Journalism 101 - Introduction to News Writing

The Five Ws and One H:

These are the fundamental questions a news story should answer to provide readers with essential information and context. They include:

1. Who: Identifies the people or organizations involved in the story. This can include the main subjects, victims, witnesses, or sources.
2. What: Describes the event or issue being reported. It is the core of the story and outlines the main action or occurrence.
3. When: Specifies the timing of the event or issue, which could be a specific date, time, or timeframe.
4. Where: Indicates the location where the event or issue took place, such as a city, building, or specific site.
5. Why: Explains the reason or cause behind the event or issue. This often provides context and helps readers understand the significance of the story.
6. How: Details the process, method, or means through which the event or issue occurred. This can include specific actions, steps, or strategies.

Inverted Pyramid Structure:

The inverted pyramid structure is a writing technique used in news writing to present information in a hierarchical order. It prioritizes the most important information at the beginning of the story, with progressively less important details following. This structure has three main parts:

1. Lead: The first paragraph of a news story, which should grab the reader's attention and provide the most important information (usually the Who, What, When, and Where). The lead is crucial, as it encourages readers to continue reading the article.
2. Nut Graph: The second paragraph that explains the significance of the news, providing context and background. It typically addresses the Why and How questions and may offer additional details on the main subjects or events.
3. Body: The remaining paragraphs of the story that elaborate on the details, providing supporting information, quotes, and additional context. These paragraphs follow a descending order of importance, ensuring that readers get the most essential information first.

The inverted pyramid structure benefits both readers and editors. For readers, it allows them to quickly grasp the main points of a story, even if they don't read the entire article. For editors, it makes trimming stories for space easier, as they can cut from the bottom without losing the most critical information.