News Values
People who are famous are more newsworthy than people who are not.
What is prominence?
Contains the least important information.
What is the tail?
This W/H finds out the reason something has happened.
What is Why?
Only start the lead with this when the timing of an event is crucial to the story.
What is when?
An event or situation that affects the people in the community and it is important they know about it.
What is impact?
Words from someone who witnessed the event in the story.
What is a quote?
This W/H helps the reporter discover the method by which something happened.
What is how?
This focus in a lead features the reason something was done.
What is why?
Something out of the ordinary with an odd twist.
What is novelty
This is generally less than 30 words and may be one or two sentences.
What is the lead?
This W/H involves the people in the story.
What is Who?
If this is at the beginning of the lead, the person is probably prominent.
What is who?
Something that happens near you may be more important than something that happens far off.
What is proximity?
The facts that are woven between the quotes.
What are transitions?
This W/H has to do with timing.
What is when?
If a lead features this element, the location is either very famous or very unusual.
What is where?
Debates, team sports, political campaigns, city council meetings, nearly always have this.
What is conflict?
The structure of the news story
What is the inverted pyramid?
This W/H gives the information about the event that gives the reader or viewer an idea of the circumstances.
What is what?
Leads that feature this show that the method used was important.
What is how?