A lead, which is the first statement of an article, should be simple, clear, and to the point. It is a basic journalism skill that is not only easily recognized by writers but also by readers.
When writing an article in the inverted pyramid style, the lead is where the writer determines the relevance, usefulness, and interest among the readers, the three ways journalists summarize news. Writers also have to figure out the “so what” and “who cares” for the readers.
To determine this, the author needs to include the who, what, when, where, why and how. The most important information should be included right away, detail and quotes can follow later.
Sometimes, the why and/or how are not as important as the who, what, when, and where.
For example, if tonight’s breaking news is a plane crash, people would want to know which plane crashed, when it crashed, where it crashed, and who was on it right away. People would also want to know how many were recorded dead, missing, or injured and if there were any survivors.
Although the why and how are important, they don’t absolutely need to be included in the first sentence. The why and how can wait until the second sentence.
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