Introduction:
A well written story might vanish into obscurity on any newspaper page if its headline does not attract the reader. The headline must create a picture of an entire story in just a few words – and make it appealing to the readers at the same time. Apt headlines grab the reader’s attention, convey clear, concise thoughts, and dress up the publication. A reader often decides whether to read a story based on what the headline says. A headline tempts the reader to dig into the story. Poorly written headlines can mislead, confuse, and even embarrass the newspaper staff. Headlines must be free of libelous statements and must not contain violations of security, accuracy, policy and propriety.
News leads and their types:
A lead (also known as an intro) is the beginning of a news story that entices the reader. It is the first and most important paragraph of a news story. With the growth of media in various formats, the reader has little time to read beyond the first paragraph or sentence of a story unless it attracts their interest. A good lead can help in this direction. It gives the most important information in a clear, concise and interesting manner, establishing the voice and direction of an article.
In many media organizations, the editors decide whether the story will make it to the front page or be relegated to the inside pages. They often do so on the basis of the lead of the news story written by a journalist. That is why it is often said that a lead can make or break a story. While writing the lead one or more elements of the news are considered. Selection of the element(s) would depend upon their relative importance. Its objective is to catch readers’ attention and draw them in. A good lead not only tells the story but also sells the story.
A general rule is ‘the lead must tell the story’. It should be short and to the point, leaving all background information and detailed explanation for the body of the story.
In the case of Hard News, the lead answers the questions of who, what, when and where, as least. In a Soft News, the main objective of the lead is to grab the reader’s attention. Usually a lead is one paragraph long. A succinct lead is more effective and easier to read.
The elements of a good lead are:
● newsworthy action or result
● appeal to a wide readership
● human interest
● important facts
There are several types of leads or intros used in news reports. Listed below are some of the commonly used leads.
1. Summary Lead: This type of lead summarizes the whole story and gives the details. Also known as direct lead, this is the most common and widely used lead especially in newspapers. It is to the point and factual. It tells the reader or listener the most important aspect of the story at once in as few words as possible. It contains the essence of the story (but not necessarily all, of the 5 Ws and H). Traditionally, summary leads have been used to report hard news or a developing story.
Example: “Srinagar, July 9: Three people have been killed and around 50 injured in clashes in Kashmir between security forces and violent mobs who set ablaze five buildings,including three police installations, and some vehicles to protest the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter.”
2. Multiple-element Lead: When there are two or more actions of equal importance such leads are used. This type of lead tells the reader about more than one thing in a simple way. Most complex, in-depth stories about big issues use multiple element leads. The flipside is that such leads may become crowded or disorganized.
Example: “New Delhi, June 15: In a major reform of the aviation sector, the government on Wednesday scrapped the 5/20 overseas flying norm for domestic carriers in its new civil aviation policy while capping fares at Rs. 2500 for one hour flights and imposing a ‘small levy’ on passengers towards regional connectivity fund.”
3. Descriptive Lead: Such type of leads gives descriptions of how an event happened or of places and things. This is where a journalist draws a picture with words to put the reader into the scene. Such leads are common in feature stories and aimed at creating a visual impact.
Example: “Bhubaneswar, Apr 16: Fifty kilometers away from the Capital City of Bhubaneswar, you will reach a small village of 20 to 30 tribal families in Dhenkanal District, without a motorable road. However, this village has become famous for it being the first open defecation free village of the district.”
4. Anecdotal Lead: Anecdotal leads, as the name suggests, starts with an anecdote or a short story about a person or an event. It is good for arousing immediate interest by involving the reader in the story. The anecdote must be interesting and must closely illustrate the article’s broader point. This kind of lead is rarely used for hard news but for both soft stories and features such leads are sometimes helpful. If this approach is used, the broader significance of the anecdote should be explained within the first few sentences after the lead.
Example: “After failing to secure a job in Odisha and later India, Ashok from Bolangir district, decided to try his luck abroad. During this time, he came in contact with a person named Kumar, who assured Ashok that he will help him in getting a job in Dubai. As demanded by Kumar, Ashok gave him Rs. 10000 for passport and visa processing. Now Kumar is untraceable. Ashok is not able to contact him even after six months.”
5. Quote Lead: Such type of lead is used when a source has said something so dramatic or important that it can draw the attention of readers. The quote should summarize the entire story, be brief and totally self-explanatory. Use of Quote lead is not very frequent, but an appropriate quote of a source can be effective in case of a news story. Testimony of real people or experts is also used as lead in feature stories. However, ‘famous quotes’ should beavoided.
Example: “Bhubaneswar, May 22: “In the first Council of Ministers’ meeting, it was resolved to approve the BJD manifesto in principle and make an all-out effort to implement the promises in a phased manner following due processes of the Government,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, after chairing the first meeting of the council of minister today at State Secretariat.”
6. Immediate Identification lead: Such types of leads emphasize the “who” of the five Ws. These leads are used when someone or some entity with recognizable name is making news. The ‘who’ is identified by name. Usually prominent people are identified in the lead. Sometimes little-known people will also be named in the lead. This happens when the emphasis is on what happened to this person. Immediate identification can be used in both hard and soft news.
Example: “New Delhi, May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high level meeting on the drought and water scarcity situation in parts of Odisha with state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.”
7. Delayed Identification: In the delayed-identification lead, the identity of the subject (or the ‘who’) is not named but is described in some manner, such as by title, age, residence or past notoriety. Identification is delayed because the subject doesn’t have much name recognition, nor do readers care all that much about the subject’s name. Another reason for the delayed identification is to emphasize on the story, which is more important. A descriptive pronoun to identify the person is used in the lead. Name of the person is given in a later paragraph. Such leads are used in soft news or feature stories.
Example: “Cuttack, May 19: A 20 year college student filed an FIR at local Police station alleging an Ollywood director sexually exploiting and intimidating her after promising to get her acting roles in movies.”
8. Punch lead: Such type of leads use a blunt, explosive statement to summarize the most newsworthy feature and create an impact. The attention is attracted by writing a brief, to-the- point sentence and developing details later in the story. Such type of leads is used often in news or feature stories to convey hard hitting information. Such leads should be used when there is impactful information for the body.
Example: ‘Cyclone is back’. Or ‘The nation is stunned’.
9. Contrast Lead: Such type of leads describe the contrast between two opposites or extremes for emphasis. The sharper the contrast the effective the lead is. It uses two different thoughts to make a strong statement. This type of lead is used to drive home the point about a particular event, person, place or happening. It can be used in both hard news and soft news stories.
Example: “Bhubaneswar May 22: Two years back Dutee was banned from sports and was dropped from the Commonwealth Games for gender issues. After court fights and hard work, she has now qualified to represent India in the 100 meter race in Olympics 2016. This is indeed .”
Conclusion:
Choosing the right kind of lead is important because it sets the tone and mood for the rest of the story, so choose carefully. It should be chosen on the basis of the type of news reports and information available.
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