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COPY READING AND HEADLINE WRITING
Copyreading is much like the work of a communication arts teacher correcting compositions, except that he uses different symbols. A copy may be a news item, an editorial, a feature story or any literary article.
Duties of a copyreader:
- Straighten out ungrammatical construction.
- Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
- See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses, title, designations, identifications, figures, etc.
- Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written.
- Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the facts unless he is sure of his corrections.
- Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or sources.
- Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way.
- Watch for libelous statements.
- Recheck figures and totals.
- Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to make a story sound over-written.
- Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary.
- Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified.
- Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible.
- Check sluglines and paging sequences
- Write headlines
What to copyread?
- Errors in fact
- Errors in grammar
- Errors in structure
- Errors in style
- Libelous and derogatory statements
- Seditious and rebellious matter
- Expressions contrary to law and good taste
- Opinion and editorializing statements
- Verbal deadwood, redundancy
- Technical terms, slang, jargons
Copy-reading symbols
Punctuation Marks
Symbols Meaning Outcome
The Bionic Woman Emphasize quotes “The Bionic Woman”
Dr Arthur Cruz Jr Emphasize periods Dr. Arthur Cruz Jr.
said “I must go.” Emphasize comma said, “I must go.”
Numbers and Abbreviations
in Nov. Spell out in November
Doctor Arthur Cruz Abbreviate Dr. Arthur Cruz
twenty boys Use numeral 20 boys
2 girls were… Spell out Two girls were…
Special form of type
Manila, philippines Capitalize MANILA, Philippines
Letter and word changes
meet on Saturday Bridge over meet Saturday
those b oys Close up space those boys
Fe Cruz Principal Transpose Principal Fe Cruz
recieve Transpose receive
pamplet Insert letter pamphlet
went market Insert word went to market
Manila pAper Lower case Manila paper
received free gifts Delete word received gifts
judgement Delete letter within judgment
develope iskill Delete before/after develop skill
the most talented and Kill the principal
enthusiastic principal
Allright wehave time Insert space All right we have time
We were indeed very Run in copy We were indeed very
happy because happy because…
Others
Paco, Manila… Indent for paragraph Paco, Manila…
Today he will… Today he will…
Welfrido Cruz Spell as written Welfrido Kruz
One boy came Restore text; disregard On boy came
correction
Elected prexy Center subhead Elected prexy
the un - Syllabicate the un-
finished task finished task
The gong Set in boldface the gong
- Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive form for future stories (Archbishop Sin bats for national reconciliation; Lantern parade to cap Xmas affairs).
- Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts.
- Avoid heads that carry double meaning.
- Use only common abbreviations.
Punctuating a headline
- Use a comma in place of the conjuction and
- Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon.
- The dash may be used in smaller decks but not for headlines in large types.
- The single quotation marks are used in headlines.
- Follow the other rules of punctuations.
Unit counting in headline
½ unit - jiltf and all punctuations except the em dash (--), and the question mark (?) 1 unit - the question mark, space, all figures, capital JILTF, all lower case letters except jiltf 1 ½ units - the em dash, lower case m and w, and all capital letters except capital M and W and JILTF 2 units - capital M, W
Headline vocabulary (Formula: subject-verb-object ala text message)
- Faculty club strengthened (beefed up)
- Enrolment decreases (dips)
- Science examinations announced (quiz bared)
- Contests highlight Animal Week (cap)
- Santos urges cooperation (bats for, calls for)
- DepEd disapproves tuition fee increase (bucks, nixes, axes)
- Ateneo wins 12 medals in press contest (bags, romp away with; tilt, parley)
- Principal praises editors humility (lauds, extols)
- Local staff dominates press tilt (rules, lords over)
- Local basketball players retain championship (sluggers; crown)
- US attacks Russ nuclear test (hits)
- Laurel ends diplomatic tour (winds up)
- Cops ended syndicate (busted)
- Slay suspect questioned (grilled, probed)
- RP sees import hike (eyes)
- 456 pass bar exams (hurdle)
- Lim dismisses 5 cops (fires)
- RP-Malaysia dispute solved (row)
- Fiscal dismiss rape charge (dismiss; rap)
- Import talk delayed (snagged)
Mga halimbawa
Huwag gumamit ng pangalan maliban kung kilala ito Mali—Jaime Diaz, nahalal na pangulo Tama—Mag-aaral ng Mapa, nahalal na pangulo ng samahan Maging tiyak (specific) Mali—Mag-aaral, nagwagi sa paligsahan Tama—Mag-aaral ng Mapa, nagwagi sa pagsulat ng balita Iwasan ang opinyon sa balita
Mali—Paaralang Datu Puti, lumaro ng kahanga-hanga Tama—Paaralang Datu Puti, nanalo ng 3 sa 4 na laban Lagyan ng pandiwa ang bawat ulo Mali—Limang guro sa seminar Tama—Limang guro, dadalo sa seminar Iwasan ang paggamit ng negatibong pandiwa Mali—Paligsahan sa talumpatian, hindi matutuloy Tama—Paligsahan sat al;umpatian, pinagpaliban Gumamit ng makakatawag-pansing pandiwa Mahina—Tinato ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50- Malakas—Pinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50- Gamitin ang maikli at kilalang salita Masalita—Bayang Pilipinas, sasali sa pandaigdig na palaro Maikli—RP, sasali sa olimpiyada Iwasan ang paggamit ng pantukoy at ng pandiwang pantulong nahango sa verb to be Mali—Si Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples Tama—Japhet Burgos, napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples Lead (pamatnubay)– Most important facts A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life of his blind master, Thursday night, but the canine’s loyalty cost the trusty animal his life. Bridge—Elaboration of lead In serious condition today in Doctor’s Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a street sweeper. Escobanez of SSS Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City was found early this morning unconscious on a sidewalk near the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo Terminal Market. Less important facts Police theorized that Escobanez was knocked unconscious when he fell, his head hitting a stone. Potpot, his dog, apparently tried to shield its master from the cold and the rain by draping itself over the fallen man. When discovered this morning by the Police Patrol, Escobanez was still out cold. The dog lay near, dead. Relatives of Escobanez who is still a bachelor, told authorities that he always took nightly strolls at about 11 p.m. with his dog. Minor facts According to doctors, only the warmth from the dog’s body saved Escobanez from certain death. Escobanez told police that he remembers nothing of the incident. A wallet containing PhP 500.00 was still in his pocket leading the authorities to rule out robbery. How to write a lead? Lead
- Never be afraid of breaking the rules if it will prove helpful in making a good copy. The matrix below compares and contrasts news, feature and editorial articles.
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOME OR CLASS-ROOM STUDY
I. Concisely told story of a fire. From the Chicago Evening Post:
Lives of firemen were imperiled and a loss estimated at $35,000 was caused early to-day by
fire which swept through the three top floors of a five-story brick building at 2427-31 West
Fourteenth street. These upper floors were occupied by the Platt-Maschek Company,
novelties, of which C. C. Maschek is president.
The two lower floors are occupied by C. A. Hiles & Co., Inc., tool manufacturers. This concern
escaped with a slight loss.
COMPARISON NEWS EDITORIAL FEATURE
- Definition Report an event Interpretation of an event/issue An essay based on facts
- Main Purpose To inform To interpret To entertain using present human interest stories
- Timeliness Timely Timely Timely
- Length Short Around 300 words ( computer characters) Depends upon the needs
- Use of words Simple precise, concrete Simple, forceful, direct May be descriptive, flowery, colorful
- Use of sentences Short, simple, 15- words average May be longer May be longer
- Paragraph No topic sentence, one idea, one paragraph With topic sentence, longer With topic sentence, longer
- Use of literary devices Journalistic, direct to the point, no idioms, figures of speech Journalistic, direct to the point, may use idioms, figures of speech if properly handled Literary, can be journalistic; idioms, figures of speech used freely
- Use of adjectives/opinion Uses adjectives sparingly; opinion, never Adjectives used freely; primarily opinion As much as desired
- Parts Lead, (Bridge), Body Introduction (newspeg, reaction), body, conclusion (clincher) Introduction, body, ending
- Style Follows style-sheet newspaper style Follows style-sheet, newspaper style Composition style or newspaper style
- Structure Inverted pyramid Hypothesis, arguments/stand on issue, conclusion Suspended interest or pyramid structure
- Title/Headline Short (subject-verb; telegraphic sentence form) Shorter (at most three words
Starting supposedly from crossed electric wires on the fifth floor, the fire broke through the
roof and had spread to the fourth and third floors when it was discovered by Policeman
Thomas Feeney, who was passing. Flames and smoke rolled out of the fifth floor windows.
Feeney pounded on the front doors of the building and attracted the attention of Edward
Claus, a watchman, who was on the first floor and unaware that the building was burning.
The two attempted to ascend a stairway to the third floor, believing that there was another
watchman in the novelty concern, but flames and smoke burst through a door and they were
compelled to retire. Glass in the door was broken by the heat and Feeney was cut about the
face and hands.
A general alarm was sounded and Marshal Horan arrived in his automobile. He sent in five
special calls and took charge of the many companies of firemen. The heat was intense and
firemen who had mounted the roofs of adjoining structures frequently were compelled to
climb down.
While firemen were still at work on the flames about twenty-five girls reported for work. It
was said they would be thrown out of work by the fire.
(Notice how the two leading facts in the story are combined in the opening sentence, the
fact that firemen were in peril coming first, then the property loss. The writer manifestly has
taken pains to get the firm names correct.)
II. Brief news dispatch telling of a death by fire:
NEW YORK, Dec. 12.- Mrs. F. A. Hilliard, 76 years old, a wealthy widow of Milwaukee, was
burned to death early today in her room in the Hotel Bristol. She set fire to her clothing in
attempting to light a candle. Mrs. Hilliard registered at the hotel Nov. 6. She attracted
attention by her eccentricities. She refused to use either electric light or gas, and insisted on
burning candles in her room.
(All the salient facts are told here in less than seventy-five words—the who, when, what,
where and why of the story. This is the compressed form in which the story was carried in
the news dispatches. As a local story — that is, published in the city in which it originated —
its human-interest element would justify the giving of more details — but nothing of a
horrible nature. News, unless it is national in interest, shrinks in importance in pro-portion to
the distance from the scene of the happening. This rule, of course, would not apply in this
The body was removed to the Clay home at Marietta, where the funeral services will be held
Tuesday. Senator Clay was 57 years old, and is survived by a widow, five sons and a
daughter, besides his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Clay, of Cobb county.
(An account of Senator Clay's political life, in 350 words, follows.)
V. Death story in which the cause is of special interest:
CHICAGO, Dec. 5.- Prof. Charles Otis Whitman, head of the Department of Zoology and
director of the Zoological Museum at the University of Chicago, died of pneumonia today. His
death was due to exposure a week ago, when, late at night, he left his room to look after a
flock of pigeons which he had been studying. Friends say that Prof. Whitman feared the
pigeons would be frozen.
Prof. Whitman, who was 68 years old, was widely known as a zoologist. He was born at
Woodstock, Me., and was educated at Bowdoin College, Leipzig University, in Germany, and
Johns Hopkins University.
Surviving Prof. Whitman are his widow and two sons, Frank and Carroll. Arrangements for
the funeral have not been completed.
VI. Graphically told story of the death of a famous " man-bird " :
LOS ANGELES, CAL., Dec. 31.- The winds, whose treacheries Arch Hoxsey so often defied
and conquered, killed the noted aviator today. As if jealous of his intrepidity, they seized him
and his fragile flying machine, flung them down out of the sky and crushed out his life.
He fell dead in the field from which he had risen but a short time before with a laughing
promise to thousands of cheering spectators to pierce the zenith of the heavens, surpass his
own phenomenal altitude record and soar higher than any other man dared go.
Cross currents, whirled off from a vagrant storm that floated in from the sea, caught his
biplane and shot him downward 563 feet to earth.
His body lay broken and twisted almost out of all semblance to a human form. All of the
spectators in the grand stand witnessed the tragedy, as it occurred directly in front of them
on the opposite side of the course.
They sat in awe-stricken silence until the announcer gave out the words through the
megaphone :
"Hoxsey has been killed."
Then from every part of the great stand came sobbing of women, who but a short time
before had clapped their hands to the daring aviator as he arose from the field for his fatal
flight.
" Of course the success of this attempt is contingent upon the kind of weather I find up
there," said Hoxsey just before he left the ground. " Some of the temperatures one
encounters in the higher altitudes are simply beyond human endurance. But, if I can stand it
and my motor works as well as it has been working, I'll come down with a record of 12,
feet or more."
Even at that moment the wind attained a velocity that kept more cautious aviators on the
ground. After he had ascended it gained rapidly in violence. Moreover, it created a "Swiss
cheese " atmosphere, the most treacherous meteorological condition that man-birds have to
con-tend with.
There is nothing by which it may be known why Hoxsey did not go higher than 7,742 feet,
which his barograph showed he had attained, but he had apparently encountered at that
altitude the same conflicting air currents that finally overcame him. Notwithstanding this,
and with the same reckless daring he had displayed during the last week, he descended by
a series of spiral glides, and was performing one of his thrilling rolling dips, when his biplane
suddenly capsized and shot to earth.
Over and over the aeroplane turned as it fell, with a speed so swift that of all the thousands
who saw the tragedy not one could tell what effort the aviator made to save himself. When
the wreckage had been cleared sufficiently so that his body could be reached, he was found
planted firmly in his seat, his arms around the levers. The fall telescoped the biplane.
The steel sprocket which drove the propellers lay across Hoxsey's face, the motor resting
upon the right side of his body. Every one of the ribs on that side was shattered into
fragments. An iron upright, broken by the force of the crash, held the aviator's body impaled
upon its jagged point.
The tank had to be chopped down before the body could be removed and taken to the
Morgue.
Mrs. Wilson said last night that her husband had acted queerly yesterday and seemed to be
brooding because a man whom he had had in his employ for a number of years was to leave
him at the end of the week. She said one of their sons committed suicide about seven years
ago.
(Observe that the writer gives concrete details. Instead of saying, 'vaguely, that Wilson, a
large man, drowned himself in a small tank, he gives Wilson's height and weight and the
exact dimensions of the tank.)
VIII. The following leads show how stories have been brought up to date :
1. ST. LOUIS, Dec. 9.— Colonel Abe Slupsky wears modestly today the metaphorical wreath
of hops that goes with the championship in beer drinking.
When he drank a bottle of beer in the café at Hotel Jefferson last night it marked the
completion of a task begun thirty days ago. Every day since then, Sundays included,
nineteen bottles of beer preceded the good-night one. Etc.
2. Search in a snowstorm failed today to find the three robbers who held up three men and
stole nearly $20,000 in cash and checks on the Egremont trolley extension yesterday. The
amount taken was given out as $10,000, but the Woronoco Construction Company stated
today that yesterday's full pay roll was $20,000, and only a few men had been paid off when
the hold-up occurred. Of this amount nearly half was in checks. Etc.
3. BELFAST, Dec. 10.— Political excitement is at fever heat today, following last night's riots
that resulted from several Orangemen voting for the Irish Nationalist candidates. Those so
voting are being called traitors and their houses are under guard today to prevent violence
being done them. Etc.
4. Several hundred college boys from the University of Blank crawled from the sheets this
morning with dry throats, big heads and a universal tendency toward " never again." For last
night was " football night " and the college boys " did things up brown." Etc.
5. John K. Smith, millionaire broker, following his fourth arrest in a month because of his
strange antics with automobiles, is in the observation ward of the City Hospital pending an
expert investigation as to his mental condition. Smith was arrested yesterday, etc.
6. PROVIDENCE, KY., Nov. 26.- It is believed today that the ten men entombed in Mine No. 3
of the Providence Coal Company by an explosion are dead.... A windy shot in the mine
yesterday caused a terrific ex-plosion, etc.
IX. Write a local fire story from the following notes, assuming it is to be printed in an evening
pa-per in a town of about 20,000:
Home of A. B. Smith, 600 Converse avenue. Fire discovered at 1 A. M. by neighbors
returning from theater. One of them broke in front door with a stick of cord wood and
aroused the family, who were asleep on the second floor. Fire had started in the attic from
crossed electric wires, and had burned down into the closet in the room occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Smith. Opening the closet to get some clothing, Smith was driven back by flames. His
wife fainted and he carried her out. His hands and face were slightly burned. Two children,
girls, 8 and 5, were carried out by neighbors. The house, two-story frame, burned rapidly.
Only a part of the furniture on first floor was saved. Loss about $10,000, covered by
insurance. Whole building was ablaze when the firemen arrived. Smith is cashier of the
Second National Bank. Man who broke in door, A. L. Jones, a grocer, 604 Converse avenue.
X. Assuming that the death of Senator Clay (see No. IV) was first published in the morning
papers, rewrite the story in I50 words for an evening pa-per.
XI. Condense the story of Wilson's suicide (see No. VII) into a telegraph dispatch of 150
words.
Copy Reading 2hernan - Presentation Transcript
- Mr. Hernane B. Buella
- Copyreading
o is much is like the work of a communication arts teacher correcting compositions,
except that he uses different symbols.
- Jose Lina Jr., Gobernador - pagpalitin ang lugar ng salita pinunong ng bayan - alisin at pagkabitin Pang. Gloria M. Arroyo - isulat nang buo 8 katao - isulat nang pasalita labing dalawang katao - isulat sa numero o tambilang Doktor Warren Cruz - daglatin
- Simula bukas - wastong pasok ng talataan kahapon. Simula bukas - panibagong talataan natapos ang panayam Subalit wala pang tiyak - pagdugtungin o pasunurin Ngunit di pa yari - walang bagong talataan pin untahan - pagkabitin
- Malaking Panayam - igitna ang subhead Panggulo ng Pilipinas - alisin at paglapitin Maynilas - kaltasin/pungusin Wilfredo Krus - hayaang manatili ang pagkabaybay Mabait na bata - panatilihin, huwag baguhin more pa - may karugtong 30 # - wakes ng artikulo
- Headline Writing
o News stories, are important, but the headlines that introduce these stories to the
readers are also important. Good headlines will make a newspaper page attractive; poor headlines will make a page seem dull. Poor headlines might discourage them from reading the stories.
o A headline is the title of a news story. It summarizes the whole news story.
Oftentimes, it is the gist of the lead.
o What kind of headline style does your newspaper use? In the traditional newspaper
headline, every word is capitalized except for short prepositions like at, by, for, from, in, on, to, etc. and the. They are capitalized only when they appear at the beginning of a line.
o A newer style of headline writing; however, capitalizes only the first word and proper
nouns that would be capitalized in a normal sentence. The two styles of headlines are shown below:
o Traditional Style Newer Style
o Clc (cap & lower case) Ds (Down Style)
o Food Production Food production
o Drive Intensified drive intensified
o If a newspaper wishes to call special attention to a news story, it will capitalize every
letter in every word.
o (All Caps)
o DOPE UPSURGE IN SCHOOL
o COMMUNITY NOTED
o Ordinarily, most newspapers call attention to their most important news stories by
giving them multiple-column headlines. A multiple-column headline is one which extends over two, three, four or more column width. Such wide headlines; however, are set in much larger type than single column headlines.
o Example:
o Nation celebrates Centennial Year,
o Chief Executive delivers message
o The examples of headlines we have seen so far have been written in two lines. This
is called a running head. But sometimes newspapers print three-line headline:
o 3 rd seminar
o on family
o planning held
o In longer stories, a newspaper may even add a second headline called a deck , also
called bank or readout.
o Torch 2 nd in nat ’ l. press tilts
o Chief editor
o bags seven
o NSPC medals
- Unit Counting in Headlines
o Writing headlines is not so simple as it seems to be. A headline should fit the
allotted space by a system of unit counts given to each letter, figure or space. This is done to avoid a thin head , a fat head or a bleeding head.
o An example of a thin head where the spaces between the letters of words, or the
space after the words in a line are so wide that the effect is ugly.
o S c h o o l j o i n s p r e s s t i l t s
o An example of a fat head where the letters or the words are so crowded that there
are no spaces between them or the spaces are so small that several words read as one.
o Schooljoinspresstilts
o An example of bleeding headline in which some letter or words extend inside the
column
o S c h o o l j o i n s
o p r e s s t i l t s
