Copyreading

and Headline Writing

Copyreading – is just another word for
editing. A copyreader is an specialist
who improves the story.

A good copyreader must:

- Be good in English/Filipino.
- Know his stylebook.
- Have mastery of copyreading symbols.
- Know the paper’s policy.
- Be observant of the details. (grammar,
spelling, punctuation, correct usage)
Steps in copyreading:
1. Get an overview of the story.
2. Correct the grammar, punctuation, spelling.
3. Verify the accuracy of facts and determine
whether the story contains all essential
information.
4. Correct errors in lead facts, proper
subordination of details and paragraphing.
5. Look out for editorializing, biases and possible
grounds for libel.
6. Write the headline
HEADLINE WRITING
News stories have no titles; they have headlines.
Headlines perform the following functions:

1. They advertise the stories. They arouse interest

so the people will read the stories.
2. They summarize the story.
3. They beautify the page. They bring balance,
symmetry and beauty to a well arranged page.
4. To grade the news as to importance
TIPS TO HEADLINE WRITERS
1. Read the story for general meaning.
2. Search the key words on which to base your
headline.
The Philippines proposed yesterday
immediate adoption of an emergency program
that will have an effective impact on the
“ruinously” low world market price of sugar.
3. Clues to the headlines are usually in the lead.
What happened?
Who did what?
How did it happen?
4. Use brief and shortest words.
5. Use colorful nouns; vigorous, active verbs.
6. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting with a
verb, the headline might sound as if it were
giving orders.

Not: Revise money

mart guidelines
But: CB revises
money mart
guidelines
7. Omit articles (a, an, the)
8. Use a comma instead of and.
9. Use single quotes in headlines. When your assertions
and the sources are given, quotation marks are not
needed, a one-em dash will serve the purpose.

Basketball team ‘brings home bacon’

10. Omit forms of to be especially when used as a helping

verb.
Isip chosen editor

11. Avoid splitting words that naturally go together.

Wrong: BHS observes Buwan

ng wika with tilts
Right: BHS holds Buwan ng Wika tilts
12. Use the exclamation point sparingly.
13. Use the down style - only the first word and proper nouns are
capitalized.
Faculty honors Bacani
14. Don’t leave a preposition at the end of the line.

Wrong: Mentors call for

reform of schools

Right: Mentors call

for reform
of schools
15. Use only widely known abbreviations.
16. Be positive, don’t use negatives in headlines. They weaken not only
the headline but also the stories.

Not: US doesn’t trust Peking-

Moscow normalization overtures
But: US wary on Peking-Moscow
normalization overtures
17. Use kickers to attract attention.
18. Don’t use X-mas for Christmas.
19. Use the present tense for past stories and the infinitive
for future stories.
20. Write numbers in figures or spell them out depending
upon your need for your unit counts.
UNIT COUNTS
½ unit - lower case j,i,l,t,f ; all punctuation
marks

Except em-dash, question mark.

1 unit - all lower case letters except j,i,l,t,f and

m & w, space, figures, question mark, em-
dash.

1 ½ unit - all capital letters except JILTF, lower

case m & w

2 units - capital M and W

Verbal deadwood – useless phrasing
of any sort.
1. for the reason that - because
2. at the present time - now
3. affixed his signature - signed
4. were united in holy matrimony – were married
5. abrasions and contusion – cuts and bruises
6. acquaint - tell
7. adequate bus transportation – enough buses
8. ahead of schedule - early
9. a man by the name of – man named
10. assistance - aid or help
11. at an early date – soon
12. attempt - try
13. beverage - drink
14. bifurcation – division/split
15. attire – wore
16. called a halt - stopped
17. cloudburst – heavy rains
18. conflagration – fire
19. constructed of wood – made of wood or
wooden
Redundancy- unnecessary repetition
of ideas.
1. advance prediction
2. fatal killing
3. final conclusion
4. other alternative
5. got up at 6 a.m. in the morning
6. in our modern world of today
7. spherical in shape
8. blue in color
9. heavy in weight
10. sinampal sa mukha
11. isinandal ang likod
12. pasa sa balikat
Headline vocabulary
1. attacks – hits
2. supports – backs
3. increase - hike
4. stops - nips
5. approval – nod
6. syndicate – gang
7 investigation – probe
8. disapprove – scrap
9. ended - busted
10. approve – uphold
THANK YOU….