2. 2
COMA 360 - DMH
GOOD LEADS EMPHASIZE THE MOST
IMPORTANT NEWS ELEMENT
WHO: President Clinton will visit Cuba next week at the request of
Caricom nations.
WHAT: Lightning struck the upper deck at Wrigley Field last night while
the Cubs were playing in San Francisco.
WHEN: Midnight tonight is the deadline for tax returns, but the local
post office is ready to accommodate procrastinators.
WHERE: The Emerson and Towanda intersection is officially the most
dangerous crossing in Bloomington, according to the Illinois Bureau of
Transportation.
WHY: Because she could correctly spell "ostentatious," Lisa Wheeler
will go to the state Spelling Bee finals.
HOW: By hitting his 50th home run last night for the fourth year,
Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa etched his name in the baseball
record books alongside Babe Ruth and Mark McGwire.
3. 3
COMA 360 - DMH
STRAIGHT NEWS LEAD
Two people were killed and four
injured today when a truck
collided with a passenger car on
Interstate 59 near the Cottondale
exit.
4. 4
COMA 360 - DMH
SUMMARY LEAD
A tractor-trailer truck carrying
dangerous chemicals crashed on
Interstate 59 today, killing one
person, injuring four others, and
forcing the evacuation of several
hundred people from their homes.
5. 5
COMA 360 - DMH
DIRECT ADDRESS LEAD
If gardening is your hobby, you
need to know about Tom Smith.
If you’re a property owner in the
city, the City Council is about to
take at least $50 more from you
each year.
6. 6
COMA 360 - DMH
QUESTION LEAD
Do you really want to know
how hot dogs are made?
Why doesn’t the president tell
Congress where he stands on
the pay increase issue?
7. 7
COMA 360 - DMH
DIRECT QUOTE LEADS
“A city that cares!”
That’s what mayoral candidate
George Bramble promised today as
he hit the campaign trail in Yakima.
8. 8
COMA 360 - DMH
COMMON MISTAKES:
The Hidden Lead. Does the lead zero in on the
latest and most important news, or is the real heart
of the story (and therefore a better lead) hidden
elsewhere in the story?
The Overly Dense Lead. Does the lead have too
many of the W's and H? Does it have too many
proper nouns or too much data?
The Dull Lead. Given your lead, would you really
read this article if you hadn't written it?
9. 9
COMA 360 - DMH
TIPS FOR WRITING A LEAD
Conflict
Brevity
Active sentences
Audience and context
Honesty
