5W1H Formula: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? These six questions make the news much easier to write and make people understand easily.
For example 1, if you are collecting or covering business news or any news for the newspaper, you will need to know:
- Who: Who are the founders, partners, individuals, company, etc.
- What: What is the company about? is it a textile, stationery, software company, etc.
- When: When is the company launching date? When is the meeting, when is the next product launch? etc.
- Where: Where is the company address? where is the proposed project development? Were is manufacturing unit? etc.
- Why: Why investors should invest in your company? Why people should give business to your company? etc.
- How: How shareholders manage/support this company? How many ways does your company get revenue? etc.
For example 2, if you are collecting or covering crime/robbery news or any news for the newspaper, you’ll need to know:
- Who was the victim of the robbery?
- What was stolen?
- When did the robbery happened?
- Where did the robbery take place?
- Why did the robbery take place/ reason behind it?
- Was the robber caught?
- How did the robber get to catch? etc
Asking these questions or pointing these questions will increase the quality and clarity of the incident, event, subject, etc. Of course there will be many other questions to ask, but these are the key questions to know the basic or primary details.
5Ws and 1H formula is not only used by journalist or journalism. It is also used in business, education etc...!
