any event, idea, or opinion that is timely,

that interests and affects a large number of

persons in the community, and that is
capable of being understood by them.

an oral or written report of an event that

happened, is happening, or will happen that
is of interest to the reader and which should
be reported.

BUTwhat is interesting to one IS NOT

ALWAYS interesting to another.
 Conflict Oddity and
Immediacy or Unusualness
Timeliness Romance and
Proximity or Adventure
Nearness Sex
Prominence Progress
Significance Animals
Names Number
Drama Emotion
 The combination of simple,
ACCURACY vivid and dignified articles
produces a copy simple
BREVITY enough for Mr. Average
Reader to understand.
CLARITY
We call it
 Dog dies saving blind master
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life of his blind master, Thursday night, but
the canines loyalty cost the trusty animal his life.
In serious condition today in Doctors Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a
street sweeper. Escobaez of SSS Building, Rizal St., Iloilo City was found early this
morning unconscious on a sidewalk near the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo
Terminal Market.
Police theorized that Escobaez was knocked unconscious when he fell, his
head hitting a stone. Potpot, his dog, apparently tried to shield its master from the
cold and the rain by draping itself over the fallen man.
When discovered this morning by the Police Patrol, Escobaez was still out
cold. The dog lay near, dead.
Relatives of Escobaez who is still a bachelor, told authorities that he always
took nightly strolls at about 11 p.m. with his dog.
According to doctors, only the warmth from the dogs body saved Escobanez
from certain death. Escobaez told police that he remembers nothing of the
incident.
A wallet containing PhP 500.00 was still in his pocket leading the authorities to
rule out robbery.
Dog dies saving blind master
 A FOUR-YEAR-OLD dog saved the life
of his blind master, Thursday night, but
the canines loyalty cost the trusty animal
his life.
 In serious condition today in Doctors
Hospital is Erland Escobanez, 71, a street
sweeper. Escobanez of SSS Building, Rizal
St., Iloilo City was found early this
morning unconscious on a sidewalk near
the Aglipayan Church in the Iloilo
Terminal Market.
 Police theorized that Escobanez was
knocked unconscious when he fell, his head
hitting a stone. Potpot, his dog, apparently tried
to shield its master from the cold and the rain by
draping itself over the fallen man.
When discovered this morning by the Police
Patrol, Escobanez was still out cold. The dog lay
near, dead.
Relatives of Escobanez who is still a
bachelor, told authorities that he always took
nightly strolls at about 11 p.m. with his dog.
 According to doctors, only the warmth
from the dogs body saved Escobanez
from certain death. Escobanez told police
that he remembers nothing of the
incident.
A wallet containing PhP 500.00 was
still in his pocket leading the authorities
to rule out robbery.
It is a ,a ,a ,a
, or a
.

The main function of the lead, aside from

introducing the news story, are to tell the story in
capsule form and to answer right away the
questions the reader would naturally ask.

A good lead answers all the important questions

of the reader, indicates the facts if they are all
important, and arouses the readers interest to
continue reading the story.
 This kind of lead used in straight news, answers right away all or any of
the 5 Ws (Who,What,When, Where,Why) and/or the H (How).
It may be one of the following:
1.WHO lead
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo addressed, April 20, the
PMA graduates in Baguio City.
2.WHAT lead
AN ENTRANCE examination will be given Nov. 24 to all graduating
high school students desiring to enroll in the four-year college
course.
3.WHERE lead
TRAPICHE, Oton, Iloilo will be the site of the next International
Film Festival.
4.WHEN lead
TODAY, almost to the hour, the Revolutionary Government
was proclaimed by former President Corazon Aquino.
5.WHY lead
BECAUSE of poverty, around a hundred students dropped
from school last year. This was learned from Ateneo de Iloilo
principal Aurora dela Cruz.
6. HOW lead
BY APPEALING to the school board, the University of Iloilo
was able to construct a 30-storey, concrete building.
 1.Write the story
immediately.
2. Play up the dominant
points.
3. Be accurate and truthful.
4. Give source (attribution)
of the news. Use quotes!
5. Write names in full when
these are mentioned for the
first time.
6. Identify the names
mentioned.
7. Observe the guidelines
for clear effective writing
(unity, coherence,
emphasis, brevity, clarity,
etc.)
8. Avoid editorializing.
9. Use adjectives sparingly.
10. Avoid libelous, seditious
and rebellious matters,
prejudice and bad taste.
11. Avoid redundancy.
12.Watch out for errors in
fact, grammar, structure,
and style.
1. Give your lead sentence a Its hot copy.
punch to catch the
interest of the readers.
5. Make your sentences
2. Starts with the most concise and clear so that
important event or idea. they could be easily
understood. Long tedious
3. Use the rule of proximity sentences will likely kill
and explain how the news the readers interest.
affects the people in the
locality or the students in6. Use simple words.
school.
7. Never be afraid of
4. If your story has something breaking the rules if it will
unusual or novel to tell, prove helpful in making a
bank on that for the lead. good copy.