HEADLINE WRITING

HEADLINE

is the title of a newspaper story, major or minor, big

or small.
The most pressing and the most important news gets
the biggest and the boldest headline on the make up of
a newspaper.
 Objectives of Headlines:

1. They summarize the lead

2. They measure or grade the importance of a news story.
3. Headlines can make the news enticing.
4. They create a distinct and unique personality for the news.
Qualities of Headline Writers:
1. Excellent sense of news values
2. Expert in words
3. Accurate in grammar and spelling
4. Expressive in articulation
 TYPES OF HEADLINES
A. PURPOSE:
1. Informative or conventional headlines
They are designed to inform. These are the
ones the public usually read in broadsheet and
tabloids.
a. Typhoon Enyang Kills 400

2. Intriguing or feature headlines

designed to intrigue readers and elicit
responses through the use of different style of
writing and attractive font types.
a. In India dont kiss the Bride!
 B. STYLE
1. All Caps Letters
JOSENIANS WIN NATIONAL MATH QUIZ

2. Combination of Cap and lower cases (Cle)

School releases P1M for Scholarship

3. Sentence Case or down style (only the first word is

capitalized)
Josenians win national math quiz
C. STRUCTURE
1. Flush Left (no count) It is composed of two or more lines
which are left justified. It is called non-count because it
can have any length as long as it fits the column.
Palace forms
task force on
youth offenders
2. Streamer, banner, flag. - It consists of a striking boldface
headline across the top of the font page. A banner headline
is the days most important story.

Clear and present danger

of terrorist attack in RP
3. Full line or Flushline - It is composed of two or more lines
which reach both the left and right column margins.

Bantay Bata to launch Foster

a Future project on Sept. 24
4. Dropline or Step form. It contains of two or more lines. The
first line is left justified while each successive line is moved
further to the right.

SEAG delegates arrive

in Manila;
5. Hanging Indention composed of more than two lines
wherein the first line is left justified while the succeeding lines
are aligned and moved to the right.
SEAG delegates arrive
in Manila

6. Inverted Pyramid composed of two or more lines. The

length of the line in the succeeding level is shorter than the
previous one. The last line is centered.
SEAG delegates arrive
in Manila
 Other Types

7. Binder - It is a streamer head found on the top of an inside page.

MA impeachment lawyer among bets for Ombudsman

8. Crossline or Borderline It is composed of one line which can

cover two or more columns.

Congress nixes probe on 2004 polls

9. Boxed Head It is enclosed inside borders to give it prominence.

Firm seeks review for bidding
for Pasig River ferry service
10.Tagline It is commonly found above the main headline. It
may be in smaller font type, underlines or flushed left or
centered.
WEEK-LONG SURGED OF VIOLENCE

More than 100

killed by suicide
bombs, ambushes
 RULES IN WRITING
EFFECTIVE HEADLINES
1. Write in simple and direct manner.
2. Heads must be based on the news lead.
3. The size and length of the headline must be
proportional to the length and importance of the
story.
4. The first line of the head must be the most
important information: the who what element.
5. Headlines must arrest the readers attention.
ON WRITING STYLE

1. Use the active voice the doer of the action must be in the
subject position. However, use the passive voice when the
action is more significant than the actor.
a. wrong: P1M calamity fund Approved by Malacaang
b. right: Malacaang Approves P1M calamity Fund

2. Do not editorialize or exaggerate. Just state the facts.

a. Wrong: USJ-R Athletes Perform Excellently
b. Right: USJ-R Athletes Win 9 out 10 Games
On Verb Use:
1. Avoid wooden heads or headlines without a verb.
a. wrong: Five Student Delegates at UN
b. correct: Five Student Delegates Visit UN
2. Avoid label heads or headline which only tell about the
object of a news.
a. wrong: Bonifacio Day
b. correct: Bonifacio Day Commemorated
3. Do not start the headline with a verb.
a. wrong: Destroy crops worth P50M
b. correct: P50M worth of crops destroyed
4. Use catchy and arresting verb.
a. good: Jaguars beat Archers, 80 60
b. better: Jaguars crush archers, 80 - 60
5. Use present tense for immediate past information.
a. wrong: Gonzales led 2006 graduates
b. correct: Gonzales leads 2006 graduates
6. Use past tense for past perfect.
a. Mayors daughter kidnapped
7. Use infinitive verb for coming events.
a. wrong: City Hall will push anti-squatting drive
b. correct: City Hall to push anti-squatting drive
8. Never permit tense conflicts.
a. wrong: NHA Builds 2006 homes Last Saturday
b. correct: NHA Builds 2006 Homes Saturday
9. Avoid negative verbs.
a. wrong: Speech contest wont be held
b. correct: speech contest, postponed
 ON CHOICE OF WORDS
1. Use short familiar words and popular abbreviations.
a. wrong: President Gloria Arroyo visits US
b. correct: PGMA Visits US
2. Avoid generalities. State in specific terms.
a. wrong: School professor gets grant
b. correct: Chemistry professor gets Japanese Research Grant
3. Do not use proper names in headlines unless the name is well
known enough to be recognized immediately.
a. wrong: Reyes to fill vacancy on student council
b. correct: 4th Year stude to fill vacancy on student council
4. Avoid heads that can have double or ambiguous meanings.
a. wrong: Senior citizens clamor for pension plan for the future
b. correct: senior citizens clamor for the new pension plan
 SPECIALIZED HEADLINES VOCABULARY
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)
 SPECIALIZED HEADLINES VOCABULARY
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)
18. 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
MaliJaime Diaz, nahalal na pangulo
TamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nahalal na pangulo ng samahan

Maging tiyak (specific)

MaliMag-aaral, nagwagi sa paligsahan
TamaMag-aaral ng Mapa, nagwagi sa pagsulat ng balita
Iwasan ang opinyon sa balita
MaliPaaralang Datu Puti, lumaro ng kahanga-hanga
TamaPaaralang Datu Puti, nanalo ng 3 sa 4 na laban

Lagyan ng pandiwa ang bawat ulo

MaliLimang guro sa seminar
TamaLimang guro, dadalo sa seminar

Iwasan ang paggamit ng negatibong pandiwa

MaliPaligsahan sa talumpatian, hindi matutuloy
TamaPaligsahan sat al;umpatian, pinagpaliban
Gumamit ng makakatawag-pansing pandiwa
MahinaTinalo ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36
MalakasPinataob ng Ateneo ang St. Joseph, 50-36

Gamitin ang maikli at kilalang salita

MasalitaBayang Pilipinas, sasali sa pandaigdig na palaro
MaikliRP, sasali sa olimpiyada
Iwasan ang paggamit ng pantukoy
at ng pandiwang pantulong
na hango sa verb to be

MaliSi Japhet Burgos ay ang napiling punong patnugot ng

Ripples
TamaJaphet Burgos, napiling punong patnugot ng Ripples