Lead Flashcards
What’s the chronological order of the content readers get attracted to in an article?
1) headline
2) the picture
3) the picture caption
4) lead
What is lead?
News story’s introduction and its first and most important paragraph
What is the function of lead?
Give readers an immediate sense of what the article is about
Make them want to read more
What requirements does an effective story lead meet?
Captures the essence of the event
Cajoles the reader into staying awhile
What is the typical length of leads?
One paragraph long
Consist of a single sentence
do not exceed 25 words
When can a second sentence be used in the lead?
When a story can’t be summarized in so few words
Why are shorter leads preferred?
Because they create a more powerful impact and are easier to read
What’s the basic construction of the lead?
Subject-Verb-Object
What internal imperative does S-V-O structure have?
• Directs the reporter to write simple sentences, with one main clause
• keeps leads short, another major requirement for a readable beginning
What does burying the lead mean?
Hiding the most important & relevant pieces of a story within other distracting information
What are the different types of lead?
Direct
Delayed
Where are direct leads used?
To begin most stories and almost always online news stories
Conventional hard news stories and breaking news
What do direct leads usually contain?
• specific info about what happened or was said
• when it happened
• where it happened
• the source of info
What do direct leads reveal and how?
They immediately reveal what the story is about by providing a summary of the most newsworthy who, what, where, and when of the story.
What are the features of delayed leads?
1) they can be a few paragraphs long
2) temporarily withhold the relation of the facts
3) they introduce the story in a way that sets the scene or evokes a mood
