WRITE LIKE A NEWS HOUND!
JOURNALISM
This style of writing is informational and is used in newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online.
5 WS AND H
News writing always starts with the 5Ws and H: who, what, where, when, why, and/or how.
WRITING THE LEAD
The “lead” is the first sentence of the article and gives as much important information as possible. The reason for this is that newsreaders or listeners want their information fast. They may not want to read or listen to the whole article. They are looking for facts so they know the news fast. Notice that this is very different from essay writing or fictional writing. There is no introduction. Nothing is saved for the end.
Here’s an example:
President Lincoln died this morning after a fatal gunshot was fired at Ford’s Theater in an apparent revenge shooting by Southern sympathizers and famous actor John Wilkes Booth.
President Lincoln (who) died (what) this morning (when) after a fatal gunshot (how) was fired at Ford’s Theater (where) in an apparent revenge shooting by Southern sympathizer and famous actor John Wilkes Booth (why).
Write a lead for this event:
WHO: Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant
WHAT: surrender of the Confederates to the Union/ the war is over
WHEN: April 9, 1865
WHERE: Appomattox Courthouse, front parlor of Wilmer McLean’s home in Appomattox Court House, Virginia,
WHY: Lee had abandoned the Confederate capital of Richmond and city of Petersburg, hoping to escape with the remnants of his Army of Northern Virginia, meet up with additional Confederate forces in North Carolina and resume fighting. When Union forces cut off his final retreat, Lee was forced to surrender, finally ending four years of bloody sectional conflict.
HOW: Grant arrived in his muddy field uniform while Lee had turned out in full dress attire, complete with sash and sword. Lee asked for the terms, and Grant hurriedly wrote them out. All officers and men were to be pardoned, and they would be sent home with their private property–most important to the men were the horses, which could be used for a late spring planting. Officers would keep their side arms, and Lee’s starving men would be given Union rations.
Quieting a band that had begun to play in celebration, Grant told his officers, “The war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again.” Although scattered resistance continued for several weeks, for all practical purposes the Civil War had come to an end.
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WRITING THE BODY
Inverted pyramid
A news story breaks the rules of essay writing. Information is included without much creativity. The most
important information is given first and least important is last. This is called an inverted pyramid.
Paragraphing
Paragraphs are short coming every one or two sentences which makes the story easier
to read.
NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY
Cut out and glue a newspaper story here. Highlight the lead sentence.
Who: ______
What: ______
When: ______
Where: ______
Why: ______
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How: ______
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