Here is a copy of the lesson I taught to my campus journalism students during the first semester of S.Y. 2015-2016. It is, I think, an advance course as it does not delve deep into the basics of newswriting, rather it discusses a more advanced style of writing news stories.

1. STORYTELLINGThe Newswriting Style
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Define news;
2. Identify the structure of a news story;
3. Identify the characteristics of good news writing; and
4. Write a good news story
Introduction to Mass Communication and Journalism (Engl43) Campus Journalism (EdEngl313)
INTRODUCTION
Today is February 14.
The sun sits high in the sky. The cool breeze of the eastern wind kisses your cheeks incessantly and the
birds chirp blissfully from the mango tree whose leaves dance to the rhythm of the gale.
Although you have no love life, you still feel as though you are the most fortunate person today.
So you escaped school.
While galloping (like a horse) towards home, you suddenly saw a crowd of people panicking. Before
you could even realize what is going on, you heard the siren of a fire truck approaching the area. Then
and there, you knew a house is being engulfed by an inferno of fire.
Upon asking other people in the area, you learned that the house is owned by a multimillionaire
businessman, Boy Kapuy, who is a known businessman in your province. His pet dog is in the house.
Somewhere near the burning house, you saw Boy Kapuy throwing tantrums. He is screaming “Pootchie
is in there! Someone save him!” But no one seemed to care for the poor dog. So out of desperation, he
suddenly exclaimed, “I will give a million pesos to anyone who will save my dog!”
Because of the enticing offer, your classmate, Boy Pigsa, an 18-year-old lad who also escaped
because of the beautiful weather, immediately jumped from the crowd and rushed towards the building.
After a few minutes, he came out unbruised with Pootchie, an unbelievably three-foot bulldog on
his arms.
So Boy Kapuy, after hugging the dog, gave Boy Pigsa the check.
Because of your eagerness to share the information to your mom, who, by this time, is having her
siesta, you ran immediately towards home. (end)
THE PROBLEMS
1. How will you tell that interesting information to your mother?
2. What will be the very first sentence you will say?
3. As a news writer, how are you going to state that first sentence in a news story?
THE MOST COMMON DILEMMA OF CAMPUS JOURNALISTS AND CAMPUS PAPER ADVISERS
How am I going to present this story considering that the whole school may have already known
about it? What then is the use of writing about it?
Deng Deng High School celebrated this year’s Nutrition Month on July 29, 2014 at the school
gymnasium.
The theme for this year’s celebration is …
Different events were conducted to celebrate the said event. It includes…
The winners of the contested activities were:
(THE list)
THE ‘HIGH SCHOOLISH’ WAY OF WRITING A NEWS
1st semester, S.Y. 2015-2016
Hazel P. Buctayon
Instructor

2. WHAT EXACTLY IS NEWS?
A relevant story based on facts that usually flows from the most
important to the least important
Something interesting which many, if not most, people do not
know yet
It is information only. - Walter Cronkite, former CBS anchor
A break from the normal flow of events, an interruption in the
expected. - Melvin Mencher, author
News is, in a larger sense, that material which is most likely to
be looked to and accepted as the image of reality. --Raymond
BASIC NEWS WRITING: THE RULES
The ABCs of news writing are A , B and C__.
The first and most important is _______. A story can be creative and compelling, but if it contains
factual and grammatical errors, its (and your) credibility is marred, if not deemed worthless. If the
public loses faith in the _______ and fairness of the press, loss of faith in democracy will soon follow.
Always check numbers, spellings of names, who said what, and the other basic facts of any story.
A reporter’s job is to find out what is going on, then write a story that’s interesting and informative.
__________ always comes first.
Second is ____________. Each word in your story should do a job. If it does not, take it out. Get to the
point. Say it just once. Don’t be redundant.
____________ starts before you write. ________ starts with complete, competent reporting. You should
understand your subject so completely that your story leaves it crystal-clear in the reader’s mind. Your
story should leave no questions unanswered.
WHAT MAKES A PIECE OF
INFORMATION NEWS?
News attributes
Impact, Timeliness,
Proximity, Conflict,
Human Interest, Novelty,
Prominence
STRAIGHT NEWS STRUCTURE
and Alice Bauer, America, Mass Society and Mass Media
Any idea, event or opinion that is timely, that interest and affects a large number off persons in the
community, and that is capable of being understood by them. --M. Lyle Spencer, former dean of the
School of Journalism, Syracus University
THE NEWS STRUCTURE
Hard news vs. Soft news
Hard news Soft news
Standard fare of mosst
newspaper all over the
world; objective, direct,
factual
Featurized and objective
Primary or more
important facts
Lead paragraph Least important
facts
Facts become
less important
Succedding
paragraphs
Facts become
more interesting
Least important
facts that can be
stricken out
Ending paragraph Primary or most
interesting facts
The
Inverted
Pyramid
Style
THE INVERTED PYRAMID
All straight news are written in th inverted pyramid form. This is
the traditional form of newswriting. The most important facts
are placed at the beginning. The details and the background
are woven into succeeding paragraphs.
The Inverted Pyramid Components:
PRIMARY AND MAIN LEAD SECONDARY AND SUPPORT LEAD DETAILS OR PARTICULARS BACKGROUND
4W’s; usually a single
paragraph
explains or complements the main
lead; normally twice the lead
Answers “Why” and “How;
gives flesh to the story
Relevant past events;
may be deleted

3. (LEAD) President Gloria Arroyo yesterday called on businessmen gathered
in Malacanang to help the government in its campaign against rising
criminality in the country.
(SUPPORT LEAD) In a 40-minute meeting with the members of the Makati
Business Club, the President told the businessmen that fighting crime syndicates
is not solely the job of law enforcers.
(DETAILS) The President asked the businessmen to install modern security
equipment in their firms and to provide authorities with information on
kidnapping and robbery cases.
Leaders of the country’s business community called on the President to air
their concern about the rash of kidnappings and bank robberies over inflation
as the greatest threat to the country’s economic recovery.
(BACKGROUND) The latest crime update by the Philippine National Police
showed that bank robberies in the first quarter of the year had become more
vicious with more victims being killed and wounded.
Nearly 200 persons, mostly Chinese-Filipino businessmen, have been
kidnapped last year and ransom payments totaled at least P100 million.
Over the last six years, 63 people were killed and 231 others wounded in
296 bank heists ad armore car robberies nationwide. A tota of P369.8 million
was lost to bank robbers during the period.
ILLUSTRATION
I. LEAD
Also spelled “lede,” the lead is
the firs paragraph that tells the most
important facts of the news story. It is
usually said to be the toughest part
of writing a story.
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
_________________________.
NOTES
PARTS OF A NEWS STORY
Some journalism books hold that the
lead should answer the fives Ws and
one H. But this is no longer the practice.
Because this often leads to a first
paragraph which is long and crammed
with facts and thus defeats one of the
basic rules in newswriting: clarity.
The most important thing to
remember in writing the lead is that it
should attract the reader’s attention
and sustain his interest. One swag says
that the lead should be like a miniskirt: it
must be short enough to be interesting
and long enough to cover the essentials.
It must interest the reader in the rest
of the story.
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
IA. TYPES OF LEAD
A. Conventional Lead
B. Novelty Lead
C. Grammatical Beginning Lead
TIPS IN LEAD WRITING
Use short, simple declarative sentences instead of complex and
compound-complex ones.
Don’t try to say everything in one sentence. Break up long
sentences.
Never use an important word twice in the same sentence.
Avoid repetition of phrases, clauses and similar grammatical
constructions.
A. CONVENTIONAL LEAD
The kind of lead used in straight news stories. It answers right
away most of the 5 W’s and 1 H. It has six different kinds based
on what it answers
A1. WHO Lead
Used when the person involved is more prominent than what
he does and what happened to him
Example:
President Noynoy Aquino addressed April 10 PMA graduates
in Baguio City.

4. A2. WHAT Lead
Used when the
event or what
took place is more
important than the
person/s involved or
any of the other W’s
and H
Example:
The NSAT will be
given Nov. 24 to all
graduating High
School students
desiring to enroll in
four-year college
course.
CONVENTIONAL LEAD
A3. WHERE Lead
Used when the
place is unique and/
or no prominent
person is involved in
the story
Example:
The Philippines will
be the venue of the
2015 Miss Universe
pageant.
A4. WHEN Lead
Rarely used as the
reader presumes
the story to be
timely. However,
this lead is useful
when speaking of
deadlines, holidays,
and important dates
Example:
Today, almost to the
hour, a revolutionary
government was
proclaimed by
former President
Joseph Estrada.
A5. WHY Lead
Used when the
reason is more
prominent or unique
than what had
happened
Example:
Because of poverty,
around a hundred
students dropped
out from school
last year. This was
learned from PNU
president Nilo L.
Rosas.
A6. HOW Lead
Used when the
manner, mode,
means, or method
of achieving the
story is unnatural in
way
Example:
Through the
students’ paintings,
the Manila Science
High School was
able to construct a
three-story concrete
building.
B. NOVELTY LEAD
Some kinds of leads are best used in
writing news features. They are written in
such a way that they attract the attention
or carry out a definite purpose.
KINDS OF NOVELTY LEAD
B1. CARTRIDGE LEAD. Short, abrupt, and definite. It tells the gist
of the news with the use of the fewest words possible.
Example: President Marcos, who ruled the Philippines
for two decades, is dead.
B2. PUNCH LEAD. Somewhat similar to cartridge lead, but it surprises and intrigues the reader.
Example: All private cars will now have to be grounded on Sundays.
B3. PICTURE LEAD. This device attempts a pictorial account of the event.
Example: Clutching her baby girl, Mrs. Lourdes Arquiza could not control her tears when she heard
that her husband, Capt. Oscar Arquiza, was sentenced to die by lethal injection.
B4. CONTRAST LEAD. This emphasizes the contrast.
Example: Four years ago, she was just a plain housewife. Today, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino is the
President of the Republic, the most powerful woman in the land.
B5. QUESTION LEAD. This raises a query in the hope of inducing the reader to read on.
Example: Will former President Estrada be acquitted of plunder?
B6. FREAK LEAD. This lead throws caution to the air by trying to be different.
Example: For sale: a baby.
Mrs. Carol Conag, a Tondo resident, said yesterday that since she could no longer feed her
baby, she might as well sell it. There were no immediate takers.
B7. SEQUENCE LEAD. A series of paragraphs, usually arranged chronologically but with a single effect.
Example: By 5 in the morning, she had already dressed her two daughters, Cynthia, 4, and Miriam, 2,
for a Sunday mass.
At seven, the three of them were seen attending mass in the chapel.
At nine, when they returned to their shanty at Dagat-Dagatan, Maria Dorado, 46, despondent
after having been abandoned by her husband, strangled her two daughters. She herself committed
suicide.
B8. ASTONISHER LEAD. Uses an interjection or an exclamatory sentence.
Example: Better look your best this week!

5. KINDS OF NOVELTY LEAD
B9. EPIGRAM LEAD. Opens by quoting a common expression, verse, or epigram, at least familiar in the locality.
Example:
Like father, like son.
Ramon Garcia Jr. graduated Valediactorian this year Ten years ago, his father, Mr. Ramon Garcia
Sr. also topped his class and delivered his valedictory address on the same Rustum where the young
Garcia delivered his.
B10. BACKGROUND LEAD. Similar to the picture lead, except that it describes the setting which is more important
than that of the event or the person involved.
Example: The PNU campus was turned into a miniature carnival ground on September 1 during the 104th
F-Day Celebration of the University. Decorated with buntings and multi-colored lights, the quadrangle
was a grand setting for a barrio fiesta.
B11. DESCRIPTIVE LEAD. Used when comparatively few descriptive words can vividly formulate an imagery.
Example: Dressed in white polo barongs and with diplomas in their hands, 1,500 graduates marched
down the stage to the tune of Osmena High March.
B12. PARODY LEAD. Consists of a parody of a well-known song, poem or line.
Example: Water, water everywhere, but no water to drink.
This was what the food victims found in their dismay.
B13. ONE WORD LEAD. As the name implies, this is a type of lead that uses just one word.
Example: March!
Thus ordered Chess Club president Pol Buenconsejo to start the “Walk to Win” fund-raising drive.
B14. QUOTATION LEAD. Consists of the speaker’s direct words which are very striking and which are usually quoted
from speech, a public address, or an interview.
Example: “The most important responsibility of a writer is to live to tell the tale,” thus said nationally
acclaimed F. Sionil Jose during the opening of the 15th Inkblots, the national campus journalism fellowship
of the University of Santo Tomas’ The Varsitarian.
C. GRAMMATICAL BEGINNING LEAD
There are times when the lead is introduced by a kind of grammatical form which is usually a phrase or a clause
used to emphasize a feature.
Here, the important W’s are found in the main clause, not in the introductory or subordinate clause which is
just a modifying feature.
KINDS OF GRAMMATICAL BEGINNING LEAD
C1.
PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASE LEAD
Phrase is introduced
by a preposition
Example:
With brooms and
other cleaning
equipment, boy
scouts from the
Manila Public High
Schools cleaned
the City Markets in
consonance with
Mayor Lito Atienza’s
CLEAN and
Beautification Drive.
C2. INFINITIVE
PHRASE LEAD
It begins with the
sign of the infinitive
to plus the main
verb.
Example:
To encourage
tourism, balikbayans
are given a warm
welcome by their
fellow Filipinos.
C3. PARTICIPIAL
PHRASE LEAD
It is introduced by
the present and past
participle of the verb.
Examples:
Hoping to cop first
place, the PNU
woodpushers honed
up for the chess
c h a m p i o n s h i p
games. (present
participle)
Dressed like a priests,
robbers were able to
enter the bank. (past
participle)
C4. GERUNDIAL
PHRASE LEAD
It is introduced by
a gerund (a verbal
noun ending in ing).
Example:
Winning the
d e v e l o p m e n t
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
trophy, during
the national press
conference was
Arraullo High
School’s best
achievement of the
year.
C5. CLAUSE LEAD
The lead begins
with a clause which
may either be
independent or
subordinate, or may
either be a noun
or an adjectival or
adverbial clause.
Example:
Because September
9 was Osmena Day
all lessons dealt
with the life of
the late president
Sergio Osmena
Sr. (subordinate,
adverbial)

6. TIPS FOR A GOOD LEAD
Keep it short.
Newswriting is always
tight, but the lead calls
for special care.
Get to the point.
What is the story
about? Tell the reader
in the lead. Don't say,
"The city council met
last night.” Instead, tell
your readers why they
met, what did they talk
about, or whichever
is the most important
information.
Focus on the action.
Use the "active voice.“
Hook the reader. Put
the most important,
the most interesting,
the most exciting thing
in the lead.
SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN WRITING A LEAD
1. Read the entire prompt/every piece of
information you gathered in your story.
2. Find the newest information. Put that newest
piece of information in the lead.
3. The news lead should tell the reader what the
story is about and be interesting enough to draw
the reader into the rest of the story. Remember
that the readers won’t know what the story is
about until you tell them.
4. Ask yourself: “What do my readers need to know
most?”
5. Write in third person, concise and to the point —
just the facts.
II. SUPPORT LEAD
This refers to the paragraph that comes after the lead. This must further elaborate the lead which it
supports.
SUPPORT LEAD
LEAD
Example:
A ten-year-old gradeschooler was killed after he
was hit by a passenger van, 1 p.m. yesterday.
John Doe immediately died on-the-spot for
sustaining severe head injuries, police said.
III. DETAILS
These are pieces of information which give flesh to the story by answering the W’s and H which were
not addressed in the lead and support lead.
DETAILS
Example:
Doe was reported to have suddenly crossed
the street to go back to school unaware of the
speeding van which hit the Grade 4 pupil.
Police said the family is unlikely pursue any criminal
or civil case against the driver of the van.
IV. BACKGROUND
These are relevant past events which have connection to the story.
BACKGROUND
Example:
Citizens, however, voiced out concern regarding
speeding vehicles as this has been the twelfth
death in the area since January caused by
speeding vehicles.
TIPS IN WRITING THE STORY
The support lead should really support the lead.
Don’t jump from one idea to another. The
succeeding paragraph should support the
preceding paragraph.
Attribute opinions. Stick with the facts.
Write in the active voice.
Never EVER write news stories in present tense!
Edit your story before submitting it to the editor.
Read. Read. Read. Read.
Master grammar and correct usage.
Don’t be too wordy. What can be said in one word, must
not be said in a phrase.
Don’t involve yourself in the story. Use only the third person
point of view.
One-sentence paragraph rule

7. OTHER POINTS TO REMEMBER
A. QUOTES
Quotes bring a story to life. Let your sources
tell the story. The reporter’s voice in the story
should outline the main points and set the
stage for the quotes.
Quotes let your sources “talk“ to the reader,
giving a personal impact that you can’t get
any other way in print.
A.1. Direct Quotes
Should be linked to the paragraph before
them. The quote should elaborate on the
previous paragraph.
Because of an anonymous $25,000
donation, students who ride a school bus
to and from school will have access to the
Internet during their commute starting March
1.
“Giving free Wi-Fi to our students will
enable them to do research, read the news or
even watch educational videos each day,”
Superintendent Kelli Putman said. “This change
will have a positive impact on academic
productivity.”
Should not repeat the transition/lead before
them.
Principal Jeanette Rother said that
several teachers have been reluctant to give
assignments that require Internet access.
“Several of our teachers have been
hesitant about giving homework assignments
that would require the Internet,” Rother said.
Can be longer than one sentence.
Should have attribution after the first
sentence of the quote.
Attribution should be: Noun then verb.
For example:
Correct - senior Bob Rodriguez said.
Incorrect - said senior Bob Rodriguez.
(unless you have an unusually long title)
Do not place two people’s direct quotes
next to each other without a transition.
Other Points to Consider in Quotes
B. TRANSITIONS
Each paragraph in your story should flow naturally
from the one before it. If you have gathered enough
information, and if your lead is strong enough, you
may find that your story seems to “write itself,” flowing
naturally from beginning to end. But other stories
seem “choppy,” with the narrative taking jags and
loops that could lose or confuse the reader.
VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. Hold the story and the
paragraphs together.
Can be fact, indirect quote or a partial quote.
Use transitional words to help with the flow as
needed): After all, Also, Finally, In addition, However
For example:
In addition to speaking about community
service, Obama plans to talk to students about
the importance of voting.
The T/Q Formula
Sumter said Obama plans on honoring 25
seniors who performed more than 200 hours of
community service last year.
“I bet those seniors never thought the President
of the United States would honor them for their
community service,” Sumter said.
Senior Darryl Butler, one of the seniors who will
be honored, volunteered more than 300 hours at
the Capital Area Food Bank last year.
“I learned so much working there,” Butler said.
“I am excited the President is honoring us, but my
real reward is helping people in our community.”
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?

8. WRITING A NEWS STORY: Plan
Name: _________________________________________________________________
Directions: Watch an event in person or on television and take notes. Use this guide to help draft your news story.
1. The five Ws and H
a. Who is the subject of the story? __________________________________________________________
b. What happened? ________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
c. When did it happen? ____________________________________________________________________
d. Where did it happen? ___________________________________________________________________
e. Why/How did it happen? _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2. List other details that you want to include in the story.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. List quotes you want to include.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
4. Write the body, the sequence in which you will tell your story.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
5. Write an attention-getting first sentence.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________.
6. Write your lead paragraph. Remember to use the inverted pyramid.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________.
7. Write a draft of your story on a separate sheet of paper or at the back of this sheet.
8. Revise your story. Edit for spelling grammar, punctuation and usage.
9. Proofread for mistakes. Review it by having aclassmate go over your story.
10. Pass it to the teacher.
assignment

9. WRITING A NEWS STORY: Check It Over
Name _____________________________________________________________
Directions: After you have finished your draft, see whether you have included each element of a
news story. Put a checkmark if you think you have and a zero if not. Give your story to a classmate.
Have him or her read it and put checkmarks or zeros for each element of a news story found in your
story. Compare answers. Discuss your story with your classmate. You and your classmate shall also be
graded according to your evaluation.
assignmentChecklist for Classmate-Editor
Element Writer’s Evaluation Reader’s Evaluation
Story has the who.
Story has the what.
Story has the where.
Story has the when.
Story has the why.
Story has the how.
Story has an
attention-getting
lead.
Story has useful
details.
Story uses the
inverted pyramid.
Evaluator
(Signature over printed name)