How to Write a Lede in Journalism

A lede is the first sentence or opening paragraph of a news story that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. This introductory section provides a statement, establishes a scenario, or sets up a question that the body of the news article will address by supplying the relevant supporting information.

When writing ledes, there are a number of story aspects that must be addressed, known as the five W’s (plus ‘H’)—who, what, where, when, why, and how: Who the feature story is about, what happened, where it occurred, when it transpired, why did it happen, and how? These details are important to include in the beginning to quickly grab the reader’s interest and to summarize the events.

The origin of the ‘lede’ dates back to the middle of the twentieth century, where its popularity as slang for a newspaper story’s first sentence began to grow and circulate around newsrooms. This age was also known as the linotype era, during which large metal devices—linotype machines—were designed for printing. A linotype machine used hot lead blocks to place and alter text, a strip of metal separating the lines of type. To differentiate between the hot lead (“led”) of the linotype machine and the hot lead (“lēd”) of a breaking news tip, an alternative spelling, “lede,” was introduced.

The use of the word lede still exists in modern journalism as a way to pay homage to the old era of the linotype, although some journalists would rather use the term “news lead” rather than its (now unnecessary) misspelling. However, lede is still widely used amongst many professional journalists and throughout newsrooms, and although its spelling can change, the definition of lede remains the same.

There are two different types of ledes a journalist can use in news writing:

1. 1. A summary lede. Also known as a ‘straight’ or ‘direct lede,’ this type delivers all the essential points of the story right away, immediately giving the reader everything they need to know in the first sentence. This inverted pyramid-style is the preferred method of writing hard news stories, as those particular cases need facts that are delivered clearly and quickly right up front.
2. 2. A feature lede. Also known as a ‘delayed’ or ‘anecdotal lede,’ this type paces the facts of a story, setting the scene, weaving together a narrative, and delivering the information to the reader more in the style of a short story first before addressing the main point. These ledes can be more emotional, appealing to a reader’s sense of empathy in order to hook them into the subject matter. They can also pose a question to the reader, enticing them to continue on as they read to reveal the answer.

Here are a few writing tips for crafting a great lede:

1. 1. Keep it short and simple. A summary news lede should outline the main points of the whole story in its first paragraph and answer the five w’s. Only provide what the reader needs to understand the story, and try not to overload the initial lines with too many unnecessary details.
2. 2. Get to the point. If you choose to write a feature lede, make sure you get to the point in a timely manner. While you have more room to be creative, too much setup can result in you burying the lede, which means a story is failing to efficiently provide the reader with the information they are seeking.
3. 3. Use active voice. If you’re trying to engage the reader in your story, you want the writing to feel lively and enticing. Drawing your audience in and piquing their curiosity with urgency and confidence is a good way to keep your reader invested in what is about to come.
4. 4. Avoid clichés and bad puns. Even in a humorous story, you want your reader to be engaged, not rolling their eyes. Bad wordplay can come off as amateurish and in poor taste, and you want your reader to trust your writing.
5. 5. Read your lede out loud. Whether it’s one sentence long or several, read your lede aloud to ensure it flows smoothly while meeting all the criteria for efficiency. Cut down on wordiness where possible, and make sure your word choices properly convey your point.

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