News Writing Unit:Writing Good Leads

Beginning Journalism

What is a lead?

• Rhymes with “seed”• First paragraph of any

journalistic story• Most important part of a story

What is a good news lead?

• Should be brief, no more than 25-35 words. Write tight.• Should get the reader’s attention

in an appropriate way• Should tell reader where you got

the info, if necessary

What is a good news lead?

• Start with the MOST important information• Covers the who, what, where,

when, why and how of the news• Use third person.• Just the facts.

What’s a bad news lead?

• Cluttered with lots of unfamiliar names• Starts with dates or numbers• Uses too much passive voice (is,

was, were, have, had, etc.)• Is too “generic” or not specific to

the story

News Lead Writing No-Nos

• Avoid chronological order of events (rarely does the most exciting thing happen first at any event)• Avoid second person “you” or first

person “I” or “we”

Lead Writing No-Nos

• Avoid stating the obvious (“Winter is here”)

• Avoid starting with a question or quotes (they’re vague and usually not that thought-provoking)

• Avoid using the name of your school (the name is on the cover, right?)

Lead Writing No-Nos

• Avoid cliches• Avoid opinion• When & Where W’s usually not the

most important

News Lead Rubric

• Does the lead summarize the main facts of the story in 1-2 sentences?

• Is it concise, direct and interesting?• Does the lead avoid expressing the

writer’s opinion?• Does the lead start with the most

important information first?• Has the writer avoided questions and

quotes in the lead?• Is the lead free of errors?

Lead writing activity

• For each of the following leads, discuss one strength and one weakness of the lead. Look back through your list of do’s and don’ts so you understand what to expect.

Sample Lead 1

A reminder to those who enjoy new recordings. The South library has 22 new compact discs that it’s willing to loan out! All students are invited to come and look them over!

Sample Lead 2

Some kids at South took the state assessments.

Sample Lead 3

At long last, the citizens of Smithville opened their pocketbooks in recognition of the value of higher education. Yesterday they demonstrated their faith in the youth of America by approving a $5-million bond issue for a new high school.

Sample Lead 4

Seven children and seven adults died in a plane crash Sunday in Butte, Montana, according to the FAA.

Sample Lead 5

Your Student Council is considering several new projects.

Sample Lead 6

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go snow boarding at Snow Creek?

Your Assignment

• Working with a partner, write a lead based on the following information.• Remember the “rules” we

discussed.• Write your lead on paper & be

prepared to share.

Your Assignment

• Who: Three passengers were injured• What: A private plane crashed• When: Friday night, 9:12 p.m.• Where: The Mudflap River behind

Mudflap Airport• Why: A bolt of lightning struck the

plane, killing the engine