Dos and Donts in Writing the Headline

Dos
1. The most important information of the news story should be written in the
headline.
2. It should summarize the news story.
3. Use the S -TV DO pattern in writing your headline.
Wrong

Yolanda victims aided by international community

Better

Yolanda victims receives international aid

International community aids Yolanda victims

4. Positive headline is better than negative headline. Avoid using negative words
like not, never, and other negative words. Use negative words if it is important in
the news.
5. Omit or remove articles a, an, and the, and be verbs (is, are, was, were, am, be)
unless needed to make the meaning clear.
Wrong
Better

:
:

The illegal logging is the cause of continuous flooding

Illegal logging cause of continuous flooding

Wrong
Better

:
:

A Makati woman is donating 10M to Yolanda victims

Makati woman donates 10M to Yolanda victims

Wrong
Better

:
:

Obama new US President

Obama is ne US President

6. Use present tense for past stories and infinitive ( to + verb) for future stories
Wrong
Better

:
:

Makati woman donated 10M to Yolanda victims

Makati woman donates 10M to Yolanda victims

Wrong
Better

:
:

Pope Francis will visit the Philippines again

Pope Francis to visit Philippines again

7. Use a semi-colon (;) in joining two ideas

Wrong
Better

:
:

Wrong

Teenager falls from building but survives severe injury

Teenager falls from building; survives severe injury
TPES Rondalla wins Regional contest and enters in the
NMYCA finals
TPES Ronadalla wins Regional contest; enters NYMCA
finals

Better

8. Use a comma instead of and

Wrong
Better

Ramos and Aguilar to compete in Regional Science Quiz

Bee
Ramos, Aguilar to compete in Regional Science Quiz Bee

9. If the beginning of the headline is a number, write the number in figures or spell
them out unless it is hundreds or thousands. If the number is within the headline
and it is 10 and above, you can write it in number form.
Wrong
Better

:
:

5 Paezeno top 2015 UPCAT

Five Paezeno top 2015 UPCAT

Eighty seven thousand five hundred students to take 2015

UPCAT
87500 students to take 2015 UPCAT

Wrong
Better

10. If the headline contains names, write only the title and/or the surname of the
person or the prominent name. Do not write the full name of the person.
Wrong
Better
Wrong
Better

:
:

President Noynoy Aquino to visit TPES next week

Pres. Aquino to visit TPES next week
PNoy to visit TPES next week
Archbishop Leonardo Ramos inspires TPES students
Archbishop Ramos inspires TPES students

Donts
1. Avoid phrase and incomplete headlines
Wrong
Better

:
:

Buwan ng Wika
TPES celebrates Buwan ng Wika 2015

Wrong
Better

:
:

Pope Francis once again

Pope Francis to visit Philippines again

2. Do not give your opinion in the headline. Dont give adjectives unless written in
the fact sheet.
3. Dont repeat important words in your headline.
4. Dont use abbreviation of your own. Use only those that are common like DepEd,
TPES, DOH etc.
5. If you use an abbreviation, make sure you write the full word in your news story.
6. Do not abbreviate months and days unless followed by a number.
Wrong
Better

:
:

Malacanang declares Aug. holiday

Malacanang declares August 31 holiday
Malacanang declares Aug. 31 holiday

____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Several members of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) prevented Justice Secretary Leila
de Lima from leaving the Department of Justice (DOJ) compound along Padre Faura in
Manila Thursday afternoon.
About a thousand members of INC gathered outside the gate of the DOJ office
and blocked De Lima's black SUV from leaving.
They were protesting that the government should respect the separation of the
state and the church, and the freedom of religion of the INC.
De Lima was then forced to go back inside the DOJ compound.

____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
The Department of Education (DepEd) conducted a nationwide training for school paper
advisers and campus journalism coordinators as part of its preparation for the 2015
National Schools Press Conference (NSPC).
Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC highlighted the importance of adding digital
communication components in the Campus Journalism Program.
He said that doing so will increase the 21st century skills of teachers, thereby furthering
the media literacy of Filipino students.
The National Training of Trainers on Campus Journalism aimed to orient the school
paper advisers on the current trends and developments in campus journalism and
digital communications media, to enhance their journalistic skills and to update effective
school paper management and editorial techniques.

____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Taguig City is all set to host this years National Schools Press Conference (NSPC)
campus journalism tilt.
The competition slated for April 6-10, 2015 is expected to draw some 5,000 campus
journalists and their advisers from all over the country.
The NSPC will include competitions in individual news writing, scriptwriting and radio
broadcasting, photojournalism and collaborative publishing, as well as workshops for
non-contestants and school paper advisers.
On April 6, NSPC delegates will be welcomed at the Philippine Army Parade Ground for
the opening program, to be followed by a welcome dinner hosted by Mayor Lani
Cayetano at the Enderun Colleges.
The Taguig City government as host for this years NSPC is promoting the theme:
Empowering Resilient Communities through Campus Journalism.
For this years NSPC, the host region is the National Capital Region while the host
schools division is the Division of Taguig City-Pateros.

____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Selected Timoteo Paez Elementary School (TPES) students participated in the Division
Journalism Contest held at the Pedro E. Diaz High School last Aug. 22, 23 and 26,
2014.
The contest was held in preparation for the 2014 Metro Manila Young Writers
Conference and the Regional Secondary Schools Press Conference. It covers eight
categories: News, Sports News, Feature, Editorial, Science and Health Writing, Editorial
Cartooning, Photojournalism and Copyreading and Headline Writing.
The winners in the English Category are the following:
Aubrey Joy S. Sale (DLSZ 2017) 1st Place, Copyreading and Headline Writing
Ma. Carla C. Galenzoga (DLSZ 2019) -1st Place, Science and Health Writing
Emi G. Ito (DLSZ 2017) 3rd Place, Editorial Writing
Vynce Genica Q. Ong (DLSZ 2017) 3rd Place, Photojournalism
On the other hand, Nica J. Bangcuyo (DLSZ 2017), won first place in PhotojournalismFilipino Category.
Because of the number of medals that they have reaped, DLSZ placed Second Overall
in the High School English category.
The students are members of the Luntiang Binhi publication headed by Ms. Glenda Mae
J. Landa.

Write a news story with headline based on the following facts:

The cause of the fire is undetermined.
It happened April 5 at 6p.m.
P2.5 M worth of property was damaged.
Three persons died and five were reported injured.
John Duque, Christina Torres and Mary Anne Toledo
Fire in a commercial district in Quezon City
_______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

12 years in prison and P1 million pesos

The Philippine government - P100,000 a reward to anyone
information about the killer of Pamana
the Philippine eagle found dead in Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental
two months after it was released into the wild last June 12.

who can provide

_______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

INC members protest, block De Lima from leaving DOJ