Chapter Three: The ‘Six Letter Secret’
It’s my hope that you will find some humor in this short book, especially in chapter three, but the intent of this chapter is to give you some hints for writing short articles and news items. Even if you do not wish to write for profit, there may be times where you have to write announcements for your club or your place of employment.
If you follow the path laid out by the little six letter secret, you will always by the author of a clear and effective article or notice.
Writing a clear, concise news article for publication is as easy as following a recipe. A simple formula ensures that you will include all the pertinent information.
It works for news and sports items as well as features. The name for this magic aid to journalism is, “The five Ws (and one H).”
Rudyard Kipling in 1902 first gave name to it, but the formula has been in use since the 1600s.
In “Just So Stories” Kipling said,
“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.”
Let’s take a fictional house fire in a small Northern Maine town, and apply the formula to pen a brief report.
Here’s the item as it might appear in a newspaper or an internet news roundup.
"A family of five escaped serious injury last night when fire destroyed their home.(WHAT).
The blaze broke out at four a.m. (WHEN) in the two story dwelling at 26 Chestnut Street in Fort Kent.(WHERE).
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Daigle and their two sons and a daughter (WHO) were awakened by their smoke alarm (HOW) and quickly dashed to safety in the chilly pre dawn hours.
Fire Chief Lucien Pelletier said that it appears as though the flames were ignited by a faulty electrical switch (WHY).
Three engines from Fort Kent worked the fire with help from the towns of Madawaska, and Frenchville. The home was declared a total loss. The fire inspector said it appears that the fire began in the basement and quickly spread to the upper floors.
He credited the smoke detector with saving the lives of the family. They were checked for injuries at a local hospital and are staying with relatives until they can find a more permanent place to live."
All of the important information was packed into the first paragraph. This is done because editors are notorious for trimming stories to fit into the space available.
For this reason your report must be written so that it can be cut from the bottom and still make sense.
In the above story, if the editor removes the second paragraph the item can stand alone and will still be readable.
If you decide to start your own blog and write articles about any niche at all - you can use the FIVE Ws and the H, to advantage. The formula will prevent you from making critical mistakes.
If you need to write announcements or news releases for your company or your club, make a check list and be sure to cover each W.
If you are looking for a great part time job, think about becoming a local correspondent for your hometown newspaper or online blog. They are often looking for people to cover municipal meetings as well as to report on sporting and social events. You will usually have to write no more than a few paragraphs and will get pretty good pay and gain status in town by meeting and working with local leaders and officials.