How to Write a News Lead

Craft a Lead that Will Hook Readers and Won't Let Go

A well crafted news lead will provide the hook to get readers interested in the story. There are different types of leads and different methods to write leads. A better understanding of news leads will help you grab readers and make them stick around.

Article leads are separated into two categories. Direct and Delayed. Direct news leads share one purpose. Tell me the news! Delayed news leads offer something else. Tell me a story!

Direct Leads

The Summary lead is the most basic news lead, covering all of the essential elements. Simply summarize the 5 W's of news reporting. Who, What, Where, When and Why.

The Analysis lead digs deeper into the ramifications of the news. Put the news into perspective by adding insight beyond the minimum required elements.

Delayed Leads

The Anecdotal lead generally leads into lighter news features. The story is illustrated through an anecdote, scene or quote. News writers tend to stay away from this lead, but it can be an easy hook to attach readers to different types of stories.

A Significant Detail lead is nothing more than it claims to be. A significant detail, fact or statistic that is shocking and interesting. The reader will continue to read to find the background of such a detail.

The Emblem lead is the process of putting a human face on the issue. Typically this means pulling from the person's situation elements that are familiar and identifiable to the reader.

The Round-Up lead is a hodgepodge of anecdotes, illustrations and examples to display how the issue has followed a trend. This wouldn't be used on breaking news, but could be utilized for issues that have a recurring interest for the public.

Any of these news leads can create exciting hooks for readers. The following are tips on how to write a news lead and how to choose the right lead type to use.

Write a Lead

The first step towards writing an interesting news lead is to put you in the role as a reader. What about the story would your reader be most interested in or connect with?