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THE 5Ws and H of News Writing/Inverted Pyramid Adapted from UIL website Nancy Gibson – Journalism I

The 5Ws and H of News Writing

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Page 1: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE 5Ws and H of News Writing/Inverted Pyramid

Adapted from UIL websiteNancy Gibson – Journalism I

Page 2: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "who" lead - If the "who" is a person (place or thing) well known, it is usually the feature of the lead. The name alone attracts attention. Unless one of the other elements is particularly outstanding, the "big name" comes first.

Use this one rarely because it deals with a person and the person is most probably not the story.

Page 3: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

Coach Bubba Steroid, who led Pine Valley to four consecutive district football championships, announced his retirement in order to sell used cars door to door.

THE “WHO” EXAMPLE:

Page 4: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "what" lead - Refers to the happening or occurrence that makes an item worth reporting. The what might be the election of a public official, an automobile accident, a crime or the announcement of a decision or survey.Begins with the fact of the story.

Page 5: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE “WHAT” EXAMPLE

The Pine Valley School Board voted to suspend popular coach Bubba Steroid after he was caught last week trying to sell whole-life insurance and used cars to fourth graders.

Page 6: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "where" lead - On rare occasions, the "where" is significant enough to overshadow the other W's.

Use this rarely as the “where” is not generally that important.

Page 7: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE “WHERE” EXAMPLE

In the living room of his mobile home, Principal Seymour Skinner stood in front of his prized velvet painting of Elvis Presley and renewed his recommendation that courses in the study of "the King" be required in order to graduate from Pine Valley schools.

Page 8: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "when" lead - Rarely is the time of an event the most interesting feature. However, circumstances may make it significant.

Use this rarely as “time” is not the story.

Page 9: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE “WHEN” EXAMPLEWhen football coaches gather to talk about the team these days, their cocktail of choice may be Maalox. As they debates how to fire up a team that hasn't won a game in three years, one outcome is virtually certain: something good better happen quickly or they'll all be looking for new jobs next year.

Page 10: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "why" lead - The motive or cause of an event sometimes is the most important feature. Musician Shawn Phillips may not have had high school journalism in mind when he said, "Whether you're 14 or 114, one always needs to question the 'why' and the 'how' because otherwise you have died inside" but it makes a lot of sense.Begins with the cause the story.

Page 11: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE “WHY” EXAMPLE In an effort to teach Shakespeare to sophomores, English teacher Gina Hatley and science teacher Phil Barnes reenacted the love scene between Romeo and Juliet. "It's the only thing I thought they'd understand," Ms. Hatley said.

Page 12: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

The "how" lead - The method by which something is accomplished.

Begins with the how of the story. Use often.

Page 13: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

THE “HOW” EXAMPLE

By flunking every course, missing 62 days of class and assaulting two teachers, Junior Snively gravely endangered his eligibility for high school basketball.

Page 14: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

Let’s talk about news writing structure.

Page 15: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

Advantage: It condenses

information efficiently, letting

readers understand the

basics of what happened

quickly and easily

Disadvantages: It can get repetitive.It might discourage you from a more creative lead.It can get bogged down with facts and details.

Page 16: The 5Ws and H of News Writing

News WritingA better way …. The next structure is a modification of the inverted pyramid that allows for more flexibility and is easy for beginning journalists to use.

Use the Transition - Quote (L-Q-T-Q) model for most of your work in journalism.

Page 17: The 5Ws and H of News Writing