Introduction to News writing for Beginners

1. Basic News Writing
SHEILA MAE T. SERASPE
T-II/RESOURCE SPEAKER

2. Welcome!
Journalism is a skill and practice that
takes years to master; however,
everyone must start at the beginning.
For this mini-course, that is exactly
where we will begin!
This course will teach you the basic
building bocks of news writing that
includes writing leads and story
structures.

3. Main Menu
Writing Leads Story Structures
Lesson 1 Lesson 2
Headline techniques Samples and
Workshop
Lesson 3 Lesson 4

4. By Jeanne Acton, UIL & ILPC Journalism Director
News
Writing
Let’s talk about …

5. North
East
West
South
News
comes
from all
directions.

6. gives the reader
information that will
impact them in some
way. It usually flows from
most important to least
important.
News Writing …

7. Checklist for News Stories
 Are the most important and recent facts first?
 Is the story accurate? Are the sources identified fully?
 Are the paragraphs short?
 Is the sentence structure varied in the story?
 Is the story neat and double-spaced so that it is easy to
read?
Does your story flow? Did you use the transition/quote
formula?
 Did you use active voice?

8. Pitfalls to Avoid
 Editorializing - Keep your opinion out of the story
 Using first and second person - Keep yourself out
of the story. Common error “our school”
 Missing the news peg/nut graf
 Messy handwriting, poor grammar and spelling
 Paragraphs too long
 Misspelling names in the story
Trying to use all of the information

9. Lesson 1
Writing Leads
“Whether you're a newspaper journalist, a lawyer,
a doctor. You have to organize your thoughts.”
--Frederick Wiseman

10. Leads
Let’s talk about

11. Your Story, Your Leads
A good journalist always asks “So what?” or
“What’s this about?” or “What’s my point?” when
considering gathered information
First, you must identify the main point of
your story before you write it!
The lead is what opens any piece of journalism.
Other than the headline, the lead is the only chance
to “catch” your reader’s attention!”

12. Readers spend only 3 seconds
deciding whether to read your
story based on your lead!
Writing Your Lead

13. Lead:
Most important information. Focus on newest
information. Focus on the future.
Question to ask yourself:
What do my readers need to know most???

14. Types of News Leads:
Rarely use these...
“Who lead” - begins with a person. The person
is usually not the most important fact of the story.
“When lead” - begins with time. Rarely is the
time the most imporant factor.
“Where lead” - begins with the place. Hardly
ever is where the most important factor.

15. Types of News Leads:
Use these often...
“How lead” - begins with the how of the story.
Used often.
“Why lead” - begins with the cause the story.
Used often.
“What lead” - begins with the fact of the story.
Used often.

16. 1. Who lead
President Barack Obama will make a brief
appearance at the high school Thursday after
giving a speech at the County Expo Center.
2. When lead
On Saturday President Barack Obama will speak to
the senior class about how important community
organizing and volunteering are to the country.

17. 3. Where lead
At the school board meeting on Tuesday,
Principal Joe Blow announced that he has
ended the off-campus lunch policy.
4. How lead
Through a grass roots voting effort, senior
Gilbert Castillo won the mayoral election to
become the youngest mayor in the city’s
history.

18. 5. Why lead
Because they wanted to carry on the
tradition, four seniors streaked across the
football stadium during the homecoming pep
rally wearing a paper leis and tennis shoes.
6. What lead
The Harry Potter series and Lord of the Rings
series will be removed from all school
libraries this fall.

19. Other types of lead:
Freak lead-catchy/ controversial
Example:
For sale: Six-month old baby for PHP 5,
000
 Question lead:
“Can you imagine a world without trees?

20. Narration
October saw a long and
heated debate in the
Constitutional Convention Hall
which resulted in the passing
of a resolution lowering the
voting age from 21 to 18.

21. Quotation lead
“ Literature is a copy of a
copy of reality, thus twice
removing from it,” thus
spoke Plato. “

22. Staccato lead
Crawl. Stand. Survive
Societal problems were
felt when scarcity of rice and
costly basic needs beset
Philippines.

23. Epigram
Takes lines from popular poem,
short story, and other literary
genres.
“Water, water everywhere,
but no water to drink,”. This was
the experience felt by one of the
victims of tribal war in Sulu.”

24. Punch lead
a short and striking one-sentence
lead.
“ A man, who attempted thrice to
die by hanging, finally died of
cardiac arrest.

27. Direct
Quotes
Let’s talk about

28. Direct Quotes:
 Should be linked to the transition/lead before them.
The quote should elaborate on the transition.
For example:
President Barack Obama will make a brief
appearance at the high school Thursday after giving a
speech at the County Expo Center.
“He is coming as a favor to me,” Principal Ike
Sumter said. “We worked together in Chicago as
community organizers. I hope he gets a chance to
speak to some seniors about what they can do for their
country.”

29. Use transitional words to help with the flow
(as needed): After all, Also, Finally, In addition,
However, Otherwise, Then
For example:
In addition to speaking about his
experience as a prisoner of war, McCain also
plans to talk to students about the importance of
voting.
Transitions

31. Body
Include facts relevant to your
article.
nut graf (valid issues)
Accuracy of data, statistics

32. Summary
Circle/kicker
Go back to your lead, tie up
loose ends. Never
editorialize or preach your
own opinion.

33. Lesson 2
Story Structures
“A newspaper should be the maximum of
information, and the minimum of comment.”
--Richard Cobden

34. Organizing Your Story
Now with a strong lead, the time has come to develop the rest
of your story that includes the most interesting facts!
Choosing the correct structure to benefit your readers is
critical to the success of your story!
There are 3 typical structures you will be using as a journalist:
Inverted Pyramid
Storytelling Pattern/Wallstreet formula
Chronological Order Pattern
Also, you might use these patterns together in the same story!

35. Forms/ structure of News
1. Inverted Pyramid composes of LEAD,
BODY and CONCLUSION.
a) LEAD - gist or summary of the
summary
b) BODY - compose of elaborations/
explanations
c) CONCLUSION - end; least important;
recommendation

37. Wall street formula
-more sensational news
Appealing to human emotions
More dramatic/empathetic
Put human face on the issue
Narrative type
News feature

38. Storytelling Pattern
This narrative form captures a
reader’s interest without being
as obvious as the inverted
pyramid.
After a beginning, middle, and
end, the writer includes a
clincher or a kicker which
gives the reader something to
remember without repeating
previous information; a circle
kicker returns back to the
opening paragraph!
Lead
Clincher
Fact
Fact

39. Wall street FORMULA:
I- Lead (one-liner) preferably
descriptive/narrative/ anecdotal
II-Body (2-3 sentences)
III- Body (2-3 sentences)
IV- Circle/kicker- connect this to
your lead.

40. Chronological Pattern
Though similar to
the narrative style,
this pattern works
very well when a
writer is trying to
convey critical
points of a story!
Lead
Foreshadowing
Chronological Storytelling
Climax at End

41. Lesson 3: Headlines
SVO Pattern (Subject+
Verb+ Object)
Examples:
School hones leaders
Teachers’ Month, inisnab

45. Lesson 4: Samples
FAITH-BASED APPROACH SA DRUG REHAB
SUBUKAN NAMAN
Ipinanukala ng isang kongresista na subukan
naman ang “faith-based approach” bilang
alternatibong paraan ng pagsagip sa mga
Pilipinong lulong sa ipinagbabawal na gamot.
Sabi ni KABAYAN Party-list Congressman
Ron Salo, subok at epektibo ang “faith-based
approach” sa drug rehabilitation programs sa
abroad kaya hindi umano masama kung
susubukan naman ito ng ating pamahalaan.

46. Sa “faith-based approach”
isasaalang-alang ang relihiyon ng
pasyente (drug addict) sa pag-rehabilitate
sa kanya.
Ayon sa mga pag-aaral, bukod sa
mga gamot, vitamins and supplements, at
recreational activities gaya ng sports,
malaki ang naitutulong ng ispiritwal na
suporta sa pasyente para sa agaran
nitong paggaling sa drug addiction.

47. Nakuha ni Salo ang ideya sa Faith
Fellowship Ministries (FFM), isang American
‘megachurch’ na nakabase sa Sayreville, NJ,
USA at sa Teen Challenge USA na may
halos pitong dekada nang karanasan sa
“faith-based approach.”
Ayon sa website ng Teen Challenge
USA 80% ng mga pasyenteng sumailalim sa
“faith-based” approach ay gumaling mula sa
drug addiction.

48. Nagtungo mismo si Salo sa USA
kamakailan para makipag-ugnayan kina
Rev. Ronald Constable at Pastor David
Demola para magkaroon ng kaalaman
hinggil sa kanilang mga programa. Sinabi
ng kampo ng FFM na handa silang ituro
at ibahagi sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas ang
programa ng FFM at Teen Challenge
USA hinggil sa “faith-centered recovery
addiction approach.”

49. Ang FFM at Teen Challenge USA ay
handang makipagtulungan sa Department
of Health (DOH), Dangerous Drugs Board
(DDB), Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA), mga piling local
government units, pati na sa
chaplaincies ng Philippine National
Police at Armed Forces of the Philippines
para magbigay ng alternatibong
solusyon sa pagsugpo sa ilegal na
droga.

50. “Batid kong ang DDB ay may ugnayan
na sa ilang “faith-based organizations”
batay sa National Anti-Drug Plan of Action
habang ang mga LGU ay mayroon namang
mga anti-drug abuse councils. Dahil
mataas ang tiwala ni Pangulong Duterte sa
DDB at sa mga ahensiya ng gobyernong
sumusugpo sa ilegal na droga, mataas ang
tiyansa ng ‘faith-based approach’ na
magtagumpay,” wika ni Salo.

53. Other reminders
REMEMBER:
1. Organize the data.
2. It is not wrong to put a QUOTE on
your article, but make sure that it will
make a DIFFERENCE.
3. LEAD must be HEAVY while
BODY and the CONCLUSION must
be LIGHT.

54. When trying to put a PERSON
in your article for proving
purposes, make sure to write
their POSITION. (Dr. Eric
Tayag, secretary of the DOH...)
• "Kumuha ng data na wala sa
KALABAN."
• "Get your angle.