What, Why, When, How, Where and Who

Read the following by Write or wrong? by Richard Bailey on writing in public relations. Here are my views for what it’s worth.

Journalists are interested in stories — and stories have a set structure. They are written in this manner so that in the process of producing a newspaper, TV bulletin or radio broadcast they can be easily edited by the production team.

Rudyard Kipling wrote:
" I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who."

Every story appearing online, on screen or on paper must include:

Who is central to the story, who is doing what to whom?
What event, action, decision has been made or is about to be taken?
Why has it happened?
When has it happened? Yesterday equals news, tomorrow equals scoop.
Where will it impact?
How did it happen?

If it does not include any of these it will be amended to do so. Help the journalists by having these facts available.