The Lede

The Lede The lede (that’s how journalists spell it) is the first paragraph of any news story. It’s also the most important. The lede must accomplish three things: give readers the main points of the story get readers interested in reading the story accomplish both “a” and “b” in as few words as possible Typically editors want ledes to be no longer than 35-40 words. Why so short? Readers want their news delivered quickly. A short lede does just that.

What Goes in the Lede? Journalists use the inverted pyramid format which features the five “W’s and the H” – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Who – who is the story about? What – what is the story about? Where – where did the event you’re writing about occur? When – when did it occur? Why – why did this happen? How – how did this happen?

Example 1 Let’s say you’re writing a story about a man who was injured when he fell off a ladder. Here are your five W’s and H: Who – the man What – he fell off a ladder while painting Where – at his house When – yesterday Why – the ladder was rickety How – the rickety ladder broke So your lede might go something like this: A man was injured yesterday when he fell off a rickety ladder that collapsed while he was painting his house. That sums up the main points of the story in just 20 words, which is all you need for the lede.

Example 2 So your lede might go something like this: Let’s say you’re writing a story about a house fire in which three people suffer smoke inhalation in a house fire. Here are your five W’s and H: Who – three people What – they suffered smoke inhalation and were hospitalized following a house fire Where – at the house When – yesterday Why – a man fell asleep smoking in bed How – the cigarette ignited the man's mattress So your lede might go something like this: Three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation following a house fire that officials said was ignited by a man in the home who fell asleep while smoking. That lede clocks in at 27 words. - a little longer than the last one, but still short and to the point.

Write Them Yourself Now try on your own: Who – Melvin Washington, point guard for the Centerville High School basketball team What – he scores a record 48 points to lead the team to the state championship over the rival team at Roosevelt High School Where – in the school's gymnasium When – last night Why – Washington is a gifted athlete who observers say has an NBA career ahead of him How – he is a remarkably precise shooter who excels at making three-pointers

What To Put In a Lede The main point of the story - the most newsworthy, important and interesting thing about the story. A basic account of WHAT happened, WHO was involved, WHERE the event occurred, WHEN it occurred and possibly WHY or HOW it occurred. If possible, some brief context to give the lede some perspective. An especially interesting detail that will make readers want to read the story.

What To Leave Out of a Lede Exact names of the people involved, unless it's someone especially prominent or famous. The exact time something occurred, unless that's somehow crucial to the story's main point. Exact street addresses. Ages of people in the story Specific dates Specific dollar amounts, unless it is somehow a key aspect of the story. Generally, dollar amounts in ledes should be rounded. Quotes. Quotes are difficult to use in ledes because they need to be placed in context, and it's very hard to do that in a 35-40 word lede.