THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS For Writing a Good Lead Mr. Dudek Journalism

2. Thou shalt emphasize the important • The lead is where the most important and most interesting facts go!

3. Keep it short • The lead should be short. (30 words max) • Answer the four major Ws.

4. Keep it simple • Simple sentences • Strong verbs • Active voice (Use passive only when emphasizing the subject).

5. One Sentence Only • One sentence only.

6. Grab their attention • Begins sentences with specific, interesting words • Avoid a, an, or the.

7. Avoid names and lists • Avoid unfamiliar names (Only well-known people get to be in leads.) • Don’t have a list of names • You can mention the specific names in the 2nd or 3rd paragraph.

8. Tell us who that is • If a name appears in the lead, do not assume that the reader knows who they are • Identify them by title or reference.

9. Remember the “why” • Don’t just say something happened. (Ex: “The new colloquium schedules were handed out yesterday.”) • Emphasize its newsworthiness (Ex: “Ninety-five percent of LMSA students will have a new schedule next week.”).

10. Don’t start with “when” • The “when” is never the most important fact and should never start a lead • Terms like “yesterday,” “last week,” or “Friday” are better in the middle or end of a lead.

11. Don’t always use a news lead • School newspapers tend to use more feature leads • (We’ll talk more about this later.)