THE INVERTED PYRAMID

Creating a News Story

The Inverted Pyramid• Journalists don’t want their stories told from the

beginning of a news event.

– They focus on the end result, and then may go back to the beginning.

– They like giving away the ending.

– They are more interested in the outcome.

• News writing is about the only form of writing in which you start with the climax.

This story form is widely known as the inverted pyramid.

The Inverted Pyramid• Ledes are mini-inverted pyramids as well.

– You analyzed the who-what-when-where elements

– Find the elements that are the most important or compelling.

– You assign value to a few facts

• In the Inverted Pyramid, you will have to weigh the news value of whole sentences and paragraphs.

• The rest of the story should support and elaborate on the lede and also provide the information that didn’t make the cut up top.

Some history …

How we got here

Some history

Until the early 1900s, newspaper writing was more akin to literary prose. They wrote dispatches -- not stories. In 1869, a reporter for the New York Herald, Henry Morton Stanley, was sent to Africa in search of a missionary named Dr. David Livingstone. Stanley’s story began thusly: Only two months gone and what a change in my feelings! But two months ago, what a peevish, fretful soul was mine! What a hopeless prospect presented itself before your correspondent! Stanley’s story continues on and on and ends like this: “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” And he says, “Yes.” How many readers today would have kept reading long enough to find those two famous lines?

Some history

In this style of writing, the significance of a story – the nut graph – could be anywhere. Of course, in those days, that kind of writing style was greatly assisted by the multiple headlines accompanying the story. With 5 to 10 headlines telling the reader what happened, the writer could feel free to take liberties with their style. The Chicago Tribune used 15 decks on its report about Mrs. O’Leary and her famous cow in the Great Fire of 1871. Many stories started in one column and just continued to the next column – there were no “jump” pages.

Some history

The first newspaper photograph was printed in 1880, but photos didn’t become commonly used until the early 1900s. The advent of photos, changes in newspaper space requirements and the changing lifestyles of the early 20th century brought forth the need for a new type of writing style – one that got to the point more quickly.

Thus, was born the inverted pyramid style. And like so many trends in this business, it was copied and recopied until it became a tradition and the norm.

The Inverted Pyramid

The inverted pyramid style has been around for more than 100 years and is still going strong.

It is still widely used in newspapers and wire services.

It is the style of choice on many, if not most, online news sites, including the Chronicle, because many Web surfers have itchy mouse fingers -- it’s even easier to click a mouse than turn a page.

Here’s a visual on what an inverted pyramid story might

look like (from handout) …

The inverted pyramid: what it is

The inverted pyramid has a news summary lead that rests atop a series of paragraphs arranged in descending order of importance. This movement from greater to lesser information can be demonstrated in a geometric shape – the pyramid. We’ll talk about other geometric story shapes later. After the news summary lede, the subsequent information and quotes provide background and explanation, present facts and color, explore other issues, clarify conflict, speculate on cause and effect. The average newspaper reader spends about 15-20 minutes a day with the paper. That’s not a lot of time -- especially when you have taken hours to write your story.

The inverted pyramid: Advantages

1. Offers quick reading2. Features less repetition3. Offers easier editing (easier to cut and paste)4. Offers faster headline preparation5. Easier to add to a story (as well as cut it)6. Allows for faster writing of a story (can do it in

your head, from a phone booth even)7. Offers a quick organizing tool

Inverted Pyramid: Disadvantages

1. This style doesn’t always encourage readers to continue to the end of a story because the important elements come first.

2. It’s backward; you give away the “punchline” at the top.

3. Can be somewhat formulaic; it gives more value to substance rather than style.

4. There’s less allowance for creativity.

How to do it

News writing is not like writing a theme for English class. – There’s no thesis sentence (well, there IS a nut graph)– There’s no conclusion.

The inverted pyramid is designed to help reporters put information in logical order.

It forces the reporter to rank, in order of importance, the information to be presented.

Just as there is a mental checklist for writing a lede, there is also a checklist for writing the rest of an inverted pyramid story:

The IP Checklist

The lede or lede device that directs the reader to the nut graph.

Introduce the additional important information that you were unable to put in the lede. This may be where the reporter introduces the “who,” the “why”, the “how” and the “what else happened” material.

If possible, indicate the significance, or the “so-what” factor

The IP Checklist

Elaborate on the information presented in the lede.

– Give background on the issues, subjects, chronology of events, clarify conflict, etc.

– Include information from all sides of an issue for fairness and balance. (If you have a GOP proposal, for example, get the Democratic response -- and vice versa.)

Continue introducing new information in the order you have ranked it. Don’t forget the “what happens next” angle if it’s significant.

The IP Checklist

Develop the ideas in the order that you introduced them. Avoid skipping around.

– Use direct and indirect quotes for color and explanation.

– You may have “mini-inverted pyramids” or blocs of related material within your story. (GOP view, followed by several explanations and quotes; then the Democratic view, followed by several explanations and quotes.)

The IP Checklist

Try to use the “one idea - one paragraph” method.

In newspapers and magazines that feature narrower column widths, the paragraphs are only one or two sentences.

– The use of frequent paragraph breaks makes the typography less gray and is less formidable to the reader.

– Type on the Internet is often narrow as well – so they can put all those ads on the side of the story.

Organizational options

Use subheads as a way to introduce key transition points

Be aware of what material is being used in graphics or other display elements; there may be no need to repeat the information

Indicate optional or MUST material

Are some elements best told in “bullet” form? (In other action, the council: ….. ) If so, use parallel construction.

Is some information important or “different” enough to be broken out into a sidebar? (Analysis, a lot of reaction, quotes, chronology, background, etc.)

Transition

Transition gives signposts to the reader, lets them know where you are going and when you are switching gears.

Since most news-story paragraphs are only a sentence or two, a story will often contain a series, or even multiple series, of related paragraphs. Certain transition words help string those graphs together, like stringing beads.

When the topic or subject changes, news writers need to provide good transition so that the text flows smoothly.

Transition Hints

Transition words that link: also, in addition, additionally, moreover, furthermore

Transition words that compare: in the same way, likewise, similarly, as well as

Transitions that contrast: although, but, however, nevertheless, on the other hand, on the contrary

Transitions that create emphasis: clearly, indeed, surely, truly, certainly

Transition Hints

Transitions that show cause and effect: as a result, consequently, therefore

Transitions that show a relationship in time: afterward, later, then, while, next, previously, during, since, before

Transitions that sum up: finally, in conclusion, in short, thus, to sum up

How to endSome writers feel a compulsion to make their last graph some sort of happy ending (They may have lost today, but the Cougars will try again next week…).

Resist the urge. In general, when the story’s over, stop.

Many news writers find useful or creative ways to divert from the strict inverted pyramid style – they put a good quote at the end to serve as a “closer” or maybe they save a juicy fact or observation that’s low on the importance scale.

How to end: Example

Check this nice touch as an end graph to a story on the commissioning ceremony for the submarine USS Texas:

The veterans, crew, families and other guests enjoyed a light lunch after the ceremony under a giant pavilion. They were served sodas, chip, and – of course – submarine sandwiches.

How to end

Another possible option is to use the what’s next angle as a closer.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it faces stronger opposition. A vote there is expected Thursday.

These techniques are fine, but if you are going to put

something vital at the end, then you better warn your

copy editors because they often look at the end of a

story to make their first cuts.

How to end: Just FYIWhere did that 30 come from?

By the way, do you know why print journalists used to end their stories with a “30”? Some say it was because an “XXX” symbol was used at the end of early stories or was used at the end of telegraphed articles and it evolved into “30.” Some say it was a signal to the hot-lead Linotype operators to mark the end of a line or to insert 30 points of leading, or space, before the beginning of the next headline on a page. The most popular theory is that “30” originated during the Civil War, when many stories were transmitted by telegraph -- a “30” was a telegrapher’s shorthand for “end.”

Very Helpful Links, Handouts

• Poynter writing tips http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=31907&sid=2

• The Secret of Writing well and quickly• How to Write a Short Story

• Pros and Cons of the Inverted Pyramid http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=52&aid=38693

• Inverted Pyramid in Cyberspace http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9606.htm