Beyond the 5 W’s: What Should You Ask Before Starting a Story?

Deciding how to get a story started has always been a challenge for me but referring back to the article by NPR’s Alison MacAdam about the questions beyond the 5 w’s has been an insightful breakdown on the questions you should ask before you start writing a story. 

The questions presented in my infographic are questions you should ask yourself in addition to the 5w’s: who, what, when, where, why and (a bonus, how). These questions are all fundamentals in what you should ask yourself before starting a story. 

What will your audience remember when it’s over?

You can build your stories to have the impact you want them to have — by keeping in mind what you want the audience to remember and working towards it as you report, write and produce. (And yes, you should always be prepared to pivot when you learn new things in the course of your reporting.)

Alison MacAdam former Senior Editorial Specialist with the NPR Training team.