News Leads

News Leads

• 1.
  LEADS Beginning of anews story. Grab the reader's attention. Follow the subject-verb-object structure. Should not exceed 35 words.
• 2.
  Types of leads •Hard news lead • Direct or Summary Lead • Summary Lead with Attribution • Delayed-Identification Lead • Impact Lead
• 3.
  Hard news lead •Gives just the details in a straightforward way. • Summarizes the basic facts, the most important points. • Conveys what you learned in your reporting. • More than just an opening to your story. • Must capture the readers’ attention and persuade them to read your story. • Leads are different for every single story.
• 4.
  Direct or SummaryLead • Tells the most important aspect of the story at once. • Conform to this structure: • WHO + (did) WHAT + <WHEN> + /WHERE/ + [WHY/HOW/UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS]* • *Where, why and how are not always included in the lead. They may also provide the focus of hard-news leads.
• 5.
  Summary Lead withAttribution • Gets right to the point. • Usually one sentence, two at most. • First and last words of the lead are critical. • Use active voice rather than passive voice. • Shares who gave the information; adds credibility.
• 6.
  Delayed-Identification Lead • Alsoa summary lead. • Used when the “who” is not well-known. • Age, occupation (modifier) used in first ‘graph. • Identified by name in the second paragraph.
• 7.
  Impact Lead • ImpactLead – Explains how readers are affected by an issue. • Summary or in a delayed form. • Not in a delayed-ID form, however.
• 8.
  Impact Lead Homeowners whoseroofs were damaged during the recent tornado have five more days to apply for a tax extension. New taxes now on the books will have Jefferson County residents digging deeper into their pocketbooks.
• 9.
  • Make surethe lead includes the most important of the five W's and H. • Particularly the “who” (person or thing), (did) what, and when. For a story about a report, never begin with the statement “A report was issued by….”
• 10.
  • In general,keep the lead to 17-35 words. • If your story uses a delayed-identification lead, make sure the lead begins with an identifier (age, location, occupation, or other identifier). • Present modifier in the first paragraph. Identify the person in the second paragraph.
• 11.
  • For animpact lead, the “who” of the lead will be the persons impacted by news being reported. “Students who own cars will have to pay more to park on campus.” • To continue the story, present the rest of your facts in order of decreasing import — mix quotes (direct and indirect), elaboration and background.
• 12.
  Common-sense guidelines • Keepit tight. • Avoid distractions — Goal: Write a coherent lead without capital letters other than the first one. No numerals, no commas and no formal titles. • Set the right tone — Don’t write a flippant lead when covering tragedy. • Don’t bury the lead — Cut to the chase! • Highlight differences.
• 13.
  Common-sense guidelines • Speakclearly — Avoid jargon, acronyms, foreign phrases, abstract concepts, general and vague language. • Use active words. • Be visual — help the reader “see” what’s happening. Paul Roberts looks exhausted. His complexion is chalky, his five-o’clock shadow positively Nixonian, his smart blue suit rumpled, and his stomach, a victim of too many quick and greasy restaurant meals, creeping over his belt.
• 14.
  Common-sense guidelines • Putpeople first. • Double-decker leads — don’t repeat the first paragraph in the second. A Homewood councilman is shocked and appalled that transportation grants have been cut again. “I’m shocked and appalled that transportation grants have been cut again,” John Richardson said Thursday. • Place the time element with care — If needed, make sure it will sound natural if read aloud. • Avoid the insultingly obvious.
• 15.
  Nut graph • The“so what” paragraph. • Every story must have a nut graph. • Gives a story significance. (Same as a summary lead.) • Should be placed as near to the beginning of the story as possible, usually by the 2nd, 3rd or 4th paragraph. • Spells out the theme or sub-themes in greater detail.