COPYREADING AND

HEADINE WRITING

Prepared by :
MARILOU T. SARA
Principal II
 Objectives
 Discuss the following:
-Copyreading: Its Definition
-Duties of a Copyreader
-Characteristics of A Good Copyreader
 Explain the following:
-Tools in Copyreading
-Copyreading Signs and Symbols
 Identify the Steps in Copyreading
 Discuss Headline writing
 Identify the Qualities of a Good Headline
 Explain the Steps in Headline Writing
 Identify the Kinds of Headline
 Explain the Guidelines in Writing Headline
 Explain the Unit Counting
 Discuss the Printers Direction
 COPYREADING

• Is much like the work of a language

teacher correcting composition.
• A copyreader uses appropriate
copyreading symbols universally
known by printers.
 Copy editor
• Is the man who “cleans” a reporter’s story
which is also called copy.
• He has different titles and designations
depending on the newspaper organization
that he works for; chief, copyreader,
slotman, senior deskman, or editor.
• Sometimes he is just the anonymous
figure in what is simply called “the desk”.
• Whatever his title or designation may be,
his dual functions are to check errors of
facts and grammar and to evaluate the
story.
 Duties of a copyreader
1. Straighten out grammatical construction.
2. Shorten sentences and tighten paragraphs.
3. See that the paper’s style requirements are
strictly followed.
4. Rewrite the story completely if it is poorly
written.
5. Rewrite lead on the first few paragraphs
whenever necessary, but must never tamper
with the facts unless he is sure of his
corrections.
6. Delete all opinion, speculations and
statements on news which are without
attributions or sources.
7. Watch for slanting or any attempt to
present the story in a subtly biased way.
8. Watch out for libelous statements.
9. Recheck figures and totals.
10. Cross out adjectives in news which tend
to make a story sound over-written.
11. Cut a story to size or to the required
length if necessary.
12. Check attributions and see to it that they
are properly identified.
13. Challenge facts, claims, or reports
when they sound anomalous, illogical
and incredible.
14. Check sluglines and paging
sequences.
15. Write headlines.
Characteristics of a Good Copyreader

• He must good in English

• Have a mastery of
copyreading symbols
• Know the paper’s policy
 Tools a copyreader should have:
• A dictionary to be used to check the spelling
and meaning of words
• Newspaper’s stylebook
• A file of all newspapers
• An atlas for checking geographical names
locations
• Telephone directory
• A listing of news personalities
 Copy reading symbols

• SYMBOL MEANING
-Professor Juan Masipag Abbreviate
-Prof. Masipag Spell out word
- Bought ten cans Set in numerals

- 8 participants Spell out

CRHW prepared by
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• SYMBOL  MEANING
- Local govermnent Transpose letters
- Administration school Transpose words
- Manila, philippines Set in capitals
- She Edited the Set in lower case
- occassion Delete letter
- The new recruits Delete & close up
- Pretty girl Insert word
- occurence Insert letter
CRHW prepared by
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• SYMBOL  MEANING

…over. He said Begin a new

paragraph

anew dress separate

Gentle man Close up

Species Homo Set in italics

sapiens
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 SYMBOL  MEANING

Dr Juan Flavier
‘ Put period

Mary s book “ Insert apostrophe

“I don’t believe it, Insert quotation

she said mark

,
Los Angeles California Insert comma
- -
six year old boy Insert hyphen
CRHW prepared by
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 To insert punctuation
Period .
Colon
Semicolon
Exclamatory point
Comma
Questions mark
Opening quote
Closing quote
Apostrophe
Parentheses
Hyphen
dash
 Use of figures
1. Spell out figures from
one to nine; ten and
above should be
written in full.
 Use of figures
2. Never begin a sentence with a figure. If
the number is the most important
element in the sentence, then begin
the sentence with the number , but
spell it out.
Example:
Ninety-three persons were drowned.
In the flood, 93 person were drowned.
3. Spell out numbers less than 10 except:
In giving the hour of the day:
Write 8 o’clock, or 8 p.m. 7:30 a.m.
Do not write eight o’clock (except at
the beginning of a sentence). Never use
ciphers when giving an exact hour. Do
not write 8:00 o’clock. Instead, write 8
o’clock or 8 p.m. or 8 a.m.
4. When numbers are put
together, use figure: The
score was 7 to 15. The hen
laid 3 eggs; the goose, 12.
Use figures for:
a. Time – 8 a.m., 4:05 p.m. Do not
capitalize a.m. or p.m.
b. Date – Dec. 25, 2004. Omit the st,
nd, rd, etc after dates. Use figures
for centuries, such as 15th century,
in decades of year, this form ‘70s.
c. Money – P10 (not P10.00). The letter M
may be used to signify million in
headlines.
i.e. P1M lost in typhoon Ising
d. Weights and measure – 30 kilos, 5
cavans, 50 cc.
e. Street numbers 015 P. Santos St.
f. Ratio – the exchange rate is 5 to 10,
g. Scores – Redbull, 90, Purefoods, 75
h. Sports record 5.3 sec.
i. Dimensions and stations 4 x 5 ft; 36 –
26 – 36
j. Age - 45 years old, 3-year old baby. If
use in other forms, spell out the
figure. Zthis is his second term.
k. Diagnose of temperature – 85F, 32C
5. Express a series of two or more years: 2000 –
2004.
6. Spell out figures up to nine if they are part of
compound adjectives: five-year development
plan, one-act play
7. Fractions should be spelled out in ordinary
reading matter: one quarter, two- thirds.
8.When using figures about hundreds or
thousands: P1-million budget.
9. In sentence requiring more than one
numerical, one below and the other above
ten: storm signal number 5 arriving the
country at 12 miles per 30 seconds.
 Capitalization
1. As a general rule, proper noun and proper
adjectives are capitalized: compound nouns
are not.
2. Capitalize the names of days of the week.
3. The names of months.
4. The names of centuries: Tenth Century
5. All titles when they precede the name:
Superintendent Juan Caballero.
6. The names of streets, avenues and
boulevards: Acacia Street.
7. The first word of a sentence, the first
word of a complete line of poetry and
generally the first word after a colon if the
material that follows the colon is an
independent clause.
8. The principal words in the titles of books,
plays, lectures, stories etc, and the first
word in such titles. Capitalize in such
titles repositions of more than four
letters: “The Man Without a Country”,
“The Man with a Hoe”.
9. The exact name of any club, association,
fraternity, sorority, organization, school
bureau, library , school, church.
10. References to one of the four
classes of students, when the word
“class” is used. Do not capitalize
when the word “class” is not used.
Example:
“The Sophomore Class will hold a
picnic.”
“The sophomores will hold a picnic.”
11. References to school
buildings or other buildings
or other buildings is used.
Examples:
Claro M. Recto Building, PUP
12. References to
administrative offices:
Principal’s Office,
Superintendent’s
Office
13. In general, do not
capitalize references to the
rooms within the school
building: high school: high
school auditorium, cafeteria,
assembly hall, locker room.
14. References to particular
departments:
Manual Training
Department, Commercial
Department.
15. Names of holidays
and special weeks:
Independence Day,
Good Friday,
eucation Week.
16. Names of
races and
nationalists:
Indian, Chinese
17. Names of
basketball team
and other athletic
clubs: Shell, San
Miguel
18. References to
the Bible or
books of the
Bible
19. References to
sessions of Congress or
the Legislature, to
military bodies, and
the political divisions.
 Use of Punctuation
comma
1. To set off identification:
(wrong) Mrs. Eleanor E. Virtusio – Principal
II, Palahanan National High School
(Right) Mrs. Eleanor E. Virtusio, Principal II,
Palahanan National High School
2. Do not use a comma if
the identification is
preceded by of:
(wrong) Tina Panganiban,
of GMA 7.
(Right) Tina Panganiban of
GMA 7.
3. Do not use comma between a man’s
name and Jr, Sr, III, etc.
(Wrong)
Bernardino R. Reyes, Sr.
Pope John Paul, III
William I. Rivera, Jr.

(Right)
Bernardino R. Reyes Sr.
Pope John Paul III
William I. Rivera Jr.
4. Do not use a comma in ages, time,
distances, measurement, etc.
(Wrong)
15 years, 5 months, 10 days
1 hour, 10 minutes, 30 seconds
10 kilos, 3 grams
(Right)
15 years 5 months 10 days
1 hour 10 minutes 30 seconds
10 kilos and 3 grams
5. Do not use comma between two
nouns, one of which identifies the
other as in:
(Wrong)
The famous writer, Gina Marissa Tagasa
is the director of School of St.
Bartholomeo.
(Right)
The famous writer Gina Marissa Tagasa is
the director of School of St.
Bartholomeo.
 Use of the colon
1. Introduce a series of names,
statements, etc
Winners of SCUAA game are:
Lourdes College of Bulaca, Schoo of
San Benildo and Baliuag University.
2. Do not use the
colon together with
dash.
Elected were: -
 Use of semicolon
To separate a series of names,
addresses or identification.
Mario delos Reyes, director; Ryan
Cayabyab, musical director; Ricky
Lee, sccriptwriter and Ogie Alcasid,
Interpreter.
 Steps in copyreading
• Initial check each copy read
• Get an overview of the story
• Correct the grammar, punctuation and
spelling
• Check if every aspect confirms with
your stylebook
• Verify the accuracy of facts, proper
subordination of details, paragraphing
• Look out for editorializing, biases
and possible grounds for libel
• Read the story to check if it reads
smoothly and that are corrections
have been made
• Write the headline
• Write the printer’s directions
 The Headline

• Displaying windows of newspaper

• Title of a news story
• Is a summary of the news
• It is printed in big, bold letters to
attract interest and attention
 Qualities of a good headline
1. It attracts the reader’s eye and directs its
attention to the story beneath it.
2. It is concisely constructed to save space.
Articles and other unnecessary words are
omitted
3. It must be positive and active. Active verb in
the present or future tense is used aside from
being short word, it is also the tense of
immediacy and it is more vivid.
4. It is adjusted to a predetermined typographical
style of paper.
 Steps in headline writing
1. Read the whole story to understand its
message.
2. Underline the key words from its lead,
for headline writing.
3. Using the key words from the lead,
write a short telegraphic sentence
summary of the news.
4. Use the shortest words possible.
Substitute simple effective synonyms to
fit the headline within the allotted
space.
5. Divide it according to unit of thoughts
into the number of required lines or
decks.
6. Use colorful noun and vigorous and
active verb.
7. Start with noun followed by a verb.
 Kinds of headline
1. Flush left – two or more lines of
headline are aligned at the left edge
of the column.
Example:
Malacanang considers
Abat adventure over
2. Flush right – two or more
lines of headline are aligned
at the right edge of the
column.
Example:
Malacanang considers
Abat adventure over
3. Dropline – two or more lines
of headline, usually of the
same length and arranged
diagonally.
Example:
DOLE Philippines donates
arm chairs to Sarangani
4. Hanging Indention- usually three or
more lines of headline, the first line set
flush to both margins and the
succeeding lines re indented or
beginning several spaces in from the
left margin, thus hanging as it from the
first.
Example:
Military ready to step in
if anti-gov’t protest
turn violent
5. Crossline or barline – a single
line of headline running over
two or more columns.
Example:
Grenade blast kills 2 kids
6. Inverted pyramid – two or
more lines of headline with the
first line flushed to both margin
and the succeeding lines
getting shorter and centered.
Example:
DepEd sets new guidelines
for teacher-applicants
7. Flushline or full line –
consists of two or more liens
of the same length.
Example:
Garci names solons
who also called him
8. Streamer – striking
boldface head
extending across the
top of the page.
9. Umbrella – a streamer
that is placed at the
very to of the page
above the nameplate of
the newspaper.
10. Boxed head – the headline is
boxed either for prominence or to
avoid tombstoning.
a. Full box – ICT to generate 1M jobs
b. Half box - ICT to generate 1M jobs
c. Quarter box - ICT to generate 1M
jobs
11. Jump Head (run-over
head) – headline of news
story, which is cut and
continued on the inside
page; it is followed by the
words column width.
from page – or the like
12. Tagline, kicker or
teaser – a short single
line placed above main
head, may be smaller
type, underlined and
set flush left or
centered.
 Guidelines for writing headlines
1. The head should tell the gist of the story
simply and accurately.
2. It should contain a verb, but not start with
one.
3. Be in the active voice.
4. Be in the present, the historical present or
the future tense.
5. Avoid the use of articles to begin a headline.
6. Use no abbreviations except those
generally known ones.
7. The first line of two –line or three-line
headline should not end with
preposition, conjunction, articles or any
form of the verb to be, unless the
preposition goes with the verb, as in
the word call up.
8. Be specific. Avoid generalities.
Wrong: Student wins contest
Right: Metrian scribe wins nat’l essay
writing tilt
9. Avoid label head
Wrong: Auctioned
Right: Imelda jewelry auctioned
10. Do not editorialize your headline.
Wrong: Metrian shows great
performance in DSPC
Right: Metrian wins 6 out 7 in DSPC
writing contest
11. Do not use the same word twice
in the headline or kicker.
Example:
Gun haul
GenSan cops seize 24 guns
from suspected bandits
12. Never use the word “may”. It
denotes the uncertain elements
of the story.
13. To use direct quotation as head, use any of
the following forms instead of the traditional
quotation ,marks:
a. Using the dash instead of the quotation
mark.
Ex. Truth commission repugnant – Mirriam
b. Using the colon
Ex. Sto. Tomas:Brain drain just a prescription
c. Using narrative form
Ex. Garci is back, says wife
14. Do not be in negative.
Wrong: Metrian festival won’t be held
Right: Metrian festival cancelled
15. The first letter of the word and proper
nouns are generally capitalized.
16. Avoid awkward verbal breaks.
Example:
Wrong: GenSan SPED debaters to
join nat’l tilt in Manila
Right: GenSan SPED debaters
to join nat’l tilt in Manila
17.Mention only the name of person, who is
prominent.
Wrong: Jacoba wins Microsoft global award
Right: Filipino wins Microsoft global award
18. Use M for million and B for billion
Example: Philhealth lost P520M to
farudulent claims, says chief
19. Use comma instead of and.
Example: GMA, Bush skip rape issue in
Busan meet
20. Separate double headline by a semicolon.
Example: Bomb explodes at GenSan
market; 13 killed, 53 hurt
21. Do not end the headline with a period.
22. Use the infinitive for future events.
Example: GMA to visit Saudi on way to NY
23. Avoid splitting compound word
Wrong: GMA to award taxi
driver for honesty
Right: GMA to award taxi driver for honesty
24. Avoid splitting words that
naturally go together
Wrong:
Metrians celebrates Buwan
ng Wika with beauty tilt
Right:
Metrians hold Buwan ng Wika
with beauty contest
 Unit counting in headline
½- small letters j,i,l,t,f,
Capital letter I
all punctuation marks except? -
1 - all small letters except j, i, l, t,
f,m,w
dash, question mark, dollar,
peso, %
all number figures from 0 to
9(Excpt 1)
all spaces
1 ½ -all capital letters
except I, M & W
small letters m and w
2 - capital letter M and W
 Headline Vocabulary
Accord – agreement
Allay – calm
Allot – apportion, set aside
Anew – again
Assail – attack
Ax – dismiss
Bare – reveal, expose
Bat – defend
Bid – request
Blast - criticize
 Headline Vocabulary
Cite – enumerate, mention
Confab – conference
Cop – police
Cow – frighten
Crown - win
Curb – control, stop
Cut – decrease
Dip – decrease, decline
Draw fire – to be criticized
Dry run - rehearsal
 Headline Vocabulary
Due – deadline, scheduled
Ex – former
To eye – consider
Feud – quarrel, dispute
Foil – thwart, reject
Gab – conference
Gird – brace, prepare
Go – try
Grill - question, interrogate
Hail – welcome
 Headline Vocabulary
Hike – increase
Hit – attack
Inquiry – investigation
Ink - to sign a contract
Junk - to throw away, decline
kin – family
Kit – package
Let up – temporary easing up
Link – connect
Lull - calm
 Use the present tense

• Bohol food crisis feared

vs
• Bohol dads fear food crisis

• Microcredit access for Agri sector backed

vs
• Agri Party-list backs microcredit access
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 Use the present tense

• Clark Airport Dev’t Fund sought

vs
• Solons bat for airport fund

• Misuari trial transferred to Taguig

vs
• SC rmoves Misuari trial to Taguig
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 Use the present tense

• Services resumed
vs
• DFA reopens services

• Ukay-Ukay traders charged

vs
• Customs charge Ukay-Ukay traders
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 Use the Present Tense

 20 were hurt • 20 are hurt

as trains crash as trains crash

 ASEAN, US special ASEAN, US hold

meeting held special meeting

 3 drug pushers
Drug sting nets 3
arrested
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 Use active voice

• Polls decided by coin toss

vs
• Coin toss break poll ties

• Whistle-blowers are sued by solon

vs
• Bong sues whistle-blowers
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 Use active voice
• President’s DAP stand is backed by allies
vs
• Allies back Noy on DAP stand

• Top police officials

are sent back to school by NCRPO
vs
• NCRPO sends top police officials
back to school
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 Use active voice
• Man with P25-M shabu is arrested by police
vs
• Makati sting nets man with P25-M shabu

• 1 dead, 7 hurt in Zambo blast

vs
• Zambo blast kills 1, hurts 7
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 Use active voice

• Bank manager  Masked men

is shot by masked shoot bank
men manager
 Children rob
• Grocery robbed by
grocer
children
 Chief fires
• Two jail guards
gambling jail
caught gambling guards
fired
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 Future event – use infinitive ‘to’

• P8 billion to solve Bataan flooding

• Surigao to boost seaweed industry
• DOJ panel to pursue raps vs Misuari et al.
• CamSur power rates to increase in December
• Japan to spend $500 million to fix Fukushima
leaks

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 Is, are, the & a

• The mayor’s wife is  Mayor’s wife

hurt in a car crash hurt in car crash
• The forensic
experts are in  Forensic experts
Manila arrive in Manila
• An American
tourist is slain  Psycho slays
American tourist
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 Is, are, the & a
• The cop in a lawyer’s slay surrenders
• Cop in lawyer’s slay surrenders

• The meteor showers are visible over PH

• Meteor showers visible over PH

• 5 soldiers are hurt in a clash with the NPA rebels

• 5 soldiers hurt in clash with NPA rebels

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 Is, are, the & a
• A suspected bomb-maker is gunned down
• Cops kill suspected bomb-maker

• The Comelec is urged to uphold the ouster of party-

list groups
• Poll watchdog urges Comelec to uphold ouster of
party-list groups

• A barangay captain is slain in Abra

• Hired guns slay village chief in Abra

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Omission that leads to ambiguity

President says good education

is way to the top

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 Labels

• Tourism potentials
• P210 million to boost Davao tourism

• Auxiliary services
• Civilian groups beef up Coast Guard

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 Labels

• Day-care upgrading
• Sarangani allots P2.5 million for day-care
centers

• Tagum port
• P3 billion int’l port construction to start in
2014
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 Use verbs that paint a picture
 Typhoon Pablo hits  Typhoon Pablo
Northern lashes Northern
Mindanao Mindanao

•Tubbataha mgmt: Chinese boat wrecked 4,000 sq

m of reef
•‘Yolanda’ roars toward Visayas
•Cyclone wreaks havoc in India

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 Avoid words that add nothing to the
power of the headline
• Valuable jewelry  Thieves grab
stolen 15,000 gems
• Big reduction in tax  Beer tax cut by
on beer 20 percent
• President’s SONA  President
speech pledges better
conditions for
labor
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 Avoid words that add nothing to the
power of the headline
• PLDT to expand fiber network investment in
Bohol
• PLDT to invest P1 billion
in Bohol fiber network

• 6 administration senators DAP recipients

• 6 senators get P100 million each from DAP
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 Avoid words that add nothing to the
power of the headline
• Salcedo heads UN’s climate change body
• Albay governor leads UN agency
with $100 billion climate fund

• Teachers say no to poll work

• 700 teachers shun poll duty

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 Abbreviations
• Government – gov’t
• Department – dep’t
• Intramurals – intrams

 FED for the police means Firearms and

Explosives Division
 FED for economists mean Foreign
Exchange Division of banks or the US
Federal Reserve
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 Punctuations
 Commas  Dash
Ridiculous We will stay in power—
Councilor president
Calls rates rise Wife tried to stab me—
court told
 FOR
Ridiculous,
Councilor
Calls rates rise CRHW prepared by
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Quotation marks:
To indicate doubt

- ‘Dead’ man attends own funeral

- ‘Lost’ boy safe in bed
- Show ‘proof’ of corruption, senator urges
critics

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 Simplicity is the key
• Witnessed – saw
• Depart – go
• Consultations – talks
• Commence – start
• Purchase – buy
• Line-up – slate
• Recommend – urge
• Appropriate – due
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 Verbal deadwood
• for the reason that - because
• a large proportion - many
• at the present time - now
• succumbed to injuries - died
• at an early date - soon
• is of the opinion that - believes
• In the neighborhood of - near
• In the event of - in case
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 Verbal deadwood

• In spite of the fact that- although

• Draw attention of - remind
• Tendered his resignation - resigned
• Affixed his signature - signed
• United in holy matrimony - married
• Held a conference - met
• Told his listeners - said
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 Printers direction
Example for the Headline:
25 - 32 – TNRB – 2 DS, FL
2 (32.5 u.c)

pica ems
Font size
Font style

number of lines
Example for the lead:
25 – 12 TNRB
2

Example for the body:

12 – 12 TNRN
1
 Thank you!

Have a happy writing!