Second paragraph (context)

Second paragraph (context) 

This paragraph is for context and proper sourcing, citations and references. If you are using a news  report or quotes from elsewhere, you must give credit to the original source in the second paragraph. 

If less than 10% of your article is self-sourced (ie, not aggregated from another report), then you do  not need to hyperlink your source. However, if more than half of your content is derived from another  source (particularly another news outlet), you have to link back to the original report. 

Elaborating on the Five Ws 

This is your opportunity to expand on the Five Ws you already introduced in your first paragraph. Your  second paragraph should serve as the contextual foundation for your article – a pillar of rich  information which draws the reader deeper. To quote the great English journalist and novelist Rudyard Kipling:

“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.” 

• When should include not just the date, but the time of day where applicable. 

• Where may be familiar to the writer but it may not be to the reader – always assume the  reader enters your article with no prior information pertaining to the topic at hand. 

• Who needs to include more “who-ness” than just a name. If the subject is an organisation,  you need to elaborate on what that organisation does or stands for. 

• The What, of course, is the event 

• The Why should give the reader an idea of why the event or topic is worth their attention.