What Do You Say First?
Last chapter, you learned the 5Ws and 1H β the six questions every news story must answer.
Now you've got your facts. But here's the next problem.
You have six pieces of information. Maybe more. Where do they all go?
Do you just write them in any order and hope it works out? Nope.
There's a system. And once you learn it, you'll use it every single time you write a news story.
A Quick History
Back in the 1800s, journalists sent news over the telegraph β a machine that transmitted messages over long distances. Telegraph was expensive. Every word cost money. And sometimes the connection would cut out without warning. So journalists had to send the most critical information first. If the transmission got cut off? At least the important stuff was already through. That habit became a rule.
And it still makes perfect sense today. Most people don't finish reading an article. They stop when they feel they know enough. So if your best information is at the top, your reader gets it β even if they never reach the end.
The Three Parts of the Pyramid
Imagine a regular triangle flipped upside down. The wide part β the biggest section β is now at the top. That's your most important information. The narrow point is at the bottom. That's your least important information.
If a reader only reads one paragraph β this is the one.
Still important β but not as urgent as the lead.
Editors cut from here first if the article is too long.
Same Story β Two Very Different Versions
Same event. Same facts. But Version B puts the reader first. They learn the most important thing immediately β and everything after just adds to it.
- Most important fact first? No β buried at the very end.
- First sentence gives big news? No β it talks about practice.
- Stop after sentence 1 and know what happened? No.
- Most important fact first? Yes β they won the championship.
- First sentence gives big news? Yes β completely.
- Stop after sentence 1 and know what happened? Yes.
If your article got cut after the very first sentence β your reader should still understand what happened. That's the whole point.
βοΈ Practice Time
Put the inverted pyramid into action β rank sentences and build your own story.
Build the Pyramid Drag the sentences into the correct inverted pyramid order β most important first.
Writing Practice β Arrange Your Own Story Use the pyramid planner to write a 4β5 sentence story in the correct order.
π Sample Answer (to guide you)
"Barangay San Isidro held a free dental check-up for all elementary students at the covered court last Thursday morning. More than 300 students from San Isidro Elementary were checked by four dentists from the barangay health center. Barangay Captain Reyes said the program aimed to address the rise in tooth decay cases among school-age children. Parents were also invited to attend and learn about proper dental hygiene. The barangay has held similar programs twice before, in 2022 and 2023."
Step 1 β Fill in Your Pyramid Planner
| Level | What Goes Here | My Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | The biggest, most important fact | |
| Body β S2 | Important supporting detail | |
| Body β S3 | Another detail or quote | |
| Body β S4 | Background or context | |
| Tail β S5 | Least important extra detail |
π Self-Check Guide
| What to Check | Done β | Try Again π |
|---|---|---|
| My first sentence gives the most important fact | β | β |
| Each sentence is less critical than the one before it | β | β |
| My least important detail is at the very end | β | β |
| If someone only read sentence one, they'd know what happened | β | β |
π Simple Rubric
Answers will differ for each student. Use the rubric or ask your teacher for help.
π§ Fix the Mistake
Each story has one problem β a big fact is in the wrong place. Find it!