Tagoloan Community College

College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD

● Newspaper articles require a style of writing different from what is used when a
writing a story. Never delete in your mind the image of an inverted triangle when
writing a news article. The opening statement or paragraph bears the most important
information or the LEAD.

PARTS OF THE NEWS

● Headline: This is a short, attention-getting statement about the event. It capsulizes
the first paragraph.

● Byline: This indicates the name of the writer or writers of the news article.

● Lead Paragraph: This contains the major who, what, when, where, why and how in
it. A writer must find answers to the major five 5W’s and one H. However, he should
choose the answers that bear the most significant elements to avoid overcrowding the
paragraph.

● Major Details: After the lead paragraph is written, the writer will now decide to
weave the major details into paragraphs. The writer should still observe coherence of
ideas.

● 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
● The story’s opening sentence or two.
● 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 to be long.
● American researchers suggest that for an average reader, one sentence or paragraph
should contain 17 to 35 words for him/her to comprehend at once the message of the
sentence. The lesser the words in a sentence, the higher its comprehensibility.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
MAJOR CLASSIFICATIONS OF LEAD
● 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 paragraphs. This is used in the straight news. As the
nomenclature (system of naming of the word) suggests, it SUMMARIZES ONLY THE
MOST IMPORTANT FIVE 5W’S AND H.

● 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.

● UNORTHODOX LEAD OR NOVELTY LEAD – It is best used to attract the reader’s

attention, to arouse his/her curiosity and to sustain his/her interest. It is used in
writing a news feature or a feature article.

KINDS OF SUMMARY LEAD

As mentioned, the summary lead covers the 5W’s and 1H. In discussing the kinds of
summary lead, the details in the box below 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 in the
next semester.

● What Lead: This is applied if the most important angle of the news is the event per
se.
Example: The 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.

● 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.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
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.

● Where Lead: If the location where the event takes place is more significant that the
other aspects if 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 the Batanes State College approved the new grading system
which will take effect next semester.

● 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
suggests 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.

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

● How Lead: If the process or the manner of how the event happened is the most
important among the other angles of the news, the how lead is used.
Example: Through a 7-5 vote, the Board of Trustees of the Batanes State College
approved the new grading system which will take effect next semester 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. Here, the important W’s are
found in the main clause, not in the introductory or subordinate clause which is just a
modifying feature. Again, it breaks the monotony of summary lead in a newspaper. It may
also denote that the story belongs to soft news.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD

● Prepositional Lead: A phrase introduced by a preposition.

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

● Infinitive Phrase Lead: As the name suggests, it starts with a 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 Batangas State College approved the new grading system at
the Commission on Higher Education Central Office yesterday.

● Participial Phrase Lead: This lead signaled by the presence of the present or past
participle of the verb, acting as modifier.
Example: Recording a 7-5 vote, the members of the Board of Trustees of the
Batangas State College approved the new grading system at the Commission on
Higher Education Central Office yesterday. (Present Participle)
Armed with the desires to synchronize the standards of the ASEAN
Integration, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Batangas State College
approved the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central
Office yesterday. (Past Participle)

● Gerundial Phrase Lead: This lead is introduced by a gerund. Gerund is a verbal

ending in –ing, which acts as a noun. Many beginning writers interchange the
present participial lead to gerundial lead. Remember, the former acts as a modifier
while the latter acts as a noun.
Example: Synchronizing with the standards of ASEAN Integration was the
primordial aim of members of the Board of Trustees in approving yesterday the new
grading system of Batangas State College.

● Clause Lead: This lead commences with a clause, which may become either an
independent or dependent clause, or may transform as either noun or an adjectivial
or adverbial clause.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
Example: Because there is a need to synchronize with the standards of ASEAN
Integration the members of the Board of Trustees of Batangas State College approved
the new grading system at the Commission on Higher Education Central Office
yesterday.

KINDS OF NOVELTY LEAD

When writing news features, a writer should remember that the article should still
have a soft touch of feature writing. Thus, his/her article should be written in such a way
that it arrests the reader’s attention. These leads may also carry-out a definite purpose.

● Narrative Lead: It draws the reader into the story by allowing him/her to relate
himself/herself with the character of the story.
Example: The fifth of June 2015, Herodes Barabas, 34, experienced the longest
one hour in his life as he sat on a swivel chair in front of his eight interviewers at Aklan
State University. It was an entrance interview of the long queue of applicants
mustering their patience in waiting for Instructor 1 position.

● Descriptive Lead: Effective in writing personality sketches, travelogues and the like,
this lead illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader. A writer must be
adept in creating mental images through the play of the language to satisfy the
readers in using this technique.
Example: If Palawan were a class record, it must have received nearly perfect
grade weighted average for the unending praises of tourists coming in to experience its
breathtaking grandeur. Who would not drop his jaw when he sees the evidence of
God’s dexterous hand that crafted the seascapes and landscapes of Palawan? Add on
the list the cerulean waves that unendingly race towards the stony foot of the island.

● Quoted Statement Lead: It is a statement uttered by a well-known personality or

celebrity. Usually, in school setting, when student journalists want to highlight the
message of the guest speaker, they used this type of lead.
Example: “You have to spread your wings and fly”
This was emphasized by Dr. Malou H. Wang, the guest of honor and
the commencement speaker of Mindanao State College last April 5 at the
auditorium.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
● Question Statement Lead: It is a though-provoking question to capture the interest
of the reader and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of
the article.
Example: When was the last time you told you mother you loved her?
Maria Mantis, 35, wishes she could tell her a thousand times how
much she loves her now, but her mother is already heedless inside her
coffin.
● Teaser: Generally short, crisp and witty, this is a device to deceive the reader in a
jesting manner as it arouses the curiosity and gently leads him into the story. Often,
riddles are used, and they do not give the readers any clue on the nature of the story.
They are mostly suggestive and humorous.
Example: Which one comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be
made possible without the hen. But where does the hen come from?

● Punch Lead: It is short, striking one sentence lead.

Example: Hungry farmers in Kidapawan were asking for food, but the enforcers
of the law fed them with bullets.

● Astonisher Lead: This lead aims to give the reader a strong sense of emotional value.
Thus, it is primarily uses an exclamatory sentence.
Example: Unbeatable, indeed!
After grabbing the Intramural crown from the Green Aggies team three
years ago, the Blue Titans has sustained its supremacy as it spent its foes
kneeling before its royalty throne.
The awarding ceremonies happened at the Cagayan State University-
Lal-lo Gymnasium on August 12, 2015, the last day of the three-day clash.

● One word Lead: It uses a very significant word to capture or arouse the interest of
the reader.
Example: Boom!
Residents in Basco, Batanes seemingly ran to nowhere when a
restaurant situated in Kayhuvokan exploded on April 1, 2016 around 9:15
in the morning.

● Parody Lead: It consists of a parody of a well-known quotation, song, poem, book or

movie film title.
Example: “There was never an us!”
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD
This famous line from a movie of Sarah Geronimo was the exact
statement of Ms. Sug Poe to Mr. Cheap Ezcuderow yesterday when asked
if there was a time when both agreed to share stocks in the top-performing
Pacquiao Airline Company.

● Background Lead: It describes an event in which the background overshadows the

individuals who participate in it; often, it uses stories about carnivals, festivals,
dances and others.
Example: With the glittering and shimmering bantings along the skimpy roads,
as if throng of rainbows came to visit the town of Gattarrn, Cagayan to celebrate with
its 30th Agsalukag Festival on April 13, 2016.

● Freak Lead: In order to enhance its appeal and to easily catch the attention of the
reader, this kind of unique lead uses typographical effects.
Example: Wanted: Loyal Filipino Teachers
This is the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education
yesterday, amidst the exodus of Filipino teachers abroad.

● Contrast Lead: It is used to point out opposites and extremes.

Example: Last year, she campaigned for Magyun Yang as the president of the
student body. Today, Maria Malou Wang, the head of Students Performing Arts, takes
the lead in calling for Yang’s resignation.

● Staccato Lead: Primarily rooted from musical parlance, this term suggests a lead
that consists of a series of words and phrases, punctuated by periods, commas or
dashes.
Example: Neglected. Denuded. Abused. Abandoned. This is the real picture of
our forest today.

REASONS FOR NOVELTY LEAD

● To enhance the readability of the newspaper.
● To arouse the interest of the readers.
● To add vigor and color to writing.
● To challenge the ability of the writer.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD

RULES OF THUMB IN LEAD WRITING

● Make sure the lead includes the most important of the five W’s and H, particularly
the who, what and when. For a story about a report, NEVER begin with a statement
“A report was issued by…..”
● The lead should be simple, brief, compact, vigorous, and attractive; it should not
inject too much information. In general, keep the lead to 17-35 words. Try letting
others read your lead. When he cannot grasp the meaning at once, consider revising
it.
● Facts first: Do not start with WHEN or WHERE, unless such information weights the
heaviest importance.
● Consider your subject matter. Not all news articles are treated light as well as
serious. However, bear in mind that all news article should be forceful. A writer once
opined that in making the lead forceful, the main verb should be embedded within
the first six words. Try dong it.
● Keep it up-to-date. Use the correct tense. If in doubt, consult a grammar book or
bring with you a pocketbook of grammar rules. Remember, being accurate and being
correct are foundations of journalism.
● Your lead should not carry your gratuitous opinion. To avoid this, indicate the person
or the source from whom such opinionated statement came from.
● Practice avoiding to begin the lead with the time, day or date or place. Better focus on
the action, “the who or what”.
● Cut-off non-essential details. News writing or news reporting is straight to the point.
Hence, do not begin with an empty, say-nothing expression or a generality that fails
to distinguish news from other news; There were…..In a report releases today…
According to….
● “Practice makes perfect,” so the saying goes. Soon, you will enter the threshold of
skilled writers; so avoid using a form of the verb “to be” in the lead, if possible. Use
an action verb instead. Action verbs are more forceful, more vigorous that verbs ‘to
be”.
Tagoloan Community College
College of Education
English 106
Campus Journalism
Instructor: MR JOHN MICHAEL A. CUYAG

Factsheet #4
TOPIC 6 : CRAFTING THE GOOD LEAD