The “Lead,” or intro, is the story's first sentence -or the first two sentences. It should be sharp and it should briefly describe the story's main facts. Twenty to 25 words is the ideal lenght. The lead should answer all of the Five W's, but do not get frustrated if you can't. Not always the lead can fit all the Five W's.   Here’s an example of a lead fr... more

The inverted pyramid is a news writing style where most of the newsworthy information goes at the top of the story. In other words, basic facts like the lead and some of the five W's ('what, where, when and who) go first. Then as the reporter moves the story down, other details follow in order of importance. The less important facts are left to the bottom. Print stories are usu... more

They are best known as the Five W's (and one H), and they are the cornerstones of a good reporter's information gathering. These are facts necessary for a story to be considered complete. Your reporting would only be considered complete if it can answer the following questions: The Five W's - What? (What happened? What is the story?) - Where? (Where did it take place?) - When? ... more