WRITING CAPTIONS

Submitted as a partial fulfillment of the assignment of Journalism to English Education Study

Program of Muhammadiyah University of Tangerang

Name of Groups:

1. Wasis Huda Kurniadi (1688203178)

2. Akbar Agisabali (1688203140)
3. Rafidah Bella Jamiat (1688203085)
4. Nawang Surya C.R.A (1688203037)

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF TANGERANG
2019

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, thanks to Allah SWT who has given His bless and grace to the writers for
finishing the Journalism paper assignment entitled “Writing Captions”.

The writers also want to deliver their sincere thanks to all people who has given their
hands to help us completing this paper. This paper is one of the assignments in Journalism
Subject.

And last, this paper is not the perfect model. So, the writer expects the critic and
suggestion in order to make this paper better. Hopefully, this paper can be used as a reference
to learn about theNews sources:News Gathering (Observation,Interviewing).

Tangerang, March 12, 2019

The Writers

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................................................... 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................ 3
CHAPTER I ............................................................................................................................................ 4
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 4
A. Background of problem .............................................................................................................. 4
B. Identification of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 4
C. Limitation of the Problem ........................................................................................................... 4
D. Objective of the Study................................................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER II........................................................................................................................................... 5
DISCUSSION ......................................................................................................................................... 5
A. Writing Caption .......................................................................................................................... 5
B. Rules For Caption Writing .......................................................................................................... 6
CHAPTER III ....................................................................................................................................... 10
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 10
A. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 10
REFERENCES ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of problem

In today’s publications, the camera is just as important a tool as a pen and notepad. Telling
thestory visually helps to give credibility to the words on the page and makes the story seem
more “real” to the reader.

Stories with photographs are much more likely to be read than stories without photographs,
and the larger the photograph, the greater the likelihood that the story package will attract the
attention of the reader.

Photographs contained in newspapers do not always describe an event or news (newsphoto),

but can also be illustrative, which can stand alone or accompany an article, including photos
that are 'human interest' (interesting attention and evoke impression). The photos contained in
the newspaper are 'misguided' commonly referred to as journalistic photos, meaning photos
produced by the work of journalists (journalists) in the field.

A photo cannot describe verbal statements obtained by reporters in the field, but with the
visualization ability that is presented, a photograph can reveal eyesight that is difficult to
describe in words. It is different from written news where journalists can accidentally enter
subjectivity that can influence opinion. With the photo will minimize the subjectivity. The
reader is presented visually as is. The reader will give an interpretation of the photo; which of
course can be different from one another.Based on the background above, the author tries to
explain more clearly about writing captions and photograph in the news.

B. Identification of the Problem

1. How to write a captions in the news?
2. What are the rules in writing captions?

C. Limitation of the Problem

This papper is focus to explain about writing captions.

D. Objective of the Study

1. To know how to write a captions
2. To know the rules for writing captions

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

A. Writing Caption
Photo captions are often the first elements of a publication to be read. Writing
photo captions is an essential part of the news photographer’s job. A photo caption
should provide the reader basic information needed to understand a photograph and its
relevance to the news. It should be written in a consistent, concise format that allows
news organizations to move the photo to publication without delay.

Professional standards of clarity, accuracy and completeness in caption writing

should be as high or higher than any other writing that appears in a publication. A poorly
written caption that is uninformative or worse: misleading can diminish the impact of a
good photo and undermine its credibility as journalism.

A picture may be worth 1000 words, but it still needs a caption to give the reader
information about what is going on. Remember, the caption is the third most often used
entry point into the story package. More people will read the information in the caption
than will read the actual story, so it is important to include pertinent information in the
caption.

In most photo captions the first sentence identifies the people and place in the
photograph and supply the date and location where it was taken. The second (and
perhaps third) sentence should provide contextual information to help readers
understand what they are looking at.

The format for captions vary from publication to publication, but a basic
photo captions should:

 Clearly identify the people and location that appear in the photo. Professional titles
should be included as well as the formal name of the location. SPELL NAMES
CORRECTLY (check against the spellings in the article if necessary) For photographs
of more than one person, identifications typically go from left to right. In the case of
large groups, identifications of only notable people may be required and sometimes no
I.D.s are required at all. Your publication should establish a standard for its
photographers.
 Include the date and day the photograph was taken. This is essential information for a
news publication. The more current a photo is the better. If an archive photograph or
photograph taken prior to the event being illustrated is used, the caption should make it
clear that it is a “file photo.”
 Provide some context or background to the reader so he or she can understand the news
value of the photograph. A sentence or two is usually sufficient.

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 Photo captions should be written in complete sentences and in the present tense. The
present tense gives the image a sense of immediacy. It does not always logical to write
the entire caption in the present tense. Often the first sentence is written in the present
tense and following sentences are not.
 Be brief. Most captions are one or two short, declarative sentences. Some may extent
to a third sentence if complex contextual information is needed to explain the image
completely.

B. Rules For Caption Writing

The rules for caption writing:

• The caption should be a little story about the picture and it should be complete..

• Always write two sentences for a caption, and sometimes you may want to add a third,
which could be a quote from someone involved in the story or the person who is
pictured.

• The first sentence should be written in present tense and should describe the action in
the photo. The second sentence should be in past tense and should give additional
information to complete the story.

• A different type style should be used for the caption to set it apart from other text on
the page. For instance, if you use a serif type for body text, consider using a sans serif
type, boldfaced, for the caption..

• A special type device (boldface, initial cap, etc.) is can be used for caption lead-ins to
set them apart visually.

• Captions should be specific and thorough. Captions extend photos, so don't state the
obvious. Don’t say: Suzie appears to be leading a cheer at a pep rally, or even that Suzie
is leading a cheer. The readers can figure out that much for themselves. Say that Suzie
isone of 12 varsity cheerleaders who lead the student body in cheers and chants.

• Begin with interesting leads; the first five words are important. Just as in the text of
the story, readers’ attention must be grabbed with interest-arousing words.

• Allow the lead-in to refer to the action in a non-obvious way. The lead-in can be in
the form of a mini-headline and can be a catchy phrase.

• Don't use "left to right" or similar phrases. The reader automatically assumes that
names will be listed left to right.

• Use a variety of adjectives and adverbs, but don’t pad the caption. Each word should
mean something.

• When writing the caption, consider what has happened (presently) and before and
after. This information can make the story more complete.

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• Use strong visual, specific nouns.

• Use lively action verbs and avoid state-of-being verbs..

• Vary the style used in captions throughout your publication so that they don’t all begin
to sound alike. For instance, don’t start out every caption with a noun.

• Identify everyone by name if there are six or fewer people in focus in the picture. If it
is a larger group (except for group pictures for yearbook), identify the group, such as:
George Smith’s biology class, or members of the chess club.

• Use complete sentences.

• As with stories, use complete names the first time a name is used, and last name on
second reference. (George Bush, then Bush)

• Treat every caption as its own story. If a story package has more than one picture,
each caption is separate and apart from every other captions. Exception: You may run
a series of pictures with a single caption that tells the story of all pictures in the series.

• Use facts from the story to add color and information.

• Avoid beginning captions with names..

• Don't begin with labels. (ex. football, local)

• Avoid excessive use of verbals (-ing words) to begin captions.

• NEVER use the words "during" or "pictured here", or "shown here". It’s obvious.

• The readers can figure that out for themselves.

• Avoid using words like "seems to" and "appears to" or "attempts to" or "tries to".
Either ithappened or it didn't happen.

• Don't pad the caption just to fill the space. Every word should count.

• Never write joke or gag captions. Ever.

The following examples show how one caption can be written using a variety of
grammatical structures to add liveliness to the publication. All captions do not
have to sound alike.

• Adverb

Intently listening to the comments of the audience, First Amendment attorney

Oliver“Buzz” Thomas thinks carefully before responding. Thomas was part of a
conference sponsored by the Freedom Forum and Newsweek encouraging educators to
embrace the First Amendment within their schools.

• Noun

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A look of puzzlement comes over the face of First Amendment attorney Oliver “Buzz”
Thomas during a question and answer session with teachers during a conference for
First Amendment Mentor Teachers held at the Freedom Forum in Arlington, Va. The
conference…

• Gerund

Helping classroom teachers to understand the importance of the First Amendment is the
aim of attorney Oliver “Buzz” Thomas, a speaker at a conference for educators
sponsored by the Freedom Forum and Newsweek. The program included….

• Participle

Listening intently to the comments of the participants at a conference sponsored by the

Freedom Forum and Newsweek, First Amendment attorney Oliver “Buzz” Thomas
explains how teachers can help their schools make students’ freedoms come alive. The
conference….

• Infinitive

To help teachers understand the importance of the First Amendment and its relevance
at school, attorney Oliver “Buzz” Thomas answers questions during a session at a
conference sponsored by the Freedom Forum and Newsweek. Thirty-two teachers,
selected as First Amendment Mentor Teachers, came from all over the United States to
participate in the event.

• Prepositional Phrase

In an attempt to help teachers understand how they can help their schools make the
FirstAmendment more relevant to students, attorney Oliver “Buzz” Thomas answers
questions from participants at a conference sponsored by the Freedom Forum and
Newsweek. The teachers gathered in Arlington, Va., to discuss …

• Adjective

Intense concentration covers attorney Oliver “Buzz” Thomas’ face as he listens to

questions about the First Amendment from teachers attending a conference in
Arlington, Va., sponsored by the Freedom Forum and Newsweek. Thomas, a First
Amendment attorney, former journalist and part-time song writer, spoke to the teachers
during a session on…

Directions: Using the photographs below and the information that is given for each
one, write a caption for each.
Example:

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Figure 40: Photo from Hastings High School. Used with permission.

Math teacher Charlotte Ellzey explains to sophomore John Jenkins how to use a
graphingcalculator. The calculator was one of 150 obtained through a grant from the
campus Shared Decision-Making Committee. “Calculators must be replaced
periodically as technology improves in order for our students to have the best
experience possible,” Ellzey said.
Sentence 1 is in present tense and explains what is happening in the picture without
stating the obvious. Sentence 2 is in past tense and gives a little insight into what is
going on. Optional sentence 3 is a quote from one of the subjects in the picture.

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 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION

A. Conclusion
Captions are important. They are the third most looked-at element on the page, and
therefore are one of the ways readers will get information. Captions should be complete,
listing names of those in the pictures, as well as information about what is going on in
the picture, relating it to the event the article is about.Writing photo captions is an
essential part of the news photographer’s job. A photo caption should provide the reader
basic information needed to understand a photograph and its relevance to the news. It
should be written in a consistent, concise format that allows news organizations to move
the photo to publication without delay.

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 REFERENCE

Dianne Smith. (2010). Introduction to Journalism Student Activities Book.

TEACHINGpoint

Writing photo captions

https://ijnet.org/en/resource/writing-photo-captions

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