Copy Reading

& Headline Writing

JERRY A. SERDENA, MAIS

School Publication Adviser, The Cradle
 Headlines…
 Persuade / Excitereaders
 Break up thepage

GOOD HEADS DO THREETHINGS:

 Tell the reader what the story is about
 Give this information in quick and easy form
Entice the reader to follow the story
and “read all about it”
Some Tips on Headline Writing

1. Headlines should be based on the main idea of

the story, which should be found in the lead or
introduction.
2. If facts are not in the story, do not use them in a
headline.
3. Avoid repetition. Don’t repeat key words in the
same headline; don’t repeat the exact wording of
the story in the headline.
4. Avoid ambiguity, insinuations, and double
meanings.
5. Use present-tense verbs for headlines that refer
to past or present events.
6. For the future tense, use the infinitive form of
the verb (such as to go, to run, etc.) rather than
the verb will.
7. Write headlines in the active voice (Man bites
dog instead of Dog is Bitten by Man)
8. Do not use the conjunction and; use a comma
or semicolon instead
9. Avoid using unclear or little-known names,
phrases, and abbreviations in headlines.
10. Never begin a headline with a verb.
11. Only well-known abbreviations should
be used.
12. Do not abbreviate days of the week and
months, unless followed by a date.
13. In a multiline headline, a noun and its
modifier should be on the same line.
Use the present tense
Arrest order sought vs 17 people
tied to VPBinay
vs
17 linked to VP Binay face arrest
***
LRT deal linked to polls, execs’ fund raising
vs
Poll fund raisingmars LRT deal
Use the present tense
Jailed drug lord caught selling ‘shabu’ publicly
with guards’ help
vs
Guards help jailed drug lord sell ‘shabu’
***
Thai ex-PMimpeached
vs
Thais impeach PM
Use the present tense

P200-M in damagesfrom Pemberton

sought by Laudefamily
vs
Laude kin seeks P200 M
in damages fromPemberton
 Use the present tense
1 killed, 9 wounded in Makati bullet spray
vs
Makati bullet spray kills 1, wounds 9
***
Solo Parents Act ammendements
backed by DSWD
vs
DSWD backs bill amending Solo Parents Act

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 Use active voice
IS shot, beheaded 30 people in Libya
30 people in Libya, shot, beheaded by IS
vs
IS shoots, beheads 30 inLibya
***

1 dead, 7 hurt in Zamboblast

vs
Zambo blast kills 1, hurts7
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In contrast…
• Loyal bashers ni Nancy, nabuhay
•Higanteng buwaya, nahuli sa Palawan
•Budget sa SONA tinipid
• Abad ginisa ng Senado sa DAP

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Your turn
• Brace for typhoon, 11 provinces warned
• 34 dead in IS assault on Syria city
• Brains behind Paris attacks killed
• Binays’ own firm supplied birthday cakes in
Makati
• Lapu-lapu depletion feared

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Use the present tense

Jailed drug lord caught selling ‘shabu’ publicly

with guards’ help
vs
Guards help jailed drug lord sell ‘shabu’
***
Thai ex-PM impeached
vs
Thais impeach PM

9/17/2018 - -
Future event – use infinitive
‘to’
PH to raise reclamation issue in Asean
summit
DSWD to update list of poor
Disaster operations center to rise in Clark
Disaster operations center to rise in Clark
P8 billion to solve Bataan flooding
 Is, are, the & a
• The cop in a lawyer’s slay surrenders
• Cop in lawyer’s slay surrenders

• The meteor showers are visible over PH

• Meteor showers visible over PH

• 5 soldiers are hurt in a clash with the NPA rebels

• 5 soldiers hurt in clash with NPA rebels
 Is, are, the & a
• A suspected bomb-maker is gunned down
• Cops kill suspected bomb-maker

• The Comelec is urged to uphold the ouster of party

-list
groups
• Poll watchdog urges Comelec to uphold ouster of
party-list groups

• A barangay captain is slain inAbra

• Hired guns slayAbra village chief
Ang, si, ng, at, nang
Ang bata, nahuli sa shabu
Bata huli sa shabu
Senadoat Kamara, nagbalik-sesyon
Senado, Kamara balik-sesyon
DAP gagawin nang legal
DAP gagawing legal
Si Napoles ay nasa Bicutan na
Napoles nasa Bicutan na
 Panghinaharap

• 2 LPA pa nagbabanta
• Jinggoy hindi pa suspendido
• DAP ng PNP,pinasisiyasatng VACC
• DAP gagawing legal
• Pope Francisbibisita sa Pinas (sa Enero 2015)
• ‘Inday’ lalabas sa Biyernes
• ‘Inday’ palabas na

9/17/2018 - -
Your turn
A mother appeals to Isis to free two
Japanese men

Kids learn about climate change from ‘Pidlo’

the pine tree

P-Noy is obstacle to peace negotiations, say

Reds
Avoid words that add
nothing to the power of the
headline
A. Valuable jewelry stolen
vs
Thieves grab 15,000 gems

B. Big reduction in tax on beer

vs
Beer tax cut by 20 percent

C. President’s SONA speech

vs
President pledges better conditions for labor
add power with numbers
Teachers say no to poll work
vs
700 teachers shun poll duty
***
Heat index to reach 40oC this week
vs
Metro Manila folk face another scorching week

Administration senators DAP recipients

vs
Senators get P100 million each from DAP
add power with numbers
World HIV infection down 35 percent

Retired teacher claims P33-M prize

Initials
Special allowance ng SC justices, sisilipin ng
Kamara

2K sako ng NFA rice nabawi sa Iloilo

BIR ihihirit uli ang SALN ng SC justices

Abbreviations
Government– gov’t
Department– dep’t
Intramurals– intrams
against – vs
Philippines– PH, Phl, Phil
 Punctuations
Alien ID deal cost gov’t P600 M—COA

Public office no place for plunderers—Miriam

Binay still top choice but Poe closes in—SWS

Federalism to end Mindanao colonization by

Manila elite—Duterte
Punctuations
DSWD target: Zero street dwellers in QC,
Manila by yearend

NBI men cheer: ‘Spoiled brats’ returning to

Bilibid
Punctuations
• Whistleblower: Abad isNapoles’ client, friend
• PCSO: AFP has new millionaire
• Mommy D to BIR: Why me?
• DENR asked: Stop decay ofBoracay
• US to China: Clarify your boundary

9/17/2018 - -
Single quotation marks
indicate doubt
‘Dead’ man attends own funeral

Show ‘proof of corruption,’ senator urges

critics
Names of typhoons
‘Inday’ palabas na, isa pang bagyo
binabantayan
Simplicity is the key
Witnessed – saw
Depart – go
Consultations – talks
Commence – start
Purchase – buy
Line-up – slate
Recommend – urge
Appropriate – due
Verbal deadwood
Inspite of the fact that - although
Draw attention of - remind
Tendered his resignation- resigned
Affixed his signature-- signed
United in holy matrimony married
Told his listeners- said
for the reason that - because
a large proportion - many
at the present time - now
succumbed to injuries- died
• SYMBOL  MEANING
- Local govermnent Transpose letters
- Administration school Transpose words
- Manila, philippines Set in capitals
- She Edited the Set in lower case
- occassion Delete letter
- The new recruits Delete & close up
- Pretty girl Insert word
- occurence
• SYMBOL  MEANING

…over. He said Begin a new

paragraph

anew dress separate

Gentle man Close up

Species Homo Set in italics

sapiens
 Copy reading symbols
• SYMBOL MEANING
-Professor Juan Masipag Abbreviate
-Prof. Masipag Spell out word
- Bought ten cans Set in numerals
- 8 participants Spell out

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SYMBOL MEANING
Dr Juan Flavier Put period

Mary s book Insert apostrophe

“I don’t believe it, Insert quotation mark

she said.
Unit Count
•jiltf - ½ JILTF - 1
•? - 1 space - 1
• All figures- 1 all small letters-1
• Dash - 1½ small m, w- 1 ½
• M, W - 2
• All caps except M W J I L T F– 1 ½

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Point sizes
Headline schedule
 10 Commandments for
Copyreaders
1. You shall not change the author’s meaning
2.You shall not introduce new errors; more
important, you shall not change something correct
to something incorrect.
3.You shall not change anything except to improve
it.
4.You shall just focus on your work and do precisely
what is expected of you.
5.You shall honor and obey those in charge of you.
6.You shall mark clearly and write your
corrections legibly.
7.You shall protect the copy from rain, hail, wind,
coffee, children, pets, and all things damaging.
8.You shall meet deadlines.
9.You shall assume nothing but should seek
answers to all that is doubtful or unspecified.
10.You shall read and study language continually.
Exercises
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez yesterday joined calls
for a probe on the series of alleged summary
killings to determine if these were done by
government detractors.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Alvarez

said the objective of detractors is to discredit the
Duterte administration’s war against drugs,
which he claims has been very successful.
Exercises
The body fished out of a creek in Gapan, Nueva
Ecija barely a week ago was not that of 14-year-
old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman, the Philippine
National Police (PNP) said yesterday, citing
results of DNA tests.
Exercises

A former village official and a suspected

drug pusher were caught in simultaneous
raids in Barangay Baliwagan, Balamban,
Cebu at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 22.