Lead paragraph: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 23:07, 30 June 2019

A lead paragraph (sometimes shortened to lead; also spelled lede) is the opening paragraph of an article, essay, book chapter, or other written work that summarizes its main ideas.^[1]

Types of leads

Journalistic leads emphasize grabbing the attention of the reader.^[2] In journalism, the failure to mention the most important, interesting or attention-grabbing elements of a story in the first paragraph is sometimes called "burying the lead". Most standard news leads include brief answers to the questions of who, what, why, when, where, and how the key event in the story took place. In newspaper writing, the first paragraph that summarizes or introduces the story is also called the "blurb paragraph", "teaser text" or, in the United Kingdom, the "standfirst".^[3]

Leads in essays summarize the outline of the argument and conclusion that follows in the main body of the essay. Encyclopedia leads tend to define the subject matter as well as emphasize the interesting points of the article. Features and general articles in magazines tend to be somewhere between journalistic and encyclopedian in style and often lack a distinct lead paragraph entirely. Leads and book forewords vary enormously in length, intent and content.

Other introductions

In journalism, there is the concept of an introductory or summary line or brief paragraph, located immediately above or below the headline, and typographically distinct from the body of the article.^[4] This can be referred with a variety of terms, including: the standfirst (UK),^[4] rider,^{[citation needed]} kicker (US),^[4] bank head(line), deck, dek, or subhead (US).^{[citation needed]} (See News style § Terms and structure.)

Spelling

The term is sometimes spelled "lede".^[5] The OED suggests this arose as an intentional misspelling of "lead", "in order to distinguish the word's use in instructions to printers from printable text,"^[6] similarly to "hed" for "head(line)" and "dek" for "deck". Some sources suggest the altered spelling was instead intended to distinguish from the homograph "lead": the metal strips of various thickness used^[7] to separate lines of type^[8] used in typesetting in the early 20th century.^[1] However, the spelling "lede" first appears in journalism manuals in the 1980s, well after lead typesetting's heyday.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14] The earliest appearance of "lede" cited by the OED is 1951.

References

^ ^a ^b "Carol" (author unidentifiable) (November 28, 2000). "The Mavens' Word of the Day: lede". RandomHouse.com. New York: Random House/Bertelsmann. "Maven's Word of the Day" blog (defunct as of 2012). Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-28. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) This tertiary source reuses information from other sources but does not name them.
^ Peha & Lester (2006). Be a Writer: Your Guide to the Writing Life!: Proven Tips and Powerful Techniques to Help Young Writers Get Started. Leverage Factory. p. 125.
^ Spark, David; Harris, Geoffrey (2010). Practical Newspaper Reporting. Sage Publications. pp. 89, 90, 94, 167. ISBN 9781473903340.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Standfirst". Double-Tongued Dictionary. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
^ "Lede". Merriam-Webster Online. Chicago, IL, US: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
^ "lede, n.2". Oxford English Dictionary. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
^ https://books.google.ca/books?id=KYNBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=thin+strip+of+metal+separating+lines+of+type&source=bl&ots=RnL01dE0r3&sig=ACfU3U1sMkar5CKThskDHk__QkxfrNqIFg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd9Kzc1ongAhWk3YMKHTziAGEQ6AEwAXoECAgQAQ
^ https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/bury-the-lede-versus-lead
^ "Owens, Howard" (September 18, 2011). "lede-vs-lead". HowardOwens.com. New York: Owens Press. Retrieved 2016-06-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ William Metz (1977). Newswriting: from lead to "30". Prentice-Hall. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-13-617514-8.
^ Louis Martin Lyons (1965). Reporting the news: selections from Nieman reports. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 286.
^ Grant Milnor Hyde (November 2008). Newspaper Editing - A Manual for Editors, Copyreaders and Students of Newspaper Desk Work. Read Books. ISBN 978-1-4437-2632-0.
^ Carl G. Miller (1962). Modern Journalism. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 33.
^ Frank Luther Mott (2000). American Journalism: A History of Newspapers in the United States Through 250 Years, 1690–1940. Routledge/Thoemmes Press. ISBN 978-0-415-22893-0.

External links

The dictionary definition of lede at Wiktionary

[mavensword20001128-1] "Carol" (author unidentifiable) (November 28, 2000). "The Mavens' Word of the Day: lede". RandomHouse.com. New York: Random House/Bertelsmann. "Maven's Word of the Day" blog (defunct as of 2012). Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-28. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) This tertiary source reuses information from other sources but does not name them.

[2] Peha & Lester (2006). Be a Writer: Your Guide to the Writing Life!: Proven Tips and Powerful Techniques to Help Young Writers Get Started. Leverage Factory. p. 125.

[3] Spark, David; Harris, Geoffrey (2010). Practical Newspaper Reporting. Sage Publications. pp. 89, 90, 94, 167. ISBN 9781473903340.

[Standfirst-4] "Standfirst". Double-Tongued Dictionary. Retrieved 27 September 2010.

[M-W-5] "Lede". Merriam-Webster Online. Chicago, IL, US: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-28.

[6] "lede, n.2". Oxford English Dictionary. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)

[7] ttps://books.google.ca/books?id=KYNBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=thin+strip+of+metal+separating+lines+of+type&source=bl&ots=RnL01dE0r3&sig=ACfU3U1sMkar5CKThskDHk__QkxfrNqIFg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd9Kzc1ongAhWk3YMKHTziAGEQ6AEwAXoECAgQAQ

[8] ttps://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/bury-the-lede-versus-lead

[Owens20110918-9] "Owens, Howard" (September 18, 2011). "lede-vs-lead". HowardOwens.com. New York: Owens Press. Retrieved 2016-06-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[Metz1977-10] William Metz (1977). Newswriting: from lead to "30". Prentice-Hall. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-13-617514-8.

[Lyons1965-11] Louis Martin Lyons (1965). Reporting the news: selections from Nieman reports. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 286.

[Hyde2008-12] Grant Milnor Hyde (November 2008). Newspaper Editing - A Manual for Editors, Copyreaders and Students of Newspaper Desk Work. Read Books. ISBN 978-1-4437-2632-0.

[Miller1962-13] Carl G. Miller (1962). Modern Journalism. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 33.

[Mott2000-14] Frank Luther Mott (2000). American Journalism: A History of Newspapers in the United States Through 250 Years, 1690–1940. Routledge/Thoemmes Press. ISBN 978-0-415-22893-0.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Spelling==
-The term is sometimes spelled "lede",<ref name="M-W">{{cite web |url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lede |title=Lede |work=Merriam-Webster Online |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc |location=Chicago, IL, US |date=2012|accessdate=2012-02-28}}</ref> with a claim it was a historical spelling intended to distinguish it from the [[homograph]] "[[lead]]": the metal strips of various thickness used<ref>https://books.google.ca/books?id=KYNBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=thin+strip+of+metal+separating+lines+of+type&source=bl&ots=RnL01dE0r3&sig=ACfU3U1sMkar5CKThskDHk__QkxfrNqIFg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd9Kzc1ongAhWk3YMKHTziAGEQ6AEwAXoECAgQAQ</ref> to separate lines of type<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/bury-the-lede-versus-lead</ref> used in typesetting in the early 20th century.<ref name=mavensword20001128>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001128 |title=The Mavens' Word of the Day: lede |author="Carol" (author unidentifiable) |work=RandomHouse.com |at="Maven's Word of the Day" blog (defunct as of 2012) |publisher=Random House/Bertelsmann |location=New York |date=November 28, 2000 |accessdate=2012-02-28 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219122848/http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001128 |archivedate=19 February 2012 }}{{tertiary}}</ref> However, the spelling "lede" first appears in journalism manuals in the 1980s, well after lead typesetting's heyday.<ref name=Owens20110918>{{cite web|url=http://howardowens.com/lede-vs-lead/ |title=lede-vs-lead |author="Owens, Howard" |work=HowardOwens.com |publisher=Owens Press |location=New York |date=September 18, 2011 |accessdate=2016-06-28 |deadurl=No}}</ref><ref name="Metz1977">{{cite book|author=William Metz|title=Newswriting: from lead to "30"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IxbAAAAMAAJ|year=1977|publisher=Prentice-Hall|isbn=978-0-13-617514-8|page=62}}</ref><ref name="Lyons1965">{{cite book|author=Louis Martin Lyons|title=Reporting the news: selections from Nieman reports|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VuJZAAAAMAAJ|year=1965|publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard University Press|page=286}}</ref><ref name="Hyde2008">{{cite book|author=Grant Milnor Hyde|title=Newspaper Editing - A Manual for Editors, Copyreaders and Students of Newspaper Desk Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9n381QZO_qYC|date=November 2008|publisher=Read Books|isbn=978-1-4437-2632-0}}</ref><ref name="Miller1962">{{cite book|author=Carl G. Miller|title=Modern Journalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deEMAQAAIAAJ|year=1962|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston|page=33}}</ref><ref name="Mott2000">{{cite book|author=Frank Luther Mott|title=American Journalism: A History of Newspapers in the United States Through 250 Years, 1690–1940|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MithFeTSzTwC|year=2000|publisher=Routledge/Thoemmes Press|isbn=978-0-415-22893-0}}</ref>
+The term is sometimes spelled "lede".<ref name="M-W">{{cite web |url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lede |title=Lede |work=Merriam-Webster Online |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc |location=Chicago, IL, US |date=2012|accessdate=2012-02-28}}</ref> The [[OED]] suggests this arose as an [[intentional misspelling]] of "lead", "in order to distinguish the word's use in instructions to printers from printable text,"<ref>{{cite web |title=lede, n.2 |website=Oxford English Dictionary |accessdate=30 June 2019}}</ref> similarly to "[[wikt:hed|hed]]" for "head(line)" and "[[wikt:dek|dek]]" for "deck". Some sources suggest the altered spelling was instead intended to distinguish from the [[homograph]] "[[lead]]": the metal strips of various thickness used<ref>https://books.google.ca/books?id=KYNBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=thin+strip+of+metal+separating+lines+of+type&source=bl&ots=RnL01dE0r3&sig=ACfU3U1sMkar5CKThskDHk__QkxfrNqIFg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd9Kzc1ongAhWk3YMKHTziAGEQ6AEwAXoECAgQAQ</ref> to separate lines of type<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/bury-the-lede-versus-lead</ref> used in typesetting in the early 20th century.<ref name=mavensword20001128>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001128 |title=The Mavens' Word of the Day: lede |author="Carol" (author unidentifiable) |work=RandomHouse.com |at="Maven's Word of the Day" blog (defunct as of 2012) |publisher=Random House/Bertelsmann |location=New York |date=November 28, 2000 |accessdate=2012-02-28 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219122848/http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001128 |archivedate=19 February 2012 }}{{tertiary}}</ref> However, the spelling "lede" first appears in journalism manuals in the 1980s, well after lead typesetting's heyday.<ref name=Owens20110918>{{cite web|url=http://howardowens.com/lede-vs-lead/ |title=lede-vs-lead |author="Owens, Howard" |work=HowardOwens.com |publisher=Owens Press |location=New York |date=September 18, 2011 |accessdate=2016-06-28 |deadurl=No}}</ref><ref name="Metz1977">{{cite book|author=William Metz|title=Newswriting: from lead to "30"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IxbAAAAMAAJ|year=1977|publisher=Prentice-Hall|isbn=978-0-13-617514-8|page=62}}</ref><ref name="Lyons1965">{{cite book|author=Louis Martin Lyons|title=Reporting the news: selections from Nieman reports|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VuJZAAAAMAAJ|year=1965|publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard University Press|page=286}}</ref><ref name="Hyde2008">{{cite book|author=Grant Milnor Hyde|title=Newspaper Editing - A Manual for Editors, Copyreaders and Students of Newspaper Desk Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9n381QZO_qYC|date=November 2008|publisher=Read Books|isbn=978-1-4437-2632-0}}</ref><ref name="Miller1962">{{cite book|author=Carl G. Miller|title=Modern Journalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deEMAQAAIAAJ|year=1962|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston|page=33}}</ref><ref name="Mott2000">{{cite book|author=Frank Luther Mott|title=American Journalism: A History of Newspapers in the United States Through 250 Years, 1690–1940|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MithFeTSzTwC|year=2000|publisher=Routledge/Thoemmes Press|isbn=978-0-415-22893-0}}</ref> The earliest appearance of "lede" cited by the OED is 1951.
 ==See also==