We Are Where the Story Is
News does not wait for a newsroom.
Major events, local developments, breaking incidents, and in-depth investigations happen in communities, cities, and regions across the world.
5WH® brings together freelance journalists, reporters, photographers, videographers, audio journalists, and media creators who are on the ground and ready to report.
Everything You Need to Source News Content
Finding the right content should not require searching across multiple platforms, contacting different freelancers, and managing separate workflows. 5WH® brings news stories, photographs, video, audio, and multimedia content together in one marketplace.
Find Ready-to-Use Content
Browse available stories and media submitted by journalists and select content that fits your editorial requirements.
Buy or Bid
Purchase available content directly or place a bid on eligible stories listed in the marketplace.
Commission
Need something specific? Ask journalists for story pitches or commission reporting based on your requirements.
Download Your Content
Once your purchase is completed, access the content and use it according to the applicable purchase and usage terms.
Headlines & Deadlines
Commission Stories Tailored to Your Newsroom
When your newsroom needs immediate coverage from a specific location or on a specialized subject, connect directly with registered journalists ready to deliver quality reporting on deadline.
One Platform for Every Format
News today is not limited to a written article. A single story may require text, photographs, video, audio, graphics, or a combination of formats. 5WH® brings these content types together through one marketplace.
Text News
Buy ready-to-publish articles, features, interviews, analysis, breaking news reports, and opinion content.
News Photography
Access original photographs and photo galleries covering breaking events, press conferences, people, communities, and human-interest stories.
Audio News
Source interviews, field recordings, sound bites, podcasts, and audio packages created by journalists and reporters.
Video Stories
Find breaking footage, interviews, event coverage, explainers, documentaries, and other broadcast video journalism.
Multimedia Content
Bring different formats together to create richer editorial packages, digital stories, and multimedia projects.
Ready-to-Publish Articles
Need original reporting, a feature, or a story from the ground? Browse text content created by journalists in the 5WH® marketplace.
- Choose from breaking news, features, interviews, analysis, and opinion pieces.
- Find content created by journalists covering stories from different locations and beats.
- Browse available stories or request pitches based on your editorial requirements.
- Purchase content that fits your newsroom's publishing needs.
Original Visuals From the Field
A strong news photograph can communicate a story before the first paragraph is read. 5WH® helps media houses find original visual content from journalists covering events and developments on the ground.
- Browse photographs and photo galleries from breaking events, press conferences, communities, and human-interest stories.
- Find original visuals suited to editorial and digital publishing.
- Access content from photographers and journalists working across different locations.
- Review available visual content before making your purchase.
Field Reports, Interviews & Podcasts
Audio journalism gives newsrooms another way to report a story. 5WH® allows media houses to discover original audio content created by journalists in the field.
- Source field recordings, interviews, sound bites, and podcast content.
- Find local voices and on-the-ground reporting for your coverage.
- Use audio content for radio, podcasts, websites, social platforms, and digital publications.
- Access different types of audio journalism through one marketplace.
Footage From Where the Story Happens
Video can provide the context, atmosphere, and immediacy that written reporting alone cannot. 5WH® helps media houses find video content created by journalists and videographers covering events on the ground.
- Browse breaking news footage, interviews, event coverage, explainers, and documentary-style content.
- Find video reporting from journalists working across different locations.
- Source original footage for digital publishing, broadcast, and social media.
- Choose content that matches your editorial requirements and deadline.
More Than Just a Story
Some stories need more than one format. A major event may require an article, photographs, video, interviews, audio, graphics, and supporting data. 5WH® allows media houses to source different content formats and build richer editorial packages through one platform.
- Combine text, photographs, video, audio, graphics, and other media.
- Source content for interactive features and digital storytelling.
- Build projects around multiple journalists and specialist skills.
- Develop editorial packages suited to websites, publications, broadcasts, and digital platforms.
Commission Journalism That Fits Your Brief
Sometimes the story you need is not already available in the marketplace.
Request Story Pitches
Tell journalists what you want to cover and invite relevant story ideas.
Commission Assignments
Work with journalists to create original reporting based on your brief.
Build Multi-Journalist Projects
Bring together journalists with different skills, locations, or areas of expertise for larger projects.
Source Local Reporting
Connect with journalists who can provide reporting and content from where events are taking place.
Why Media Houses Use 5WH®
A Wider Network, Faster Content Discovery & Verified Coverage
A Wider Journalist Network
Find journalists working across locations, subjects, and content formats.
Quality-Controlled Content
Journalists and submitted content go through processes designed to support reliability and editorial quality.
Multiple Content Formats
Source text, photography, audio, video, and multimedia content through one marketplace.
Faster Content Discovery
Search available journalism instead of starting every assignment from scratch.
Commission New Reporting
Request pitches and create assignments when existing marketplace content does not meet your requirements.
Build Editorial Projects
Combine journalists and different skill sets to develop larger stories and multimedia projects.
Re-thinking the Journalist-Publisher Relationship
The relationship between journalists and publishers has changed.
Digital publishing means newsrooms can work with contributors beyond their traditional geographic and organizational boundaries. Journalists can report from where the story is happening, while media houses can access content without relying solely on their own physical newsroom network.
5WH® brings that relationship into a digital marketplace where journalism can be created, discovered, purchased, and commissioned.
The goal is simple: give journalists more ways to create and offer their work, and give media houses more ways to find the content they need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers on how media houses discover, license, and commission journalism on 5WH®.