Inverted Pyramid Style

How to write a news story

My Six Servants

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.

Rudyard Kipling

The Lead: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How

GUELPH (CP) -- Joseph Castiglione of Hamilton was fined $250 yesterday after pleading guilty to five charges of turning off heat to tenants in two apartment buildings in nearby Fergus.               HOW Castiglione was charged under the Land- lord and Tenant Act after five tenants who received eviction notices mailed on Jan. 14 complained that electricity and heat had been cut off in their apartments on Feb. 6.

NORMAL WRITING STYLE: BUILD TO A CLIMAX

THE INVERTED PYRAMID STYLE OF NEWS WRITING

Activities:• Five W Identification:

Clip the lead or first two or three paragraphs/sentences from a front page news story. Following the procedure used in the "Joseph Castiglione" story above, identify the 5Ws+H in the story.

• Headline Swap: Clip an interesting news story. Clip off the headline and swap headlines with a classmate. File the rest of the story in your Portfolio. Write a news story based on the headline you have received from your classmate. When completed paste the actual story and headline above your work.

Fairy Tale Assignment:• Nursery Rhyme:

Write your favourite nursery rhyme as a news story, i.e. Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, Snow White, Cinderella, Humpty Dumpty, etc. Use the inverted pyramid and 5Ws style of news writing. Identify the Ws used in your lead.  

Bad Fall Injures ChildrenIt was reported by a reliable source last night that Jack and Jill Jones both fell down a slippery hill. The twelve year old twins were sent by their mother to get a bucket of water. In returning, Jack fell down, hit his head on a rock and received a slight concussion. Jill apparently tripped over Jack, and in falling down, received a skinned knee. The two were taken to county hospital. Jill was treated and released. Jack remains in satisfactory condition and will probably be released tomorrow.