Your Story Is Written. But It Is Not Done Yet.
Think about the last time you submitted schoolwork without checking it first.
Maybe a misspelled name. Maybe a sentence that didn't make sense. Maybe a number that was slightly off.
Small things. But the kind of small things that stick.
Now imagine that in a published news article — read by your whole school, your teachers, your principal, and every parent who picks up a copy.
Grade 6 student Oliver Macaraeg just won the Quiz Bee. You wrote "Oliver Macaragay."
Oliver sees it. His classmates see it. His name is wrong in print. Forever.
That is why editing matters.
Every journalist does it — no matter how experienced they are. Nobody gets it perfect on the first try. The first draft is for getting your ideas down. The edited draft is where you make it good.
Three Ways to Edit Better
Before you run through your checklist, try these three techniques first.
The Complete Editing Checklist
Use this every time you finish writing a news article. Tap each item to mark it done. Use the reset button when you start a new article.
The Ethics Section Carries the Most Weight
Part 4 of the checklist is the most important. Let's go through each item carefully.
Attribution means saying exactly where your information came from — naming the source. Never let a fact float in your article without a name attached to it.
Balance means including different perspectives when a story involves more than one side. It doesn't mean you need to agree with every side. It means you give every side a fair chance to speak.
Plagiarism means copying someone else's work and presenting it as your own. If you found information in another article or website — write it in your own words. Put direct quotes in quotation marks and name the source.
Important: Changing one or two words in a copied sentence is still plagiarism. Rewrite it completely.
Libel means publishing something harmful and false about a person. It damages their reputation and can have serious consequences.
Before you write anything negative about a specific person, ask: Can I prove this is true? Do I have a verified source? If the answer is no — don't write it.
The Pre-Publish Ethics Check
After you complete the full checklist, answer these four questions honestly. You are ready to publish only when Questions 1, 2, and 3 are YES — and Question 4 is NO.
Pre-Publish Ethics Check
Answer every question honestly before you publish.
Fill in the Blank
Complete each sentence with the correct term. Then click Check My Answers.
✏️ Practice Time
Find errors in sentences, then apply the full checklist to a draft article.
Find the Error Tap the problem in each sentence, then reveal the corrected version.
Writing Practice — Edit This Draft Find all the problems, then rewrite the corrected version.
📎 Sample Rewrite (to guide you)
Headline: "Student Rescues Classmate from Drowning"
Lead: "Grade 6 student Alberta Cruz rescued a classmate from drowning yesterday afternoon at the school swimming pool."
Body: "School principal Mrs. Matet Garcia said, 'Alberta acted quickly and may have saved her classmate's life.' Alberta said she jumped in without thinking when she saw her classmate go under."
Next Step: "The school plans to formally recognize Alberta's action during next Friday's flag ceremony."
"Yesterday, the brave and quick-thinking student Alberta saved her classmate from drowning. The incident was handled perfectly by Alberta. It is said that she has always been the kind of person who helps others. Alberta claimed she acted without hesitation when she saw her classmate struggling in the water. The school pool is one of the best in the district."
The Problems to Find
| # | Problem Found | Rule / Checklist Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Heroic" in headline | Biased — Rules 1 & 5 / Headline check |
| 2 | "brave and quick-thinking" | Opinion words — Rule 1 |
| 3 | "was handled perfectly by Alberta" | Passive voice — Rule 4 |
| 4 | "It is said that" | Vague attribution — Attribution check |
| 5 | "claimed" | Loaded word — Rule 6 |
| 6 | Last sentence about the pool | Irrelevant — doesn't belong in this story |
Rewrite Scaffold
Lead: "[Who] rescued [What] [When] at [Where]."
Body: "[Name + title] said, '[Quote].' [Name] said [what she said — no loaded words]."
What's Next: "[Consequence or next step]."
🔍 Self-Check Guide
| What to Check | Done ✅ | Try Again 🔄 |
|---|---|---|
| I found and fixed all opinion words | ☐ | ☐ |
| I rewrote passive voice sentences in active voice | ☐ | ☐ |
| I added proper attribution where facts were missing a source | ☐ | ☐ |
| I replaced loaded words with neutral ones | ☐ | ☐ |
| I removed irrelevant sentences | ☐ | ☐ |
| My rewrite passes the Pre-Publish Ethics Check | ☐ | ☐ |
📊 Simple Rubric
Answers will differ for each student. Use the rubric or ask your teacher for help.
🧠 Rate It
Rate each sentence 1 (needs major rewriting), 2 (needs a minor fix), or 3 (ready to publish).