What makes a good lead?

A good lead is a simple, clear statement that answers the six basic questions and is readable.
The six basic questions that need to be answer are the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Once you have figured out those, and included them in your lead, it is time to figure out the so what. The so what addresses why this story is important. For example, a story written about a mugging that occurred in a bad city would not be big news. However, if it had occurred in a crime-free suburban town it could be big news. To go along with answering the six questions, it shows that in that example where was important. Who could be important if it is a big name, along with when if it's a big day etc. In answering these questions, you must make sure it is clear and concise. It is not necessarily the smartest idea to put all of these things into one sentence. A good lead many times is broken up into two, more readable sentences. Overall, a good lead is clear and concise, offers all the answers to the six questions, and grabs the readers attention to read the rest of the article.