First Ledes: Who, What, WHEN, Where, Why

We can use the 5 W's and how as sort of a checklist to see if we're missing an important element in our work, and especially our ledes.

Like here:

Former county treasurer Vernon Sindelair pleaded guilty to charges of embezzling more than $1.7 million in tax receipts, claiming he put it toward his late wife’s medical bills.

We have the who (former county treasurer Vernon Sindelair), what (pleaded guilty to embezzlement), why and how (he embezzled, to pay his wife's medical bills).

Missing is where, but that's probably not critical for the lede. In this case, the plea could have happened anywhere; it really wasn't central to the main point of the story itself.

When, however, is almost always important. A plea today is newsier than a plea three months ago. We needed to say when; in this case, Wednesday.