![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Where%252C_When%252C_Who%252C_What%252C_Why%252C_How%255E_-_NARA_-_534144.jpg/640px-Where%252C_When%252C_Who%252C_What%252C_Why%252C_How%255E_-_NARA_-_534144.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Five Ws
Checklist for a journalist's lead: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Septem circumstantiae?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
SHOW ALL QUESTIONS
The Five Ws is a checklist used in journalism to ensure that the first paragraph (the "lead") contains all the essential points of a story. As far back as 1913, reporters were taught that the lead should answer these questions:[1]
- Who?
- What?
- When?
- Where?
- Why?
- How?
Not to be confused with 5 whys.
For other uses, see 5W (disambiguation) and W5 (disambiguation).
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Where%2C_When%2C_Who%2C_What%2C_Why%2C_How%5E_-_NARA_-_534144.jpg/640px-Where%2C_When%2C_Who%2C_What%2C_Why%2C_How%5E_-_NARA_-_534144.jpg)
In modern times, journalism students are still taught that these are the fundamental six questions of newswriting.[2] Reporters also use the "5 Ws" to guide research and interviews and to raise important ethical questions, such as "How do you know that?".[3]