News Is information that has meaning for a set of readers, a timely and factual narration of past, present, and future events that may arise from the North, East, West or South.

Adequate Coverage

Quality Writing

Characteristics of News

Statements Names Figures Other information

Accuracy

Objective Fair, just impartiality

Factual Actual persons Actual events Nothing invented

Balance Correct emphasis

Concise Short KISS

Timely New Fresh

Elements of NEWSConflict or struggle• Immediacy or

timeliness• Proximity or nearness• Significance or

consequence• Romance or adventure• Oddity or unusualness• names

DramaSexProgressAnimalsNumberEmotion

TYPES OF NEWS STORIESAccording to scope or Origin:

- Local - National- Foreign- Dateline

According to Chronology or Sequence:

- Advance/Anticipated- Spot- Coverage- Follow-up

According to Treatment:- Fact- Action- Quote- Speech- Interview

According to Content:- Routine (elections,

celebrations, etc…- Sports- DEVCOM- Police (calamities,

crimes, accidents…)- Science

(development news)

As to Structure:- Straight News - News Feature

Advanced Type:- Investigative- Interpretive- depthnews

Minor Type:-Sidebars-Bulletins-Quirks-Newsbriefs-Flash-Roundups

Parts of a News StoryLEAD

BRIDGE

BODY

-first paragraph of the news story, summary of the story, contains the important s in sentence.

-transition from the lead to story, explains the (blind) lead, uses key words to provide transition from the lead to the chronological details of the body.

-inverted pyramid structure.

LEAD: Most Important Facts

Next most important facts

Less important

Least important

Blind

Lead-complete identification held until the second paragraph, helps create interest.

2 examples of Blind Lead and Bridge

A Nueva Vizcaya delegate clinched the top place in newswriting at the Regional Schools Press Conference held Nov. 12 in Sta. Ana, Cagayan. (Blind Lead)

Victor R. Cudal, chief editor of The Little Marian, campus paper of the St. Mary’s university Grade School Department in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya bested some 75 provincial winners. (Bridge)

A high school freshman was slightly injured Sunday near the school in what police described as a one-in-a-million freak accident. (Blind Lead)

Rayver G. Cruz,12, was treated and discharged from the Veteran’s Reg’l Hospital following the noon accident in which his bicycle was hit twice by the same tricycle. (Bridge)

“LEADS are like runways. Before a plane can take off, it needs momentum to leave upward and stay afloat.” W. Mencken

“STIPS” (Steps and Tips) in news writing:

1. List down facts according to descending importance.2. Highlight the most important data as the LEAD.3. Be accurate in presenting facts.4. Names should be given in full when first mentioned. Thereafter, use Mr./ Miss / Mrs. (surname) or appropriate title.5. Attribute authority or source of news.6. Identify names mentioned.7. Avoid editorializing. No opinions!8. Be objective. Present facts without bias.9. Make short paragraphs. One-idea, one-sentence paragraph.10. Use simple words, short sentences but vary their length.11. Don’t use first person (I, my, our).12. Prefer active to passive voice.13. Number from 1-9 spelled out; 10-above in numerical figures.14. Don’t start news with numerals, there is…, there are… and avoid, when possible, use of articles (a, an, the) as beginning word.15. Don’t use an important or unusual word twice in the same sentence.

Lead

Competition in sports was held in July in your school and Reinier Mabalo, Senior; Josh Gregorio, junior, and Michael Zamora, junior, won first places in table tennis, badminton, and lawn tennis, respectively. The three are writers of your school paper.

Fact 1:

Three Spectrum writers emerged champions in three sports games played during the Intramurals Meet at St. Mary’s University, High School Dept., July 20.

Reinier Mabalo, senior, dominated table tennis while Josh Gregorio and Michael Zamora, both juniors, championed badminton and lawn tennis, respectively.

Below are different versions of a story for a piece of news.

From a policeman:The red car was speeding from Recto Avenue to Dagupan when a cargo truck from Dagupan St.

swerved left. The owner of the car obviously did not notice the oncoming truck. So, it did not slow down. It was the truck driver’s fault but he said he lost his brake and could not do anything but went left to avoid hitting a pedestrian. The man in the car was severely injured but his companion, an old lady, died on the spot. Identified trough his ID card, he was Randal Benitez of Retiro, La Loma Quezon City and the old lady, Crisanta Benitez was his mother.

From a pedestrian:I just saw the red car coming from Recto and a big truck going to its direction. Suddenly I heard a

loud bang and I saw blood on the side-mirror of the car. The man was brought to Mary Johnston but the old woman died.

From a street vendor:I have been here since three o’clock this afternoon. A few minutes later, I saw the red car hitting

the big truck. The woman infront covered her face with her bag. When the policeman opened the car, she was already dead. But the man was still alive although the front side of the car was crumpled like a piece of paper.

From another policeman:A cargo truck should not be around the busy streets from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The driver is now

charged of violating the law on trucks carrying heavy cargoes. Negligence and reckless driving resulting to serious injury and death are also filed against him.

Guide Questions for the Lead (first paragraph)1. Who died on the spot and was seriously injured in an accident?2. How did the accident happen?3. When and where did it occur?

Lecture demonstration

ROGER S. SEBASTIAN, master teacher1

NVGCHS

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya