A Good News "Lead"

     A news story has certain elements that are needed to make it successful.  The conclusion, the thesis, and the context of the story are all needed but none are more important than the lead.  The lead is often the first paragraph in a news story that is required to draw the reader in and raise their interest in the story.  It should be straight to the point and provide the reader with the answer to six questions: Who? How? Where? Why?What? When?  Writing a good lead is something that many writers overlook but a good lead can be the difference between a well received story and a disaster. 

     An example of a good lead according to author Fred Fedler, would be, "President Bush dismissed the notion Thursday that his campaign to create private accounts in Social Security was in serious trouble, asserting he was still "at the early stages of the process"".

     When writing a good lead it is important to remember the central idea of your story and try to write that without using unnecessary words or phrases.  You should recognize which facts are most likely to interest readers and what aspects of the information is most important.  Most leads are a single sentence and the sentence must be complete.  Good leads usually start with the subject, and then an active verb followed by the object of the verb.  It is important to be specific and give details so that the reader can imagine the events that you are writing about.  The lead should also be objective and not represent a biased opinion.  You should report the facts to the public and not give your commentary on the topic when writing your lead.  Emphasizing the stories magnitude and impact on the readers should be expressed in your lead to make people want to read it and let them know that they need this information.  Leads that fail to do this are described as burying the news and many won't view the story as well written.  The lead in a news story is difficult to write but it is the most important part of the story and if done right it can give your story the credibility that it needs.