Leads
This is the first paragraph of a news article.
What is the Lead?
This is the exact wording of someone's comments.
What is a quote?
This signifies who stated the quote.
What is attribution?
This is the theory that all of the most important information should come at the top of the news article, followed by less important details, followed by the absolute least important details.
What is the Inverted Pyramid?
Journalists should always be THIS in their reporting, in terms of keeping their opinions and bias out of the stories.
What is being objective?
The answers to these questions should appear in your Lead.
What are the Essential Questions, or what are the 5 W's and H?
These marks distinguish a quote from other parts of an article.
What are quotation marks?
Every quote in a news article MUST have this.
What is attribution?
This is the exact formula for writing a News Article in terms of paragraphs.
What is the Lead, Additional Information, Quote, Transition, Quote, Transition, Quote, Transition, Quote... end with a Quote?
Journalists should always be 100% THIS with their reported facts. They can do this by double and triple checking their sources.
What is accurate?
In addition to answering the essential questions, a Lead should always include this to lure readers in.
What is really jaw-dropping, eye-popping, or graphic information?
Periods or commas ALWAYS belong HERE when used with quotes.
What is inside the quotation marks?
This is when you have two different quotes back to back and is not acceptable in news writing.
What is stacking quotes?
These are sources that most Americans get their news from.
What is TV, newspapers, radio, news websites, news apps, social media, and word of mouth?
This is what will happen to a journalist if they purposely falsify facts, plagiarize content, or demean someone's reputation.
What is getting fired?
This is the common phrase used by journalists to demonstrate the importance of using more graphic or provocative information in the lead.
What is, "If it Bleeds, it Leads?"
This is the exact order of the parts of the attribution.
What is Title, Name, Said?
Attribution always comes HERE in regards to the quote.
What is AFTER the 1st sentence?
If journalists were NOT guaranteed the freedom to report on the actions of the government without any form of retribution, then THIS form of government would cease to exist.
What is a Democracy?
9/11 is a great example, where journalists were tasked with the duty of reporting on the day's horrific events without overstepping the line of decency. When journalists purposely go over the line with their reporting just to raise eyebrows, it is called THIS.
What is sensationalism?
This optional paragraph may follow the lead paragraph.
What is Additional Information?
These give your articles more weight and credibility. They also add a human element to your article.
What are quotes?
In terms of covering sports, these people's quotes should definitely be included in your article.
Who are the head coach and some star players?
Unlike TV News, you can never have THESE in print news articles, due to the very nature of the medium.
What are live updates?
Over the last 20 years, journalists have lost the trust of much of the American public due to many media outlets pandering to one political side or another. Many Americans don't find a lot of news agencies to be THIS anymore for distributing factual information.
What is credible?