ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Objectives:

• Provide a method for analysing information that allows students to assess the content of an article or post.
• Encourage participants to use the rules of journalism.
• Develop critical thinking skills by asking students to challenge preconceived notions.

Definition: The 5Ws rule is a journalistic method that allows journalists to structure their writing to ensure that their audience understand the most relevant information. It answers the basic questions about a piece of information:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

This is a way of handling information critically and methodically and it provides a framework to receive that information. It is therefore useful for participants to be able to identify the most important information of an article or social media post.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Select an article on a current local news topic that is the subject of rumours or disinformation.
2. Put participants into pairs and give them the article or post.
3. On a separate sheet of paper (or computer) participants answer the 5Ws as completely as possible. If necessary, they can look up the information in the sources cited in the article.
4. Compare responses to each ‘W’ by correcting as a group and putting the correct answers on the board.
5. Discuss the activity and the relevance of applying this method in daily life.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

Send the link to participants via Google Drive and ask them to answer the 5Ws.