1. In the beginning… Journalism 125 fall 2016
In the Guide to News Writing, chapter 3 and in News Writing and Reporting you’ve read a bit about … (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

2. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes) Journalism 125 fall 2016
Leads. The title of the chapter includes the word, AGONY, The Agony of Square One. So, that should tell you a little bit about writing the lead for your stories. It’s probably the hardest, and most important part, of writing your stories. Now, what exactly is the lead to a story? (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

3. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
A lead paragraph in journalism, and sometimes other kinds of literature, is the opening paragraph of an article, essay, news story or book chapter. The introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story.
READ. And, according to the AP Guide to News Writing… (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

4. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
A good lead makes a clear statement of the essential news point and when possible includes a detail that distinguishes the story from others of its kind. Leads should be clear and specific; they must not mumble.
READ. What is mumbling? Well the book tells you that. So what are some possible ways to stumble with the lead as a new writer? (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

5. Burying the Lead Journalism 125 fall 2016
Well we talked about this early on. Don’t bury the news(SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

6. Burying the Lead Journalism 125 fall 2016
Here’s the example I promised from earlier in the semester. READ (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

7. Burying the Lead
To avoid mumblers, the lead writer must first of all decide what the most important news is, which can be difficult where much is happening.
So as the book says READ The book provides plenty of examples which you should definitely read. Here’s one (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

8. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
Rep. Ken Hechler, D-W.Va., said a decision Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals that gives the go-ahead for the construction of the Blue Ridge power project on the New River is “ridiculous.”
READ. The book notes a clearer, more concise way to write this lead would be… (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

9. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
Rep. Ken Hechler says people in West Virginia and two other states will mobilize to protect the New River after Wednesday’s “ridiculous” court decisions approving the Blue Ridge power project.
READ. Now, the book puts this in a section headed, Don’t Bury the News. Let’s look at these two again. The first one… (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

10. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
Rep. Ken Hechler, D-W.Va., said a decision Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals that gives the go-ahead for the construction of the Blue Ridge power project on the New River is “ridiculous.”
READ. And the second one … (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

11. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
Rep. Ken Hechler says people in West Virginia and two other states will mobilize to protect the New River after Wednesday’s “ridiculous” court decisions approving the Blue Ridge power project.
READ. What does the AP change in this lead that they say is the MOST important part of this story? DISCUSS Okay, so next up in the book they tell you to watch out for … (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

12. Too Much, Too Little Journalism 125 fall 2016
Too much, too little. Now, this is pretty obvious – don’t include too much in the lead, but don’t write too little either. One thing that is noted in this section comes from this lead example (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

13. Too Much, Too Little
MINOCQUA, Wis.—What can you do when a tornado has flattened much of an eight-year dream, killing one person and leaving a twisted shambles where your resort and North woods campground had been?
READ First, what is buried here? DISCUSS Second, Do not start news stories with a question - a feature story – maybe. But, I suggest you avoid the question lead. Now, next up, the book suggests that you… (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

14. Try Writing “Visually”
Try writing visually. So what does that mean? DISCUSS (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

15. Try Writing “Visually”
You can avoid writing mumblers by being specific and concrete, giving the reader a picture. A clever phrase, a touch of humor, and an ironic contrast will help.
READ This is also called the descriptive lead. Here’s an example (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

16. Try Writing “Visually”
The lights shine down and the music surrounds her as she spins across the stage into the arms of her partner. The audience roars its approval as the music slows and the curtains begin to close.
It's the end of just another workday for teenager Chelsea Rittenhouse.
READ How many of you developed a little picture in your head as I read that? (show of hands) Did it look something like this… (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

17. That’s what you should be striving for when you write a descriptive lead. Or, if you simply are trying to set a scene in your story by being descriptive. The reader should be developing a picture in their mind. Next, the book asks the question…(SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

18. What’s the Difference? Journalism 125 fall 2016
What’s the Difference? So, what exactly does this mean when it comes to writing a lead? DISCUSS As the book says…(SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

19. What’s the Difference?
The key to lifting your lead out of the humdrum is to ask yourself what is different about each story.
READ and they provide a great example … (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

20. What’s the Difference?
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio--A car sliced through a crowded fast food restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday, officials said, killing two people and injuring six others.
first is this lead READ First, as the book notes (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

21. What’s the Difference?
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio--A car sliced through a crowded fast food restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday, officials said, killing two people and injuring six others.
you probably don’t need the general attribution in this lead – officials said. This is a factual story and readers in the next graph could get a more specific attribution. As the book said, there is nothing contentious about the facts in the story so an attribution for the information could come later. That would be something like – Sgt. John Doe, said in a statement released by the Youngstown Sherriff’s Department. So, keep this in mind. You can use amore general attribution in a lead and then get more specific in a later graph. Any questions about that? So, the book explains why this lead wasn’t quite the best. It’s sort of an example of burying the lead but the book notes that there was something a bit more novel about the events at the scene – a case of irony. Later in the story we are told that the two people killed were on their way to a funeral down the street. That’s a twist to this story that is worthy of being part of the lead. The new lead then is…(SWITCH)
(SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

22. What’s the Difference?
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio--A car sliced through a crowded fast food restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday, killing an elderly couple who had stopped for lunch on the way to a family member’s funeral. Six other people were injured.
READ. Okay. There’s plenty more in the chapter but you are responsible for that information on your own. Here are some additional items regarding leads that I think are important. (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

23. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
The lead is the most important part of your story. With so many sources of information – newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the Internet – audiences simply are not willing to read beyond the first paragraph (and even sentence) of a story unless it grabs their interest. A good lead does just that. It gives readers the most important information in a clear, concise and interesting manner. It also establishes the voice and direction of an article.
READ Voice and direction of an article. This is your set-up. The rest of the story should match in style and tone with your lead. (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

24. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
News leads are nearly always one sentence, sometimes two. Generally, they are 25 to 30 words and should rarely be more than 40. This is somewhat arbitrary, but it’s important – especially for young journalists – to learn how to deliver information concisely.
Be brief READ This is what you should be shooting for. This is what makes writing leads agonizing. (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

25. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
ACTIVE SENTENCE - Strong verbs will make your lead lively and interesting. Passive constructions, on the other hand, can sound dull and leave out important information, such as the person or thing that caused the action. Incomplete reporting is often a source of passive leads.
We talked about active and passive voice. This is particularly important in your leads. Active sentences and active verbs. READ (SWITCH)
Journalism fall 2016

26. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
Some of my information comes from this website – the Purdue Owl. It’s an excellent resource for writing as a journalist. Here’s the link for what they have on leads. Remember, this power point is on the class website. Now, let’s take a shot at writing a news lead. Divide into groups of four. (in class exercise) SWITCH
Journalism fall 2016

27. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
A fire caused about $10,000 damage to the home of Elizabeth Kinski, 67, 1133 Market Lane, last night
A straight news summary lead would luck something like this. READ SWITCH
Journalism fall 2016

28. Leads (a.k.a., Ledes)
A fire caused about $10,000 damage to the home of Elizabeth Kinski, 67, 1133 Market Lane, last night
You could add a little more interest to this by adding just a touch of drama READ END
Elizabeth Kinski, 67, returned home about ten last night to find her house on fire.
Journalism fall 2016