JOURNALISM 7

Name of Learner: ______________________________________ Grade Level: _______

Section: ______________________________________ Score: ___________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

TYPES OF HEADLINES

Background Information for Learners

The Headline

Headline refers to the title of any news story. Sometimes, it is described as the short
telegraphic major messages of the news. Oftentimes, it is the gist of the lead.
Headlines make the readers' first impression of the paper, and, consequently, headline
writing is the most important task of an editor.
Without a headline, a well-written story may not even be noticed by readers;
conversely, a badly written story may still be read because of its head.
News stories are important, but the headlines that introduce these stories to the
readers are important as well. Good headlines will make a newspaper page attractive; poor
headlines will make a page seem dull. Poor headlines might discourage them from reading
the stories.
What kind of headline style does your newspaper use? In the traditional newspaper
headline, every word is capitalized except for short prepositions like at, by, for, from, in. on,
to, etc. and the. They are capitalized only when they appear at the beginning or a line.
Ordinarily, most newspapers call attention to their most important news stories by giving them
multiple column headlines. A multiple-column headline is one which extends over two, three,
four or more column width. Such wide headlines; however, are set in much larger type than
single column headlines.
A newer style of headline writing; however, capitalizes only the first word and proper
nouns that would be capitalized in a normal sentence. The two styles of headlines are shown
below:
Traditional Style
Studes Erect Book Kiosk
Newer Style: the Ds (Down Style)
Studes erect book kiosk
Headlines also beautify the page on which they appear. Because of their variety in size
and type, they do much to make the page attractive. They introduce contrast and relief to the
dull gray of the body type. They bring balance, symmetry, and typographical beauty to a well-
arranged page.
Functions of Headlines
1. gives the gist of the news
2. presents the news for rapid survey reading
3. indicates the relative importance of the news
4. gives a pleasing appearance to the news page
Headlines of stories are usually based on the lead, the beginning paragraph of a text.
That is why copyreaders get the content words from the lead and then write the title from
there. Below are the steps to be observed.
Step 1: Underline key words.
The Supreme Court (SC), during its en banc session on Tuesday, dismissed a petition
that seeks to hold President Aquino, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Secretary Corazon 'Dinky' Soliman, and Budget Secretary Florencio 'Butch' Abad liable for the
crime of plunder, without the necessary processes of determination of probable cause through
a preliminary investigation, and trial.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/02/10/15/sc-junks-plunder-rap-vs-pnoy-2-cabinet-execs
Step 2: List down the underlined key words.
1. Supreme Court (SC)
2. dismissed a petition
3. President Aquino, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary
Corazon 'Dinky' Soliman, and Budget Secretary Florencio 'Butch' Abad
4. liable for the crime of plunder
Step 3: Write a working title in sentence form.
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition that seeks to hold *some persons liable for
the crime of plunder.
*President Aquino, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary
Corazon 'Dinky' Soliman, and Budget Secretary Florencio 'Butch' Abad
Step 4: Replace the key words with headline vocabulary.
Example:

● Supreme Court - SC
● dismissed - junks
● a petition that seeks to hold some persons liable for the - plunder raps
crime of plunder
● against whom - vs
● President Aquino - Pnoy
● Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) - Cabinet execs
Secretary Corazon 'Dinky' Soliman, Cabinet execs and
Budget Secretary Florencio 'Butch' Abad

Step 5: Write the headline.

SC junks plunder raps vs Pnoy, Cabinet execs
Headline Patterns
1. Crossline or Barline. It is a single line of headline running over two or more columns.
BOT oks new grading system
2. Dropline or Step Form. It is composed of two or three lines of headline, usually of the
same length and are arranged diagonally.
Capitol donates
armchairs to BSC
3. Flush Left. Two or more headlines are aligned at the left edge of the column.
Bulusan trains teachers
on research proposal making

BSC cagers take CSU

to overtime before losing
4. Hanging Indention. Usually three or more lines of headline, the first set flushed to both
margins and the succeeding lines are indented several spaces from the left margin, thus
hanging as if from the first.
Military ready to step in
if farmers protest
turns violent
5. Inverted Pyramid. Two or more lines of headline with the first line flushed to both margin
and the succeeding lines getting shorter and centered.
Pinoys in UK escape massacre
in another UN camp
6. Flush Right. Two or more lines of headline are aligned at the right edge of the column.
30 generalist grads
ready for LET
7. Flushline or full line. It consists of two or more lines of the same length.
SCSO girds student leaders
for environmental campaign

Guidelines in Writing Effective Headlines

Guidelines Examples
Be specific. Wrong:
Student wins contest
Right:
Lapiscian scribe wins gold
in nat’l essay writing tilt
Avoid label heads. Wrong:
Nutrition Month
Right:
Nutrition Month held
Avoid opinions. Wrong:
Lapiscians show great
performance in DSPC
Right:
Lapiscians win 6 out of 7
in DSPC press confab
Do not use the same word twice. Wrong:
7 students bag awards
in student writing tilt
Right:
7 students bag awards
in essay writing tilt
Avoid negatives. Wrong:
‘Water Lily’ festival won’t be held
Right:
‘Water Lily’ festival cancelled
Replace “and” with a comma. Wrong:
Teachers and students
join ‘Fun Run’ 2017
Right:
Teachers, students
join ‘Fun Run’ 2017
Avoid “be” verbs. Wrong:
Principal is asked to attend pizza party
Right:
Principal asked to attend pizza party
Use infinitives for future events. Wrong:
LPSci principal will attend victory party
Right:
LPSci principal to attend victory party
Write numerals in symbols. Wrong:
Four killed; seven injured
in NPA, military clash
Right:
4 killed; 7 injured
in NPA, military clash
Use single quotation marks. Wrong:
Militant groups say “YES” to FOI bill
Right:
Militant groups say ‘YES’ to FOI bill
 Do not use articles. Wrong:
7 scribes bag gold in the DSPC press tilt
Right:
7 scribes bag gold in DSPC press tilt
Prepositions and their objects go Wrong:
together.
7 scribes bag gold in
DSPC press tilt
Right:
7 scribes bag gold
in DSPC press tilt
Adjectives and the words Wrong:
modified go together.
LPSci principal sure
to attend victory
party
Right:
LPSci principal sure
to attend victory party
Spell out days of the week. Wrong:
Malacañang suspends classes on Mon next week
Right:
Malacañang suspends classes on Monday next week
Abbreviate months with exact Wrong:
dates.
Senior citizens to receive pensions on December 25
Right:
Senior citizens to receive pensions on Dec 25

Learning Competency
SPJ7EDT-IIc-32: Differentiate various types of headlines.
Exercise 1: Cryptic Heads
Directions: Solve the puzzle below to come up with the various forms of newspaper
headlines.

HULFS EFTL

SFLUH TGRIH

ROEPIDLN OR SETP MORF

NDVERTE PAMDYRI

NIGNHAG NIONNEIDT

COESIRNLS RO BLRIENA

Exercise 2: Match Up!

A. From your answers in Exercise 1, identify the types of the given illustrations of headline
below.
1. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - _____________________

2. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX - _____________________

3. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX - ____________________

4. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX - ____________________

5. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXX - _____________________

6. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX - _____________________
B. Write the sample headline in the box provided according to your answers in Exercise 2.A.
1. Reg’l press confab ongoing today
2. Reg’l press confab ongoing today
3. 3 HS studes bag 3 gold in Math tilt
4. Reg’l press confab ongoing today
5. LPSci students, teachers vow to improve NAT rates
6. SSG prexy eyes for more infra projects

Type of Headline: _________________ Type of Headline: _________________

Answer: Answer:
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Type of Headline: _________________ Type of Headline: _________________

Answer: Answer:
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Type of Headline: _________________ Type of Headline: _________________

Answer: Answer:
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Exercise 3: Errors Spotted

Directions: The following headlines are not acceptable based on standard rules. Rewrite the
correct version in the blank provided.
1 Governor’s son
pushed to run for
mayor

2 LPSci squad played well

in basketball tourney

3 Rotary Club donates lab

tools for incoming students
 4 Celebrating Christmas Party

5 Eleven hurt in mall bombing

6 School clinches
DSPC championship crown

7 CEOs and deans nod JS prom

8 Man wounded in a car accident

9 Fri declared ‘no assignment day’

10 Dumaguete City to host NSPC in Feb

11 SSG adviser didn’t approve infra project

12 Solons say “NO” to softdrinks in schools

13 Informal settlers were asked to evacuate

14 Grade 9 students will take NCAE in March

15 7 athletes bag 3 gold, 4 bronze in athletics

Exercise 4: Set Me Up
Directions: Below are examples of headlines that have not met certain standard rules. Using
the guidelines given in the background information for learners, provide suggestions on how
to improve them.
1.

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2.

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3.

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4.

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5.

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6.

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7.

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8.

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9.

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10.

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Exercise 5: Knocking Heads
Directions: Write the headline of the given leads. Show the process as explained in the
discussion given in the Background Information for Learners. Write your work in the space
provided.
1. President Aquino fulfilled his promise yesterday to release the 21 Taiwanese fishermen
whom the Philippine Navy caught poaching in Ilocos Sur on Sept 8.

List down the underlined keywords:

Write a working title in sentence form:

Replace the key words with headline vocabulary:

Write the headline:

2. President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte is confident that Sen. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has
what it takes to win his welterweight title fight against World Boxing Organization (WBO)
champion Jessie Vargas on Monday in Las Vegas.

List down the underlined keywords:

 Write a working title in sentence form:

Replace the key words with headline vocabulary:

Write the headline:

3. A four-month-old baby died while a three-year-old girl was severely wounded after being
hit by stray bullets during the New Year’s Eve revelry in the Bicol region, according to
police.
List down the underlined keywords:

Write a working title in sentence form:

Replace the key words with headline vocabulary:

 Write the headline:

4. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is eyeing to make the country benefit
from the heavy rainfall brought by typhoons that visit us every year.

List down the underlined keywords:

Write a working title in sentence form:

Replace the key words with headline vocabulary:

Write the headline:

5. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) claimed it seized about 800 kilograms
of shabu worth approximately Php5 billion during several anti-drug operations from
January to December 2013.
List down the underlined keywords:
 Write a working title in sentence form:

Replace the key words with headline vocabulary:

Write the headline:

Exercise 6: Entitle Me!

Directions: Construct good headlines based on the given leads. You may opt to use the
different types of headlines; be able to identify the type of headline used in each item. Write
your answers on the space provided.
1. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said it seized a total of 834 kilograms
of shabu worth approximately P4.6 billion during anti-drug operations from January to
December 2013.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

(PAGASA) recorded yesterday the coldest temperatures in Baguio City and Metro Manila
since the northeast monsoon set in last month.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Electricity prices are expected to stabilize in the long run as power regulators work on a
more permanent offer price cap to prevent future power rate increases.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. The number of Filipinos with HIV/AIDS for this year is nearing the 5,000 mark as the
Department of Health (DOH) recorded 384 new cases in November alone.
______________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________
5. Democratic and Republican senators are demanding that China rescind its new air
defense identification zone (ADIZ) over Japanese-held islands in the East China Sea and
the sharp tone risks antagonizing Beijing, The Hill newspaper reported.
______________________________________________________________________
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6. Even as many people in the Visayas have not yet recovered from the fury of Super
Typhoon Yolanda, another “Yolanda” is likely to cause more suffering among New Year
revelers.
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______________________________________________________________________
7. Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla wants the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to appeal
the Supreme Court’s 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) on the P4.15 per kilowatt-
hour electricity rate increase, saying the power distributor would inevitably have to collect
higher rates to recover cost and ensure smooth operations.
______________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________
8. Malacañang is backing the proposal of Health Secretary Enrique Ona to ban firecrackers
during holiday celebrations and promote safe alternatives such as fireworks displays in
communities.
______________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________

9. The military expects more areas grappling with communist insurgency to undergo
'normalization' this year and vowed to work closely with civilians to make it possible.
______________________________________________________________________
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10. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Patricia Licuanan downplayed
yesterday a Commission on Audit (COA) report on alleged irregularities in the CHED’s
disbursement of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) funds for scholars.
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Reflection: It’s a Wrap!

Now that you have completed your journey in this lesson, accomplish the table below.

Key ideas I have learned Why they matter to me What I will do now