Writing Ledes that Hook Readers

What is 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 several 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 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:
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.

Emphasize What’s Newsworthy
Sometimes, one particular aspect of a story – the who, what, where, when, why or how - will be especially interesting or newsworthy.
Celebrity stories are an example. People die of drug overdoses all the time, but when it happens to a celebrity it’s big news. So the “who” aspect of the story – who died – must be emphasized.
Here’s an example from CNN.com:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.
Notice how who died – Heath Ledger - is right at the start of the lede. That’s because the fact that a famous actor died is clearly the most newsworthy angle of this story.
Other stories might emphasize other angles. It’s the reporter’s job to figure out what’s most interesting in any story, and to play that up in the lede.

Adding Context
Ledes must be short, but that doesn’t mean they can’t include context and perspective that add meaning to a story. Look at this lede from The Associated Press:
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, facing doubts about his handling of Iraq amid rising casualties, is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism and cautioning Americans that the struggle "will take time and require sacrifice."
This lede is only 35 words long yet manages to tell us the following:
· President Bush is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism
· The president is facing doubts about his handling of the Iraq war
· casualties are rising in Iraq
· Bush admits the war “will take time and require sacrifice.”
Why did the writer feel the need to add such background information? Well, imagine if the lede had read like this:
President Bush is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism.
The basic story is there, but this bare-bones lede doesn’t provide any context for Bush’s request. The reader is left with little understanding of what’s really happening.

Subject-Verb-Object
A good way to keep ledes tight is to follow the subject-verb-object format. This simply means putting the subject at the start of the sentence whenever possible.
Look at these two sentences:
She read the book.
The book was read by her.
The first sentence is in S-V-O format, the second isn’t. What’s the difference?
· The first sentence is an “active” construction, the second is passive.
· The first sentence has a direct connection between the subject and the action she is taking, making the sentence punchy and vivid. The second sentence cuts that connection, making it dull and lifeless.
· The first sentence is four words long, the second is six words long.
Two words may not seem like a big difference, but imagine cutting two words out of every sentence your write. After awhile, it starts to add up.

Finding Story Topics On Campus

The best thing about this college campus is that something is ALWAYS happening. It's your job as a reporter to track that event, speech or meeting down and write about it.

1. Finding events and meetings on campus:
The campus calendar is a good place to start. Here's the link: http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu/Calendar/calendar.asp
This is the place to locate events the campus is promoting. Many of these events are paid for from student fees, so it's not only your right to attend the events, but it's your obligation to cover them from a public affairs perspective.

2. Finding out what decisions are being made that impact students and the campus community.
Covering events and meetings is not that difficult. You just show up, take notes, interview a few participants and write your story. The trickier jobs that journalists face are those that require attendance at governance meetings. Student Government organizations, Faculty Senates, and Faculty Associations and Board of Trustees meetings should be covered by student reporters. The calendars of these various groups appear online at http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/ under a variety of different headings. The best way to find their meetings is to search for them at the campus web site by typing in the name of the organization. Once the schedule of meetings is located, make contact with someone in charge and seek permission to attend. (The meetings are open and public, so your attendance is absolutely acceptable. You're getting permission out of professionalism and courtesy, and to allow those hosting the meeting to prepare for your attendance by adding an extra chair).

Once you attend the meeting for the first time, you'll become aware that much of the jargon is not familiar to you. It's okay to ask lots of questions and familiarize yourself with the topics. One of the best ways to learn about these meetings and governing bodies is to read old minutes from previous meetings. These minutes are generally posted online and are easy for you to access.

Here are some guidelines to follow when covering governing bodies:
1. Plan long in advance the meetings you will attend and notify those in charge that you will be attending.
2. To prepare, attempt to get a copy of the group's agenda.
3. Read old minutes to gain familiarity with the issues the governing body is handling. Learn through the minutes who the "movers and shakers" are.
4. Don't be afraid to ask questions about things that are confusing or unclear.
5. Remember that your goal is to be a watchdog of the government for the people. Pay close attention to how this governing body is managing the people's money. Are the decisions they are making in the best interest of students? faculty? the campus community?
6. Be sure to record minutes to be used later while you're attending the meeting. If using a tape recorder, request permission to do so.
7. Attempt to write the story within a few hours of covering the meeting, so the information is fresh in your mind.
8. Make sound judgements about what is most important to the story. Find your focus and present the information that supports the focus. Remember that it will not be uncommon to have a multiple-incident lead since governing bodies tend to cover a number of items at each meeting.
9. Work with a Compass editor to polish your story and get it ready for publication.
10. Be sure to save your notes and your tapes from all meetings for at least three years in case anyone questions your work.