Why? The most difficult question for journalists to answer

From the serious to the faintly ridiculous, here’s my attempt to explain three puzzling issuesJournalists learn from their first day in the trade that their articles should include the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why. The first four are straightforward enough, objective truths if you like. The fifth, however, often travels into subjective territory. It is frustrated by obfuscation and therefore results in speculation. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it simply goes unanswered.Consider three examples. Why were journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey arrested? Why did the BBC’s otherwise excellent documentary on Margaret Thatcher omit one of the defining moments in her reign as prime minister? Why do broadcasters go on using vox pops? Continue reading…
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