A reporter must tighten this line: "The mayor made an announcement that the new health center will open on Monday." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this news line: "Due to the fact that the river overflowed, classes were suspended." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "The barangay council held a meeting in order to discuss the flood control project." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "At this point in time, the relief goods are still inside the warehouse." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

A news sentence reads: "The fire completely destroyed the two-story building on Rizal Street." Which word can be cut without losing information?

A news sentence reads: "Officials said the hearing will begin at 9 a.m. in the morning." Which words can be cut without losing information?

A news sentence reads: "The reporter checked the past history of the contractor." Which word can be cut without losing information?

Tighten this line: "The council approved a budget amounting to the sum of PHP 250,000 for the repair." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "The award was received by the young athlete from the governor." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "There were about 300 residents who attended the town hall meeting." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "The typhoon caused damage to 40 houses in the coastal barangay." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "The nurse, who is a volunteer, checked the evacuees at the gym." Which version is shorter and keeps every fact?

Tighten this line: "It is expected that the bridge will reopen in June." Which version is shorter and still reports a forecast, not a certainty?

In news writing, brevity means cutting words that add no information, not cutting facts.

A shorter news sentence is always more precise than a longer one.

A news sentence reads: "Police said a lot of motorcycles were taken during the raid." Which words are too vague for a news report?

A draft reads: "The truck was going very fast when it hit the post." Which revision replaces the vague words with precise information?

A draft reads: "Officials said the repair will cost a big amount." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "The fire started in the early hours of Sunday." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "The relief packs contained stuff for the families." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "The rescued fisherman is a young man from the area." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "The mayor spoke to the crowd for a long time." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "A source said the repair funds were misused." Which revision makes the attribution precise?

A news sentence reads: "The vaccination drive reached a good number of children in the town." Which words are too vague for a news report?

A draft reads: "Classes will resume soon, the principal said." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

A draft reads: "The flood water was deep in some parts of the road." Which revision gives the precision a news sentence needs?

Which sentence is precise enough for the opening line of a news report?

A reporter cuts "after boiling" from: "Health workers said the water is safe to drink after boiling." What does the shorter sentence lose?

A reporter cuts "of the footbridge" from: "The council approved PHP 250,000 for the repair of the footbridge." What does the shorter sentence lose?

A reporter cuts "is expected to" from: "The bridge is expected to reopen in June." What does the shorter sentence now report?

A reporter cuts "Police said" from: "Police said the man stole the motorcycle." What does the shorter sentence now do?

A reporter cuts "About" from: "About 300 residents attended the hearing." What does the shorter sentence now do?

A news sentence reads: "The two workers both wore helmets." Which word can be cut without losing information?

A news sentence reads: "The hearing will be held in the month of June." Which words can be cut without losing information?

A news sentence reads: "Rescuers returned back to the shore at dawn." Which word can be cut without losing information?

A reporter cuts "a 45-year-old fisherman" from: "The rescued man, a 45-year-old fisherman, was brought to the health center." What does the shorter sentence lose?

A reporter cuts "because the river overflowed" from: "Classes were suspended because the river overflowed." What does the shorter sentence lose?

A reporter cuts "anonymous" from: "The PHP 5,000 donation came from an anonymous teacher." What does the shorter sentence lose?

A reporter cuts "only" from: "The health advisory covers Metro Manila only." How does the shorter sentence change?

An editor asks a reporter for a shorter story. Which cut is acceptable because it removes words, not information?