Class 2

Inverted Pyramid

5 Ws + 1 H• What - What happened

• Who - Who was there?

• Why - Why did it happen?

• When - When did it happen?

• Where - Where did it happen?

• How - How did it happen?

Why are good leads so important?

• A “lead” or “lede” grabs the reader’s attention.

• A “lead” or “lede” grabs the reader’s attention.

• It is the most important part of an article.

• A “lead” or “lede” grabs the reader’s attention.

• It is the most important part of an article.

• If it is not good, risk losing reader.

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

• Are written in active voice

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

• Are written in active voice

• Get right to the point

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

• Are written in active voice

• Get right to the point

• Use the only the most important w’s

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

• Are written in active voice

• Get right to the point

• Use the only the most important w’s

• Keep the audience in mind

Strong leads…

• Are 25 words or less

• Are written in active voice

• Get right to the point

• Use the only the most important w’s

• Keep the audience in mind

• Are objective and use attribution when necessary

• Summary Lead - To the point and factual. Gives reader a quick summary of the story in as few words as possible (approx. 30 usually in one sentence).

Summary Lead

• Summary Lead - To the point and factual. Gives reader a quick summary of the story in as few words as possible (approx. 30 usually in one sentence).

• "A landslide triggered by heavy rain has hit a town in southern Mexico, killing at least four people and engulfing a number of houses, officials say." (BBC, 2010)

Summary Lead

• Focuses on just one or two elements for a bigger punch.

Single-Item Lead

• Focuses on just one or two elements for a bigger punch.

• When the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series, their first championship since 1980, a story posted online by AP began with this single-item lead:

• "The Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions again."

Single-Item Lead

Delayed Identification Lead

• Sometimes you don't always want to identify the subject right away.

Delayed Identification Lead

• Sometimes you don't always want to identify the subject right away.

• Why? The subject doesn't have name recognition or/and readers don't care about the subject's name.

Delayed Identification Lead

• Sometimes you don't always want to identify the subject right away.

• Why? The subject doesn't have name recognition or/and readers don't care about the subject's name.

• LINCOLN, R.I. -- A School Committee member has filed an assault complaint against a fellow member, accusing her of grabbing her nose and twisting it following an executive session Thursday night.

Creative Lead

• "A late spring snowstorm surprised forecasters and drivers Tuesday afternoon, triggering more than 30 accidents, Cleveland police officials said."

Creative Lead• "A late spring snowstorm surprised

forecasters and drivers Tuesday afternoon, triggering more than 30 accidents, Cleveland police officials said."

• "One-fifth of an inch. That's all the snow it took to trigger more than 30 accidents on local roads yesterday as a late spring storm snuck up on Cleveland motorists."

Storytelling Lead

• Use a narrative style - set the scene, the tone, introduce characters, the conflict. Basically set the stage and get your readers to feel the drama and the tension.

Storytelling Lead• Use a narrative style - set the scene, the tone,

introduce characters, the conflict. Basically set the stage and get your readers to feel the drama and the tension.

• DETROIT -- "Get on the ground," a man holding a gun screamed. "I'll blow your heads off if you move." Dennis Grehl and a co-worker complied. Dreamlike, he found himself lying face down on a cold, gritty black-tile floor, a pistol against the back of his head.

• "Please, mister, don't make me shoot you," a second gunman threatened. A crazy memory: tiny specks of light floating in the tile; that, and the paralyzing weight of helplessness.

• Mr. Grehl is a pharmacist, unassuming, mild mannered. A family man with a wife and a daughter. He was being robbed.

Problem Leads WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Trade Commission agreed Friday to allow the nation’s biggest leveraged buyout to go through, provided the two corporations involved which together account for one-eighth of the food sold in the nation’s supermarkets reduce their share of markets for ketchup, Asian foods and packaged nuts.

(45 words)

Problem Leads

CLUTTER LEAD

WASHINGTON (AP) The Federal Trade Commission agreed Friday to allow the nation’s biggest leveraged buyout to go through, provided the two corporations involved which together account for one-eighth of the food sold in the nation’s supermarkets reduce their share of markets for ketchup, Asian foods and packaged nuts.

(45 words)

Central City - When it rains, it pours. Central City faces a perfect storm of dwindling tax revenues and a bad economy, forcing it to lay off 200 employees - twice as many as originally predicted, Town Manager John Smith said Monday.

Problem Leads

Central City - When it rains, it pours. Central City faces a perfect storm of dwindling tax revenues and a bad economy, forcing it to lay off 200 employees - twice as many as originally predicted, Town Manager John Smith said Monday.

CLICHE LEAD

Problem Leads

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. - Plans are being made for special entertainment at the next First Monday Trade Days slated on the First Monday weekend in September.

Problem Leads

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. - Plans are being made for special entertainment at the next First Monday Trade Days slated on the First Monday weekend in September.

PASSIVE LEAD

Problem Leads

1. Try to immediately grab reader’s attention.

Summary

1. Try to immediately grab reader’s attention.

2. Give reader hard facts so they will continue reading.

Summary

1. Try to immediately grab reader’s attention.

2. Give reader hard facts so they will continue reading.

3. Each paragraph built on previous one.

Summary

1. Try to immediately grab reader’s attention.

2. Give reader hard facts so they will continue reading.

3. Each paragraph built on previous one.

4. Don’t write two leads, or be repetitive.

Summary

1. Try to immediately grab reader’s attention.

2. Give reader hard facts so they will continue reading.

3. Each paragraph built on previous one.

4. Don’t write two leads, or be repetitive.

5. Don’t write a “warm-up paragraph.” Cut to the chase.

Summary

Don’t let the lead kill you

• When you begin writing your lead, you should not spend all of your time on it.

• The rest of the article is waiting for you.

• If you are unhappy with the lead, come back to it.

Assignment• Cover a cultural/sports event or something

else which I approve with a local news angle.

• Interview at least 2 people who were there.

• Write strong lead.

• Piece should be 300-400 words

• Inside Reporting – p. 82-83

• Enjoy the weekend!