NEWS WRITING

What is News?

One journalist defines news as a “report of any event or situation”

News is a record of the most interesting, important and accurate in-
formation obtained about the things man thinks and says, sees
and describes , plans and does.

According to the former Radio News Editor of the New York Times,
Carl Warren, “all news is intended to interest, inform or entertain
Somebody somewhere- large sections of the public, if possible.”

“News is anything published in a newspaper which interests a large

number of people.”

According to Dean M. Lyle Spencer, former dean of the School of Journalism of Syracuse University- News is “any event,
idea or opinion that is timely, that interests or affects a large number of persons in a community, and that is capable
of being understood by them.”

The News Elements

1. Immediacy - The basic ingredients to be considered are:

a. the news story must immediately tell the impact of the event
b. the value of the news depends upon the newness or the
immediacy of the happening.
c. immediacy concerns not only recency(time of occurrence)
but also primacy (you gasp with surprise when you first hear
or see it is news to you, regardless of age)

Immediacy as a news element is significant in news writing.

News reporter is duty bound to report immediately the news
happening or the expected event to happen in society.

2. Proximity (Nearness)
- Readers of newspapers are more interested to know what
is happening around them. In fact, the interest of the
readers primarily depends upon the “closeness of their
own personal affairs, homes and business”
- Closeness not only place, but of interest.

3. Prominence
- Newspaper readers are always interested to read more about people, places, celebrities, stars, personalities and other
things which
are common and very familiar to them.

4. Oddity (unusualness)
- something that the readers of the newspapers are interested to come across in the pages of their daily newspapers. The
news reporter is always in the “nose for news” for events which are indeed rare, unusual and unique.
A good example is the newsworthiness of the classic remark made by Charles A. Dana in 1882: “ When a dog bites a man
that is not news, but when a man bites a dog that is news”

5. Conflict
- In order to attain the interest of the readers, there must be variety of news stories in the different pages of the
newspapers. This news element is essential in catching the attention of the readers like the intense conflict of
different political groups in the Philippines.
6. Suspense
- another factor in stimulating the appeal and interest of the
readers. The continuing suspense of day-to-day news events
will always attract the attention of the reading public.

7. Human Interest or Emotions

- Anything that touches the very fibers and senses of man
and woman would surely be given special space and attention by the editor of any paper.

8. Consequence (importance and breadth of appeal/ intensity and

extension)
- is related more or less to immediacy and nearness. It is one
element of the news that shows the progress of any group,
or community.

9. Significance
- a news story is appealing to the readers, irrespective of its
point of origin, such as local, community, national and international.

10. Humor
- in order to avoid boredom on the part of the readers, it is
important that the news writer must “pounce with delight
upon news that usually tittilates their bump of credulity or
make them smile” once in a while.

11. Numbers - suggests the breadth or extension of the news

12. Drama – mystery, suspense, comedy
13. Amusement

Special Types of News Stories

A. According to style of presentation

1. Straight News -the data are presented in direct fashion using
the summary lead.
1. News Feature – the data are presented indirectly through the
use of novelty lead.

B. According to place of occurrence

1. Local News–the event happens within the locality of the reader.
2. Foreign News – the events take place outside the country.

C. According to content
1. Science and technology news
2. Development Communication news
3. Sports News

D. According to sources
1. Action story –the reporter himself is an eyewitness of the event
that happened.
2. Based on the record news –the information are gathered from
the records like the police stations, hospitals and other agencies.
2. Speech news – the data are gathered from the speech of
celebrities.
3. Based on interview – when the data are gathered through
interviewing the persons, who are knowledgeable or authority
of the event.

E. According to page makeup

1. Single incident story - It deals with one event only.
 2. Composite feature story–it deals with more than one event
that happened almost at the same time.

3. News brief - news item usually not more than two paragraphs.
4. Bulletin – an important last minute news of a running story and
printed on the front page in boldfaced type and may be boxed.
5. Flash–it presents only the basic facts of a fresh story that
comes in too late to be printed in full news item.
6. Side bar story -brief news item on some lighter aspects of an
event place side by side to a related and significant news.

F. According to the sequence of occurrence

1. Advance news – a report of expected event
2. Spot News – a report of event which the writer has actually
witnessed.
3. Coverage News – it based on a given assignment or beat like
news gathered from hospitals, police stations, office of the
principal and other government and non-government agencies.
4. Follow-up news - news story of the recent development of the
reported event.

The Lead

In writing the story, we are interested to know the lead which is

the introductory sentence of the news story.

Classification of Leads:

According to purpose, leads are generally divided into 2 broad

classifications:
1. The conventional, sometimes called summary lead
2. The unconventional lead (also called unorthodox
or novelty )

Most, but not all. news stories use the conventional; and
feature stories, the unconventional lead. The conventional lead
tells facts in a natural, straight- forward manner; while the un-
conventional lead reveals an intentional effort on the writer’s
part to introduce his story in a novel way. The conventional is
the most common type.

According to construction, leads may be classified into 3 groups:

1. Who-What-When-Where-Why-How leads
2. Grammatical-beginning leads
3. Unorthodox leads

Who-What-When-Where-Why-How leads
This classification of leads is the oldest known to journalists
and has come to be known as the 5 W’s and an H. Emphasizing
their importance, Kipling once wrote:

I have six honest serving men

(They taught me all I know)
Their names are What and Why and When.
And How and Where and Who.
 Into the first paragraph of the conventional lead, the reporter
packs the feature of his story, answering as he does,the reader’s
natural question – Who? What? When? and How? Whichever is
answered first- and that depends entirely upon which one the
reporter considers the most important - determines the name of
the lead. The Who and What are usually the most important
elements of a news. The When and Where are the last.

A lead does not necessarily answer all six of the questions.

1. Who lead (or name feature)

Names make news, especially prominent ones.
A person may be featured because he is famous
or because the facts of the story distinguish him.
The Who maybe one person, several persons, or
an organization. However, the lead should avoid
featuring more than 3 personal names.

President Arroyo yesterday appealed to the nation to end

destructive political warfare and, for national unity, to save the
Philippines from a potential “economic dislocation” after the
World oil prices soared to their highest level in history.

2. What lead (or event feature)

Most straight-news leads play up what the story
is about.

A struggle to protect or increase respective numbers of

congressmen on opposing sides of the impeachment fence
began yesterday at the House of Representatives.

3. Why lead
To further streamline emergency hotline services and
strengthen anti-crime efforts, Interior and Local Government
Sec. Angelo T. Reyes yesterday conferred with respondents
of emergency hotline ‘117’ in a top-level meeting at the
Crown Plaza Galleria.

4. How lead – often used for unusual happenings and action

stories.
Staging a 48-hour walkout beginning today , nearly 100
South Korean journalists at a government controlled television
station demanded that government stop dictating how they
cover the news.

5. When lead – Used if an event takes place at unconventional

hour, or in making an announcement where
the time is important to the reader.
Tomorrow, March 15 , is the last day for filing individual
tax returns.

6. Where lead - Used if an event takes place at an unusual

location.

Convalescent homes in Solano have been the sites for

 beauty contests to choose representatives to the fifth annual
My Fair Lady Pageant. Contestants are mostly in their 70s,
80s and 90s.

Characteristics of a Good Lead

1. Includes only 5 W’s and the H which are important.

Example:
A small contingent of US developmental gymnasts traveled
to the Soviet Union last February to take a closer look at
Soviet Gymnasts.

What: travel
Who: U.S. developmental gymnasts
Where: Soviet Union
When: February
Why: to take a closer look

2. Starts with the feature of the story, which may either be

the most important or the most interesting fact or both.
3. Is short – usually 25-35 words if it is one paragraph.
4. Begins with specific, interest-arousing words.
5. Avoids when possible, beginning with such words and
phrases as a, an, the; at a meeting; yesterday; last night
last week; recently; days of the week-Monday, Tuesday,
etc; according to; it is (will, was, will be); there is(are,
will be)
6. Suggests the source of the news when necessary.

a. in stories which foretell something not generally known

b. about future events in order to protect the paper if the
event does not occur.
c. in stories about important events that the reporter
failed to attend.
d. to attribute an opinion, thereby avoid editorializing.

7. Avoids citing the news source in stories which readers

would expect to be eye witness accounts or in stories
in which citing the source would be unnecessary.

8. Avoid overloading the first sentence of the lead.

9. Is written colorfully when possible.

How to write a Summary Lead

1. First study carefully the notes that you took for the story,
selecting the essential 5 W’s and H. It is best for beginners
to list the 5W’s and H on a sheet of paper and then opposite
each, write the appropriate act.

2. Choose the feature on the basis of news values and your

readers – what will interest them.

3. Arrange the remaining 5 W’s and H in the order of

decreasing importance.
 4. Determine the best way to start the lead sentence.
5. Keep in mind all of the other characteristics of a good
summary lead.
6. Test your lead.
7. Rewrite the lead if you can improve it.

Unconventional Leads (novelty)

The unconventional lead uses any device that will attract
attention, arouse curiosity, or sustain interest. It adds vigor
and color to writing. It does not contain the gist of the story,
but merely serves as an introduction.

The novelty lead is used:

1. When the facts are not entirely straight news.
2. When the facts may be made much more interesting
by a novel way of presenting them.
3. When the use of novelty lead seems natural, appropriate
and unrestrained.
4. When the purpose is to arouse the reader’s interest,
not to satisfy it.

Types of Novelty Leads

1. Narrative Lead – It draws the reader into the story by allowing

him to relate himself with the character of the story.

Example:
December 1999.With the Y2K scare and end- of- the millennium
jitters hovering in the air, I found myself in a bookstore for some
last minute shopping. I was looking for the abridged versions of
the classics Heidi and the Secret Garden to give to my nieces when
I saw a vaguely familiar title on the shelves: The Lady or the Tiger
And Other Stories. As I traced the embossed title with my right index finger, a particular memory flooded my consciousness.

2. Descriptive Lead –It illustrates a mental picture of the subject

to the reader. This is effective in writing a personality sketch.

Example:
The night fell as we descended the summit of Mt. Makiling.
Darkness covered the mountain. The cicadas were sending us
Off with their choir. While walking, we couldn’t stop imagining
the possible appearance of Maria Makiling who, according to
legend, is the goddess of this mountain. We were expecting her
along the trail or under the trees in her white dress, as we
remembered Rizal describing her fabled beauty in one of his
books. The goddess “disappointed” us, however.

3. Quotation Lead – this statement uttered by well-known person

or celebrity.

Example:
“You stole the presidency, not only once but twice.”
Shouted Susan Roces, widow of Fernando Poe Jr., during a gathering of the opposition, denouncing President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo’s alleged vote rigging during the 2004 election.
4. Question Lead – a thought provoking question to capture the
interest of the reader and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of the article.

Example:
When was the last time I told my father I loved him?
I wish I could tell him a thousand times how much I love him now, but he is already heedless inside his coffin.

5. Teaser – a device to deceive the reader in a jesting manner to

arouse his curiosity and gently lead him into the story. It is generally short, crisp and witty. Riddles are often used and they do
not give the readers any clue on the nature of the story. They are mostly suggestive and humorous.

Example:
Which comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be made possible without the hen. But where
does the hen come from?

6. Punch lead – it is short, striking one –sentence lead.

Example:
Hungry farmers are selling not only their carabaos, but also their children.

7. Astonisher Lead – It uses an exclamatory sentence.

Example:
NSPC 2006 Champion!
Bold red letters printed on a three-meter long streamer was over the gate of the New Era University when the Hudyat
Official Student Publication of the NEU - Elementary Department won as overall Best School Paper (Bracket A- English)
during the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) held in Kalibo, Aklan on February 22- 26, 2006.

8. One word lead–it uses a very significant word to capture or arouse the interest of the reader.

Example:
Bang!
Sprinters from the different divisions of the National Capital Region zoomed bullets to the finishing line in a 100-meter
dash during the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) Meet, held at Amoranto Stadium, Quezon City April 1-
6.

9. Parody Lead – it consists of a parody of a well-known quotation,

song, poem, book or movie film title.

Example:
“ You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough.” This familiar adage proved true to Clarence Castillo, a
young boy who died while rescuing his younger brother at the height of a flooding in Infanta town in Quezon last year for he
was posthumously awarded for his bravery.

10. Background Lead–it describes an event in which the background

overshadows the individual who participate in it; often use stories
about carnivals, festivals, dances and others.

Example:
It was like the school was put in a time machine and was led
back to the past when teachers and students who participated in
the culmination program of the Buwan ng Wika, gathered in front
of the four-storey building garbed in old Filipiniana costumes.

11. Freak Lead – this kind of unique lead uses typographical effects
to enhance its appeal.

Example:
Wanted: Filipino doctors and nurses.
 This is the appeal of several government-owned hospitals, which face closure due to the exodus of many Filipino doctors
and nurses abroad.

12. Contrast Lead – it is used to point up opposites and extremes.

Example:
Four years ago, she fought for the installation of Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo as President of the Philippines
through EDSA II Revolution. Today, former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino is calling for GMA’s
resignation.

13. Staccato Lead – usually consists of a series of words or phrases,

punctuated by periods, commas or dashes.

Example:
Neglected. Denuded. Abused. And Abandoned. This is the real picture of our forest today.

Tips on How to Write an Effective Lead

1. Use a simple sentence.

2. Do not overload the beginning paragraph with the answer of 5Ws and one H. Remember that the second paragraph is a
secondary lead too.
3. Do not use an important or unusual word twice in the same sentence.
4. Avoid, when possible the use of articles such as a, an, the as the beginning word of the lead.

Rules in Paragraph Construction in News Writing

1. A paragraph of the news should not exceed 75 words.

2. Important facts should be placed at the beginning of the paragraph.
3. Avoid repetition of clauses, phrases and other similar grammatical construction at the beginning of each paragraph.
4. Do not put direct quotation and indirect quotation in the same paragraph.
5. One-sentence paragraph is preferred in writing news. But if it cannot be avoided, it should not exceed three sentences.
6. For easy reading average number of words per sentence should be between 15 to 20. A sentence longer than 30 words
may be hard to understand.
7. Arrange paragraph in the descending order of importance so that the lay-out editor can delete the last least important ones
for lack of space.

Qualities of a News Writer

1. Has nose for news

a. Knows where to get the data
b. Knows what angle of the event should be highlighted in the news.
c. Can easily identify event, which is worth publishing as news.

2. Inquisitive
3. Patient
4. Fair
5. Interested with people
6. Always seeking for truth
7. Resourceful
8. Reliable
9. Has a wide vocabulary
10. Wide reader