Journalism All Around Us
Every morning, someone wakes up early to find out what happened in your town overnight — a new playground opening, a big storm coming, or a local team winning a game. Then they write it down so everyone can know. That person is called a journalist, and their job is to tell people the truth about what is happening.
What You'll Learn
- What a journalist does and why their job matters - The five big questions every news story answers - The difference between a fact and an opinion - How to "report" a small piece of real news yourself
The Five Big Questions
Journalists are trained to answer five important questions in every story: Who was involved? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? and Why did it happen? If a story is missing one of these, readers are left confused. Try it yourself: if you tell a friend "Our class hamster escaped!" they will immediately want to know who found it, when, where, and why it happened.
Next time something happens in your house — a spilled cup, a new pet, a visitor — practice answering the five questions out loud before you tell someone the story. See how much clearer your story becomes!
Fact or Opinion?
A fact is something that is true and can be checked, like "It rained three inches yesterday." An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, like "Rainy days are the best." Good journalists write stories built on facts, and they clearly say when something is someone's opinion, so readers always know which is which.
Where News Comes From
News reporters get their information by watching events happen, talking to people who were there, and checking records like weather reports or school announcements. A reporter covering a local school play might interview the director, watch a rehearsal, and check the show's schedule — then combine everything into one clear story.
Match each sentence to whether it is a fact or an opinion.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Which of these is a fact, not an opinion?
If a journalist forgets to answer 'where' in a story about a school fire drill, what problem does that cause?
Be a Reporter for a Day
Pick one real small event from today (something that happened at home or school). Interview one person about it (a parent, sibling, or classmate) and ask them who, what, when, where, and why. Write 3-4 sentences telling the story using their answers. Deliverable: a short written 'news story' with a headline at the top.
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