NEWS WRITINGNEWS WRITING

1) FOCUS1) FOCUS2) THEME2) THEME

3) LEAD3) LEAD

News StoryNews Story

LEAD

BODY

END

THE LEAD THE LEAD

The first two or three paragraphs The first two or three paragraphs that introduce the story and tell in that introduce the story and tell in a nutshell what it is all about is a nutshell what it is all about is called the Lead.called the Lead.

Two methods of writing the lead:-Two methods of writing the lead:-

1) The Six Great Teachers method 1) The Six Great Teachers method

2) The SVO method.2) The SVO method. Rudyard Kipling 5 W’s –Rudyard Kipling 5 W’s –Who, What, When, Where, Why Who, What, When, Where, Why and H-howand H-how

Subject, Verb, Object.Subject, Verb, Object.

Consider the following lead:Consider the following lead:

(New Delhi, Aug. 24), Avjit Verma(New Delhi, Aug. 24), Avjit Verma

Prime Minister Manmohan SinghPrime Minister Manmohan Singhasked the defense personnel toasked the defense personnel togive a fitting reply to Pakistan ingive a fitting reply to Pakistan inthe event of a war.the event of a war.

WhoWho – PM – PMWhatWhat – asked the Defense – asked the Defense

Personnel to give Personnel to give a fitting reply to a fitting reply to Pakistan. Pakistan.

WhenWhen– Aug 24– Aug 24WhereWhere – New Delhi – New DelhiWhy Why – in the event of a– in the event of a

war warHowHow – – ??? ???

Subject – PMSubject – PMVerb – askedVerb – askedObject – the DefenseObject – the Defense

Personnel Personnel

ExerciseExercise

Consider following information and tell which Consider following information and tell which TAX would form the LEAD.TAX would form the LEAD.

Union budgets has three major Union budgets has three major proposals for proposals for agricultural taxagricultural tax, , corporate taxcorporate tax and and personal personal income taxincome tax. .

Type of LeadsType of Leads

Summary Leads:Summary Leads:Summary Lead is the one which gives gist of the Summary Lead is the one which gives gist of the story in the first few lines and is best suited for story in the first few lines and is best suited for news-breaking stories.news-breaking stories. EG: President Pratibha Patil had to abandon a EG: President Pratibha Patil had to abandon a helicopter after smoke billowed from its air helicopter after smoke billowed from its air conditioning vents just before it was to take off conditioning vents just before it was to take off from Kerala’s Kollam District on Wednesday from Kerala’s Kollam District on Wednesday morning. morning.

Narrative LeadNarrative Lead::It draws readers into the middle of an It draws readers into the middle of an action, from where it is difficult to action, from where it is difficult to escape. Normally, it is written in two escape. Normally, it is written in two or three paragraphs, called the lead or three paragraphs, called the lead block, telling the major point of the block, telling the major point of the story.story. EG: Taking college education beyond classrooms EG: Taking college education beyond classrooms and textbooks, Delhi University is planning a four-and textbooks, Delhi University is planning a four-year course that will focus on innovation and year course that will focus on innovation and hands-on learning through industry-based hands-on learning through industry-based projects. The proposed degree programme in projects. The proposed degree programme in mathematics and information and communication mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) will be interdisciplinary as well.technology (ICT) will be interdisciplinary as well.

Use of relatively unknown names are Use of relatively unknown names are permitted. permitted.

In personality, travel and hi-tech features.In personality, travel and hi-tech features.

Build it around observation: what, as aBuild it around observation: what, as a reporter, you see, hear, smell, taste or reporter, you see, hear, smell, taste or touch while working on the story. touch while working on the story.

Contrast LeadContrast Lead

Example:Example:

Handsome, youthful, sparkling-eyed, Handsome, youthful, sparkling-eyed, bushy-haired, broad-shouldered and bushy-haired, broad-shouldered and muscular was he 20 years ago.muscular was he 20 years ago.

But today age has withered him, his But today age has withered him, his bald head shining in the sun, his pair bald head shining in the sun, his pair of eyes without luster, his shoulders of eyes without luster, his shoulders still broad but drooping, and his still broad but drooping, and his muscles no more Herculean.muscles no more Herculean.

He is a pale shadow of his former self, He is a pale shadow of his former self, Mohammed Ali the boxer.Mohammed Ali the boxer.

Written in two-paragraph blocks. TheWritten in two-paragraph blocks. The first paragraph sets the stage, imparting first paragraph sets the stage, imparting a perception. The Second brings the a perception. The Second brings the readers up-to-date. readers up-to-date.

Words like but, now, today, yesterday, Words like but, now, today, yesterday, introduces the second half of the introduces the second half of the contrast. contrast. Contrast Leads Contrast Leads are also effective onare also effective on hard news as well. hard news as well.

Staccato Lead:Staccato Lead:

It isIt is a short burst of phrases that catch a short burst of phrases that catch instant attention. It creates the mood for instant attention. It creates the mood for the story by dangling the key elements.the story by dangling the key elements.

Example:Example:

Bomb blast. Panic. Wailing andBomb blast. Panic. Wailing and

groaning. Corpses and mangledgroaning. Corpses and mangled

Flesh all over. It is the 15Flesh all over. It is the 15th bombth bomb

blast in the capital since the blast in the capital since the PunjabPunjab

militants struck first. militants struck first.

The Staccato Lead is The Staccato Lead is commonly used in television commonly used in television and magazine reporting. and magazine reporting. After the burst of phrases, After the burst of phrases, comes the news.comes the news.

Direct Address LeadDirect Address Lead: It establishes a : It establishes a writer-reader relationship with the writer-reader relationship with the second person singular, ‘You’.second person singular, ‘You’.Can be used even for hard news:Can be used even for hard news:

EG:-You won’t have to wait long to find EG:-You won’t have to wait long to find the future of Nuclear Deal. the future of Nuclear Deal.

Question LeadQuestion Lead

Quotation LeadQuotation Lead::It begins with an apt quote upon which It begins with an apt quote upon which the story is built.the story is built.

EG:-“The police can never be trusted,”EG:-“The police can never be trusted,” said the rape victim who was gang- said the rape victim who was gang- raped by half-a-dozen policemen in raped by half-a-dozen policemen in a police station. a police station.

The purpose of a quotation is to carryThe purpose of a quotation is to carry conviction, but an inappropriate conviction, but an inappropriate Quotation Lead can spoil the story. Quotation Lead can spoil the story.

Expression Lead:Expression Lead:It begins with well-known It begins with well-known expressions like, ‘As you sow, so expressions like, ‘As you sow, so you reap,’ adages, maxims, you reap,’ adages, maxims, epigrams, proverbs or aphorisms.epigrams, proverbs or aphorisms.

The success of this venture, The success of this venture, again depends on the aptness.again depends on the aptness.

EG: Honesty is the best policy.EG: Honesty is the best policy.

Prediction Lead:Prediction Lead:ItIt has its uses in stories has its uses in stories dealing with the future.dealing with the future.

EG: EG: The world will come to an The world will come to an end in AD 2020, forecasts the end in AD 2020, forecasts the famous astrologer, famous astrologer, Bejandaruwala.Bejandaruwala.

First Person Lead:First Person Lead:It goes well with a first person It goes well with a first person story.story.

EG: I set out to the Antarctica EG: I set out to the Antarctica with my expedition team…with my expedition team…

Cause-and-effect Lead:Cause-and-effect Lead:

EG-EG-Too much reading producesToo much reading produces fatigue; and fatigue dulls your fatigue; and fatigue dulls your intellectual sensitivity. intellectual sensitivity.

If we don’t catch up with the West in If we don’t catch up with the West in hi-tech, other Asian countries will, and hi-tech, other Asian countries will, and eventually we will be outpaced in the eventually we will be outpaced in the global market.global market.

Surprise LeadSurprise Lead::It calls for craftsmanship. It calls for craftsmanship. Professional know only too well Professional know only too well how to cash in on curiosity and how to cash in on curiosity and suspense.suspense.

EG:- To keep Gandhi ji poor, we EG:- To keep Gandhi ji poor, we have to spend a fortune, have to spend a fortune, remarked Sarojini Naidu.remarked Sarojini Naidu.