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Newswriting

News is a report on important and interesting informations about some recent events broadcasted in televisionand/or radio and printed on newspapers. Therefore, newswriting is the process of making an effective news story.

A newswriter must make the news factual, truthful, accurate, unbiased, objective and interesting.

History of news

There are different ways of spreading news even a long time before the development of newspapers, like simplyusing a person to shout the news in the community and people spreading it from one mouth to another person. InAncient Rome, announcement bulletins are used and posted in public areas. During the early government of China,news sheets called tipao were passed hand-to-hand from one official to another. They were handwritten on a silk cloth.Cities in Europe used to exchange newsletters conveying economic, political and military news which were deliveredquickly and efficiently.

In 1835, the oldest news agency was founded by a Parisian named Charles-Louis Havas. It was called AgenceFrance-Presse (AFP).

Sources

Readers judge news stories based on its reliability. Be sure to include them in your article.

According to thenewsmanual.net , there are several sources of information:

Reporters

Reliable informations can be provided by reporters for they can seek for primary sources like interviews. Thesereporters could be your co-workers in the company. If they present accurate data consistently, they are consideredreliable. Reliability is built up over time. However, there are cases where reporters lack the information a writer needs.This is where you will have to look for the information yourself.

Theres also some time when the information is misinterpreted. This often happens when the reporters areestimating, for example, the number of people in a crowd. Unless the reporters know the exact size of the crowd, thewriter must treat his information with caution.

Primary sources

Statements from persons directly involved are primary sources. If he saw or participated in the happening, hecan give accurate information.

Written sources

Not all primary sources are spoken. Written reports can make an excellent source of information for a journalist.Books have been checked and approved officially.

However, not all printed materials are reliable. You must look for the person who wrote it. If the authorwitnessed the event with his own eyes, then the information in his work is reliable. If not, then you must consider hisreliability.

Leaked documents

Documents may be occasionally given to you by somebody who does not want to be seen in the media. Theseare leaked because they believe these information must be known to public. But then, they are unable to reveal it in
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public maybe because they are not in the position to do so. In some scenarios, leaked documents are used to takeadvantage over someone.

Leaked documents are excellent source for these informations are being hidden by someone. If you believe thatthe information given to you must be revealed, then you should write a news story about it. Of course, like anyinformation, leaked documents must still be checked for accuracy before they can be used.

There are also legal dangers to consider when using leaked documents. They might, for instance, have been

stolen. Leaked documents could also be covered by copyright, so one must also be careful with leaked documents.

Secondary sources

Secondary sources are those people who pass the information. The official police report of an incident can becalled secondary source. Secondary sources are not usually as reliable as primary sources.

Tip-offs

Occasionally someone will make a call with a story tip-off but refuse to give their name. These are said to beanonymous, meaning "no name". These are the most dangerous sources of information and should only be used withextreme caution. They must never be used without a lot of checking. If they are wrong, you will be held directlyresponsible for the misleading information.

Using assumed names

You occasionally have to protect a source's identity by giving them an assumed name. This arises most oftenwhen you are writing about the victims of some kind of abuse, usually in feature articles or documentaries. These

people may not mind you to tell their story, but they do not want other people to know exactly who they are maybe because of shame.

You must, of course, tell your readers or listeners that this is not the person's real name, but is being used to protect them. If you use a picture them, make sure they are not recognizable in it. If you use their voice, it is common

practice in radio and television to electronically change it so it cannot be recognized.

According to Ceciliano-Jose B. Cruz, a news writer/reporter should :

Write the article as soon as possible for accuracy and detailed work. Make sure that the readers will reach what you want to convey. Be accurate and truthful. Dont write your own opinion. Limit the adjectives used. Wordiness will bore the readers. Always give the source of the news. Write the names in full when mentioned for the first time to avoid misunderstanding. Recognize the persons positions/rank. Watch out for errors in grammar, structure and style. Observe guidelines for clear and effective writing. Use informations from reliable sources.

A newswriter must write an article following:


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Essential qualities of news

Timing

News must be updated to catch the readers focus. News last month, or last week is not worthy to be read. Timeliness greatly affects the worthiness of the article.

Significance

News that will have an effect on many people attracts readers, especially if they are also affected in thesituation.

Proximity

Readers pay attention to news near to them. We are curious to things we can relate.

Prominence

News about great personalities will get your readers attention because, of course, people id olize them.

Human Interest

Human interest are considered special cases. They violate the news timeliness and appeal more on emotions.

Accuracy

News must be well-sourced, supported by strong evidence, examined, tested and clear. Information must not befrom speculations and rumors. Accuracy is essential if the purpose of the news article is to inform the public debate.

The article needs to be totally transparent in declaring what the writer knows and what he does nt know.

Completeness and Balance

Informations to be written in the story must include both of the arguing sides. This will show if the news writtenis biased. The news article doesnt need to have the whole story, but the writer must be sure to be fair on every detail ofinformation so that the readers would be able to decide correctly on which idea to agree.


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Objectivity

The writers purpose of writing the news must be clear. The readers should be able to fully interpret themessage of the news without difficulty.

Simplicity and Clarity

The writer needs to consider the knowledge of the readers. Most of them are just common people with average

knowledge of the language. Simple words are needed for the writer to convey the message properly. With this, thereaders must not be confused with the information. Besides, complex words will discourage them in reading your news.

There are no absolute rules in newswriting. There are, however, guidelines to write news stories correctly,namely:

Give your leads sentence a punch to catch the interest o f the readers. Start with the most important facts. A writer must deliver the important information in the news quickly. Use the rule of proximity and explain how the news will affect the people concerned. An attractive story uses something unusual as the lead of the article. Make your sentences clear so the reader would get your point easily.

Use simple words for the readers to understand your article without difficulty. Never be afraid in breaking the rules if it will make your news story good.

Types of News Stories

Fire News story- associated with and related to fires (forest fires, fire prevention month, etc.)

3 kids killed, grandmother hurt in Bacolod City fire

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines Three children were killed while their grandmother was injured in a fire that hit six

houses in Barangay (village) Handumanan, Bacolod City, at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Killed were Rica Montero, 17, a deaf mute, and her siblings Rex, 7, and Arvin, 3, Senior Inspector Ruel Culanag said.Injured was their grandmother Estalita Montero, 68, who sustained burns in various parts of her body.

Culanag said Estalita was cooking rice that she left unattended on the stove. She left the house and locked her threegrandchildren and a 4-year-old grandson in the house.

The four-year-old survived because he was able to climb out of a window.

Rica was able to get out of the house to ask for help from the neighbors but no one could understand her so she returnedto the house to save her two other siblings but it was too late as the fire had grown big.

The grandmother sustained burns when she returned to the burning house and tried to save her grandchildren. She wassaved by her relative Simon Tiopez, 22.

The Montero house and five others were affected by the fire.

On Monday, 57 houses were also destroyed, 10 persons were injured and about P1.5 million worth of properties lostwhen fire broke out at about 8:40 a.m. Monday, in Purok Magtiayon, Barangay 10, in Bacolod City.

Chief Insp. Bartolome Beliran, fire marshal of the City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), said the fire that lasted foralmost two hours, affected about 274 families.


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The number of families affected was four times the number of houses destroyed because some of them were occupied by two to five families.

He said that although the BFP office was near Purok Matiayon, firefighters had a hard time penetrating the area sincethe pathways were narrow, and the fire started at the center of the place, where most of the houses were built close toeach other.

By Carla GomezInquirer Visayas

February 18th, 2014

Earthquake News story- it involves events about the movement of the earths plates

Quake kills 52 in Negros Oriental

DUMAGUETE CITY At least 52 people were killed when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Negros and Cebu provinces shortly before noon Monday, causing landslides and huge cracks on highways, and violently shaking buildings, officials said.

A three-story building collapsed, while seven bridges were rendered impassable, they said.

In Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, at least 29 people were feared dead following a landslide in Barangay (village)Planas, Mayor Ernesto Reyes said in a phone interview. He said there could be more fatalities in other barangays.

They were buried in 30 feet (10 meters) of soil. If you had been buried from noon until now (6 p.m.), I dont expectyou to be alive, Reyes said.

Rescuers dug with picks and shovels trying to reach dozens of people trapped under houses that collapsed, according toThe Associated Press (AP).

Ten others died due to a landslide at the Guihulngan national road, Reyes said.

Governor Roel Degamo said a 9-year-old girl, Bernadette Raidan, died when a wall collapsed in Tayasan town.

Twelve other fatalities were listed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Eight werefrom Guihulngan, one each from Jimalalud and Bindoy towns, and two from Tayasan.

The earthquake, which struck at 11:49 a.m., was located 5 kilometers northwest of Tayasan town in Negros Oriental,and was tectonic in origin. It had a depth of 10 km. The US Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.7.

In Manila, Malacaang urged the people affected by the earthquake to remain watchful and calm, and to cooperate withthe authorities while the threat of immediate dangers appears to have passed.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) toassess and collate the extent of the damage and casualties, and to provide the necessary interventions, his spokesperson,Edwin Lacierda, said in a statement.

Tsunami warning
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The temblor also prompted a tsunami warning from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs),alerting residents near the coastal areas of Negros and Cebu to watch for unusual waves but not requiring anyevacuation.

The alert was canceled after no further reports of unusual sea level changes were received after the two-hour extendedobservation period.

But more aftershocks could be expected in the next few weeks in areas near the epicenter, according to Ishmael Narag,

officer in charge of the Phivolcs seismology division. As of 1 p.m. Monday, Phivolcs had recorded 16 aftershocks.

The quake triggered another landslide in the mountain village of Solongon in La Libertad town, also in Negros Oriental.An unknown number of people were trapped, said Inspector Eric Arrol Besario, the town police chief.

Were now getting shovels and chainsaws to start a rescue because there were people trapped inside. Some of themwere yelling for help earlier, Besario told AP by phone. Three key bridges in t he town cracked and were no longer

passable, he said.

The earthquake sent shoppers scrambling under tables and workers and students rushing out of their buildings in citiesof Negros and Cebu.

Classes in all public and private schools in Negros Oriental were suspended, while businesses in Dumaguete City wereclosed.

Building cracks

In Negros Occidental, the earthquake caused cracks in the city halls of Sagay and Cadiz, and the city hospital andgymnasium of Himamaylan.

Big waves damaged two houses and an ambulance fell on its side in Barangay Martilu, La Libertad, according to MayorLawrence Limkaichong. Two houses were also reported damaged in the town of Jimalalud, some 100 kilometers northof Dumaguete.

Huge waves washed out five bamboo and wooden cottages from a beach resort in La Libertad, but there were no reportsof injuries, said Superintendent Ernesto Tagle. Elsewhere along the coast, people rushed out of schools, malls andoffices.

Two people died in another town close to the epicenter, Tayasan, including a child when a concrete fence of a housecollapsed, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defense.

Church wall collapse

Another child was killed in a church when a wall collapsed during a funeral in Negros Orientals Jimalalud town, MayorReynaldo Tuanda said.

Tayasan police officer Alfred Vicente Silvosa told AP by phone that aftershocks were preventing people from returningto their homes.

We are outside, at the town plaza. We cannot inspect buildings yet because its dangerous, Silvosa said. I felt the building shaking, so I rushed out of the building. Our computers, shelves, plates, the cupboards, water dispenser allfell.

A three-story office building also collapsed in La Libertad, but occupants escaped.

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The Negros Orient al police chief, Edward Carranza, said police rushed out of his building when the quake struck. Allmy personnel ran out fearing our building would collapse, he said.

Now its shaking again, he said as an aftershock hit. My keychain is dancing.

In Negros Occidental, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered the suspension of work and classes in all publicand private offices and institutions. He, however, directed the citys disaster team to be on alert and to inspect buildingsfor cracks.

In Iloilo City, employees and students rushed out of offices and classrooms as buildings swayed. Classes in the city and province were suspended in anticipation of aftershocks. Government employees were sent home in the afternoon.

A blackout occurred in the city, but power was normalized at 3:45 p.m.

The earthquake was slightly felt in Boracay Island and a few Mindanao and Luzon provinces.

Medical attention

Guihulngan Mayor Reyes said about 100 people were injured and brought for treatment to Guihulngan District Hospitaland neighboring district hospitals.

Reyes said Guihulngan had about 100 patients who are in need of immediate medical attention. We need to transportthese patients to Bacolod, Cebu or Dumaguete but our roads and bridges are impassable, he said.

Food and medicines were waiting in the provincial capital of Dumaguete, but the aid could not reach the villages inneed because of damaged roads and bridges.

There is a Canadian and an Indian doctor who are here for an earlier scheduled medical mission and its a good thingthey are helping us, Reyes said. They have some medicines with them but that may not be enough.

All bridges and roads leading to the north and south of the city were damaged, leaving it isolated, he said. Theseincluded the bridges of Martilo in La Libertad, Pangaluan in Jimalalud town, and Tinayonan in Guihulngan.

Many buildings were damaged, he said. The Landbank building is leaning on one side while a portion of our publicmarket collapsed.

Cracks appeared along sections of the national highway and on public and private buildings, the Provincial DisasterRisk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement.

Series of quakes

The first earthquake occurred at 11:49 a.m. with a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of 20 km. The epicenter was located 72km north of Dumaguete, 74 km west-northwest of Tagbilaran City and 80 km west-southwest of Cebu.

A second tremor hit various areas in the Visayas at 12:03 p.m. at a depth of 34.8 km. The epicenter was located 62 kmnorth of Dumaguete, 69 km west-northwest of Tagbilaran and 84 km southwest of Cebu.

Still, a third tremor was felt at 12:20 p.m. with a magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 34.8 km. The epicenter was located 71km south-southeast of Bacolod City, 84 km west-southwest of Cebu and 84 km north of Dumaguete City.

Bobby Caete of the local Phivolcs station in Palo town in Leyte said that the series of earthquakes felt in the regionwas caused by the movement of the Philippine Sea Plate diving down under eastern Philippines along the PhilippineTrench. With r eports fr om Jhunn ex Napall acan, Carla Gomez and Nestor B ur gos Jr ., Inqui rer Vi sayas; Chr istine O.Avendao and Leil a B. Salaverr ia in M anila; and AP


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The JTWC said in an update at 5 a.m. that Yolanda was expected to remain a supertyphoon in the next 36 hours.

More areas were placed under storm signals as Yolanda (international name Haiyan) headed towards Eastern Visayas,the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical and Services Administration (Pagasa) said Thursday.

Yolanda is so far the strongest typhoon in the Philippines this year, said Pagasas Connie Dadivas . It is now packingmaximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 250 kph.

Storm signals were raised in the following areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao:

Signal No. 2Eastern SamarSamarSouthern LeyteSurigao Del NorteSiargao IslandDinagat Island

Northern part of Surigao Del Sur

Northern part of Agusan Del Norte

Signal No. 1Camarines NorteCamarines SurCatanduanesAlbaySorsogonTicao IslandBurias IslandMasbateRomblonMarinduqueSouthern QuezonAklanCapizIloiloAntiqueGuimaras

Negros Occidental and OrientalCebuCamotes IslandBoholSiquijorLeyteBiliran Island

Northern SamarCamaguinMisamis OrientalRest of Agusan del NorteAgusan del SurRest of Surigao del Sur


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Yolanda was last observed 822 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and continued to move west-northwest at30 kilometers per hour. It is expected to make landfall over Eastern Visayas by Friday morning and exit the Philippinearea of responsibility by early Sunday if it continues with its speed.

Heavy to intense rains were seen within its 600 kilometer-diameter. Sea travel remained risky over the eastern seaboardof Southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas.

The typhoon entered the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday midnight.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon continued to affect Northern Luzon.

Bicol Region, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers andthunderstorms. The regions of Cagayan Valley , Cordillera and Ilocos will be partly cloudy to cloudy with light rains,Pagasa said.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and coming from thenortheast to north over Mindanao. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be moderate to rough.

By Frances MangosingINQUIRER.net

November 7th, 2013

Death News story- news associated with the passing away of person/s, planned or not (untimely death, mass murder, etc.)

QC cops murder likely work -related, say investigators

MANILA, Philippines A Quezon City policeman was gunned down Sunday morning by a lone shooter outside his Novaliches home while he was washing his Asian utility vehicle before driving to work.

SPO1 Michael Gayagoy Jr, 55, assigned with the follow-up section of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Novaliches station, is the third local policeman to be killed since December 2013.

Supt. Norberto Babagay, the QCPD Novaliches station commander, said that Gayagoy was set for compulsoryretirement late this year and that the motive behind his killing was most likely work-related.

SPO1 Eric Lazo, of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), said that Gayagoy sustained nine bullet wounds in the head and in the body after he was cornered by the gunman.

He (Gayagoy) was not able to run for his gun and fire back because he apparently did not want collateral damage,Lazo told the Philipine Daily Inquirer, explaining that there was a funeral wake at a neighbors house along Ibon Pila kStreet, Sitio Aguardiente, Barangay Sta. Monica in Novaliches.

Lazo said that before the killing, which happened at around 10 a.m., Gayagoy had been in the middle of his pre-dutyroutine of cleaning his Toyota Tamaraw FX.

A witness told police an armed man suddenly appeared and fired at Gayagoy, who was initially able to duck for cover.However, instead of running towards his house, Gayagoy ran away from it apparently to lead the gunman away. It wasthen that he was cornered, repeatedly shot and instantly killed, the case investigator said.
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Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered six bullet casings and four fired bullet slugs, all from a .45 pistol, atthe site.

Babagay said that the Novaliches policeman might have been targeted for his involvement in several cases, includingthe recent killing of a murder suspect during a shootout.

The station commander also said that it was possible that Gayagoys death was orchestrated by drug offenders in thearea who were afraid of the victim. It was learned that before he was assigned to the Novaliches police station, Gayagoy

had been detailed with the anti-narcotics section of the QCPD Batasan Hills station.

Babagay said that the victims family had mentioned that Gayagoy previou sly received threats from a drug suspect hearrested while assigned with his former police station.

The Novaliches station commander assured that all possible angles behind the killing would be investigated.

Before Gayagoys death, two other Quezon City po licemen were gunned down and killed since last month.

On December 5, last year, SPO4 Edward Torio was ambushed and killed while he was driving to work on his owner-type jeepney along Commonwealth Avenue.

Torio was overall supervisor of Task Force Commonwealth, tasked with conducting clearing operations against illegalsidewalk vendors on the major thoroughfare.

Just last week PO1 Aldrin Castro, of the QCPD District Police Safety Battalion (DPSB), was on a motorcycle riding towork when he was shot dead by one of two motorcycle-riding men in Taguig City. The suspects then took hismotorcycle and his service firearm before fleeing.

By Jeannette I. AndradePhilippine Daily Inquirer

January 12th, 2014

Political News story - news concerned with the governments campaigns

Polls open in tense Thai national election

BANGKOK, Thailand Thail ands tense national election got underway Sunday with protesters forcing the closure ofseveral polling stations in the capital amid fears of more bloodshed a day after gun battles in Bangkok left seven peoplewounded.

The extent of disruptions was not immediately clear when polls opened nationwide. But there were early indications thatseveral hundred polling stations in Bangkok and southern Thailand, an opposition stronghold, could not open because

protesters had blocked the delivery of ballots or stopped voters from entering.

Whatever happens, the outcome will almost certainly be inconclusive. Because protesters blocked candidate registrationin some districts, parliament will not have enough members to convene. That means beleaguered Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra will be unable to form a government or even pass a budget, and Thailand will be stuck in politicallimbo for months as by-elections are run in constituencies that were unable to vote.
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The risk of Election Day violence remained high a day after seven people were wounded during an hour-long gun fightthat broke out in broad daylight at a busy Bangkok intersection Saturday between government supporters and protestersintent on derailing the polls. Among the injured was reporter for the local Daily News newspaper and American

photojournalist, James Nachtwey, who was grazed by a bullet in the leg.

The exchange of fire was the latest flare-up in a months- long campaign by protesters to overthrow Yinglucksgovernment, which they accuse of corruption. The violence crystallized the power struggle that has devolved into a

battle of wills between the government and protesters and those caught between who insist on their right to vote.

Under heavy police security, Yingluck cast her vote at a polling station in northeastern Bangkok, cheered on bysupporters.

Today is an important day, Yingluck told reporters. I would like to invite Thai people to come out and vote to upholddemocracy.

Voting was not as easy in other parts of Bangkok, where protesters vowed to fill the streets to prevent voters fromreaching polling stations.

At one of the more volatile districts of central Bangkok, a group of would-be voters in Din Daeng tried and failed to

push through a crowd of protesters.This is too much. I want to vote, said 42 -year- old Yupin Pintong, a Bangkok resident. I dont care if theres violence.I will be really upset if I dont get to vote.

The conflict pits demonstrators who say they want to suspend the countrys fragile democracy to institute anti -corruption reforms against Yinglucks supporters who know the election will not solve the nations crisis but insist theright to vote should not be taken away.

The protesters, a minority that cannot win power at the polls, are demanding the government be replaced by anunelected council that would rewrite political and electoral laws to combat deep-seated problems of corruption andmoney politics. Yingluck has refused to step down, arguing she is open to reform and that such a council would beunconstitutional.

Since protests began late last year, at least 10 people have been killed and nearly 600 wounded.

The political standoff in the streets meant the campaign, at least in the capital, was done without the usual billboards, posters and sound trucks, with the pre-election buzz focused on violence instead of policies.

How did we get to this point? asked Chanida Pakdeebanchasak, a 28 -year-old Bangkok resident who was determinedto cast her ballot Sunday no matter what happens.

Although unrest has already hit Bangkok and polling stations were not expected to open in some parts of the south,voting was expected to proceed smoothly in most of the country.

Police said they will deploy 100,000 officers nationwide, while the army is putting 5,000 soldiers into Bangkok to boostsecurity. More than 47 million people are registered to vote.

A power vacuum may entice the military to step in and declare a coup as it did in 2006, when Yinglucks elder brother,ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was deposed. Thaksin lives in exile but has remained a central and highly

polarizing figure in Thailands political strife ever since. The rural majority in the north adore him for his populist policies, such as virtually free health care, while Bangkoks elite and many in the south co nsider him and his family acorrupting influence on the country. Protesters say Yingluck is a puppet of her billionaire brother.


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Another possibility is what is being called a judicial coup. Analysts say the courts and the countrys independentoversight agencies all tilt heavily against the Shinawatras political machine, and Yinglucks opponents are alreadystudying legal justifications to nullify Sundays vote.

From Philippine Daily Inquirer

February 2nd, 2014

Event News story- occasions and holidays (New Year, Christmas, anniversary, etc.)

No Christmas break for policemen

Like Santas elves, policemen will be kept busy manning their shifts during the Christmas holid ays.

Director-General Alan Purisima, chief of the Philippine National Police, yesterday said policemen will not break for theholidays and are instead will be keeping watch over communities. The countrys top cop was in Cebu yesterday to

preside over the command conference of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

We do our jobs this Christmas season because our fellow countrymen need us, that is why we dont have vacation, hesaid.

The number of crimes did not increase during the holiday season in the past years because of police visibility, Purisimaexplained, also reminding the public to be vigilant against thieves.

We are enhancing our operations for the different activities this Christmas. Taon -taon may ginagawa tayong hakbang para mabawasan ang krimen sa mga simbahan, he added.

After the conference, Purisima led the recognition of seven police personnel for their outstanding performance.

The awardees were: Supt. Alet Virtucio, Insp. Fortunato Villafuerte and PO1 Albert Jucom of Bohol, Supt. Rex Deriloof the regional intelligence division, and Insp. James Conaco, SPO2 Meliton Agadier and PO2 Pepo Ansag of Cebu

province.

He lauded the Central Visayas policemen for their organized and well thought-out response to the recent calamities.

By Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

December 15th, 2013

Flood News story- the event is about flash floods and/or land/mudslides

Davao landslides, floods kill 14

DAVAO CITY, Philippines At least 14 people died while 34 others were hurt after landslides and flashfloods brought by a low- pressure area struck towns that are still recovering from the devastation of typhoon Pablo.
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The Office of Civil Defense-Southern Mindanao said four persons from Monkayo, Compostela Valley and a residentfrom Lupon, Davao Oriental, have been reported missing.

A six-year-old girl was killed while 10 others were wounded after a series of landslides hit the mining area of Mt.Diwata in Monkayo town on Sunday.

Another four-year-old-child was killed in the nearby village of Babag in the same town.

Three miners were also killed and one person was hurt in Sitio (sub-village) Bango, Barangay (village) Ngan, inCompostela, Compostela Vice Mayor Reynaldo Castillo Jr. said.

The OCD added that another resident was killed in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, also in Compostela Valley. Thevillage was one of the hardest-hit by typhoon Pablo. Meanwhile, a 70-year-old woman was killed by landslide inTagbaros village, Maco town in Compostela Valley.

In Davao Oriental, five people were declared dead while 23 others were wounded in the village of Bangol in Tarragonatown. Another resident died in the nearby village of Tubaon.

A resident was also killed in the village of Marayag in Lupon town.

Meanwhile, 25,634 families or 128,215 persons are temporarily taking shelter in 79 evacuation centers in 16municipalities and two cities in the region.

At least 33 roads and bridges were damaged making the search and rescue operations harder for the emergencyresponders.

Some 1,971 families or over 7,000 persons have been staying in evacuation centers in Compostela Valley, and most ofthe roads there are still impassable to light vehicles, according to Raul Villocino, provincial disaster action officer.

In Davao del Norte, 1,508 families or 5,760 individuals were evacuated to safer ground as rivers, particularly Saug angLiboganon, swelled from waters heading downstream, Romulo Tagalo, provincial information officer, said.

The junction of the Pan-Philippine highway in Bincungan, Tagum, was also rendered impassable as water from themountains already reached downstream, Tagalo said, even as he called on residents to heed government calls toevacuate.

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario also ordered the suspension of classes throughout the province due to the bad weather, Tagalosaid.

Several local government units (LGUs) in Davao del Norte, have been placed under a state calamity, so funds could beused in providing help to affected areas.

In Surigao del Norte, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Gilbert Gonzales said several areas

were also flooded, while a person was reported missing, Gonzales said.

On Monday, evacuations of residents continue as flooding persisted in several towns in Compostela Valley and Davaodel Norte.

The LPA was last observed 70 kilometers southwest of Cagayan de Oro City, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysicaland Astronomical Services Administration said at its 10:30 a.m. weather advisory.

Pagasa said the LPA would bring cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms over Caraga,Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern and Central Visayas and Bicol region.


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MANILA, Philippines- The militarys Light Reaction Regiment will be activated tomorrow, Thursday, during the 23rdFounding Anniversary of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) at its headquarters in Fort Magsaysay in NuevaEcija.

With the activation, the former battalion would be expanded into a regiment composed of six companies which would be put under the command of Colonel Teodoro A. Llamas, who was provisionally activated on January 1.

Formerly known as Light Reaction Battalion, the Light Reaction Regiment would include the 4th Light Reaction

Company which is expected to be activated this year while the 5th and 6th Light Reaction Companies would be formednot later than 2015.

In an earlier statement, Army Chief Lieutenant General Noel Coballes said that the battalion has proven its mettle in thecountrys counter -terrorism efforts during the Zamboanga siege.

Among the units expertise are hostage rescue operations, special reconnaissance, special operations target interdiction,direct action operations and counter-terrorist operations.

By Bong LozadaINQUIRER.net

January 15th, 2014

A newswriter must:

have paper and pen for taking down notes be ready for actions, if someones to be interviewed be alert; knows whats happening around him be persuasive in knowing the truth

look in every details of the event fully understand the topic he will write know the background or history of his topic be responsible for what he writes not confuse the readers

Principles on Effective Writing according to Philippine Press Institute (PPI):

Think first, then write Get to the Point Use Familiar Words Omit unnecessary words Keep your sentences short Shorten your paragraph Use specific, concrete language Prefer the simple to the complex Be positive Use the active voice Write as you talk Use adjectives sparingly
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Revise and sharpen Write to express, not to impress Odds and ends

Tips for newswriters according to Alito L. Maliano Be inquisitive Be constant with your purpose

Be fair and balanced Be genuinely interested in people Seek the truth Be resourceful Have guts Master your grammar Know your medium Read

Contents of a basic news story

Lead:

-it tells the reader what the news is about, and includes who, what, where, when and why

- better if its composed of less than 35 words

-attracts readers to continue reading

-usually the first sentence of the news story

-gives the most important information about the event (this is often called a summary lead according towww.gwu.edu.com)

- should be supplied with facts, quotes and statements that supports the information

Types of Leads:

- Summary Lead -states the topic directly; most used in newswriting

Aquino flying to KL Feb. 27 for state visit

MANILA, Philippines President Aquino will fly to Malaysia on Feb. 27 for a two-day state visit on the invitation of

the Malaysian king and the prime minister, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.

Aquino will be welcomed by Tuanku Abdul Halim, Malaysias king (Yang di -Pertuan Agong) or head of state, who willhost a state banquet for the President.

Aquino will meet with Prime Minister Najib Razak and they are expected to discuss the coming signing of theComprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, as well as matters of mutual concern between the Philippines andMalaysia, including political, economic and defense cooperation, the DFA said in a statement.

The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the Annex on Normalization, the lastof the four annexes of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro on Jan. 25.


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Malaysia has hosted and facilitated the GPH-MILF peace talks since 2001 in Kuala Lumpur.

Aquino will also keynote a Business Opportunities Forum with the Malaysian business community, where he isexpected to highlight the Philippines positive economic growth and invite them to invest in the country, particularly inMindanao. He will also hold meetings with Malaysian businessmen and corporation heads.

The President will meet with the Filipino community in Kuala Lumpur, and encourage them to promote Philippineinterests and help raise the countrys profile as resilient and a viable investmen t and tourism destination.

This will be Aquinos first visit to Malaysia. Najib visited the Philippines in October 2012, upon the invitation of thePresident, to witness the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Not all is well between the two countries, however. Sabah remains a sore point.

In February last year, the state of Sabah in Malaysia was invaded by armed fighters of the Sultanate of Sulu to enforcethe latters claim to the land. At least 68 people were reported killed in the four -month standoff with Malaysian securityforces that ensued.

The Philippines, whose claim to Sabah remains dormant, denounced the attacks.

By Jerome AningPhilippine Daily Inquirer

February 21st, 2014

- Novelty Lead -used in some events particularly those under the human interest

Heart-warming messages to patients etched in snow

MINNEAPOLIS At ground level, the patted-down snow doesn't look like much. But from the hospital windowsabove, the messages are quite clear. The latest are the words "love" and "believe," along with a peace symbol. Each timethere's fresh snow, there's a new message.

And the huge messages on the frozen Mississippi River are giving patients at St. Cloud Hospital a lift.

Nurse Mary Habiger has seen a man and woman in snow shoes stamping out the messages. She says the mystery manand woman seem well organized and plan their messages in advance.

Habiger tells there are lots of family lounges in the hospital that face the river. So even if a patient's room doesn'toverlook the river, they can view the messages from there.

By Associated Press

February 11, 2014

- Punch or astonisher lead - a short but snappy sentence
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The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting,"We want Floyd! We want Floyd."

"I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.

Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before -- win a belt in a seventhweight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistentlyfrom 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.

The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.

"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."

He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive.Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 -- as Cotto.

"I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.

Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.

Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and thenknocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.

That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.

November 15, 2009

The Associated Press

- Direct quotation lead -taken as exactly as the said words from a certain person

Sotto bewildered by uproar over legality of online libel

MANILA, Philippines Whats wrong with libel? so asked Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III amid protests onthe Supreme Courts decision declaring online libel constitutional.

Sotto, who proposed the online libel provision in the Cybercrime Law, said he could not understand the uproar against

online libel when a similar law on libel is being imposed on journalists.

You are all subject to libel while only a few bad eggs will be subject to online libel. They are only few because majority of netizens are responsible. There are only a few malicious bad eggs, he told reporters on Wednesdayin mixed English and Filipino.

Why should these malicious bad eggs be given the right to ruin the reputation of people when you, journalists, have tofollow the law? Thats the question that they have to answer. Whats wrong with libel ?

They have completely misunderstood the word libel. Akala ko pa naman marurunong sila, samantalang kami iskul bukol lang e naiintindihan naming yung Revised Penal Code. Ano ba sila? he said.


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Sotto rejected perceptions that online libel runs counter with the freedom of expression. He said freedom of expressionis alive and kicking in the Philippines.

He also dismissed allegations that the passage of the cybercrime law, particularly the online libel, was meant to protectlegislators, who had been the target of criticisms online.

Why will I need protection from them? They need protection for themselves, I mean the bad eggs, the malicious badeggs, Sotto added.

By Maila AgerINQUIRER.net

February 19th, 2014

- Descriptive lead -made up of sentences that purely describes the event

Quake kills 52 in Negros Oriental

DUMAGUETE CITY At least 52 people were killed when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Negros and Cebu provinces shortly before noon Monday, causing landslides and huge cracks on highways, and violently shaking buildings, officials said.

A three-story building collapsed, while seven bridges were rendered impassable, they said.

In Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, at least 29 people were feared dead following a landslide in Barangay (village)Planas, Mayor Ernesto Reyes said in a phone interview. He said there could be more fatalities in other barangays.

They were buried in 30 feet (10 meters) of soil. If you had been buried from noon until now (6 p.m.), I dont expectyou to be alive, Reyes said.

Rescuers dug with picks and shovels trying to reach dozens of people trapped under houses that collapsed, according toThe Associated Press (AP).

Ten others died due to a landslide at the Guihulngan national road, Reyes said.

Governor Roel Degamo said a 9-year-old girl, Bernadette Raidan, died when a wall collapsed in Tayasan town.

Twelve other fatalities were listed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Eight werefrom Guihulngan, one each from Jimalalud and Bindoy towns, and two from Tayasan.

The earthquake, which struck at 11:49 a.m., was located 5 kilometers northwest of Tayasan town in Negros Oriental,and was tectonic in origin. It had a depth of 10 km. The US Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.7.

In Manila, Malacaang urged the people affected by the earthquake to remain watchful and calm, and to cooperate withthe authorities while the threat of immediate dangers appears to have passed.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) toassess and collate the extent of the damage and casualties, and to provide the necessary interventions, his spokesperson,Edwin Lacierda, said in a statement.
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Tsunami warning

The temblor also prompted a tsunami warning from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs),alerting residents near the coastal areas of Negros and Cebu to watch for unusual waves but not requiring anyevacuation.

The alert was canceled after no further reports of unusual sea level changes were received after the two-hour extendedobservation period.

But more aftershocks could be expected in the next few weeks in areas near the epicenter, according to Ishmael Narag,officer in charge of the Phivolcs seismology division. As of 1 p.m. Monday, Phivolcs had recorded 16 aftershocks.

The quake triggered another landslide in the mountain village of Solongon in La Libertad town, also in Negros Oriental.An unknown number of people were trapped, said Inspector Eric Arrol Besario, the town police chief.

Were now getting shovels and chainsaws to start a rescue because there were people trapped inside. Some of themwere yelling for help earlier, Besario told AP by phone. Three key bridges in the town cracked and were no longer

passable, he said.

The earthquake sent shoppers scrambling under tables and workers and students rushing out of their buildings in citiesof Negros and Cebu.

Classes in all public and private schools in Negros Oriental were suspended, while businesses in Dumaguete City wereclosed.

Building cracks

In Negros Occidental, the earthquake caused cracks in the city halls of Sagay and Cadiz, and the city hospital andgymnasium of Himamaylan.

Big waves damaged two houses and an ambulance fell on its side in Barangay Martilu, La Libertad, according to MayorLawrence Limkaichong. Two houses were also reported damaged in the town of Jimalalud, some 100 kilometers northof Dumaguete.

Huge waves washed out five bamboo and wooden cottages from a beach resort in La Libertad, but there were no reportsof injuries, said Superintendent Ernesto Tagle. Elsewhere along the coast, people rushed out of schools, malls andoffices.

Two people died in another town close to the epicenter, Tayasan, including a child when a concrete fence of a housecollapsed, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defense.

Church wall collapse

Another child was killed in a church when a wall collapsed during a funeral in Negros Orientals Jimalalud town, MayorReynaldo Tuanda said.

Tayasan police officer Alfred Vicente Silvosa told AP by phone that aftershocks were preventing people from returningto their homes.

We are outside, at the town plaza. We cannot inspect buildings yet because its dangerous, Silvosa said. I felt the building shaking, so I rushed out of the building. Our computers, shelves, plates, the cupboards, water dispenser allfell.

A three-story office building also collapsed in La Libertad, but occupants escaped.


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Scared cops

The Negros Oriental police chief, Edward Carranza, said police rushed out of his building when the quake struck. Allmy personnel ran out fearing our building would collapse, he said.

Now its shaking again, he said as an aftershock hit. My keychain is dancing.

In Negros Occidental, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered the suspension of work and classes in all public

and private offices and institutions. He, however, directed the citys disaster team to be on alert and to inspect buildingsfor cracks.

In Iloilo City, employees and students rushed out of offices and classrooms as buildings swayed. Classes in the city and province were suspended in anticipation of aftershocks. Government employees were sent home in the afternoon.

A blackout occurred in the city, but power was normalized at 3:45 p.m.

The earthquake was slightly felt in Boracay Island and a few Mindanao and Luzon provinces.

Medical attention

Guihulngan Mayor Reyes said about 100 people were injured and brought for treatment to Guihulngan District Hospitaland neighboring district hospitals.

Reyes said Guihulngan had about 100 patients who are in need of immediate medical attention. We need to transportthese patients to Bacolod, Cebu or Dumaguete but our roads and bridges are impassable, he said.

Food and medicines were waiting in the provincial capital of Dumaguete, but the aid could not reach the villages inneed because of damaged roads and bridges.

There is a Canadian and an Indian doctor who are here for an earlier scheduled medical mission and its a good thingthey are helping us, Reyes said. They have some medicines with them but that may not be enough.

All bridges and roads leading to the north and south of the city were damaged, leaving it isolated, he said. Theseincluded the bridges of Martilo in La Libertad, Pangaluan in Jimalalud town, and Tinayonan in Guihulngan.

Many buildings were damaged, he said. The Landbank building is leaning on one side while a portion of our publicmarket collapsed.

Cracks appeared along sections of the national highway and on public and private buildings, the Provincial DisasterRisk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement.

Series of quakes

The first earthquake occurred at 11:49 a.m. with a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of 20 km. The epicenter was located 72km north of Dumaguete, 74 km west-northwest of Tagbilaran City and 80 km west-southwest of Cebu.

A second tremor hit various areas in the Visayas at 12:03 p.m. at a depth of 34.8 km. The epicenter was located 62 kmnorth of Dumaguete, 69 km west-northwest of Tagbilaran and 84 km southwest of Cebu.

Still, a third tremor was felt at 12:20 p.m. with a magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 34.8 km. The epicenter was located 71km south-southeast of Bacolod City, 84 km west-southwest of Cebu and 84 km north of Dumaguete City.

Bobby Caete of the local Phivolcs station in Palo town in Leyte said that the series of earthquakes felt in the regionwas caused by the movement of the Philippine Sea Plate diving down under eastern Philippines along the Philippine


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Trench. With r eports fr om Jhunn ex Napall acan, Carla Gomez and Nestor B ur gos Jr ., Inqui rer Vi sayas; Chr istine O.Avendao and Leil a B. Salaverr ia in M anila; and AP

By Alex Pal, Florence Baesa, Inquirer VisayasPhilippine Daily Inquirer

February 7th, 2012

- Question lead -a question pertaining or leading to the topic

A post Yolanda Christmas

Why do these things happen? It cant be explained. There are so many things we cannot understand. In these momentsof suffering, dont shy away from asking why?

Pope Francis to Filipinos

After six million Jews died in an attempted genocide by the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s, many grappled with thequestion whether it is still possible to talk of a good God after the Holocaust. More pointedly, it was said that the test oftheologys authenticity is whether it can explain the victimization even of infants in gas chambers.

The unspeakable tragedy experienced by the Jews was human-made. The issue of a loving God and suffering can even be more puzzling in the face of natural disasters. The question was raised when an earthquake hit Lisbon in 1755, killing50,000 people. More recently, the same problem was posed when an earthquake in the Indian Ocean resulted in atsunami that killed more than a hundred thousand people in 2004 and when another tsunami hit Japan in 2011. DoesGod choose which areas disasters can strike? If yes, what is the basis of the choice.

There are those who show much self-righteousness in their certainty that a calamity like Yolanda was brought about byGod because of some ungodly laws recently passed. As if they have answers coming straight from heaven, these people

believe that God is punishing us for our wrongdoing which they are not a part of. But in the quote above, Pope Francisshows empathy with the victims as he too wrestles with the qu estion of the whys of Yolanda.

We see the different approaches of the self-righteous and of Pope Francis in the story of Job in the Old Testament. Jobwas pious and upright. Yet, he experienced enormous misfortunes: He lost his family and his property and he himselfwas afflicted with a serious physical ailment. The friends of Job told him that despite external appearances, he musthave grievously sinned since such tragedies could not have fallen on a righteous man.

Job, on the other hand, raised a questio n, Why me? He believed that if tragedies are punishments from God, hissuffering was undeserved.

Unfortunately, God did not give a direct and categorical answer to Job.

Maybe, there is really no intellectually satisfying answer and thus we continue with the struggle with one of the mostimportant questions we ask every time we encounter human suffering: If God is loving and powerful, why is theresuffering? Could not a powerful and loving God at least command the waters and the winds to temper their destructivetendencies?

To these questions is added the problem of absurdity and fairness: Why is this poor country that contributes onlyinfinitesimal percentage points to total global warming more prone to what could be its effects?
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The usual answer, oftentimes given without much thought, is that although God does not will disasters as such, Godallows these to happen for a greater good. But one who lost his family and friends will find his suffering too heavy a

price for whatever greater good that can be achieved. If the greater good is to make Filipinos more generous and united,why should the people of Eastern Visayas suffer? Besides, can not the greater good be achieved without muchsuffering?

An interesting idea is that nature itself has the capacity to make decisions which may contradict the will of God. Toillustrate this idea, we point to the sad fact that we humans often go against what we ourselves believe to be Gods will.But cannot nature do the same? Did the raging waters and the all-powerful wind defy Gods will?

We will never have definite answers to these questions. Indeed, some would say that it is idle to speculate on how themind of God works. Some thinkers have a valid point in asserting that instead of asking why there is suffering and pain,let us focus our energies on fighting against unnecessary suffering.

However, asking the question may be unavoidable for a sincere believer who experiences tragedies. The Pope asks us tokeep asking the question why. The question can in fact turn into our own prayer, a heart-to-heart conversation with God.

If the question remains unanswered, still we have the greatest consolation: that God suffers with us. As we celebrateChristmas, let us remind ourselves that it is basically a story of God who assumed our human limitations when he

participated in the rough and tumble world of human affairs. That God is one with us may not alleviate physicalsuffering but may give us assurance that suffering is not the last word.

Yolanda may have sent tens of thousands of people to tents but the infant Jesus also was in a manger, perhaps togetherwith foul- smelling sheep. Yolanda may have forced people to go to other provinces away from natures wrath; but Jesuswas also forced to go to Egypt away from the intent of Herod to massacre infants. The victims of Yolanda may have feltfurther victimized by political machinations; Jesus was born in the context of a census whose purpose may have beenthe systematization of an oppressive tax collection. The victims of Yolanda may have experienced the absence ofelectricity for weeks but the Israelites then were also hoping for a light in the midst of darkness.

The message of Jesus to the victims can be, I am a fellow victim. Let us cry together. But together, we hope for a bette r

world.

By Fr. Ramon D. EchicaCebu Daily News

December 29th, 2013

Background

-is there any history or background the reader needs in order to understand how a problem or action occurred?

Impact

-whenever possible, the writer should explain how the news affects the readers. The impact sentence or paragraph should answer these questions:

- What is the significance of the story?

- What in the story makes the reader care?
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-not all stories can show a direct impact on readers, but they should all have a clear paragraph explaining thereason for the story.

Elaboration

-supporting points related to the main issue con stitute elaboration. These can be statements, quotes or moredetail to explain what happened, how, and why the problem or action occurred.

Ending

-the most common type of ending is the future action (statement or quote that summarizes previous information; basically let the readers to think their own best way of what they are going to do in the future)

-avoid summary endings that repeat what you have already said if possible

Officer Outreach Program Shatters StereotypesBY JAMES MAGDEN

Elk Creek, Alberta Any mention of teenagers and police officers in the same setting generally conjures up images ofwild house parties getting busted which is precisely the image Sgt. Karin Occino wants to change.

Starting September 1, the Alberta Polic e Station is organizing daily office hours, officially known as Officer Hours,that place a designated sergeant at the high school for an hour each day in an effort to improve relations between teens

and the police in town.

There wasnt always such a strained relationship with the kids in this town, said Occino. A few years ago, themajority of teens and youths knew most of the officers by name and viewed them as a source of protection. Now it

seems like were distrusted seen only as the bad guy that comes out and ruins their fun. Thats not how its supposedto be.

Senior class president Carly Roy fully endorses the idea: Having access to an officer who can answer our questions and just maintain a presence in the school will be a really great step toward keeping things friendly between us and the cops.

They wont just be these stiff, mean people who are out to get us. It wont be an us vs. them thing anymore.

Officers Roger Filmore, Cecilia Moore, and Guy Perrier have already volunteered to spen d time in the high schoolsguidance office from 3 to 4 pm and talk to students on a first-come, first-served basis.

I remember being a kid, said Sgt. Filmore, and if you dont know an officer personally, its really easy to see us asintimidating or a s jerks, depending on what youve been hearing from other kids, siblings, or parents. I dont want thereto be any kids who dont come to us because they think we dont care. Were not just here to stop crime; were here to

keep you safe in every way possi ble, even if that just means giving advice.

This initiative comes after the Police Commission revealed statistics that indicate the number of infractions issued toyouths and teens in town has more than doubled over the last five years.

Alberta High Sch ool Principal Hillary Souza says she worked with Sgt. Occino on the initiative and she couldnt behappier that the idea has come to fruition.

This is a wonderful idea. Not to shine my own shoes here, but I think its just what these kids need, said Sou za.


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There have been some students here in the past who have gone astray, unfortunately. I know for a fact that, if they hadhad a positive authority figure present, they would have stayed on the right track.

Here are some useful tips in newswriting:

Copyread/Proofread many times

Checking the article many times will help you impress your readers/ the company where you will submit yourentry. You may need the help of other copyreaders/proofreaders to double and triple check your story.

Start strong

Your headline, summary and first paragraph should clarify your news. The rest of your news should provide thedetails. You only have a matter of seconds to grab your readers' attention, so you want to capture it with a strongopening.

Write professionally

Make sure not to agree with one side. A news writer must not give his opinions. The information you will giveshould be based on truth, not on speculations and simple observations. False accusations will affect your readers

beliefs. This will show that a news writer is doing his work professionally.

Pick an angle

When you write a news release, pick an angle that will ensure the announcement is timely. Make sure that yourrelease has a good news hook. Tying your news to current events, recent studies, trends and social issues bringsrelevance, urgency and importance to your message. However, there may be cases where the past is questioned. Eitherits untimely interesting or just the continuation of a postponed event.

Illustrate the solution

A news writer may suggest a solution to the problem. If the solution is based on real life experiences, thereaders will understand more that your solution may not be perfect, but its the best.

Stick to the facts

Tell the truth, not rumors. Avoid bluff, flowery words and exaggerations. Speculations as informations willdegrade your article. The writer may be filed a case if the details he wrote is not true. This will help the readers to judgethe situation fairly.

Use active voice

Verbs in the active voice bring your story to life. Rather than writing "entered into a partnership," use"partnered" instead. Do not be afraid to use strong verbs. Writing in this manner helps give life and energy to yourcomposition, which may make your article unique from the others.

Use simple words

Using complex words will bore your readers. Long words and headlines will make your article rejected.Eliminate unnecessary adjectives, too much flowery language or redundant expressions such as "added bonus" or "firsttime ever." Make each word count. If you can tell your story with fewer words, you'll have better results with yourreaders.


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:a threatened housekeeper, Enrique Hill, 19 years old , when I checked the hallway, one of the robbers whackedmy back and tied my hands at my back, and my feet at the post

Why: an artifact, costs about 1.5 million pesos was known to be kept inside the house

How: the robbers sneaked at the back door, penetrating the house. They left without the artifact.

Activity 4

Compose a news story having a summary lead using the information below:

When: last Tuesday

Where: Agno River

What: saved a 9-year old girl from drowning

How: swa m approximately 200 yards to rescue the girl when the boat shes riding capsized

Who: Elmer Ariarte, a senior member of varsity swimming team of the Philippine National University

:Ramona Roxas of Paco, Manila; daughter of Mr. Vicente`and Mrs. Lourdes Roxas

Why: the girl stood in the boat causing it to overturn

:Ariarte heard the girl scream as she fell


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Copyreading

- correcting an article to be published in a newspaper. Accuracy of facts and events, as well as thecorrectness of language especially in grammar must be observed in news articles for the stories to be effective.

A copyreader uses heavy pencils for the corrections to be easily seen and understood. He must not rewrite thearticle itself. He just needs to write the symbols exactly on where the correction is to be made; unlike in proofreadingwhere the marks are placed on the margin.

A copyreader must:

be able to identify the errors in an article know the different symbols used and their purposes (according to Carolyn Boccella Bagin and Jo Van

Doren)

What to Copyread: errors in fact grammatical errors errors in structure errors in style false and libelous statements against someone or something rebellious matters opinions in the news redundancy technical terms, jargon in news

Here are some tips by Carolyn Boccella Bagin and Jo Van Doren: Never copyread your own copy. Read everything in the copy straight through from the beginning to end. Copyread backwards to catch spelling errors. Read pages out of order. Have another copyreader to copyread and double check. Have someone read numbers while you check hardcopy. Take short breaks so you can concentrate more clearly. Alter your routine. Make your marks legible and understandable. Have a list of errors you spot over a span of time.

Tools a copyreader must have for resources (according to Alito L. Malinao)

Dictionary Telephone directory City or country map Atlas for geographical names and locations File of all newspapers Listing of news personalities with their contact numbers Newspaper stylebook, if theres any

Title Line


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- used to identify the works easily from others works when copyreading.

Follow the title format across the top of the first page of your article:

Date as mm/dd/yy STORYTITLEmmdd Your Name

Here is an example of a story about an airport on May 24, 2007:

05/24/07 AIRPORT0524 Jim Matheny

Slugline

Slug line uses a word that describes the story in UPPERCASE followed by the 4-digit date when you wrote the story.The date portion of the slug has the month and day. The entire slug and date combination CANNOT exceed 13characters total and CANNOT include spaces or special characters.

The example of a story slug is about the airport written on May 24, 2007:

AIRPORT0524

*If there are multiple versions of your story or you have more than one bite, the date of the slug is followed by alowercase letter, starting with the letter a.

Here are story slugs for three different versions of the airport story written on May 24, 2007:

AIRPORT0524a

AIRPORT0524b

AIRPORT0524c


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Symbols used by Copyreaders: Note: If there are more than two errors in a word, it is better to cross it out and write the correct word.


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The man they call MVP was honored as , PSA Executive of the Year for his role in bringing the fiba Asia

Championship to Manila for the first time in three decades, which eventually paved the way for Gilas Pilipinas return to

the world basketball stage.

By Cedelf P. TupasPhilippine Daily Inquirer

January 26th, 2014

Activity 3Copyread the passage and have a classmate copyread it again. When the teacher checks, compare your first and secondwork with the last one.

China crushes tonnes of seized ivory

The Chines government has croushed more than six tonnes of seized ivory including complete tusks and

carvings as part of a global efort to thwart a worrying rise in elephant poaching.

Ilegal killing of African elephants are at near-record levels, driven in part by demand in an increasingly wealthy

Asia Although there is a legal ivory market in China, munch of the ivory poached in Africa is smuggled into the country

and sold on the market black.

Today 6.2 tonnes of ivory was thrown into two crushers in Dongguan as the government symbolized its stated policy to

crack down on the illegal trade

The event, the first public ivory destruction in China, was to demonstrate the countrys determination to dis

courage illegal ivorytrade, protect wildlife and raise publice awareness said Zhang Jianlong, deputy head of the STATE

FORESTRY ADMINISTRATION (SFA), acording to state news agency Xinhua.

The move has been welcocomed by wild life groups.

We congratulate Chinas gover ment for showing the world that elephant poaching and illegal ivory consumption

is unacceptable, said Cristin Samper, presiedent of the Wildlife Conservation Society, in a statement. If China were to

destroy the remainder of its ivory stocks and lead the world by committing not to buying ivory in the future, it would have

a transformative, impact positive on the survival of African Elephant s.

Last month the US government destroyed a similar weigt of ivory in its own public crushing.
http://sports.inquirer.net/byline/cedelf-p-tupashttp://sports.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirerhttp://www.nature.com/news/nations-fight-back-on-ivory-1.14247http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-01/06/c_133022927.htmhttp://www.nature.com/news/a-cabinet-of-illegal-curiosities-1.14185http://www.nature.com/news/a-cabinet-of-illegal-curiosities-1.14185http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-01/06/c_133022927.htmhttp://www.nature.com/news/nations-fight-back-on-ivory-1.14247http://sports.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirerhttp://sports.inquirer.net/byline/cedelf-p-tupas


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06 Jan 2014 by Daniel Cressey

Activity 4

Copyread the editorial below using the symbols for copyreading

Honor in the PMA

Three not unconnected moments from the annual homecoming rites of the Philippine military Academy last Saturday:

Former senator Panfilo Ping lacson caled on his fellow PMA alumni to live by the academys honor code, Secretary

Manuel Mar Roxas II joined the parade of alum mni as an honorary member of the Class of 1984 and members of

the Class of 1976 denied reports that controversial businessman Cedric Lee had ever been adopted as an honorary

classmate.

Mr. Lee is not connected, is not associated and is not a member [of our class, which is] being dragged into this

controversy, Edgardo Acua, a retired police general and president of the class, told the Inquirer.

Lee is the al leged master mind behind thebeating of TV personality Vhong Navarro. The reports stemmed from

Lees business partnership with police officials, including at l east one from the Class of 1976 Most of us do not know

him, Acua said.

Roxas did not break newground when he marched at t he PMA rites; the academys tradition of allowing each class and

the alumni association as a whole to bestow honorary membership on civilians, especially businessmen celebrities and

politicians, is a longstanding one.

It is also unfo rtunate. The idea is to link members of a class or of the alumni association as a whole with

influential civilians; the consequence has been to cheapen the worth of a pma education and to reinforce the continuing

politicization of the military Consider, for instance, the situation at the homecoming last year, an election year: Vice

President Jojo Binay, leader of the United Nationalist Alliance, and businessman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., founder of the

Nationalist Peoples Coalition, took their oath as honorary members of the PMA A lumni Association. Four of the

senatorial candidates who went on to win in May 2013 (Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, JV Ejercito nd Cynthia Villar)

were either honorary class members or the spouse of one
http://blogs.nature.com/news/author/Daniel-Cresseyhttp://blogs.nature.com/news/author/Daniel-Cressey


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The problem is widespread, and respects no political boundaries. In 2010, another election year, the four sisters of

presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III were indu cted as honorary members of the Class of 1980.

This tradition adds layers of complication to Lacsons speech as homecoming guest speaker. He drew a more or less

accurate portrait of the moral test that PMA graduates face when enter ing active service. Every single day of our lives

after graduation becomes a test of endurance, not of physical [trials] but of ou r moral strengths, Lacson said

The idealist still very much armed with academy virtues suddenly comes face to face with practically

everything that is op posite of what was taught on thge hallowed grounds of Fort Del Pilar coruption, treachery and

cowardice.

So when young grad ates encounter in their fields of assign ment some upperclassmen whohad already

succumbed to the temp tations of misplajced values or had countenanced [such acts], the efects [on the young graduates]could be very frustrating if not disastrous he said.

The description is notunproblematic bec ause of who is doing the describing. Lacson, in 2001, very soon after

the start of his first term in the Senate, had a famous encounter with another PMA alumnus, defense secretary angelo

Reyes. An editorial on the incident summarized t he matter thus: Which, as a matter of public concern, is more important

to the nation? The hnor code of the pma [as invoked by Lacson], or the rule of law as symbolized in the oath that Reyes

took?

theres more. Lacson during his second term went into hiding rather than face an investigation into his alleged

role in the double murder case of Estrada publicist bubby Dacer and his dri ver Emmanuel Corbito. In this same space, we

wrote: We add our voice to the practically universal call for La cson to submit himself to the legal process if onlyto

show that the constitutional injunction that all men are equal before the law is for real; and ones position in government

no matter how lofty, does not put anyone above the law

In other words: It is good that lacson has put the spotlight on the PMAs honor code again. As we can siee from

the misuse of the honorary-member system, how ever, we regret that Lacson didnot go far enough, and acknouwledge that

the PMAs highest values courage, integrity, loyalty must serve even higher ends


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Philippine Daily Inquirer

February 16th, 2014

Activity 5

Copyread the editorial below using the symbols for copyreading

Solving unemployment

It is saddening that despite the rapid economic expansion for the past two years, millions of Filipinos remain un

employed. This is wha t economists refer to as jobles growth, a phenomenon that afflicts many developing countries,

debunking the myth that economic growth automatically translates to employ ment and poverty reduction

Halfway into his six-year term, PRESIDENT Aquino last week challenged his Cabinet to come up with an action

plan for poverty reduction, mainly through job generation. He presided over a rare full-Cabinet meeting after a Social

Weather Stations survey showed that the unemployment rate in 2013 had worsened to twenty seven point five percent,

equivalent to an estimated 12.1 million, as 2.5 million Filipinos joined the ranks of the jobless between September and

December. And yet the economy expanded by 7.2 percent, the second- fastest in Asia after Chinas.

There are several pro posals to address unemployment, but sadly, there are no short-term ones. These measures

are well known to the AQUINO administration and its predecessors. These involve structural reforms that will make it

conducive for investors to put money in factories and brick-and mortar industries. Only recently, the Asian Development

Bank, in a pub lication titled Taking the Right Road to Inclusive Growth, reiterated that the Philippines failure to boost

its industrial sector was a key reason its economic growth remained far from being inclusive.

The Philippine economys chronic problems of high unemployment, slow pove rty reduction and low investment are

reflections of the sluggish industrialization, the ADB said, pointing out that it is the industrial sector, which includes

manufacturing, that should drive the economy to substantialy reduce unemployment and poverty. Economic groweth

during the past years had been fueled by the service sector, mainly the business process outsourcing industry. According

to the ADB, the industrial sector, compared with the service sector, has the better ability to create more job opportunities

for the poor and a much higher multiplier effect on the economy. The ADB suggested more government support for the

industrial sector through investments in education, skillls training and infrastracture to acheive inclusive economic

growth.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirerhttp://opinion.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirer


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Philippine Daily Inquirer

February 17th, 2014

Activity 6

Copyread the archive below using the symbols for copyreading.

Sotto bewildered by uproar over legality of online libel

MANILA, Philippines Whats wrong with libel so asked Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III amid protests onthe Supreme Courts decision declaring online libel constitutional

Sotto, who proposed the online libel provision in the cybercrime Law, said he could not understand theuproar against online libel when a similar law on libel is being imposed on journalists.

You are all subject to libel while only a few bad eggs will be subject to on line libel. They are only few

because majority of netizens are responsible. There are only a few malicious bad eggs, he told reporters on Wednesday inmixed English and Filipino.

Why should these ma licious bad egs be given the right to ruin the reputation of people when you, journalists,have to follow the law? Thats the q uesf tion that they have to answer. Whats wrong with libel ?

They have complet ly misunderstood the word libel. Akala ko pa naman marurunong sila, samantalang kami iskul bukollang e naiintindihan naming yung Revised Penal Code. Ano ba sila? he said.

Sotto rejeeted perceptions that online libel runs counter with the friedom of expression. He said freedom ofexpression is alive and kicking in the Phil lipines.

He also dismissed allegations that the pasage of the cybercrime law, particularly the online libel, was meant to protectlegislators, who had been the target of criticisms online.

Why will I need protection from them? they need protection for themselves, I mean the bad eggs, the malicious bad eggs, Sotto added


February 19th, 2014

Activity 7

Copyread the archive below using the symbols for copyreading.

Moves to decriminalize libel gaining momentum at Senate
http://opinion.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirerhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/byline/maila-agerhttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/source/inquirer-nethttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/source/inquirer-nethttp://newsinfo.inquirer.net/byline/maila-agerhttp://opinion.inquirer.net/source/philippine-daily-inquirer


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MANILA, Philippines Moves to decriminalize libel are gaining momentum in the Senate after the Supreme Court has

affirmed the legality of online libel.

Among those pushing to decriminalize libel are Senators Francis Chiz Escudero and Juan Edgardo Angara, who have

pending bills on the issue.

Neophyte Senator Grace Poe and even Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III, who proposed the online libel provision in

the Cybercrime law have openly expressed support for such measure. Angara, in a statement on Wednesday, renewed his

call to abolish prison time for the crime of libel.

I have been pushing for lighter penalties for libel even before the passage of the Cybercrime law. I think this has been the

trend worldwide to decriminalize libel, He said.

Though I agree that libel committed online should be penalized, as provided in the Cyber crime Law and as ruled by the

Supreme Court, I dont think these offenders should be imprisoned, said Angara, one of the authors of the law when he

was a member of the House of REPRESENTATIVES.

When he was congressman, Angara filed the bill decriminalizing libel. He also initiated the same measure when

he became senator.

In a country where democracy is primarily infringed on the freedom of speech and expression, in a State where the media

is considered the fourth state, it is a sad reality that existing laws on libel have not been attuned to the evolving needs of

the people under a democratic rule and the rising importance of media in effecting transparency and accountability in

governance, he said.

To imprison a person convicted of libel might preclude him or her in the future from digging into issues and

concerns, that with deep investigation, might expose anomalies and abuses, he further said.

Escudero also pushed for the approval of his pending bill, decriminalizing libel.

I am in favor of decriminalizing libel, ibig sabihin kung may liability, civil na lang (it means that if theres a liability, it

should be civil only), he said in a interview Teusday. Poe added her support for the passage of the proposed measure.

Iam in favour of decriminalizing libel. Hence, my support for pen ding bills in the Senate seeking to do, she said in a

text message.


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Sotto said he was also in favor of decrim inalizing libel but said the civil liability should be increased.

Im supporting decriminalizationj ust raise the civil liability, he said in an interview Wednesday.

Senator Ferdinand Bong-Bong Marcos Jr., mean while, urged the Se nate to act on pending bills amending the

Cybercrime Law.

Marcos himself has filed a bill 11 seeking to scrap the provision on the law that imposes a penalty for cyber libel

higher than the penalty imposed under the Revised Penal Code for libel committed through the traditional media like print

(newspapers) and broadcast (radio and television.

The Internet, particularly social media, is the closest thing we have to Athenian brand of democracy where everyone can

speak his mind freely. I think the Senate should give a high priority to bills seeking to protect freedom of expression in

cybe rspace, he said in a statement

If a crime is committed by, through and with the use of information and communications technologies, then the

penalties provided under the present laws should be imposed accordingly and should not be increased solely on the

ground that the crime was perpetrated through the use of cyberspace, he pointed out.


February 19th, 2014

Activity 8

Copyread the archive below using the symbols

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