1. OTHER LEDES AND QUOTES Yet again… there’s more!

2. WHEN TO USE INVERTED PYRAMID: Breaking news stories News that is happening NOW or has just happened AccidentsCrime FiresElection results Verdicts in courtSports events Business eventsStraight hardline news

3. VARIATIONS ON THE LEDE USE WHEN THE NEWS IS NOT URGENT OR WHEN THE STORY IS A FEATURE STORY Delayed lede Suspense lede Descriptive lede Alternative leded

4. DIFFERENCES OF BREAKING NEWS VS. FEATURE NEWS BREAKING NEWS OR HARD NEWS Tells about current events that affect the reader Timely and concise FEATURE NEWS OR SOFT NEWS Appeals to the emotional side Is not necessarily timely

5. THEY ARE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY!! Breaking news - best written in inverted pyramid, no emotional involvement, just the facts, the reader can stop reading any time and STILL know the outcome of the story because THE LEDE is the outcome. Feature news - various styles depending on the author’s “voice,” inverted pyramid is useless, emotional involvement from the reader, usual a withholding of information for effect

6. SOFT NEWS OR FEATURE LEDES: Delayed lede Triggers the reader’s curiosity or raises an important concern EXAMPLE: Without the passage of the April tax levy, Mexico High School knew the odds were slim to none in favor of building a new computer lab. When the levy failed to pass, hope began to fail as well. But things took an upswing when local businessman and former English teacher Bill Hoskins presented the board with a check for the exact estimated amount of construction costs for the multi- million dollar facility.

7. SOFT NEWS OR FEATURE LEDES: Suspense lede Begins with a clever or interesting example that illustrates the story’s theme. The news is placed in the second sentence (delayed for one sentence to make room for the hook). EXAMPLE: Mexico High School may not have passed their April tax levy, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be building a new computer lab. Thanks to a generous donation from a local businessman and former teacher, construction will begin on May 30.

8. SOFT NEWS OR FEATURE LEDES: Descriptive ledes Paint a picture for the reader before they reach the meat of the story. EXAMPLE: Glass and steel, such a harsh contrast to the traditional red brick of the towering facade of Mexico High School. The planned computer lab would have been a juxtaposition to the overall appearance of the current facility.

9. THE NUT GRAPH: When a journalist uses an alternative lede, the next portion of the story is called a “NUT GRAPH.” The nut graph or nut graf explains the news value of the story. EXAMPLE: Mexico High School may not have passed their April tax levy, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be building a new computer lab. Thanks to a generous donation from a local businessman and former teacher, construction will begin on May 30. (This is the nut graph because it contains the news that there has been a donation and the outcome is that the lab will be built!)

10. QUOTES DO’S AND DO NOT’S: Do not use quotes as ledes; also do not use questions as ledes. Do not use quotes to explain something complex. Paraphrase the quote and break it down so that the audience can understand it. ALWAYS make sure your quote has an attribution (is credited to the person who said it)

11. OTHER LEDES AND QUOTES Yet again… there’s more!