporting
conveys information on science topics to the public.

-Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism, in which journalists investigative and expose unethical, immoral
and illegal behavior by individual, business and government agencies, etc.

-People journalism or celebrity

Celebrity journalism differs from feature writing in that it focuses on people who are either
already famous or are especially attractive, and in that it often covers celebrities obsessively,
to the point of these journalists behaving unethically in order to provide coverage.

b. Nature
Journalism is the timely reporting of events at the local, provincial, national and international levels.

Modern journalism feeds five areas of mass communication:

(1) Newspapers and Periodicals, (2) Radio, (3) Television, (4) Films, (5) Advertising & Public Relations.

Forms of Journalism
Journalism comes in several different forms:

1. News
Breaking news: Telling about an event as it happens.
Feature stories: A detailed look at something interesting that's not breaking news.
Enterprise or Investigative stories: Stories that uncover information that few people knew.

2. Opinion
Editorials: Unsigned articles that express a publication's opinion.
Columns: Signed articles that express the writer's reporting and his conclusions.
Reviews: Such as concert, restaurant or movie reviews.

Task 1.
1. What is journalism?
2. What is the importance of Journalism in our society?
3. Differentiate media based and content based journalism.

Lesson 2. Journalism vs. Literature

Journalism is a form of writing that tells people about things that really happened, but that they might not
have known about already. People who write journalism are called "journalists." They might work at newspapers,
magazines, websites or for TV or radio stations.

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There are three main ways to gather information for a news story or opinion piece:
a. Interviews: Talking with people who know something about the story you are
reporting. Whenever you are interviewing someone, observing something happening or reading about
something, you will want to write down the answers to the "Five Ws" about that source:
Who are they?
What were they doing?
Where were they doing it?
When they do it?
Why did they do it?

b. Observation: Watching and listening where news is taking place.

c. Documents: Reading stories, reports, public records and other printed material.

Literature is a body of written works. The name has traditionally been applied to those imaginative
works of poetry and prose distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence
of their execution.

Task 1. Use a Venn Diagram to answer this task.

1. Compare and contrast journalism and literature.
2. Write an essay explaining your Venn Diagram

Lesson 3. Tenets of Journalism

1. Truth and Accuracy

Journalists cannot always guarantee ‘truth’, but getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism.

2. Independence
Journalists must be independent voices; we should not act, formally or informally, on behalf of special
interests whether political, corporate or cultural.

3. Fairness and Impartiality

Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no obligation to present every side in every piece, stories
should be balanced and add context.

4. Humanity
Journalists should do no harm. What we publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but we should be aware of
the impact of our words and images on the lives of others.

5. Accountability
A sure sign of professionalism and responsible journalism is the ability to hold ourselves accountable.

Task 1.
1. Can journalism serve its purpose if one or two of the tenets of journalism is not evident? Why?
2. Research for 3 news article published in the Philippine paste it in a bond paper, analyze which tenet was
achieved or not. Explain your observations.

Lesson 4. Killers of Balanced Reporting

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There are worthy concepts that novice journalists must be wary about. Concepts that kill balanced
reporting must be avoided.
1. Yellow Journalism. This is simply sensationalizing a story or an issue. It is a type of journalism that
presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more
newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering or sensationalism. Most
showbiz stories are grounded on this type of journalism which appeals to the curiosity of the readers and viewers.
2. New Journalism. The new journalists expanded the definition of journalism and of legitimate
journalistic reporting and writing techniques. They also associated journalism with fiction when they described
their work with phrases such as “nonfiction novel” and “narrative techniques of fiction.” In so doing, they ignited
a debate over how much like a novel or short story a journalistic piece could be before it began violating
journalism’s commitment to truth and facts. This approach represents a return to the roots of social reporting
which was used in Charles Dickens’ fiction.
3. Advocacy Journalism. This is a genre of journalism that, unlike propaganda, is fact-based but supports
a specific point of view on an issue. Advocacy journalists are expected to focus on stories dealing with corporate
business practices, government policies, political corruption and social issues. Arguably, advocacy journalists
serve the public interest in a way similar to muckrakers or whistle blowers. Most advocacy journalists reject the
supposed objectivity of the mainstream press as a practical impossibility, and some others take the position that
the economic censorship exerted by corporate sponsors is no different from political censorship.
4. Stylistic Journalism. It emphasizes imaginative, stylized writing of stories and considers newspapers
as “the literature of immediate fact.”
5. Editorializing. This is giving the reporter’s opinion rather than the fact. It may also mean the expanding
of news about an insignificant happening to give publicity to a subject.

Task 1.

For those who have gadgets. Make a power point presentation to illustrate and elaborate the killers of
reporting. Use pictures, video clips and the likes to help enhance your presentation.

For those who don’t have gadgets. Make flip chart using short bond paper to illustrate and elaborate
the killer of reporting. You may use drawings, cut images from magazines, newspaper or online to help
enhance your presentation.

Lesson 5. Statutes and Code on Journalism

Constitutional Provision

The right to publish News is not expressively granted by law , but is founded on the general liberty of
the people.

Philippine Constitution of 1987 – Article 3 , Section 4 states ; No law shall be passed abridging the
freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the
government for redress of grievances.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 7079

An Act Providing for the Development
and Promotion of Campus Journalism and for Other Purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. – This Act shall be known and referred to as the "Campus Journalism Act of 1991."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the declared policy of the State to uphold and protect the freedom of the
press even at the campus level and to promote the development and growth of campus journalism as a means of
strengthening ethical values, encouraging critical and creative thinking, and developing moral character and

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personal discipline of the Filipino youth. In furtherance of this policy, the State shall undertake various programs
and projects aimed at improving the journalistic skills of students concerned and promoting responsible and free
journalism.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. –

(a) School. – An institution for learning in the elementary, secondary or tertiary level comprised of the
studentry, administration, faculty and non-faculty personnel;
(b) Student Publication. – The issue of any printed material that is independently published by, and which
meets the needs and interests of, the studentry;
(c) Student Journalist. – Any bona fide student enrolled for the current semester or term, who was passed
or met the qualification and standards of the editorial board.He must likewise maintain a satisfactory
academic standing.
(d) Editorial Board. – In the tertiary level, the editorial board shall be composed of student journalists
who have qualified in placement examinations.In the case of elementary and high school levels, the
editorial board shall be composed of a duly appointed faculty adviser, the editor who qualified and a
representative of the Parents-Teachers' Association, who will determine the editorial policies to be
implemented by the editor and staff members of the student publication concerned.
At the tertiary level, the editorial board may include a publication adviser at the option of its members.
(e) Editorial Policies. – A set of guidelines by which a student publication is operated and managed,
taking into account pertinent laws as well as the school administration's policies.Said guidelines shall
determine the frequency of the publication, the manner of selecting articles and features and other similar
matters.

Section 4. Student Publication. – A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial board
and publication staff composed of students selected but fair and competitive examinations.
Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies and manage the
publication's funds.

Section 5. Funding of Student Publication. – Funding for the student publication may include the savings of the
respective school's appropriations, student subscriptions, donations, and other sources of funds.
In no instance shall the Department of Education, Culture and Sports or the school administration concerned
withhold he release of funds sourced from the savings of the appropriations of the respective schools and other
sources intended for the student publication. Subscription fees collected by the school administration shall be
released automatically to the student publication concerned.

Section 6. Publication Adviser. – The publication adviser shall be selected by the school administration from a
list of recommendees submitted by the publication staff. The function of the adviser shall be limited to one of
technical guidance.

Section 7. Security of Tenure. – A member of the publication staff must maintain his or her status as student in
order to retain membership in the publication staff. A student shall not be expelled or suspended solely on the
basis of articles he or she has written, or on the basis of the performance of his or her duties in the student
publication.

Section 8. Press Conferences and Training Seminar. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall
sponsor periodic competitions, press conferences and training seminars in which student-editors/writers and
teacher-adviser of student publications in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels shall participate. Such
competitions, conferences and seminars shall be held at the institutional, divisional, and regional levels,
culminating with the holding of the annual national elementary, secondary or tertiary School Press Conferences
in places of historical and/or cultural interest in the country.

Section 9. Rules and Regulations. – The Department of Education, Culture and Sports, in coordination with the
officers of the national elementary, secondary or tertiary organizations or official advisers of student publications,
together with student journalists at the tertiary level and existing organizations of student journalists, shall
promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.
Section 10. Tax Exemption. – Pursuant to paragraph 4, Section 4, Article XIV of the Constitution, all grants,
endowments, donations, or contributions used actually, directly and exclusively for the promotion of campus
journalism as provided for in this Act shall be exempt from donor's or gift tax.

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Section 11. Appropriations. – For the initial year of implementation, the sum of Five million pesos
(P5,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be charged against the savings from the current appropriations of the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be included in
the General Appropriations Act.

Section 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the completion of its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

(Approved: July 5, 1991. https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1991/ra_7079_1991.html)

Journalists’ Code of Ethics

 News, Uncategorized
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, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, and the
National Press Club in 1988.

Libel in a Nutshell

Under Article 353 of the Philippines Revised Penal Code, libel is defined as “a public and malicious
imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status or
circumstance tending to cause dishonor, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the
memory of one who is dead.” As is in the in nearly every other country, in the Philippines, slander is spoken
defamation and libel is written defamation.

There are various ways libel can be committed. A person can commit libel by means of printing, writing,
engraving, theatrical exhibition, lithography and others. (Art. 355, RPC). Oral defamation is also referred to as
slander according to Art. 358, RPC. When defamation is made in a television, it is also considered libel.

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How can a person be held liable for the crime of libel? Any person who published or exhibit any
defamation in writing or other means will be held liable for the crime of libel. Aside from the author or editor of
the libelous pamphlet or book, the business manager of a daily newspaper will also face charges for the defamation
especially if he was proven to be the author of the content or article. In fact, all people who have active
participation in the publication where the libelous article is found will be held liable as well.

When a person has committed a crime of libel, the action will be filed in the Regional Trial Court of the
city or province where the libellous article is printed and published. However, if the offended party is a private
person, the venue will be his place of residence where the offense was committed and the libelous article was
printed and first published.

The four elements of libel:

• The imputation must be malicious;

• The imputation must be defamatory;
• The imputation must be made publicly;
• The offended party must be identifiable.

Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Recognizing this dual aspect of this paradigm shifting activity, Congress enacted Republic Act 10175,
also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. This new law defined and punished offenses, which may
be grouped as follows: offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data systems;
computer-related offenses, such as computer forgery, fraud and identity theft, and content-related offenses, such
as cybersex, child pornography and, most significantly, cyber libel.

Task 1.
1. What is the importance of having the legal basis for campus journalism?
2. Explain what is libel?
3. Differentiate libel from cybercrime.
4. Cite an instance when an act is libellous?
5. How can a journalist avoid this cases filed against them? List down 3 or more suggestions and explain
each.

Module 2. Campus Paper and Publication Staff

Lesson 1. Newspaper vs. Campus Paper

The National Newspaper
Before delving on campus paper, it is wise to start the discussion on a supra level. This is for you to
understand primarily the concept of the system that campus paper has.
Thus, a newspaper is a publication sold and distributed regularly in a fixed interval. It may be monthly,
bi-monthly, weekly, daily, etc. and this is because newspapers fall under the category “periodicals.” Usually, news
in newspapers is meant to be persuasive, and this is why some news includes opinions and comments that stimulate
' reactions from the readers. Another latent function of newspapers is to entertain by the use of photos, cartoons,
quizzes and other interesting features.
While papers published every day are called dailies, we call those which are published weekly weeklies.
National papers are widely available and easily bought. National papers fall under two categories: the popular
paper and the heavy or quality papers. Popular papers present their news in a lively fashion with easy-to-read
articles and many photographs. Heavy or quality papers are printed with longer articles stressing on important and
serious events in the country.
Some newspaper publishers produce Sunday papers sometimes, with the same nameplate as the daily
papers. These are not Sunday editions of the dailies but instead, they are of different editors and editorial staff.

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The reason behind this is the availability of more people to read during Sundays. The price of the Sunday paper
tends to be higher than the regular paper, but it contains more news.

The Campus Paper

The Campus Paper is the version of the national newspaper within an academic institution. In other
words, it is a pioneer in the publishing industry as a free newspaper of the students by the students and for the
students to circulate within the academic community. The Campus Paper may broaden its reach like the
community and other agencies in the society.
With the advent of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, otherwise known as Republic Act Numbered
7079, the establishment of campus publication in basic education and in higher learning institutions has been
legalized.
Since the campus paper is run by the students, they have the chance to simulate the daily newspaper’s
characteristics at the same time act as journalists in their own fields. It should be noted that the campus paper is
contextualized within the institution; hence, priority issues should emanate from the institution before touching
local, national and international concerns.
It is observed that the size and frequency of the paper vary, depending on the policies of the editorial
board, the fund or publication budget and the population of the learning institution. There are higher learning
institutions which collect a campus paper fee that can finance a semestral release of a newsletter, a tabloid, a
magazine, I broadsheet and sometimes a literary folio. The school, too, may decide to release a special edition of
its publication or organ during intramurals and foundation days or on my special occasions.
In many instances, though, school papers under the Department of Education opt to release newsletters
due to the consideration of the fund, the population and the scope.

Task :
1. Using a topic outline show what is national paper and campus paper
2. Discuss the differences and similarities of national and campus paper.

Lesson 2. Brief History of Campus Journalism

On a 4” x 6” sheet of paper, Samuel Fickle Fox penned the first issue of The Students Gazette on July
11, 1777 at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, USA. Published continuously until August 1778,
when the British soldiers closed the school, The Gazette is recognized as the first student publication in the
English-speaking world.
In the Philippines, according to Jesus Valenzuela in the History of Journalism in the Philippine
Islands (1933) and John Lent in the Philippine Mass Communication (1964), the history of campus journalism in
the Philippines started when the University of Santo Tomas published El Liliputiense in 1890.
However, Oscar Manalo, Narciso Matienzo, and Virgilio Monteloyola in Ang Pamahayagan (1985)
argued that the history of campus journalism in the country started when the University of the Philippines
published The College Folio, now The Philippine Collegian, in 1910. They also added that The Torch of the
Philippine Normal University, The Guidon of the Ateneo de Manila University, and The Varsitarian of the
University of Santo Tomas were also published two years later.
Whatever came first, Carlos Romulo y Peña edited The Coconut, the official student publication of the
Manila High School, now the Araullo High School. It was published in 1912 and it is now considered the first and
oldest high school newspaper in the country.
In 1923, La Union High School in the Ilocos Region published The La Union Tab, the first printed and
regularly issued high school newspaper in the country. Since then, high school newspapers came out one after the
other.
Among these high school newspapers were The Pampangan, Pampanga High School, 1925; The Leytean,
Leyte High School, 1925; The Rizalian, Rizal High School, 1926; The Coconut, Tayabas High School, 1927; The
Volcano, Batangas High School, 1927; The Toil, La Union Trade School, 1928; The Samarinian, Samar High
School, 1928; The Melting Pot, Tarlac High School, 1929; The Granary, Nueva Ecija High School, 1929; The
Torres Torch, Torres High School, 1930; and The Cagayan Student Chronicle, Cagayan High School, 1931.

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Task : Do what is asked .

1. Using a timeline, illustrate the History of Campus Journalism in the Philippines.
2. What do you think will happen to the Philippines if campus journalism did not come into being?

Lesson 3. Functions of Campus Paper

A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station
produced by students at an educational institution.

A. Aids to the students (Members)

1. To provide an opportunity for interest writing.
2. To give the students the opportunity to learn how to read the newspapers.
3. To act as stimulus to better work
4. To develop student’s powers of observation and discrimination concerning relative merits of news
articles.
5. To serve as an outlet and motivation for journalistic writing.
6. To offer training in organization, business methods, commercial art, salesmanship, bookkeeping, and
business management.
7. To develop qualities of cooperation, tact accuracy, tolerance, responsibility and leadership.

B. Aids to the school and community

1. To inform the community as to the work of the school.
2. To publish school news.
3. To create and express school opinion.
4. To make known the achievements of the school.
5. To help unify the school
6. To encourage and stimulate worthwhile activities.
7. To develop right standards of conduct.
8. To provide an outlet for students, suggestions for the betterment of the school.
9. To develop better interschool relationship.

Task :

1. What are the advantages of having a school publication?

2. If you are a school head, would you allow to organize a school publication in your school? Why?

Lesson 4. Duties and Responsibilities of Publication Staff

A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about
current issues.

1. Chief Editor
The chief editor supervises the editorial staff of the paper. Usually, he/ she writes the editorials of the
organ after consultation with the members of the editorial staff. However, any member may write the editorial so
long as he/she follows the guidelines in writing. Further. he/she edits all articles preparatory to submission of the
same to the adviser for final editing and approval for publication. He / She likewise supervises the preparation of
the layout, dummy of the paper and its pagination in cooperation with the managing editor and layout artist.

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He/She also causes the accomplishment of all assignments properly and on time. At times, he/she acts as the
liaison officer between the editorial staff and the adviser, as he/ she also calls meetings of the staff.

2. Associate Editor
The associate editor edits the articles in cooperation with the chief editor. Also, he/she may be delegated
to write editorials of the organ. He prepares assignments of section editors in consultation with the chief editor.
Further, he/she cooperates in the preparation of the layout of the paper and paging of the same with the chief editor
and the managing editor.

3. Managing Editor
Acting as the hand of the board, the managing editor brings articles to the press for typesetting. As such,
he/she also checks articles for typographical errors. Prepares the layout of the paper and paging of the same in
consultation with the chief editor. Finally, he/she proofreads galley proofs before these are finally approved by
the chief editor, then by the adviser for printing.

4. Circulation Manager
As the nomenclature suggests, he/she is assigned in ensuring the release and distribution of the paper.
He/She also guarantees the smooth how of the passing of articles from reporters to section editors. He/She is
assigned to oversee the flow of processes in crafting the paper.

5. Section Editors
a. News Editor: Assigned as 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 with the latter.
However, his/her primordial job is to edit all news articles submitted by the writers preparatory to submission of
the same to the chief editor then to the adviser.
b. Filipino Editor. This is an optional staff function or position; nonetheless, his/her prime job is to write
the editorial of the Filipino section. He/She also edits all articles preparatory to submission of the same to the
Filipino adviser for final editing and for publication. Sometimes, he/she causes the submission of all Filipino
articles properly and timely. He/She may likewise act as a liaison officer between the Filipino staff and the chief
editor.
c. Feature Editor. The feature editor gives out assignments to feature writers. He/She then receives and
edits feature articles preparatory to the submission of the same to the chief editor. Sometimes, he/she writes regular
articles or column.
d. Exchange Editor. For beginning school paper system, this is an optional function. Sometimes, the
functions of the exchange editor are accomplished by the circulation manager. Nevertheless, the exchange editor
makes up a list of school papers sent by other schools. He/She is designated to mail copies of own paper to these
schools as he/she also files their papers on a bulletin board or display them on a newspaper rack. He/She, too,
keeps files of school information, such as class lists and lists of homeroom advisers, faculty and staff members.
e. Layout Section Editors. They are 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. They
prepare pictorial articles of the organ in consultation with the managing editor and chief editor. Sometimes, their
job is to write the captions of pictures utilized by the paper in cooperation with the chief editor.
f. Layout Artists. They take charge of designing and formatting of all pages in the paper. As such, they
label or properly identify all pictures made available for publication. It is suggested that they write using pencil at
the back of every picture of the event to which a particular picture refers. They likewise help in the preparation of
the layout of pictorial stories and make illustrations fog feature articles.

6. The Reporters. The life of the 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. Moreover, they receive assignments from the section
editors or board of editors and then accomplish the same properly and timely.

Task :
1. Using a graphic organizer , present the duties and responsibilities of a publication staff.
2. Why is there a need to assign duties to each member of the publication?
3. What will happen if one or two of the members of the publication do not fulfil their duties and
responsibilities? Elaborate your answer.

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Lesson 5. Parts of Campus Paper

Sections/Part 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.
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.

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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. Editorial 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.
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. Op-ed – It is an abbreviation of opposite of editorial page (though often believed to
be abbreviated from opinion-editorial) is a newspaper article that expresses
opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper’s
editorial board.
8. 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.

Task:
1. Get a copy of a campus paper or any newspaper, identify and label all the parts found
in the list.

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Module 3. Journalistic Skills for Print Media

Print media are traditional mass media published on paper. The concept not only
includes the published products but also regards the organizational context shaping the
journalistic routines and norms behind the printed products. Print media represents the oldest
and the most widespread type of mass media because as opposed to electronic media it does
not require an elaborate technical infrastructure on the part of the user. It mainly comprises of
newspapers and magazines. Newspapers are clearly associated with information and show an
emphasis on political issues and current events. They are valued as a backbone of the
democratic public sphere because they enable comprehensive public discourse. News
magazines also serve an information function, whereas most other magazines are more
committed to entertainment and leisure. These magazines show a diverse spectrum ranging
from lifestyle to special interest magazines. With the rise of online communication print
newspapers and magazines have come under considerable economic pressure. (Eilders, C.
(2016). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc193

Lesson 1. News and Writing the News

1.1.News Story

News is defined as any information about an incident, unusual event, place, person or
pronouncement that is new to a certain group of people. Such information can either be
considered news. It must be unexpected or “a break from a normal flow of events.” In other
words, for any information to be called news, it must be unusual, unexpected, and even
dramatic. Some say that news is a reflection of reality. Mitchell Charnley of the University of
Minnesota defines news as “tomorrow’s history done up in today’s neat package
News writing is an essential skill for journalists. It is writing for publication in a
newspaper, often reporting current events; journalism. It is about telling a story quickly and
concisely. Anyone can learn to do this, with a bit of help.

Characteristics of Good News Story

One can gauge the worthiness of a news by some qualities that emanate from the subject’s
nature and functions. The characteristics that are discussed below become one’s yardstick to
determine whether an issue is worth publishing or broadcasting. In such sense, when a student
writer has a limited space for a news, he/she tries to weigh the importance of the news that will
occupy a space in the paper by enumerating the attributes of news that are present in both
stories. Hence, the more attributes or characteristics a story has, the more effective it is to
become catchy, interesting and worth reading...the more it becomes appealing to the readers.

1. Timeliness or Immediacy . This characteristic of a news item underscores the newest angle
of the story. For instance, the changing of the grading system which was announced yesterday
is more appealing to a student other than the Christmas party last December. It should be noted,
too, that the more recent the event, the more appealing it is to the reader.

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2. Conflict. The physical and mental struggles of persons are also newsworthy. In campus
context, competitions like oratorical contests and quiz bees are newsworthy due to the mental
conflicts present. Sports events during intramurals or foundation day; are newsworthy, too, as
they have physical conflicts.

3. Proximity or Nearness. Although proximity primarily refers to geographical location, it

likewise means the nearness of interest and appeal. In the context of writing news in the campus
or school for students in Batanes what is happening to Batanes State College will be of more
interest to them than what is happening to Western Mindanao State University. The imposition
of “no cellphone policy” in Batanes A State College will interest the Batanes’ readers more
than the zero tuition scheme of Aklan State University, so to speak.

4. Accuracy. Journalism is anchored on facts. News writing is a journalistic skill. Therefore,

the contents should be accurately reported. Accuracy primarily refers to the factualness of news
as purveyor of truth.

5. Significance. If something is important to the reader, surely he/she will read the news.
Hence, a writer should survey whatever is significant to the life of the target readers and write
about it. When news is important to him/her, the news bears a high degree of significance, thus,
newsworthy and worth reading. In the campus setting, topics that are highly significant include
new rules imposed by the administration or the student government, amendments to policies,
upcoming big events, results of scholarship screening and the like.

6. Prominence and Names. “The world is unfair,” so the adage goes. In this light, there are
persons more popular than others. Popular names can effectuate situations and their acts may
be more interesting to others. Hence, news about these persons can yield a high degree of
newsworthiness, thus becoming more readable than other news. For campus papers, prominent
personalities include the president of the student body, the principal, the student who won in a
national competition and the like.

7. Drama. Since news is also anchored on public interest, writers should bank on any story
that can lead the writers to crying or to laughing. Such story is packed with color; thus, subjects
are moving. In this way, the news becomes appealing to the readers. For instance, you write a
story of the student leader who manages to graduate as magna cum laude despite his live-year
term as the College Student Government President.

8. Oddity or Unusualness. Sociology can explain why oddity is a good element of news. A
theory explains that when persons are curious about a phenomenon deviating from a natural
course, they will be interested in such a topic or issue; hence, that topic becomes newsworthy.
Looking into the campus situation, one may write about a forty-year-old student who has just
graduated; he has just finished his fifth bachelor’s degree in your college. This unusual situation
may be so intriguing as regards the student’s purpose, therefore, becoming more newsworthy
to the readers.
9. Romance and Adventure. “Love makes the world go round," so a song says. Hence, stories
about low, including adventure, may ignite the taste of the reading public. This is also me
reason why showbiz news continuously booms.

10. Progress. Attaining breakthroughs and achieving scientific discoveries are given much
attention by the readers. This attribute of the news gives a high degree of shock and a sense of
development in the soc1ety where the persons live. Looking into a school situation, progress

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may be in the form a newly constructed building and newly donated laboratory equipment from
alumni abroad.

11. Numbers. For persuasion, statistics or figures have the power to shake the conviction of
the audience. This is why numbers yield a very strong impact on the reader. However, the
Figures that one should write should be worth appreciating. For instance, the Alumni
Association donated one computer set last January, while the Parent Teachers Association
donated 57 computer sets to the school. The latter yields a higher degree of newsworthiness
than the former. It is not safe to say, however, that the higher the figure, the higher is its
newsworthiness. Say, your school has performed in the National Achievement Test 50% lower
than last year’s data. This is a figure lower than the usual and yet bears a high degree of interest.

Qualities of News

Journalism is a craft, and needs to be learnt the hard way. To excel, you need to be a
good craftsman. You should know how to structure a news report, how to write a headline and
how to make news pages.

There are five characteristics that every good news report

should possess.

#Fairness and balance: As a reporter you must learn to

get the other point of view. This may mean calling a
person late at night to get his side of the story or even
holding back an investigative story for a day. But you
must do so. This is the best way to bring balance in the
copy.
There may be times when an individual may
avoid making a statement. In such a case, state the point,
indicating the efforts you made to get his point of view.
Fairness requires that you don’t impute motives. Remember that your news report is going to
be read 3by hundreds of people, and you can influence their thinking by using loaded words.
It is always best to use neutral words.

# Accuracy: This is the first requirement of a good news report. You must get all your facts
right, starting from the name and designation of the subject to the statements made by him or
her. You cannot hide behind the excuse that that there was not enough time to cross check the
facts.
The facts that you need to check are:
 Names and their spellings
 Designations
 Incident details. In case it is an accident you must know the exact number of people
who were injured or killed.
 Statements: The quote reported in the news report must be accurate, and in context. It
should not be misinterpreted to imply another meaning.
 If it is a science story you must make sure that all scientific names are correctly spelt,
and explained.
 If it is a sports story then you must make sure that the number of runs made or goals
scored are mentioned accurately.
 If it is a court story you must make sure that the court verdict is presented accurately.

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# Attribution
All news reports, with a few exceptions, must be sourced. The source can be identified as
follows:
a. Individual: An individual, who witnessed an accident or survived an earthquake, can be
quoted by name as an eyewitness.
b. Organisation: A spokesperson authorised by an organisation to brief the media on its
behalf. The spokesman can be referred to by:

i) Name and designation

Mr N.Guruswamy, Police Commissioner, told the media…

ii) Designation alone

The Police Commissioner told the media …

c. Anonymous sources: There are occasions when a news source, who happens to be a senior
government official or an important leader, does not want his or her name to be used. In such
cases, the reporter can attribute the story to informed sources or well connected sources or
official sources or sources who don’t wish to be named. However, the reporter must know the
source well, and should trust that the information provided is correct.

d. Exceptions: The reporter need not worry about attribution in those cases that he has
witnessed. For instance, the reporter can report a cricket match or a rally stating what happened.
This is because these are statements of fact that have occurred in public domain, and have been
witnessed by scores of people. The same applies to the swearing in of a new government or
historical facts.

# Brevity: The importance of this characteristic cannot be overstressed. You must learn to write
short stories without missing important facts. Please remember that today’s reader is in a hurry.
He does not have the patience to go through long news reports.
Brevity does not mean writing a short story. It also means using short words, short sentences
and short paragraphs.

# Clarity: This is not easy to achieve. You are required to report an event in as few words as
possible. You can do this if you use short and simple words and keep out irrelevant facts. The
intro of your report must be short and crisp. The body must be made up of as few paragraphs
as possible with each paragraph devoted to one point.There should be no ambiguities. The facts
must be sourced, and accurate.

Types of News Stories

News stories may fall under any of 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 – News that takes place outside the country.
 Dateline news – News preceded by the date and place of origin or place
where it was written or filed: Tokyo, Jan. 20(AP)

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2. Chronology or sequence
 Advance or anticipated – News published before its occurrence, sometimes
called dope or prognostication. The reporter foretells events expected to
occur at a definite time in the future.
 Spot news – News that is gathered and 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
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.

(1) 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.

(2) 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 address, 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

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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, fire, calamity, crime stories, etc.
c. Science news
d. Developmental news
e. Sports stories

6. Minor forms
a. News brief – A short item 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
just to give the gist of the news.
c. News-featurette – This is a short news feature usually used as filler, e.g.,
“Quirks in the news.”
d. Flash – A bulletin that conveys the first word of an event.

Rules of Thumb in News Gathering

A writer must not only have the nose for news, but also considers the guidelines in
gathering data. Ramirez (2009) has published some of these rules of thumb in data gathering
for news writing.
1. See for yourself. Nothing is more vivid when one sees the event right before his own
eyes. Becoming the first-hand witness, other than gathering through hearsay. keeps the
spontaneity of ideas of the writer.
2. Find the person who knows. The writer should go directly to the person who is
considered as the key participant of the issue. Such a person may give the writer a sense of
confidence that what he/she will unite is taken from the statements and ideas of the persons,
rather than surmising the ideas, effects and impacts of an issue. Further, this act champions
objectivity, thus diminishing bias.
3. Compare all versions. A writer must not rely solely on one version. As discussed in
the previous chapter, one should set myriads of perspectives, so as to limit the holes of biases.
Moreover, feel free to question inconsistencies and ensure the veracity of each statement or
information.
4. Be tactful and courteous. A writer is respectful of time. Hence, he should focus only
on the data needed. He should avoid spending the time of the interviewee on futile topics.
Courtesy is likewise seen in acts and words of the writer who gathers data. More often than
not, saying thank you is a good gesture to pay the interviewee the bother fee incurred
5. Make and keep friends. Dependable informants are most valued was. especially when
a writer is assigned in a single beat throughout the academic year. When needed, give them

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favorable mention in your stories. Never break their trust in the name of having a good scoop
of the news.
6. Print it. This rule of thumb reminds a writer or a journalist that unpublished news is
wasted. The fact that one has gathered data. the news is now considered a newsworthy item.

How to Conduct Journalistic Interview

The interview is the bedrock of information gathering in news writing . It is defined as
the process of dyadic , relational communication , with predetermined and serious purpose
designed to interchange behaviour involving the asking and answering of questions (Soriano
and Henson, 1995).
1. Define the purpose.
2. Conduct a background research of the topic you are assigned to.
3. Set an interview appointment.
4. Make preliminary planning by listing down questions.
5. Meet the interviewee.
6. Get down to business . Ask the first question.
7. Establish early rapport, that is from formal to less formal.
8. Tackle the more sensitive topic with respect and tactfulness.
9. Express some recovery statements.
10. Leave a thank you note.

News Story Structure

There are three basic structures of news story. These are the: Inverted Pyramid, Narrative
or Story Telling, and Hourglass .
a. Inverted Pyramid - Considered as the most popular structure of a news story.
In this structure, information and facts are
arranged in descending order of importance. The
most important data is placed at the beginning of
the story, the less important follows. The
succeeding paragraphs (News uses one-sentence
one-paragraph format) explain and support the lead.
This structure is popular because it serves
the readers well by telling them quickly what they
want to know. It also serves the reporter well by
forcing her to sharpen his new judgment, and to
identify and rank the most important elements of the story.

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b. Narrative or Story Telling

• Uses scenes, anecdotes, and dialogues to build
a climax.
• In this structure, people are prominent, and they
are responsible for the actions in the story.
• The story has a beginning, middle, and an end.
• The words and actions of the characters reveal
motives.

c. HOURGLASS combines some of the best elements of both inverted pyramid and
narrative.

Consists of three parts: top, which tells the story quickly; turn, a nimble transition;
and the narrative, a chronological retelling of events.
The hourglass works well with police stories, courtroom dramas, and other incidents
that lend themselves to chronological narration. The hourglass has several advantages: the
readers get the news high in the story; the writing gets to use story telling techniques; and it
encourages a real ending.

Parts of the News

Newspaper articles require a style of writing different from what is used when writing
a story.
1. Lead – contains the answers to the major 5 W’s and H questions which bears the
significant elements to avoid overcrowding
2. Body - Contains major details in support to the lead, and other minor details towards
the end of the body. Take note that for beginners the rule for one sentence one paragraph
rule should be followed.
3. End - It summarizes the main idea of a news story. The end is what the readers most
remembers about the news.
The Lead
The lead is the writer’s promise to the reader. It captures the essence of the story. It answers
what the story is all about. It encourages the readers to continue reading the news story.

TYPES OF LEADS
1. Kinds of Summary / Conventional Lead
As stated earlier, the summary lead uses the 5 W’s and one H as bases for starting such
a lead. The position of the W’s and H is determined by their degree of importance.
In discussing the kinds of summary lead, the details in the box are used.

At the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday, the Board of

Trustees of the Batanes State College approved the new grading system which will
take effect next semester.

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1. What lead. This is applied if the most important angle of the news is the event per se.
Example: The new grading system in Batanes State College will be imposed next semester
after the Board of Trustees approved the resolution at the Commission on Higher Education
Central Office yesterday.
2. Who lead. This type of lead is used if the most important angle of the news is the person
involved, thus, more significant than the event.
Example: The members of the board of trustees of the Batanes State College approved
yesterday the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office.
3. Where lead. It the location where the event takes place is more significant than the other
aspects of the news, then this kind of lead is best applied.
Example: At the Commission on Higher Education yesterday, the Board of trustees of the
Batanes State College approved the new grading system which will take effect next semester.
4. When lead. This type of lead is seldom used since this is only applicable when the time
element is more important than the other angles of the story. Nonetheless, it suggests urgency
and immediacy.
Example: | Yesterday at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office, the Board of
Trustees of the Butanes State College approved the new grading system which will take effect
next semester.

5. Why lead. If the cause of the event is the most effective angle of the story, this type of lead
is best suited.
Example: To cope with standards of ASEAN integration, the Board of Trustees of the Butanes
State College approved yesterday the new grading system which will take cheer next semester.
6. How lead. If the process or the manner of how the event happened is most important among
the other angles of the news, the how lead is used.
Example: Though 7-5 vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College
approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office
yesterday
2. Kinds of Grammatical-Beginning Lead
There are times when the lead is introduced by a kind of grammatical form which is
usually a phrase or a clause used to emphasize a feature. Here, the important W’s are found in
the main clause, not in the introductory or subordinate clause which is just a modifying feature.
Again, it breaks the monotony of summary lead in a newspaper. It may also denote that the
story belongs to soft news.
1. Prepositional Phrase Lead. A phrase is introduced by a preposition
Example:
With the power of resolution number 37 approved by the members of the Board of
Trustees of the Batangas State College yesterday, the new grading system of the College will
take effect next semester.

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2. Infinitive Phrase Lead. As the name suggests, it starts with the preposition “to” plus the
main verb.
Example:
To meet the demands of the ASEAN integration, the members of the Board of Trustees
of the Batangas State College approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher
Education Central Office yesterday.
3. Participial Phrase Lead. This lead is signaled by the presence of the present or past
participle of the verb, acting as a modifier.
Example:
Recording a 7-5 margin vote, the members of the Board of 'Trustees of the Batangas
State College approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education
Central office yesterday. (Present Participle)
Armed with the desire to synchronize the standards of the ASEAN integration, the
members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas State College approved the new grading
system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday. (Past Participle)
4. Gerundial Phrase Lead. This lead is introduced by a gerund. It is a verbal ending in -ing,
which acts as a noun. Many beginning writers interchange the present participial lead to
gerundial lead. Remember, the former acts as a modifier, while the later acts as a noun.
Example:
Synchronizing with the standards of the ASEAN integration was the primordial aim of
the members of the Board of Trustees in approving yesterday the new grading system of
Batangas State College.
5. Clause Lead. This lead commences with a clause, which may become either an independent
or subordinate, or may transform as either a noun or an adjectival or adverbial clause.
Example:
.Because there is a need to synchronize with the standards of ASEAN integration, the
members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas State College approved the new grading
system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday. (Subordinate,
adverbial)

3. Kinds of Novelty Lead

When writing news features, a writer should remember that the article should still have
a soft touch of feature writing. Thus, his/her article should be written in such a way that it
arrests the readers’ attention. These leads may also carry out a definite purpose.
1. Narrative lead. It draws the reader into the story by allowing him/her to relate
himself/herself with the character of the story.
Example:

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'The fifth of June 2015, Herodes Barabas, 34, experienced the longest one hour in his
life as he sat on a swivel chair in front of his eight interviewers at Aklan State University. It
was an entrance interview of the long queue of applicants mastering their patience in waiting
for instructor I position.
2. Descriptive lead. Effective in writing personality sketches, travelogues and the like, this
lead illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader. A writer m be adept in creating
mental images through the play of the language to satisfy the readers in using this technique.
Example:
If Palawan were a class record, it must have received a nearly perfect grade weighted
average for the unending praises of tourists coming in to experience as breath taking grandeur:
Who would not drop his jaw when he sees the evidence of God’s dexterous hand that crafted
the seascapes and landscapes of Palawan? Add on the us, the cerulean waves that unendingly
race towards the stony foot of the island. And hoarding is legal, one must have put in a tank
the coal and pristine breeze. Indeed, When God said in Genesis “it is good,” He must be looking
at the northernmost island in the Philippines Palawan.
3. Quoted Statement Lead. It is a statement uttered by well-known personality or celebrity.
Usually, in school setting, when student journalists want to highlight the message of the guest
speaker, they use this type of lead.
Example:
“You have to spread your wings and fly!”
This was emphasized by Dr. Manu H. Wang, the guest of honor and commencement
speaker of Mindanao State College last April 5 at the auditorium.
4. Question Lead. It is a thought provoking question to capture the interest of the reader and
lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of the article.
Example:
When was the last time you told your mother you loved her?
Marla Mantis, 35, wishes she could tell her a thousand times how much she loves her
now, but her mother ta already heedless inside her coffin.
5. Teaser. Generally short, crisp and witty, this is a device to deceive the reader in a jesting
manner as it arouses curiousity and gently leads him into the story. Often riddles are used and
they do not give the readers any clue on the nature of the story. They are mostly suggestive and
humorous.
Example:
Which comes first, the hen or the egg? Well the egg could not be made possible without
the hen. But where does the hen come from?
6. Punch lead. It is short, striking one sentence lead .
Example:
Hungry farmers in Kidapawan were asking for food, but the enforcers of the law fed
them with bullets.

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7. Astonisher lead. This lead aims to give the reader a strong sense of emotional value. Thus,
it primarily uses an exclamatory sentence.
Example:
Unbeatable, indeed!
After grabbing the Intramural crown from the Green Aggies team three years ago, the
Blue Titans (team) has sustained its supremacy as it sent all its foes kneeling before its royalty
throne. '
The awarding ceremonies happened at the Cagayan State University - Lal-lo
Gymnasium on August 12, the last day of the three-day clash.
8. One word lead. It uses a very significant word to capture or arouse the mm of the reader.
Example:
Boom!
Residents in Basco, Batanes seemingly ran to nowhere when a restaurant situated in
Kayhuvokan exploded on April 1, around 9:15 in the morning.
9. Parody lead. It consists of a parody of a well-known quotation, song, poem, book or movie
film title.
Example:
“There was never an us!”
This familiar line from a movie of Sarah Geronimo was the exact statement of Ms. Sug
Poe to Mr. Cheap Ezcuderow yesterday when asked if there was a time when both agreed to
share stocks in the top performing Paquino Airline Company.

10. Background lead. It describes an event in which the background overshadows the
individuals who participate in it; often, it uses stories about carnivals, festivals, dances and
others.

Example:
With the glittering and shimmering bantings along the skimpy roads, as if throng of
rainbows came to visit the town of Gattaran, Cagayan to celebrate with its 30 th Agsalukag
Festival on April 13.

11. Freak lead. In order to enhance its appeal and to easily catch the attention of the reader,
this kind of unique lead uses typographical effects.

Example:
Wanted: Loyal Filipino Teachers
This is the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education yesterday, amidst the exodus
of many Filipino teachers abroad.

12. Contrast lead. It is used to point out opposites and extremes.

Example:

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Last yew; she campaigned for Maygun Yang as the president of the student body.
Today, Maria Malou Wang the head of Students Performing Arts, takes the lead in calling for
Yang’s resignation.

13. Staccato lead. Primarily rooted from musical parlance, this term suggests a lead that
consists of a series of words and phrases, punctuated by periods, commas or dashes.

Example:
Neglected. Denuded. Abused. Abandoned. This is the real picture of our forest today

Wrap up on preparing the lead

1. Present a summary of the story.
2. Identify persons and places involved.
3. Stress the news peg.
4. Stimulate the reader to continue reading the story.
5. Vary your lead.

The Body of the News Story

Gives the readers the detailed parts of the news. It develops and explains the facts and
data given in the lead
Nut Graph/Graf
- The idea in a news story that answers the questions why the writer tells the story and
why the readers need to know. It is usually placed near the top of the story.
Journalists disagree about the necessity (and sometimes the definition) of "nut graphs."
But this much is difficult to dispute: High in every story, you need to tell the reader why she
should read this story today. A good nut graph often is the best way to achieve that.
A nut graph may be an elaboration of the theme statement you wrote before even
writing your story. Stories that often need nut graphs include stories with anecdotal leads, issue
stories or controversy stories.
Roy Peter Clark and Don Fry offer this explanation:
The nut graf is used when the lead is anecdotal or indirect. If the lead begins with a
desert scene, the nut graf describes the significance of the scene: it was an important atomic
test site in the 1950s. If the lead begins with the description of a funeral, the nut graf offers the
basic news value: the dead person is the first woman killed in an underground mine accident.
The technique gets its name because the graf contains the 'nut' or 'hard center' of the story.
Jack Hart of The Oregonian elaborates:

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At their most basic, these simply literary devices tell readers why news and feature stories are
relevant to them. That alone demonstrates that writers and editors are concerned about reader
needs. But effective nut paragraphs can do far more. They can answer any questions raised in
leads, explain why stories are significant and place stories in meaningful contexts. They help
writers organize their own material. They provide cues for headline writers, copy editors and
designers. They shorten stories by creating a tight organizational focus, and they suggest an
outline for the story to follow.

Example:
Lola Maria, a grandmother of five, sells kakanin in sidewalks for a living. She takes
care of her grandchildren whose parents died three years ago in a bus mishap.
Lola Maria’s daily income is just enough to make both ends meet.
Now that there is an impending gas price hike, Lola Maria worries about both survival
and the education of her children.
The Bridge
A sentence or paragraph that connects the lead and the body of a news story. The bridge is of
two types:

1. Tie-Back
- a device in news that allows writers to refresh the reader’s memory about the past
events related to the story being written about.

2. Tie-In
- Similar to the tie-back, except it provides information concerning other events that are
currently taking place.
The tie-back deals with the past while the tie-in deals with the present.

Example 1:
Lead:

The US Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind, with the help of US icebreakers Glacier,
Staten Island, and the Canadian icebreaker McDonald, is freed from the Arctic ice peak that
threatened to maroon it until next summer.

Bridge:

North wind was making the trip back from an attempt to resupply station ice-island
when it began experiencing difficulties in the polar ice.

The ice was so severe the ship lost a blade on its starboard propeller and cracked its
hull.

Body:

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The relief ships pushed their way through…

Example 2:
Lead:

The navy doctors are investigating an outbreak of 17 cases of scarlet fever aboard the
USS Ballast, a Norfolk-based ship operating in the Mediterranean.

Bridge:

Meanwhile, measures are being taken to prevent further outbreaks of the disease on
other navy ships. Navy personnel have been warned to report to shipboard sick boy
immediately if they find themselves suffering from fever, sore throats or rushes on the neck
and upper chest.

Body:

The first case of scarlet was reported aboard the Ballast, April 27, about three weeks
after the ship left Norfolk.

Doctors said…

Attribution
- are statements of persons making them, and information about the events not
witnessed by the reporter. This information can be gleaned from authorities, government
officials, documents, etc.
Examples:
a. “By next year, we shall have a more rational curriculum”.
Education Secretary Raul S. Roco said this during press conference with SOCRAGEN
LGU’s, DepEd official, teachers, and parents, August 25, at the family Country Homes and
Convention Center, this city.

b. SPO4 Ronaldo Garcia, lead investigator, said that the victim sustained multiple gunshot
wounds in the body.

c. Based on the police blotter, the victim sustained multiple gunshot wound in the body.

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The End
The ending is often what the readers remember most about the story. The ending is so
important that news writers should know how to end their stories before they start writing them.
Many writers save a good morsel for the end, perhaps their second-best quote. The most
common type of ending is the quote ending.

Sample news
UST now in Gensan
Guia Mae O. Dumancas
The Reveile

Generals can now study at the University of Sto. Tomas without going to Manila.
Containing an aggregate area of 79, 9332, the 17 th Sqangguniang Panlungsod of
General Santos City passed a resolution on October 8, allowing Asia’s oldest university,
University of Sto. Tomas (UST), to be built in the city as the next site of its school campus
situated in Barangay Ligaya and Barangay Katangawan.
The coming of the UST will also bring in the anticipated big investments in the arena
of construction and labor and save the local economy of its physical construction and the
inherent economic activity.
“It is an opportunity on the part of the city to host the university considering its
undeniable tradition of excellence in academic disciplines and significant development of the
abilities of human resources,” the resolution stated.
The construction adheres to RA 7160 known as the Local Government Code 1991
which mandates the general welfare of the constituents including the provision of facilities,
ways and means that would give comfort, security, and convenience to all inhabitants of the
place.
On the other hand, the said university will reclassify the land constituting the school
site from agricultural to institutional as agreed on the resolution.

Task :

1. Make a clipping of a news . (with 2 different examples of summary lead, 2 grammatical

lead and 2 examples of novelty leads.)
2. Write a summary lead based on the following facts.

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A party will be held at Dadivas Gymnasium. Dr. Karen Sha will be the guest
speaker. The English Society is sponsoring the party. It will be held in the honor
of the English Society members who have been successful in the field of
teaching.

3. Write a news story based on the given details;

- The Supreme Student Council will sponsor an emergency response training
- The purpose of this is to train student leaders to on how to respond on
emergency cases in the campus.
- The training will be held at CapSU Main’s Dadivas Gymnasium , Friday ,
7:30 AM – 5:PM , October 23-24, 2020.
- Orientation will be conducted by the SSC President, Tony Dela Cruz
4. Write a news about an event at your home or community. (Remember to stay at home and
be safe)

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