Defining the Five Ws of Journalism

In the exercise of the journalistic profession, the news that is communicated must meet objective and clear criteria. Information is considered correct if the rule of the five W. This name comes from English, specifically from the expression Five Ws. Each of the W refers to a question that must be answered in the development of journalistic information: who (who), what (what), where (where), when (when) and why (why). Sometimes there is also a sixth question, how (how).

A rule used to evaluate the quality on the drafting of a news

The news that reaches us through the media of communication They can be classified in many ways, as there are surprising, interesting or boring. Apart from the subjective assessment of readers or viewers, the most relevant thing is the rigor of the information. The five W's are a guide for the journalist and for the one who receives the information.

Each of the questions or W must be answered adequately in the development of the news, otherwise the message transmitted is insufficient. The answers to each question must be clear, objective and without any type of

In journalistic jargon it is considered that the five Ws should have their corresponding answer in the "lead" of the news. The five questions do not have an established order, since their order depends on the style of the editor of the news. In the subsequent development of the news, each W is presented with a more detailed analysis.

The five Ws are related to writing a news item, but there are other guidelines that every journalist should follow

In this profession there are other rules or principles that every journalist should assume. First of all, the I respect to the truth (this includes avoiding false or misleading information, checking information sources, and correcting mistakes that have been made). Second, information must be disseminated honestly and taking into account the right to the information of the citizenship.

The journalist must also respect the privacy of minors and be responsible when reporting on sensitive issues (eg criminal activities).

As is logical, the editor of a news item cannot violate the intellectual property of others (plagiarism is one of the most unworthy strategies in the context of the journalistic profession). Likewise, the professional must respect the right to the presumption of innocence and should not use unworthy methods to obtain information.

If a journalist obtains information informally or with a "closed microphone", the professional and his / her source of information agree to a confidentiality agreement (this agreement is known as off the record). Finally, the information that is communicated should avoid profanity and the use of any term that may be offensive.

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