Miscellaneous Vocabulary
Typically the first sentence of the news story, answers who, what, where, when, why and how.
Lead
Stories and news related to business, stocks and finance go here.
Business section
This type of lead indicates how the issue might impact you as a reader. It answers the "so what?" and "why should I care" questions.
Impact lead
Stories that evoke emotions, affection or inspiration in the reader, often people-centered
Human interest
What kind of news is this: "Katie's Pizza & Pasta debuts 3 new menu items"
Soft news
Indicates who wrote the story; gives credit to the writer or photographer
Byline
Drawings that express an opinion or editorial commentary about public figures, government policies, or current events
Political cartoon
Starts a story with a compelling quote that catches the reader’s attention, while at the same time, summarizing the main point of the story.
Quote lead
Stories that have a direct and immediate impact on the reader (usually physical effects, like being unable to go somewhere or having to pay more in taxes or having your routine disrupted)
Consequence/Impact
What kind of news is this: "Earthquake rocks St. Louis, several injured"
Hard news
A continuation line that tells you where to find the rest of the story. See “Turn to Prevost, Page 4.”
Jumpline
Text in a big font that summaries the story and grabs the reader’s attention.
Headline
A longer lead that helps introduce the characters, set the stage and set up the action of the story.
Descriptive lead
A story that happened recently
Timeliness
What kind of news is this: "10 concerts to see this summer in St. Louis"
Soft news
Tells us what can be found inside the paper
Crawler
The writing in a news story is called...
Copy
This type of lead is short and to the point.
Direct lead
A story that is close to us or nearby, local
Proximity
What kind of news is this: "Cara Spencer elected new mayor of St. Louis"
Hard
Short for "opposite the editorial"
Op ed
A paid public notice or commercial message placed by an outside sponsor to sell a product or service.
Advertisement
What type of lead is this?
"A new trade deal between the U.S. and Canada could effect your grocery bill starting in September."
Impact
A story that involves important people like public figures, or well-known places
Prominence
What kind of news is this: "BREAKING: a fire in Soulard damages several restaurants, first responders on the scene"
Hard news