Impulses
Cosmetics and journalism
Last week, I started chatting about the rudiments of campus journalism. It was indeed a decent first-aid presentation that yielded some nods from my school paper contemporaries in the recently-concluded Regional Schools Press Conference in Punta Villa, Iloilo City.
The attempt was supposedly intended for only a two-column publication and for the NSPC qualifying wannabees. Hence, I just trimmed it to some tiny winy subject matters, mostly on tips to win a journalism joust.
However, because it is too essential to be left hanging, I have decided to do a marathon discussion on the matter (campus journalism) and hope that people will get something from it (fingers crossed).
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For this issue, let me delve with page lay-outing a.k.a. the cosmetics science of "news papering."
This area is often set aside that causes readers to shun reading and just look into the details of the news (be informed, entertained, and enlightened) in the airwaves and in the boob tube.
I believe that the newspaper is still a sexy, fiery medium of information. And to make it so, aside from having juicy articles to satisfy the intellectual longings of the clients, a publication must also look spicy and hot in everyone's eyes that will push them to shout "wow, this is cool stuff to read!"
So, here it goes.
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We start by saying amen to this: that packaging the school paper is as important as taking a bath everyday.
Thus, page design gives the paper its visual appeal and personality, free from visual ridicule and filth. In addition to good planning and adequate coverage, attractive packaging or layout is essential to producing an effective publication (you know, the one that is read and kept, not thrown into the waste basket and rot).
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Newspaper packaging is the science and art of arranging headlines, stories, pictures and cutlines (captions) for the newspaper page. It is a science for it has some set of common sense-based (but not rigid) rules; yet, it is also a form of art for it also has space for creativity.
It is in this league that form and substance, matter and matter converge to form a journalistic masterpiece.
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These components of layout should be planned and arranged in order to display all stories, pictures, articles and cutlines according to their importance and to achieve correct pay-up and to make the pages attractive.
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In layout, especially the front page, the grading of the news is made obvious:
1. By the length of the story--length of the news story is one indication of its importance.
2. Position of headlines--the most important news is placed either at the top columns or at the top under the banner. Important news should never be placed on the lower half of the page.
3. The size of headlines is one indication of the importance of the news. Large heads are used for important stories.
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Now let us proceed to the principles of lay-outing.
1. Harmony -- To achieve harmony, every page should blend with the headlines complementing each other. The four components of layout should blend without one component overshadowing the other components.
2. Balance -- This principle operates by putting the larger unit nearer the center of the page. This is to avoid the page looking left or right heavy. Balance is also achieved by not putting all heavy materials like the nameplate, big headlines and big pictures all on the top or bottom of the page. This will make the paper look top or bottom heavy.
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3. Emphasis -- This is done by displaying the news according to its importance. The significance of the news is determined by its position or page, size and number of columns of the headlines. News stories that are placed above the fold are more important than those placed below the fold.
4. Proportion -- Headline, size of pictures and length of articles should be proportional with the size of the paper.
Longer text needs bigger headlines and should be laid out on two or more columns.
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5. Contrast -- The four components -- text, headline, pictures and cutlines -- should be contrasted through their sizes. Contrasting headlines (e.g. italics and Roman) help to emphasize which story is more important. A two-column picture on the top page can be contrasted by placing a three-column cut below the page. Contrast is achieved by using italic or light face on dark areas. Gray area should be broken by headlines. Contrast is achieved through variation in the shape and size of pictures, text, headlines and cutlines.
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For the do's and don't's in layout, the following must be considered:
1. Avoid the tombstone look -- Don't place two or more headlines of the same typeface side by side, lest they look like tombs.
2. Break tombstone by using pictures of boxes.
3. Avoid jump stories. It turns off readers.
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4. Avoid jumping stories to the top of columns. The top column should be used for headline or cut.
5. Avoid wide spacing between words in headlines. To improve appearance and readability, provide a space of one unit between words and one and one half on larger size.
6. Break longer text by using subheads to avoid grayness.
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7. Don't put a cut on the fold of the paper.
8. Start arranging the page from top to bottom.
9. Use just one typeface in a page. Vary the effect by using medium light.
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10. Use the S-pattern in displaying stories. Place the most important news at the top and the least at the tail of the pattern.
11. Put related stories and pictures together.
12. Use caps and lower case in headline construction.
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13. Don't anchor the picture, that is, avoid surrounding a cut with text.
14. Avoid making the paper look top or bottom heavy by distributing equally larger pictures and text in the page.
15. Be discriminating in the use of pictures. Posed pictures, mug shots or firing squad pictures are not suitable for publication. This must always be remembered by all the campus photojournalists out there!
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There are many types of page design. They are: the Perfect or Symmetrical Layout; the Brace or Focus; the Contrast and Balance or Occult; 4. Horizontal or Modular (the Daily Inquirer style).
I suggest the modular style for it is editor friendly and it is not tiresome to the readers' eyes.
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The Front Page. The front page is the show window of the newspaper. It projects the newspaper's personality. To create good-looking front page, one that is vigorous, authoritative and classy, the lay-out artist should plan how to effectively present the text, pictures, caption and headlines.
High school papers are advised to minimize the use of jump stories. Use the ears for announcements, teasers or late breaking news.
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An important component of layout is the use of pictures or cuts. Interesting cuts make the page attractive. There are guidelines in the use of cuts (pictures):
1. A cut may be used at the top of a column to provide contrast between two headlines.
2. If two cuts are related to the same story, they may be placed next to each other or one above the other.
3. A cut may be used under the shoulder of a multi-column head.
4. A cut should never be separated from the related story.
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5. The cut is the focal point of the page. Take pains to have arresting cuts that will serve this purpose.
6. Don't use a cut that is not related to the story.
7. Avoid bunching cuts at the bottom of the front page when the top page carries only light headlines and no cuts.
8. Don't surround cut with body type or text.
9. A cut should denote action, tell a story or elicit emotion.
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10. Use the present tense to describe action in a cutline.
11. Use pictures using good taste. Pictures to consider are those showing nudity, photos of human birth, suicides, youth offenders, deaths and gory or violent scenes.
12. Generally, vertical pictures are better than horizontal or square ones.
13. Always put a caption in the picture.
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Much has been said in lay-outing but I believe that all these things are worthless unless one goes to the press room and do the hands on. As always, there is no substitute to constant and correct practice.
For next week, let me delve more on the bare bones of news writing.
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Congratulations to Ateneo de Iloilo Grade School Journalism Team for grabbing the Overall Championship trophy in the Regional Schools Press Conference (that was participated in by about 200 schools in the whole of Western Visayas). The last time the Blue-and-White writers squad bagged this prestigious award was three years ago in Bacolod City. Since then, the team has consistently locked into the top three spot. I also send my salutation to the Ateneo High School Team for decently landing in the RSPC Top 7 Overall spot. The Jesuit-based school has earned seven of the 84 possible Region VI spots in the National Schools Press Conference set February, 2007 in Baguio City.
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To note, StarGlow School from Kalibo, Aklan also managed to clinch the Third Place Overall in the grade school division of RSPC '06. This is a very impressive performance for a first timer!
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On top of this all, I would like to personally commend the organizers and judges of the RSPC '06. In my honest rating sheet, this is, so far (in my six years of experience as a school paper moderator and coach), the only RSPC that has the most well-brought-up, systematic accommodation and arrangement, ever!
Of course, a lot of spheres must still be improved such as transparency in the area of judging, resolute and responsive governance of the regional advisers' and students' guilds, socials during the conference to ensure camaraderie among students and advisers, and other activities (such as trainings and minor multi-discipline contests) that can forge excellence and friendship among delegates.
Nevertheless, I give RSPC '06 an 8 (out of 10) for a satisfactory job.
(Herman Lagon may be reached through h_lagon@yahoo.com.)