Copy Reading and Headline Writing
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: 1. Straighten out ungrammatical construction. 2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs. 3. See that the paper’s style requirements are strictly followed. Check names, addresses, title, designations, identifications, figures, etc. 4. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly written. 5.
Rewrite the lead or the first few paragraphs whenever necessary, but must never tamper with the facts unless he is sure of his corrections. 6. Delete all opinion, speculations and statements on news which are without attribution or sources. 7. Watch out for slanting or any attempt to present the story in a subtly biased way. 8. Watch for libelous statements. 9. Recheck figures and totals. 10. Cross-out adjectives in news which tend to make a story sound over-written. 11. Cut a story to size or to the required length if necessary. 12. Check attributions and see to it that they are properly identified. 3. Challenge facts, claims, or reports when they sound anomalous, illogical and incredible. 14. Check sluglines and paging sequences 15. Write headlines What to copyread? 1. Errors in fact 2. Errors in grammar 3. Errors in structure 4. Errors in style 5. Libelous and derogatory statements 6. Seditious and rebellious matter 7. Expressions contrary to law and good taste 8. Opinion and editorializing statements 9. Verbal deadwood, redundancy 10. 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 ent 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 orrection Elected prexy Center subhead Elected prexy the un – Syllabicate the un- finished task finished task The gong Set in boldface the gong She read Les Miserables Set in italics She read Les Miserables 30 or # Story is finished more or ) Story is unfinished Seminar Text continued on the (…2) Next page # – folio copy See copy as written Note: To arrange paragraphs just place the number (e. g. #1, #3) of the corresponding paragraphs in the left portion of the copy. SAMPLE COPY TEST Slug line: ________________________ Headline: _____________________________ No. f units: ____________ The PNU elementary school launch the anual cleanliness & beatification contest September 16 at the school social hole. In a mating with Presidents and vice-presidents of each class from Grade III to Gr. Six, Mrs. Alegria Flora Principal explain the prosedures to folow. According to the principal, its class class will be given an areas to cleaned. Ones a week, school officials will vissit the area and chose the cleanest amongst them. Prices will be awarded to the class who’s area will be pick the cleanest for 3 times. Th This will give insentives to the students explained Mrs.
Flores. The handsome and intelligent Mr. Garcia Ramon, vocation al teacher who facilitated the meeting told the studes that thru the contest cooperation will be developed while order and cleanliness be maintained. Congrattulations Mrs. Garcia Headlining It is easy to write the news headline. Just look at the first paragraph called the lead which contains the gist, Just write the gist of that lead. Do’s and don’t’s in writing traditional headlines 1. Make your headline answer as many W’s as possible. 2. The headline should summarize the news story, but must avoid using all the words used in the lead.
It should contain nothing that is not found in the story. 3. Positive heads are preferable to negative ones. School physician allays flu fear is better than Flu epidemic not rampant in city. 4. Out a verb expressed or implied in every deck. 5. Omit articles like a, an, and the, and all forms of the verb to be (is, are, be, etc. ), unless needed to make the meaning clear. 6. Use the strongest word in the first line as much as possible. 7. The active verb is better than the passive verb in headlines (Food production drive intensified; RP’s lost image abroad regained) 8.
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). 9. Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending upon your needs for your unit counts. 10. Avoid heads that carry double meaning. 11. Use only common abbreviations. Punctuating a headline 1. Use a comma in place of the conjuction and 2. Two related thoughts should be separated with a semicolon. 3. The dash may be used in smaller decks but not for headlines in large types. 4. The single quotation marks are used in headlines. 5.
Follow the other rules of punctuations. Unit counting in headline ? 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 ? 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) 1. Faculty club strengthened (beefed up) 2. Enrolment decreases (dips) 3. Science examinations announced (quiz bared) 4. Contests highlight Animal Week (cap) 5.
Santos urges cooperation (bats for, calls for) 6. DepEd disapproves tuition fee increase (bucks, nixes, axes) 7. Ateneo wins 12 medals in press contest (bags, romp away with; tilt, parley) 8. Principal praises editors humility (lauds, extols) 9. Local staff dominates press tilt (rules, lords over) 10. Local basketball players retain championship (sluggers; crown) 11. US attacks Russ nuclear test (hits) 12. Laurel ends diplomatic tour (winds up) 13. Cops ended syndicate (busted) 14. Slay suspect questioned (grilled, probed) 15. RP sees import hike (eyes) 16. 456 pass bar exams (hurdle) 17. Lim dismisses 5 cops (fires) 8. RP-Malaysia dispute solved (row) 19. Fiscal dismiss rape charge (dismiss; rap) 20. 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, 50-36 Malakas—Pinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36 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 saverb to be Mali—Si Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples Tama—Japhet Burgos, napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples
