They say to write like a jouralist ask who, what, where, when, and why. What mo

1. 67

   davenmidtownposted 12 years ago

   They say to write like a jouralist ask who, what, where, when, and why.  What more could we add?
   
   Reading national newspapers, magazines, and even some hubs, I notice that some writing leaves me asking questions that should have been answered in the article. What other aspects do you feel should be mandatory in hubs? Obviously there are certain writing styles or article styles that this would not apply too.  Apply this question to your local news, news papper,  magazine or hub.

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2. 71

   eye sayposted 12 years ago

   never ask a question that can be answered with just a yes or a no ...

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3. 85

   Maralexaposted 12 years ago

   When considering hubs it's not 'mandatory' but I believe we could add:  What's Next.? Who will/could do something about this?  Local, national and global news is frequently spiced up for readership.  It seems that many articles are not big on 'why', or they need more indepth coverage.

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4. 61

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   I think the key to it is the "why" of it all.  That is where the meat of the story lies, fiction or nonfiction.  Why did XXX do it, why was he angry, or why did he kill the bank teller?.  Those questions rarely can be answered by cold facts and become the focus for many writers.

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5. 59

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   To whom did it happen,
   What happened,
   Why did it happen,
   When did it happen,
   Where did it happen.
   Make a name for yourself and think of another question that will capture all the elements of a story.

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6. 78

   drbjposted 12 years ago

   In addition to Who, What, Where, When and Why, often it is valuable for the reader if you add How!

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7. 82

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   I disagree with the notion that we should write like professional journalist online for a few reasons - most journalism is dry factual stuff, there's a lot of value in facts - don't get me wrong., but I use link capsules to other sites to help to provide the verification for the facts that I present.
   
   I think that to be successful online you need to be more entertaining than wikipedia - you need to give your readers more than that, otherwise, it's not entertaining - it's encyclopaedic.

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8. 82

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 12 years ago

   Read good newspapers and follow their styles. Journalism is way more than the Who, What (etc) list. We research facts and present things objectively. Use quotes and attribute them. Newspaper journalism is third-person (there are a few exceptions, but you can't go wrong with third-person). Take opinion out of it, but you can have a slant - just so it's not biased. Editorials are different - they're opinion, but need to reflect facts, too.
   
   Magazine journalism is very different. Fewer quotes, some us of second-  or even third-person style, can be chatty and less formal at times.
   
   Read what you hope to model after & you'll start seeing the style to follow.

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