Which of the following is an example of the 'What' criterion used by the news media to summarize data?

• A. The event
• B. The location
• C. The person
• D. The reason

Answer: (A)

News reporting uses the five Ws to summarize data, and the What element focuses on the actual event or action that occurred. The event is the best example of the What criterion because it captures the concrete occurrence at the heart of the story—the core action or incident being reported. The other aspects describe where it happened (location), who was involved (the person), or why it happened (the reason), which are different elements of the story. So identifying the event directly answers what happened.