Writing Leads PowerPoint by Glenn Gilbert

7/31/2019 Writing Leads PowerPoint by Glenn Gilbert

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Media Writing

Writing Leads


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Writing Leads

Leads are the bait to hook the reader

Stimulates the reader to pay attentionReaders will decide whether the

message is compelling, entertaining orinformative enough to warrant theirattention


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Guidelines for Writing a Lead


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Be Brief

Lead should be direct and to thepoint.

No more than 30 words.

Dont try to put everything into the

lead.


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Use Short Sentences

More readable.

Eliminate unnecessary words.Avoid redundancies.

Not rambling, confusing

No one wants to work too hard atunderstanding most communication.


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Example

Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. hasstarted discussions with its subsidiaries

and major customers that could resultin increasing the supply of natural gasto its Kentucky subsidiaryand thus toindustrial users in the central and

northeastern parts of the state whonow face a total cutoff of supplies thiswinter.


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Example

Columbia Gas Transportation Corp.has started a search for ways to save

industrial users in central andnortheastern Kentucky from athreatened total cutoff of gas thiswinter.


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Avoid Jargon

Specialized language that all groupsdevelop.

Use words in the average persons

general vocabulary


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Use Third Person

Incorrect:

Larry Norman, vice president for

enrollment services, said enrollment atour school has increased in 2005.

Correct:

Larry Brown, vice president forenrollment services, said enrollment atRochester College has increased in2005.


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Write in the Active Voice

Use Active Verbs.

Subject acts upon an object.

More vigorous and direct

Not necessarily present tense. News

stories generally describe events thatalready have occurred.


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Example

Passive: A downtown jewelry storewas robbed on Saturday of $50,000 to

$100,000 by a well-dressed gunman,police said.

Active: A well-dressed gunman stole

$50,000 to $100,000 from a downtownjewelry story on Saturday, police said.


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Use Said

When attributing a statement to aperson, use the word said

Neutral word

Use repeatedly


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Avoid Buried Leads

This happens when you dont

recognize the news values of a story.

Dont make reader have to hunt for

news.


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Example

Police chief John Jones discussed thecitys crime problem with interestedtownspeople at a meeting Monday

night. Jones agreed to meet with residents who

have grown increasingly concernedabout the safety of their neighborhoods.

The chief said more serious crimes werereported here in the last 12 months thanduring any year in the citys history.


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Dont begin lead with a date

usually the least important of theinformation

slows down the reader


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Example

Incorrect: On Jan. 15, XYZ Companywill officially open its new corporate

headquarters in Rochester.

Correct: XYZ Company will officiallyopen its new corporate headquarters

in Rochester on Jan. 15.


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Dont begin a lead sentence with a persons namemaking an announcement.

The announcement is almost alwaysmore important than the person

making it.

Put the information first, with the nameat the end.


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Example

Incorrect: Palace President TomWilson announced that parking will be

free at all Palace events for theremainder of January.

Correct: Parking at all events held at

the Palace of Auburn Hills will be freefor the rest of January, said PresidentTom Wilson.


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Summary Leads

tells or summarizes the facts of the story; themost important information

used most often with stories written ininverted pyramid style

contain the most important fact or facts

create interest and indicate importance ofstory

give information quickly

helpful to audience who skims


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Practice Leads


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Facts

Fire destroys home of Mr. and Mrs. C.J. James, 222 BirchDrive, east-side of city

Couple at movie last night

Dog, Rover, left in basement, apparently perished in fire

Frame building enveloped in flames when firemen arrived

Faulty electrical wiring believed cause

$75,000 estimated damage

Source: Fire Chief H.X. Phillips


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Possible Leads

A fire ravaged an east-side home Monday,causing an estimated $75,000 in damage.

A fire believed to have been started by faultyelectrical wiring destroyed an east-side homeMonday.


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Facts

Private plane crashes in Rochester

In blinding rainstorm Friday night

Two passengers, A.D. Brown and Walter Smith, both of Flint

were found dead

Claude Stokes, resident, heard plane flying low and crashing

Called county sheriff

Bodies removed this morning

Crash about 5 miles north of Rochester, near Romeo Road


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Possible Leads

Two Flint men were killed in the crash of aprivate plane during a blinding rainstormnear Rochester Friday night.

A private plane crashed near Rochester lastnight in the midst of a blinding rainstorm,killing two Flint men.


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Facts for Lead

Utica Boosters Club gave annual awards atbanquet Friday night

Jose Flores, president of club, presided

Charles Becker, former mayor, named Man of theYear

For work with the clubs youth program

Sam Smith, owner of Smiths Grocery at 1100 S.Main, received Best Booster award for attendingall meetings of the year


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Possible Leads

The Utica Boosters Club named formermayor Charles Becker its Man of the Yearat its annual awards dinner on Friday.

The Utica Boosters Club honored formerMayor Charles Becker as its Man of theYear for his work with the clubs youthduring its awards dinner on Friday.


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Facts for Lead

Happened today at noon

Scott Hymes, an Air Force major, was killed

At Pebble Creek Shopping Mall, a new shopping mall onthe east side of town

Jet aircraft piloted by Hymes crashed

No one on the ground was injured or killed

15 cars were destroyed in malls parking lot when the

aircraft crashed into them

Hymes had no known local connections. He was killed.

He was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base.


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Possible Leads

An Air Force major was killed Wednesday whenthe plane he was piloting crashed into theparking lot of the Pebble Creek Shopping Mall

on the citys east side.

Writing Leads PowerPoint by Glenn Gilbert

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