The Five W’s and H
News writing strives to answer “The Five W’s and H:” that is, Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Good leads answer as many of these questions as possible in a single sentence. When writing a lead, it helps to think about which of these facts is the most vital for readers to know.
Keep It Short
A good lead provides all the information the reader requires in just a few words. Ideally, a lead should be between 25 and 40 words.
Keep It Simple
Don’t clutter up the lead with unnecessary adjectives or adverbs. Also make sure that your lead only discusses one idea to avoid confusion.
Write in Active Voice
Avoid all forms of the verb “to be.” Common exceptions including writing about fatalities (“two people were killed Thursday”) and when discussing police activity (“two people were arrested”). Passive voice is often the result of incomplete reporting.
