时文报刊选读 lead.pptVIP

Recall... Hard news versus soft news The Inverted Pyramid There are two reasons for writing a story in the form of inverted pyramid. One: putting the most important information at the top allows a reader to decide quickly whether or not to stick with the story. The other: allowing the readers to get as much of the most important information in that story as quickly as possible. A lead should be as economical as possible in wording while providing information as rich as possible. It generally answers at least four of the five Ws and an H. Those four elements are who, what, when and where. It focuses on the essential aspects of what is reported, highlighting the most important content. It consists of the catching and stirring things, which attract the attention of readers. Classification of News Lead Direct lead (summary lead) Main fact lead Contrast lead Quotation lead Suspend lead Direct address lead Descriptive lead Question lead 1) Direct Lead The direct lead which is often used in hard news, also called summary lead, reveals immediately what the story is about. It is the summary or statement of the most important facts contained in the story. It is the climax, the result of the investigation, the theme. It answers immediately, in almost thirty- five words or less, the main questions of who, what, when, where. E.g. The trial of Bo Xilai, charged with bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, concluded on Monday at Jinan Intermediate Peoples Court, after hearings from Aug 22 to Aug 26. (29 words) The first-instance trial of Bo Xilai, 64, former Chongqing Party chief and former member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Political Bureau, concluded at Jinan Intermediate Peoples court in Jinan, Shandong on Monday. (35 words) 2) Main fact lead Focuses on one main fact, answers one or two most important “W H” questions; it is more direct and concise than a summary lead which tries to answer as many “W H” ques