basic principles in writing news articles and feature story

1. BY:
CHELDY SYGACO ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

2.  A LEAD is the first paragraph of
the news article or a feature story.
 It composes of one or two
sentences or at least 35 words. (5
W’s and 1 h)
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

3.  put all the important information into the first paragraph,
known as the lead. This usually includes the who, what,
where, when and why of the story.
 Example:
 One person was killed and three injured when a car
and truck collided yesterday on an icy section of Street
Road in Bensalem, police said.
 WHO: one dead, three hurt
 WHAT: car-truck crash
 WHERE: street road in Bensalem
 WHEN: yesterday
 WHY: apparently due to ice
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

4.  also called delayed leads
 don't have to get all the important points into the
first graph. Feature articles can take several graphs,
usually no more than three or four, to lead the
reader into the story, through the use of
description, anecdote or by setting a scene.
 Then, once that description or anecdote has been
established, the reporter writes what's called the
nut graph.
 In the nut graph you explain what the story is
about. In other words, the nut graph is the lead of
your feature article. CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

5.  After several days in solitary
confinement, Mohamed
Rifaey finally found relief in
pain. He would wrap his
head in a towel and whack it
against the cinder-block
wall. Over and over.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

6.  Hard news leads are generally used for breaking
news, deadline-oriented stories. Feature leads can
be used for more feature-type articles that don't
deal with a breaking news event.
 For instance, it probably wouldn't be appropriate
to put a feature lead on a breaking news story
about five people being killed in a row house fire.
On the other hand, if you were doing a follow-up
story about the problems row house tenants have
had in getting their landlord to remove fire
hazards, a feature lead would probably work well.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

7.  Writers of news stories generally
utilize a special style and format in
crafting their opening lines. This is
known as the lead (or LEDE). Even
as the pre-eminence of newspapers
declines in the face of competition
from newer technologies, the
methods for writing an effective
lead are still widely taught and
used. They also provide valuable
insights for any writer.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

8.  Know a "LEAD" from a "LEDE."
In fact, they are the exact same
thing. The use of "lede" dates
back to when newspaper
publishers needed to
differentiate between the term
used for the beginning of a news
story and the molten lead (the
metal) used in the printing
process
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

9.  Anecdotes - stories
 Description - setting the scene, describing the person
 Action - showing people doing things
 Quotes - the more colourful and interesting, the
better
 Background information- the five Ws and the H - all
the info you need to fill in the blanks
 Context, perspective - giving the bigger picture when
necessary
 Point of view - sometimes in feature writing, you can
let the reader know what you think
 Angle – (the most important)what is the story about?
what is its point? why should people want to read your
story?
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

10.  A news story lead is based on the premise that
you need to save the best for first. It has to catch
the reader's eye and succinctly provide the most
important information about the article.
 The phrase "burying the lead" (or "LEDE") refers
to delaying or withholding the most vital
information. For example, if a teenager tells his
mother he cleared out some more space in the
garage like she asked but fails to mention he did
so by totalling the car, that's burying the lead.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

11.  Unlike essays or books or most other forms of writing,
news articles are written on the assumption that the
reader may not finish the piece.
 Newspaper readers often skim only the beginnings of
stories, and editors often trim off the ends of stories
before they ever go to press, so the focus is on the
lead, not on building up to a fantastic conclusion.
 News stories usually use what is called an inverted
pyramid structure, where the weightiest, most
substantial information is on the top, and the least
substantial elements are at the bottom
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

12.  A traditional lead attempts to answer most or all of the
key questions -- Who? What? When? Where? Why?
and How?
 Example: "A faulty space heater caused a raging fire in
the 400-block of Grant Street last night around 2 am,
leaving two fire fighters hurt and three families
homeless."
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

13.  While the exact numbers
vary, journalism students
are often taught to write
first sentences of between
25 and 35 words, and not
more than 40. This is
considered just long
enough to provide, in most
cases, the vital details in a
succinct manner.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

14.  Readers are drawn in by active sentences that highlight the
stakes, the conflict, or the impact of the event covered,
propelling them forward into the story.
 A form of sentence editing called the Paramedic Method
involves identifying and eliminating redundancies and use of
the passive voice in favour of sentences using simple verbs with
the "doer" as the subject.
 Example of the Paramedic Method, compare "The highest
office in the nation was granted once again to John Doe by the
voters last night" with "Voters granted John Doe another turn
in the nation's highest office last night."
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

15.  A writer is more artist than scientist, so however hard and fast
the rules may seem for leads, high-quality exceptions to the
standard abound. Some variations include:
 Asking a question -- "Who could have guessed a single
phone call two years ago would bring down the city's most
famous banking family?"
 Using an anecdote -- "From Amy Smith's raucous nosebleed
seat high above Ajax Field, the kick looked perfect; yet the
barely-visible referee's arms refused to rise in agreement."
 The delayed lead, which can use questions, anecdotes, or
other methods to draw readers in without immediately
revealing details. This, however, tends to work better in
longer features than "hard news" stories.
CHELDY S. ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA;LlB

16. CHELDHAYE