MODULE GETTING STARTED: CRAFTING

V THE GOOD LEAD

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
 NAME THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF LEADS
 APPLY TECHNIQUES IN WRITING GRAMMATICAL-BEGINNING LEAD
 DISTINGUISH INFORMATION IN SELECT LEADS
 ORGANIZE GATHERED DATA INTO SPECIFIC NEWS LEADS

PARTS OF THE NEWS

Newspaper articles require style of writing different from what is used when writing a story. This
was discussed in the previous chapter of this module. Also, never delete in your mind the image of an
inverted triangle when writing a news article. For purposes of iteration, the opening statement or
paragraph bears the most important information. This one-sentence-paragraph is called the lead. For
you to understand better, here is a typical skeleton of a newspaper article containing the five basic
parts.

1. Headline. This is a short, attention-getting statement about the event. It capsulized the first
paragraph.
2. Byline. This indicates the name of the writer or writers of the news article.
3. Lead paragraph. This contains the major who, what, when, where, why and how in it. A writer
must find answers to the major five W’s and one H. However, he should choose the answers that
bear the most significant elements to avoid overcrowding the paragraph.
4. Major details. After the lead paragraph is written, the writer will now decide to weave the major
details into paragraphs. Take note, still, that for beginners, the use of one-sentence-equivalent-
to-one-paragraph rule should be strictly followed. The writer should still observe coherence of
ideas.
5. Minor details. Should there be more space in the paper, the least important details may be
written. This will give the editor a wider perspective of the news, that he/she may paraphrase or
inject some of them in the major details.

THE LEAD
As iterated, the lead is the story’s opening sentence or two. Previously, it was discussed that
straight news, tells the most important facts of the story. In a feature article or news
feature, the lead could be a word, a phrase, a sentence or a paragraph that attracts and
sustains the reader’s interest.

It is a rule of thumb that the lead in a news story, particularly in straight news, need not be
too long. As the popular adage says, “A good lead should be like a miniskirt short enough to
be attractive, but long enough to cover the essentials”.

MAJOR CLASSIFICATION OF LEAD

1. Summary Lead
It answers the five W’s and one H. As iterated, the story is presented using the inverted
triangle form where the most important data are in the first and the second paragraph.
This is used in the straight news. As the nomenclature suggests, it summarizes only the
MOST important five W’s and H.

2. The Grammatical-Beginning Lead

This classification of lead paragraphs still gives emphasis on the logical importance of
the major details; however, it is also equally concerned with its grammatical structure.
There is an avenue to break the monotony of summary or conventional lead paragraphs.

3. Unorthodox lead or Novelty Lead

KINDS OF SUMMARY LEAD

As stated earlier, the summary lead uses the 5 W’s and one H as bases for starting such
lead. The position of the W’s and H is determined by their degree of importance.
In discussing the kinds of summary lead, the details in the box are used.

At the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday, the Board of

Trustees of the Batanes State College approved the new grading system which will
take effect next semester.

1. What Lead. This is applied if the most important angle of the news in the event per
se.
Example:
 The new grading system in Batanes State College will be imposed next semester
after the Board of Trustees approved the resolution at the commission on Higher
Education Central office yesterday.

2. Who Lead. This type of lead is used if the most important angle of the news is the
person involved, thus, more significant than the event.
Example:
The members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College approved
yesterday the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central
Office.

3. Where Lead. If the location where the event takes place is more significant than the
other aspects of the news, then this kind of lead is best applied.
Example:
At the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday, the Board of
Trustees of Batanes State College approved the new grading system which will take
effect next semester.

4. When Lead. This type of lead is seldom used since this is only applicable when the
time element is more important than the other angles of the story. Nonetheless, it
suggest urgency and immediacy.
Example:
Yesterday at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office, the Board of
Trustees of the Batanes State College approved the new grading system which will
take effect next semester.

5. Why Lead. If the cause of the event is the most effective angle of the story, this type
of lead is best suited.
Example:
To cope with the standards of ASEAN integration, the Board of Trustees of the
Batanes State College approved yesterday the new grading system which will take
effect next semester.

6. How Lead. If the process or the matter of how the event happened is more
important among the other angles of the news, the how lead is used.
Example:
Through a 7-5 vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State
College approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education
Central Office yesterday.

KINDS OF GRAMMATICAL-BEGINNING LEAD

 There are times when the lead is introduced by a kind of grammatical form which is
usually a phrase or a clause used to emphasize a feature.

1. Prepositional Phrase Lead – A phrase is introduced by a preposition

Example:
With the power of resolution numbered 37 approved by the members of Board of
Trustees of the Batanes State College yesterday, the new grading system of the College will
take effect next semester.

2. Infinitive Phrase Lead – as the name suggests, it starts with the preposition “to” plus the
main verb.
Example:
To meet the demands of the ASEAN integration, the members of the Board of Trustees
of the Batanes State College approved the new grading system at the Commision on Higher
Education Central Office yesterday.

3. Participial Phrase Lead – this lead is signaled by the presence of the present or past
participle of the verb acting as a modifier.
Example:
Recording a 7-5 margin vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State
College approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central
Office yesterday. (Present participle= Recording)

4. Gerundial Phrase Lead – this lead is introduced by a gerund. It is a verbal ending in –ing,
which acts as a noun.
Example:
Synchronizing with the standards of ASEAN integration was the primordial aim of the
members of the Board of Trustees in approving yesterday at the new grading system of
Batanes State College.

5. Clause Lead – This lead commence with a clause, which may become either independent or
subordinate, or may transform as either a noun or adjectival or adverbial clause.
Example:
Because there is a need to synchronized with the standards of ASEAN integration, the
members of the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College approved the new grading
system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday.