Regional Training of Trainers on Campus Journalism

Amontay Beach Resort, Nasipit, ADN

ELIENE Q. ALIPAO
RUBIE P. ROLUNA
Speakers
Title: Column Writing
No. of Participants: __ Male __ Female
No. of hours: 4 hrs.

Objectives: On this session, we will be able to:

1. Identify column writing from other articles/ forms
of writing
2. Participate actively in the activities and workshop
3. Compose a compelling column write-up
 Expected outcomes:
 Compose a column write up individually at
the end of the session
 Content:
 Differentiate Editorial with Column
 Definition of column writing
 Variety of column pieces
 Ethics of Column Writing
 Guiding principles of ethical decision-making
 Qualities of a Columnist
 Sample structure in column writing
 Steps to quality column writing
 References:
 Prof. Mykel Andrada, PhD
UP-Diliman; Pinoy Media Center, Inc.
 www.squeeze.ph
 www.google.com
 The Art of
Column Writing by Suzette
Martinez Stradring
 PRIMING ACTIVITY 1
 Pick out two words below that describe
your feelings today. Elaborate your answer.

happy excited sad enthusiastic

tired confident independent
great relaxed worried scared
Prepared stressed
 Activity 2-Group Task

Using meta cards write down

the similarities and
differences of an Editorial
Page to Column Writing
 Columna-latin;pillar(pantheon,great buildings)
 Vertical division of the page since mid-1400s
 Article giving opinions or perspectives
 500 to 850 words
 Editorial-opinion/stand of the newspaper or school
publication,or of the editors of the paper
 Column-opinion of the columnist,not necessarily
shared by the news.
 Also known as OP-ED
 Originally: OPPOSITE THE
EDITORIAL

 NOW: Opinion-Editorial
 VARIETY OF COLUMN PIECES
 1. National or Regional Issues
 2.Local/School Concerns
 3.Global Issues
 4.Human Interests

ENSURE THAT ISSUES ARE GROUNDED

AND CONNECTED TO NATIONAL/LOCAL
EXPERIENCE
 EXPERIENTIAL

 Personal is Political
 Personal insights should be tested against
facts
 No such thing as “This is MY OPINION”
 Even opinions should be based on facts,
not merely emotions
 Column writing promotes diversity
 DISCOURSE
 The ability or power to connect
seemingly unrelated matters

 Example:
 1.Duterte and Hitler
 2.Martial Law and No Hair Color Policy
 3.Heavy Traffic and Ants
 TURN INSIGHT INTO EXPRESSION

 Empower students to find their voice

 Teach them to learn, not to stock knowledge

 Teach them to express what they have

learned

 Encourage them to re-think their learning's

 ETHICS OF COLUMN WRITING

 You cannot succeed as a columnist unless you

combine your craft/skills with strong critical
thinking and sound ethical decision-making
 The more competent you are in ethical decision-
making,the more confident you will become in
your ability to meet the tests you face.
 ACCURACY AND FAIRNESS
 Accuracy means “getting it right”
 Fairness means pursuing the truth
with both vigor, compassion and
reporting information without
favoritism,self-interest or prejudice
 “The method is objective,not the
journalist.The key is discipline of the
craft,not the aim”.
 -Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel,The
Elements of Journalism
 COMMERCIAL BIAS

News is sponsored by advertisers. Does the news

presented reflect the advertisements embedded
within the media?
 TEMPORAL BIAS
 To be immediate and fresh, the news must
ever-changing even when there is little
news to cover.

News agencies look for "breaking

stories," often relegating old news to the
back page or leaving it entirely uncovered.
 VISUAL BIAS

Television and increasingly the newspaper is biased toward visual

depiction of news to exaggerate the issue. Including visuals will draw
the reader's attention. Do images presented evoke specific
responses? Do they prejudice the reader to view the news one way?
Good news is boring. This bias makes the world look like a
more dangerous place than it really is. This bias makes the
world look like a more dangerous place than it really is.
Plus, this bias makes politicians look far more crooked
than they really are.
 Writers will generally
develop a plot line -
beginning, middle, and end
- complete with
drama. News, however, is
rarely so tidy. Remind
yourself that stories you
read in the news are
"unfolding." If a story
captures your attention, its
best to follow that story
over a period of time.
.
 STATUS QUO BIAS
- It is an emotional bias; a
preference for the current
state of affairs. The current
baseline (or status quo) is
taken as a reference point,
and any change from that
baseline is perceived as a
loss.
-This manifests as a contention between/among political actors(also
narrative bias)
- Ethical journalism is, in theory, fair. When a controversy arises, reporters
will generally attempt to get the "other side" of the story. When a rebuttal
is reported, it can seem like the media is taking one side or another. Read
carefully to determine if presentation of both arguments is neutral.
Journalists especially television
reporters often assert
themselves into the stories
they cover. This bias helps
journalists establish and
maintain a cultural identity as
knowledgeable insiders
(although many journalists
reject the notion that follows
from this--that they are
players in the game and not
merely observers).
 EXPEDIENCY BIAS
 Journalism is a competitive-driven profession.
Reporters compete among themselves for prime
space or airtime.
 News is driven by deadlines. Those deadlines
sometimes mean that reporters will return to
experts they know well and have had successful
contacts with previously. This may slant news in
towards the political views of these experts.
 News organization compete for market share and
reader/viewer attention.
 CONFLICT OF
INTEREST
 When individuals face
competing loyalties to a
source or to their own
self-interest, or to their
organization’s economic
needs as opposed to the
information needs of the
public.
  Can take many forms, from
outright lying to misleading,
DECEPTION misrepresenting or merely being
less than forthright
 DIVERSITY
 About the make up of news
organization, who is making
decisions
 About the way story ideas are
developed
 About inclusiveness in choosing
sources
 About giving voice to the
voiceless
 PLAGIARISM

 “Great journalists credit

others”
- Aly Colon,Poynter
Institute
 HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM?

 Does this working sound familiar?

 Do I know where it came from?
 Have I arranged my notes so attributed material remains
separate from my own material?
 Can I document the source of my
information,description,or observation?
 Am I giving credit,or some indication,as to where this
material came from when appropriate?
 Have I doubled-checked the source of work?
 PRIVACY

 Need for free information flow vs. rights of

individuals to personal privacy
 Harm from invasion of privacy is almost
certain,but it is more difficult for a journalist to
fully identify benefits from intrusion
PRIVACY
 ACTIVITY 3 (GUESSING GAME)

Guess the word that is being described using

common terms in column writing. Write
your answer in the meta cards.
 Activity 1

 The following slides contain situations that

may require our ethical decision-making.
Give some ideas on how you will respond
to these ethical dilemmas.
 ETHICAL DILEMMA 1
You are embedded with military troops
conducting highly secretive operations VS.
insurgents.You receive information that
some civilians want to tell you about
military atrocities, in an interview to be
conducted at a site away from the troops.
But you were not allowed by the military
commander to leave the troops. What will
you do?
 ETHICAL DILEMMA 2
You have graphic photographs of victims of a
recent “terrorist bombing”.Your news outfit is the
only one who was able to take such photographs.
Will you publish these photos, which includes
bloody, severed limbs? The families of the victims
are at the moments too distraught/ cannot be
reached.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR ETHICAL
DECISION MAKING
 Seek the truth and reporting it as fully as
possible
 Act independently
 Minimize harm
 Be accountable
 GROUP ACTIVITY

Write down your ideas on the differences

between an ARTICLE and a COLUMN. Present
your answers in a form of graphic organizer.
What’s the difference between an
Article and a Column?
Articles Column
-Objective -Subjective

-Aims to inform audience of -Aims to give an opinion on a

an issue subject matter
-gives inside info or the
elaboration about the
subject/ issue/news that are
hidden to public view
“When news is in the wind,
readers, listeners and viewers,
lean into it, feeling for its
meaning, trying to detect its
importance to them and their
lives”
-Conrad C. Fink
 That’s when the columnist comes in
 Columnist
• report, analyze, comment, and personalize the
news.
• inform the readers of what he may not know
• form or help to form public opinion when he
comments with his logic, humor, emotion on an
issue of the day
• As an interpreter, columnist condenses the main
news into clear logical and effective sentence to
emphasize the meat of the story.
 UNIQUE ROLE PUBLIC ROLE

Responsibility to gather Building new models to help

information and present it to the citizens find ways to have
public power

Tell the community about Newspaper as an advocate,

significant issues so people can activist, agenda setter and
make important decisions in community convenor
their lives
 Qualifications of a columnists
1. Ability to write good English or Filipino (whichever is his
medium)
2. Originality, creative ability and imagination
3. Writing skill, a forceful, flexible style
4. Ability to observe keenly
5. Clear, logical thinking
6. Wide background
7. Resourcefulness
8. Have sense of fairness
9. Sense of humor
 Forms of writing used in columns

 The columnist is free to use any form of

writing. He may use the essay or story
form; on certain occasions, he may even
use verse.
 Purpose of Column
 Main Purpose – to inform, interpret and (to a large degree)
fiscalize (serve as arbiter) to explain the news. The
columnist has to explain their significance and consequence
by:
Giving the background
Determining whether it is an isolate case or a pattern
Pointing out how it will affect or not affect the readers
Pool together/ assess comments of readers from different
segments of the society
 To entertain readers
 Types of columns according to purpose
 Editorial column –any personal column in the
editorial page.
 Exchange/Reader’s column – column of
comments sent in by the readers
 Feature column
 Discussive articles
 Columns on various topics
 Business column
 Sports column
 Art column
Types of columns according to purpose
 Women’s column
 Entertainment column
 New products and inventions
 Personality
 Food for thought
 Book Reviews
 How to Do It columns
 Humor Column
Sources of materials
 Current news
 Observations
 Interviews
 Commendable projects
 People researches
 Investigations
 Sample Structure of a Column

 Headline (Title) –try to use some alliterations

ex. Filipino, Filipinos; Taong Tambay,Tumba
 By Line –Your name
 Lead (hook) – a shocking stat or rhetorical
question works well
-creatively introduce your topic
-clearly present your main point (50 words)
 Sample Structure of a Column
 Present your 2-5 supporting FACTS (250 words)
 This involves:
 Point – state the fact
 Proof – paraphrase or quote an external
source
 Analysis – comment on the proof presented
 Write about your OPINION on the facts you have
included (start with a strong stance). Comment on the
facts. Transition in to a personal experience (optional).
(250 words)
 Sample Structure of a Column

 Conclude by creatively restating your main

point.
 Finish with a statement linking to your lead
(a CALL to ACTION works well) (50
words)
6 Steps to Quality Column writing

 Strong reporting
 Curiosity
 Cutting edge instinct
 Have a heart (minimize harm)
 Develop a Voice
 Have Fun
Samples
 Workshop Proper
 Write a column article.You may use
some of the topics/ issues like:
1. Proliferation of fake news
2. The National ID system
3. Pres. Duterte’s health issue be publicized?
4. Effects of TRAIN law
5. Appointing Mocha Uson and rejection of Gena
Lopez

 Or any local issues you find interesting to give

your discourse
“How I learned to write is being a Voracious reader all my life” –
Mary McCarthy, The Daily News

I think of it as letting the voice that is YOURS, Out” –Ellen

Goodman, Boston Globe
I close my eyes before I write. Then I just say what’s on my mind”
–Ron Jackson, Kankakee Daily Journal
“Write Cinematically. Think of a lead as an opening shot of a
movie” –Stranding
“A good Ending should stay with you and make you think a little
bit” –Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press

Source:The Art of ColumnWriting by Suzette Martinez Stradring

 HOW TO DEVELOP A VOICE
 Have a point
 Stress the central conflict
 The 4-S formula
 Make it SHORT
 Make it SIMPLE
 Make it SOUND
 Make it SING
-Robert L. Haught (The Oklahoman)