Writing leads

Writing Leads
By Hoem Seiha
H/p: 012‐699‐553
Email: entrepconsulting@gmail.com

There are many different types of leads writers often use in
their news articles. The most common types of lead are:
∗ Declaration
∗ Description
∗ Anecdote
∗ Striking statement
∗ Prominent quote
∗ Question
Types of Leads

Most often the writers use a declarative lead
(sometimes called summary or direct lead) for their
news stories. This kind of lead is mostly used for a hard
news story. Declarative leads are direct and
straightforward by:
∗ providing direct angle of whole article, or
∗ Providing suggested ideas or facts about article, or
∗ Discussing directly what the article will cover about

Lead: Declaration

∗ Beeline plans to give away school materials to 1‐6 grade
students throughout Cambodia for school‐year 2011‐
2012, as to encourage students at primary schools to
study hard and encourage parents to send their
children to schools.

Example: Declarative Lead

In a description lead, a writer describes something like
an object or event in one or more than one sentences. It
is mostly used in a feature story. A descriptive lead can
be about:
∗ An object,
∗ An Event,
∗ A person, or
∗ Something

Lead: Description

∗ Restaurateurs and business enthusiasts gathered to
listen, learn and share restaurant‐centric development
strategies at Park Café, Vtrust Outlet, yesterday
evening from 5:30 until 8:30. Five feature speakers from
Park Café restaurant chain and some other successful
eating establishments shared their knowledge of
restaurant business operations with the participants.
And that was the third monthly Briefing Session
themed on Restaurant Operation Management.
Example: Descriptive Lead

An anecdotal lead tells you a very inspiring, short story
of something happening in reality. It should give a hint
or be related to the whole story. It’s different from a
narrative in that narrative is usually longer, often
described in a series of events.
Lead: Anecdote

∗ Once challenged by a lack of knowledge of restaurant
operations management, Voeung Chan Delice, one of
the participants at the event known as Briefing Session
on Restaurant Operations Management, have now
learnt how to manage operations in her restaurant
well. “The session has provided me with practical
knowledge applicable for my restaurant operations,”
she said.
Example: Anecdote

Short, snappy statement intended to surprise the
reader. Example:
∗ Even if people benefit from the use of Facebook, some
people are now losing their time without realizing it.
Lead: Striking Statement

Not so often, some writers use this quote to lead the
story by getting the main character of the story into the
opening immediately. Example:
∗ “Thanks to the global financial crisis, the prices of
property are now at the stable pace,” said Cheng
Kheng, managing director at PLC Property Cambodia, at
the news conference on real estate industry last week.

Lead: Prominent Quote

Ask an interesting question to lead the whole story.
Example:
∗ Some people say uncontrolled use of Facebook can
result in negative effects, but how can it really affects
users?
Lead: Question

Delayed leads start with a little something to catch the
reader's attention, and therefore they delay the real stuff of
leads ‐‐ the 5W's, the message and the angle.
∗ The arrival of 3D movie technology has made many of
Cambodian moviegoers eager to sit and enjoy experiencing
Hollywood movies in three‐dimension views. Legend Cinema,
the first comer to offer 3D movie experiences, satisfies the
thirsty moviegoers who only previously have heard the
availability of 3D movies in other countries than Cambodia.

Delayed Lead

1. Two children at play were killed today when a sports
car jumped the curb outside Prospect Park and ran
them down. Twelve in the group were injured.
2. BRIGHTON, England (UPI) ‐‐ Mrs. Pamela Bransden
slowly counted five, snapped into a hypnotic trance,
and gave birth to an eight‐pound baby. It was as easy
as that.  Today she relaxed at her home here,
delighted that she has become Britain's first self‐
hypnosis mother.

Practice: Identifying Lead Types

1. "I'd like to jail parents themselves who are so lax their kids
are boosting the crime rate!"  This statement came from
Juvenile Court Judge Warren Jones, in releasing a report on
the rapid rise in juvenile crime rate in this city.
2. What is the first thing that a woman buys when she is
advised that she won $2,50,000 in a jingle contest?  Mrs.
Jane Roe, informed by XYZ Soaps that her entry took top
prize in the nationwide contest, said that she will buy a
rhyming dictionary that . . .

Practice: Continue

Writing leads

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Writing leads