newswriting

News is difficult to define because it has many

variables.

News must be factual, yet not all facts are news.

News is primarily about people,

what they say and do.

A report of any event or situation. A record of the most interesting, important and accurate information obtained about the things man think and says, sees and describes, plans and does.

“It is anything published in a newspaper which interests a large number of people”

News is “any event, idea or opinion that is timely, that interests or affects a large number of persons in a community, and that is capable of being understood by them.”

- Dean M. Lyle Spencer

Former Dean, School of Journalism

Syracuse University

According to Carl Warren, Former Radio News Editor of New York Times, “ all news is intended to interest, inform or entertain somebody somewhere – large sections of the public.

If something is happening NOW, it is more newsworthy than if it happened yesterday or last week or two weeks ago. Oftentimes the most newsworthy element in the story is the most recent happening, the latest thing in

a series of happenings.

The news story must immediately tell the

impact of the event.

b. The value of the news depends upon the

newness of the happening.

c. It concerns not only of the recency

(time of occurrence) but also primacy

(you gasp with surprise when you first

hear or see it is news to you, regardless

of age)

How close to your readers is this event taking place? All other things being equal, something that is happening in or near their location is much more meaningful to them than something taking place across town or across the world.

Interests of the readers primarily depends upon the closeness of their own personal affairs.

Closeness not only place but interest.

Is a well-known person part of the story? Readers like to read about people they know. If a person is well-known, more readers will be interested than if a person who is mentioned is not known.

A good example is the newsworthiness of the classic remark made by Charles A. Dana,in 1882: “When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a manbites a dog that is news.”

How will this event impact your readers? How important is it? Something that is more important will be more newsworthy than something that is of little importance, all other things being equal.

Is there a conflict between persons in the story? A rivalry? A misunderstanding? People are naturally drawn to conflict and find it fascinating.

This element is essential in catching the attention of the readers like the intense conflicts of the different political groups in the Philippines.

Anything that appeals to the reader’s emotions…makes him laugh, cry, get angry, feel sympathy, etc….has the potential for human interest.

Another factor in stimulating the appeal and interest of the readers. The continuing suspense of day-to-day news events will always attract the attention of the reading public.

News story that is appealing to the readers, irrespective of its point of origin, such as local, community, national and international.

In order to avoid boredom on the part of the readers, it is important that the news writer must “pounce with delight upon news that usually titillates their bump

of credulity or make them smile” once in a while.

Suggest the breadth and extension of the news.

It adds color and vitality to the story.

• Mystery, suspense,

comedy, the unusual, the

bizarre are chief elements

of drama

It is present in stories of romance, marriage, divorce and other

relationships.

Involves any significant change for the betterment of mankind.

How will a particular event affect the readers? Similar to consequence but stronger and more personal.

Special Types of News StoriesA. According to style of presentation

1. Straight News- the data are presented

in direct fashion using the summary lead.

2. News Features – the data are presented

indirectly through the use of novelty lead.

B. According to place of occurrence

1. Local News – the event that happens

within the locality of the reader.

2. Foreign News – the events takes place

outside the country.

C. According to content

1. Science and Technology News

2. Developmental Communication

3. Sports News

D. According to sources

1. Action Story – the reporter himself is an

eyewitness of the event that happened.

2. Based on the record news

The information are gathered from the

records like the police stations, hospitals

and other agencies.

3. Based on interview -

Interviewing the persons

who know the event.

E. According to page makeup

1. Single incident story – one event only.

2. Composite Feature – more than one

event that happened at the same time.

3. News Brief– news item usually not

more than two paragraphs.

4. Bulletin – important last minute news of

a running story printed on the front page

in boldfaced type and maybe boxed.

5. Flash

It presents only the basic facts of a fresh story that comes in too late to be printed in full news item.

6. Side bar story

Brief news item on some

lighter aspects of an event

placed side by side to a

related significant news.

F. According to the sequence of occurrence

1. Advance News A report of expected event2. Spot News A report of event which the writer has actually witnessed.3. Coverage –based on given assignment or beat like news gathered from hospitals police stations, and other agencies.4. Follow-up News – recent development of reported event.

THE LEAD In writing the story, we are interested to

know the LEAD which is the introductory sentence of the news story.

Classification of Leads ♦ According to purpose:

1. Conventional or Summary lead

2. Unconventional, unorthodox

or novelty lead

♦ According to construction, leads maybe classified into 3 groups:

1. Who-What-When-Where-Why-How leads This is the oldest type known to

journalists and has come to be known as the 5W’s and an H

I have six honest serving men

(They taught me all I know) Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who

The Who lead Names make news,

especially prominent ones. It maybe one person, several persons, or an organization. However, the lead should avoid featuring more than 3 personal names.

The What lead (or event feature)

Most straight news leads play up what the story is all about.

A struggle to protect or increase

respective numbers of congressmen on opposing sides of the impeachment fence began yesterday at the House of

Representatives.

The Why lead

To further streamline emergency hotline

services and strengthen anti crime efforts,

the Philippine National Police conferred

with respondents of emergency hotline

‘117’ in a top-level meeting at the Crown Plaza Galleria.

The How lead – often used for unusual happenings and action stories.

Staging a 48-hour walkout beginning

today, nearly 100 South Korean

journalists at a government controlled

television station demanded that the

government stop dictating how they

cover the news.

The When leadIt is used when an event takes place at

unconventional hour, or in making an

announcement where the time is

important to the reader.

Tomorrow, May 15, is the

last day for filing individual

tax returns.

The Where lead

Convalescent homes in Solano have

been the sites for beauty contests to

choose representatives to

the 7th Annual My Fair

Lady Pageant, where

Contestants are

mostly in their

70s and 80s.

Characteristics of a Good Lead1.Includes only 5Ws and the H which are

important.

A small contingent of US developmental gymnasts traveled to the Soviet Union last June to take a closer look at Soviet gymnasts.

What: travel

Who: US developmental gymnasts

Where: Soviet Union

When: June

Why: to take a closer look

2. Starts with the feature of the story, which may either be the most important or most interesting fact or both.

3. It must be short- usually 25-35 words if it is one paragraph.

4. Begins with specific, interest arousing words.

5. Avoid when possible, beginning with such words and phrases as a, an, the, at a meeting, yesterday, last night, days of the week, according to, it is, there is, etc.

6. Suggests the source of the news when necessary.

♦ in stories which foretell something not

generally known.

♦ about future events in order to protect

the paper if the event does not occur.

♦ in stories about important events that

the reporter failed to attend.

♦ to attribute an opinion,

thereby avoid editorializing.

7. Avoid overloading the first sentence of

the lead.

8. Is written colorfully when possible.

9. Avoid citing the news source in stories which readers would expect to be eye witness accounts or in

stories in which citing

the source would be

unnecessary.

How to write a Summary Lead1.First study carefully the notes that you took for the story, selecting the 5Ws and H. It is best for beginners to list the 5Ws and H on a sheet of paper, and opposite each, write the appropriate act.2. Choose the feature on the basis of news values and your readers – what will interest them.

3. Arrange the remaining 5Ws and H, in

the order of decreasing importance.

4. Determine the best way to start the

lead sentence.

5. Keep in mind all the other

characteristics of a good

summary lead.

6. Test your lead.

7. Rewrite the lead if

you can improve it.

The Unconventional or NOVELTY lead

♦ It uses any device that will attract attention, arouse curiosity, or sustain interest. It adds vigor and color to writing and does not contain the gist of the story, but merely serves as an introduction

The NOVELTY lead is used:

♣ When the facts are not entirely straight news.

♣ When the facts maybe made much more interesting by a novel way of presenting them.

♣ When the purpose is

to arouse the reader’s

interest.

Types of Novelty leads:

1. Narrative Lead – It draws the reader into the story by allowing him to relate

himself with the characters. December 1999. With the Y2K scare and

end-of-the millennium jitters hovering in the air, I found myself in a book store for some last minute shopping. I was looking for the abridged versions of the classic Heidi and the Secret Garden to give to my nieces when I saw a vaguely familiar title: The lady or the Tiger. As I traced the embossed title, a particular memory flooded my consciousness.

2. Descriptive lead

It illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader. This is effective in writing a personality sketch.

The night fell as we descended the summit

of Mt. Makiling. The cicadas were sending us

off with their choir. While walking, we couldn’t

stop imagining the possible appearance of

Maria Makiling, who according

to legend, is the goddess

of this mountain.

3. Quotation leadThis statement is uttered by well-

known person or celebrity.

“You stole the presidency, not only once but twice.” Shouted Susan Roces, widow of Fernando Poe Jr., during a gathering of the opposition, denouncing Pres. Gloria Macapagal

Arroyo’s alleged vote

rigging during the

2004 election.

4. Question lead

A thought provoking question to capture the interest of reader and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of the article.

When was the last time I told my father I loved him? I wish I could tell him a thousand times how much I love him now, but he is already heedless inside his coffin.

5. TeaserA device to deceive the reader in a jesting

manner to arouse his curiosity and gently

lead him into the story. It is generally

short, crisp and witty. Mostly suggestive

and humorous.

Which comes first, the hen or the egg?

Well, 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.

Hungry farmers are selling not only their carabaos but also their children.

7. Freak lead - it uses typographical effects to enhance its appeal.

Wanted: Filipino doctors and nurses. This is the appeal of several government-owned hospitals which face closure due to the exodusof many Pinoy doctors and nurses abroad.

8. Astonisher lead It uses an exclamatory sentence.

NSPC 2006 Champion! Bold red letters printed on a three-meter longstreamer was over the gate of the New EraUniversity when the Hudyat, Official StudentPublication of the ElementaryDepartment won as Best School Paper during the National Schools PressConference held in Kalibo,Aklan, February 22-26.

9. One word lead•It uses a very significant word to capture

or arouse the interest of the reader.

Bang!

Sprinters from the different divisions of the

National Capital Region zoomed bullets to the

finishing line in a 100-meter dash

during the National Capital Region

Athletic Association (NCRAA)

Meet, Held at Amoranto

Stadium, Quezon City, April 1-6.

10. Parody lead It consists of a parody of a well-known

quotation, song, poem, book or movie film

title.

“You only live once, but if you live it

right, once is enough.” This familiar adage

proved true to Clarence Castillo,a young boy

who died while rescuing his younger brother at

the height of flooding in Infanta

town in Quezon last year for

he was posthumously

awarded for his bravery.

11. Background lead It describes an event in which the

background overshadows the individual who participate in it; often use stories about carnivals, festivals, dances and others.

It was like the school was put in a time

machine and was led back to the past when

teachers and students who participated in the

Buwan ng Wika program, gathered in front of

the four-storey building garbed in old

Filipiniana costumes.

12. Contrast lead

* it is used to point up opposites and extremes.

Four years ago, she fought for the

installation of Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo

as President of the Philippines through

EDSA II Revolution. Today, former

President Corazon Aquino

is calling for GMA’s

resignation.

13. Staccato lead Usually consists of series of words or

phrases, punctuated by periods, commas or dashes.

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

HARD News & SOFT News♦ Journalists today often refer to “hard”

news and “soft” news.

HARD News• is important to large numbers of

people.• is timely• usually about events in government,

politics, education, foreign affairs, labor, religion, courts, etc.

SOFT News• usually less important because it

entertains, although it may also inform

• often less timely than hard news• includes human interests and

feature stories which may relate to hard news.

• appeals more to emotions than to the intellect or the desire to be informed.

♦ HARD News Despite its importance, usually

attracts fewer readers because it may not be as interesting as

soft news or maybe more difficult to understand.

3 Factors Essential to News

Facts

Interest

Readers

♦The basis of all news is FACT.

♦The job of the reporter is to make facts INTERESTING to a particular group of READERS

♦ News must be factual

• News is based on actual occurrences, situations, thoughts and ideas.

• Yet, not all facts are news

♦ News must be interesting.

•But not all facts are interesting.

•Different facts

will be interesting

to different

readers.

♦ Qualities that distinguish news fromother forms of writing:

1. Must be ACCURATE

•Reporters must work hard to achieve accuracy.

•They must check, double-check, and re-check every

fact.

♦ Reporters must question their sources carefully.

•Informants

sometimes

misinform although

rarely on purpose.

2. It is BALANCED.

Balanced in a news story is a matter of emphasis and completeness.

♦ News is considered balanced and complete when all significant details are included and have proper relationship with each other.

•The purpose of balance is to give the reader a fair understanding of the event, not a detailed account of every fact.

3. It is OBJECTIVE

•News is a factual report, not a report of how the reporter thought something should have been.

•A reporter must report news as impartially and honestly as possible.

• Objectivity is difficult to achieve because a reporter’s own opinions and feelings can easily interfere with factual presentation in stories.

4. It is CONCISE and CLEAR •Hard news stories almost

always follow the inverted pyramid and are written concisely and clearly so that the meaning is clear to an average reader.

LEAD SENTENCE : 5 Ws Use catchy statements (clever, funny, surprising,

provocative)DETAILS Use quotes from

interviewees

Wrap up Use a quote or catchy

phrase

Guidelines of the Inverted PyramidGuidelines of the Inverted Pyramid

5. It is RECENTTimeliness is of major

importance in this era of fast

communication.

Reporters emphasize

The newest angle

of the story.

How to write an Effective Lead

1. Use a simple sentence.2. Do not overload the beginning paragraph with the answer of 5Ws and H. Remember

that the second paragraph is a secondary lead too.

3.Do not use an important or unusual word twice in the same sentence.

4. Avoid, when possible the use of articles such as a, an, the – as the beginning word of the lead.

Rules in Paragraph Construction1. A paragraph of the news should not

exceed 75 words.

2. Important facts should be placed at the

beginning of the paragraph.

3. Avoid repetition of clauses, phrases

and other similar grammatical construction

at the beginning of each paragraph.

4. Do not put direct quotation and

indirect quotation in the same

paragraph.

5. One sentence paragraph is preferred in writing news. But if it cannot be avoided it should not exceed three sentences

6. For easy reading, average number of words per sentence should be between 15 to 20. A sentence longer than 30 words may be hard to understand.

7. Arrange paragraph in the descending order of importance so that the lay-out editor can delete the last least

important ones for lack of space.

Qualities of a News Writer

1. Has nose for news

♦ knows where to get the data

♦ knows what angle of the event

should be highlighted in the news

♦can easily identify event, which

is worth publishing as news.

2. Inquisitive 3. Patient 4. Fair 5. Interested with people 6. Always seeks for truth 7. Resourceful 8. Reliable 9. Has wide vocabulary10. Wide reader

Qualities of a News Writer

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” John Ruskin