Writing the lead

A story’s intro is the reporter’s handshake with the reader. The lead, or the first sentence of the story, is arguably the most important part of the article. Based on the content of that first sentence, a reader will either look deeper into the story, or move on to the next one. As Jervis (1989, p. 73) advises: ‘The prime function of the newspaper intro is to “spill the beans” quickly’, getting to the point of the story in 20-25 words. According to Leiter (2000, p. 93): “Good leads look deceptively simple because they flow effortlessly; they don’t strain. Good leads have a strong sense of rhythm, unity and pace. They don’t overwhelm the reader. They reach out and touch the reader with excitement or drama or humour and make him or her face a critical decision: should I go on?”

Leads can be hard or soft. In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow, sticking to the facts and covering the 5 W’s and H. In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is to grab the attention of the reader. (e.g. “Until four years ago, Jason W. slept in alleyways…”) Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 “W’s” should be incorporated into the body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.

“The Daily Miracle” provides some questions that can help formulate an intro including:
•    What is the big picture?
•    What are the implications of what has been said or done?
•    Why and how did it happen?
•    How does it affect the public?
•    What is unusual or different about what has occurred?
•    What news values, or angles, did the chief-of-staff – or you – have in mind when the story was assigned?
•    Simply, what is the most interesting thing about this story?

Personally I’ve learned how crucial a catchy lead is to your story, and the pressure associated with writing one. You have to tell the news concisely and creatively and I’d hope that my leads have improved throughout the semester. I personally like setting the reader up with an image or pun and filling in the necessary details in the subsequent paragraphs.