Leads- hook into story; grab readers’ attention; often first paragraph (25- 30 words) SHS Courier

Leads- hook into story; Leads- hook into story; grab readers’ attention; grab readers’ attention; often first paragraph (25-often first paragraph (25-30 words)30 words)

SHS Courier

The Hard LeadThe Hard Leadalso called...also called...

AP summary lead Summary lead

The Hard LeadThe Hard Lead

usually short (25-30 words) tightly written covers the 5 w’s and H uses strong, active verbs

Sample Hard LeadSample Hard Lead

Eight foreign aid workers, including two Americans, held captive in Afghanistan for three months for preaching Christianity were airlifted to freedom Wednesday by U.S.

military helicopters.

The Soft LeadThe Soft Leadalso called...also called...

Novelty leadFeature lead

Types of Soft LeadsTypes of Soft Leads

Setting AnecdoteQuestion Quotation Zinger

Setting LeadSetting Lead

uses vivid descriptive detail uses concrete nouns uses strong, active verbs followed by a NUT GRAF-paragraph

w/in intro that captures the heart of the story; an internal lead.

Sample Setting LeadSample Setting LeadJack Walden paused in the middle of a Jack Walden paused in the middle of a

stand of dense brush, sweat soaking through his stand of dense brush, sweat soaking through his shirt and staining his leather shoulder holster. shirt and staining his leather shoulder holster. He looked up at a roaring helicopter just a few He looked up at a roaring helicopter just a few dozen feet overhead.dozen feet overhead.

A crewman leaning out the front door with A crewman leaning out the front door with a videocamera jabbed a thumb to the left. a videocamera jabbed a thumb to the left. There, in a tiny clearing not five feet from There, in a tiny clearing not five feet from Walden was the target of all the commotion: A Walden was the target of all the commotion: A single busy marijuana plant….single busy marijuana plant….

Sample Setting Lead (cont.)Sample Setting Lead (cont.) ...For Walden, a detective with the ...For Walden, a detective with the Portage County Drug Task Force, it was a Portage County Drug Task Force, it was a good ending to a long day.good ending to a long day.

The task force, made up of officers The task force, made up of officers from the Portage County Sheriff’s from the Portage County Sheriff’s Department and the Ravenna, Kent and Department and the Ravenna, Kent and Aurora Police departments, confiscated Aurora Police departments, confiscated about 80 plants Wednesday. The total about 80 plants Wednesday. The total street value: At least $100,000.street value: At least $100,000. (This is the NUT GRAF to follow the first (This is the NUT GRAF to follow the first grafs of the lead.)grafs of the lead.)

Anecdote LeadAnecdote LeadLike a story, it has...Like a story, it has...

lots of descriptive detailstrong, active verbsconcrete nounssometimes, dialogue is followed by a NUT GRAF

Sample Anecdote LeadSample Anecdote Lead

“Oh, there must be another memorial “Oh, there must be another memorial here,” the woman said as she came upon here,” the woman said as she came upon the police barricade. There was no the police barricade. There was no surprise in her voice, just acceptance.surprise in her voice, just acceptance.

She looked up to see a milling crowd She looked up to see a milling crowd of firefighters in dress blues outside the of firefighters in dress blues outside the grand St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The cop at grand St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The cop at the corner held out his arm to usher her the corner held out his arm to usher her through, and she continued up toward through, and she continued up toward Central Park….Central Park….

...Two months after the attacks here, mourning has settled into the rhythm of the city. As the woman continued on her way, others were stopping in the bright blue midtown Manhattan morning, finding a place on the sidewalk to watch somberly as yet another service began to unfold under the towering Gothic spires of the fabled cathedral near Rockefeller Center.

(This is the NUT GRAF to follow the first (This is the NUT GRAF to follow the first grafs of the lead.)grafs of the lead.)

Sample Anecdote LeadSample Anecdote LeadFor Josh Witsaman, tying his shoelaces at For Josh Witsaman, tying his shoelaces at

school Monday was about as easy as knotting school Monday was about as easy as knotting two strands of slippery spaghetti.two strands of slippery spaghetti.

With his hands encased in a white sock With his hands encased in a white sock and bound with masking tape, the 10-year-old and bound with masking tape, the 10-year-old from King Elementary School in Akron fumbled from King Elementary School in Akron fumbled awkwardly at his simple task.awkwardly at his simple task.

His tongue would stick out and lips twist in His tongue would stick out and lips twist in excitement as he neared finishing a knot, only excitement as he neared finishing a knot, only to see it fall apart in a tangled heap on his to see it fall apart in a tangled heap on his tennis shoe.tennis shoe.

“Oh, brother,” Josh sighed in frustration….“Oh, brother,” Josh sighed in frustration….

Sample Anecdote Lead (cont.)Sample Anecdote Lead (cont.) ...His teacher, Diana Koltnow, wasn’t ...His teacher, Diana Koltnow, wasn’t being a sadist, even though she bound the being a sadist, even though she bound the hands of her entire health class and challenged hands of her entire health class and challenged them to button a shirt and tie a shoe.them to button a shirt and tie a shoe.

Instead, Koltnow and Hope Carr of the Instead, Koltnow and Hope Carr of the Association for Retarded Citizens were trying to Association for Retarded Citizens were trying to make the frustrations of the disabled real for the make the frustrations of the disabled real for the fourth-grade class.fourth-grade class.


Question LeadQuestion Lead

use sparingly -- journalists answer questions, not ask them

Sample Question LeadSample Question LeadEver heard of William P. Barr?Ever heard of William P. Barr?America’s taxpayers provide a car America’s taxpayers provide a car

and driver to take him to work and back and driver to take him to work and back home, trailed by a wagon of armed men home, trailed by a wagon of armed men to protect him.to protect him.

(In a story about taxpayer money wasted (In a story about taxpayer money wasted on bureaucrats no one ever heard of.)on bureaucrats no one ever heard of.)

Sample Question LeadSample Question LeadYes means yes and no means no. Yes means yes and no means no.

Yes?Yes?No.No.

(In a story about the tricky wording of (In a story about the tricky wording of election issues.)election issues.)

Quotation LeadQuotation Lead

Should use sparinglyMust be absolutely spectacular

quoteMUST be short and to the point

Sample Quotation LeadSample Quotation Lead

“Three months of making new friends, taking “Three months of making new friends, taking new steps, learning about a different culture new steps, learning about a different culture and learning about yourself.”and learning about yourself.”

This is how Dillon Banerjee describes the This is how Dillon Banerjee describes the Peace Corps training and overall experience Peace Corps training and overall experience in his book, in his book, So, You Want to Join the Peace So, You Want to Join the Peace CorpsCorps….….

OSU graduate Alison Blosser found OSU graduate Alison Blosser found Banarjee’s words to be true when she Banarjee’s words to be true when she served the Peace Corps recently in served the Peace Corps recently in Turkmenistan. She shared her experiences Turkmenistan. She shared her experiences with the Journalism I classes Nov. 5.with the Journalism I classes Nov. 5.


Zinger LeadZinger Lead

grabs readers with a snappy or clever phrase

sometimes uses a play on words (pun) particularly effective in highlighting

the unlikely or seemingly absurd MUST be kept short

Sample ZingerSample Zinger

It was dinner time at the Coliseum It was dinner time at the Coliseum -- about 5 p.m. or so Wednesday. And -- about 5 p.m. or so Wednesday. And beefcake-on-the-hoof was the dish du beefcake-on-the-hoof was the dish du jour.jour.

(story about tryouts for American (story about tryouts for American Gladiators t.v. show)Gladiators t.v. show)


Ramona Williams died Oct. 9 in Ramona Williams died Oct. 9 in a two-car crash in Willoughby. The a two-car crash in Willoughby. The 18-year-old was 21 weeks pregnant.18-year-old was 21 weeks pregnant.

Her baby is due in January.Her baby is due in January.


TABLOID MARRIAGE SPAWNS

SIX-HEADED MONSTER!!!

(Story about the merging of two supermarket tabloid publishers, each with three publications.)

Sample Zinger and Nut Graf

First, it was breast enhancement, then shaping up those thighs, and now it’s putting some plumpness back into the product.

We’re talkin’ turkey, here!Professors at the Ohio Agricultural

Research and Development Center in Wooster have been working more than 30 years to produce a more meaty turkey, said Karl Nestor, professor of animal science.

Lead writing DO’sLead writing DO’s Keep it short Keep it simple Use only familiar names in the

lead Use everyday language Be concise Use strong, active verbs

Lead-writing DON’TsLead-writing DON’Ts Don’t use a full direct quote for a lead -- not

enough context for it to make sense Don’t use cliches (overused expressions) or

trite phrases Don’t editorialize (show opinion) Don’t write about what is NOT; write about

what IS Don’t write a label lead -- says something

happened, but doesn’t say what

Documents

Leads- hook into story; grab readers’ attention; often first paragraph (25- 30 words) SHS Courier