WEEK THREE

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

There are six facts that must, in whole or part, be included in the lead. They are who, what, where, when, why, and how . They assist the reader to digest the most pertinent facts, and also assist the reporter in gathering the most relevant information about the story.

Who is self-evident, and deals with the identity of the subject of the story. However a story may have several who facts, and it is the journalist's job to choose the one that makes the most interesting angle, the strongest story.

What – ask yourself what happened? Often the what fact is the result of the story. No what fact, no story – there must have been a newsworthy happening or event. Who and what are the most important facets of the story – other questions may be left until the second para if necessary.

When – when did the event happen? It is common practice to include this in the first para, to let readers know you are up-to-date with the story and following developments.

Where – where did the story happen? Every story is different and the where fact may be more important in some than others. It may be an important factor in local papers.

Why – optional in many stories, for example a tornado is a force of nature, so pointless to say why it struck a town. Avoid being explicit if it is self-evident to the reader.

How – often very similar to why fact. Also optional, can be placed in second paragraph.