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Writing for the Mass Media: The Inverted Pyramid

Media writing is often directed to a wide audience. This affects the way in which something is written. The goal is to get the information to the reader quickly and allow the reader to move easily through the story.

The Inverted Pyramid

This concept begins with the most interesting and important information. From there, the information is presented in descending order of importance.

Most important information

Next important information

Less important

Least important

The Lead Paragraph – this is the most important part of the news story. It tells the reader the most important information and should be written to catch the reader's attention. Leads should address who, what, where, and when, but should not be too crowded. It should only answer the major questions about a story in an efficient way.

Different types of leads include:

The straight news lead- delivers the information quickly and concisely.

Example: Two people were killed when a car collided with a passenger car near Route 80 near the Slippery Rock exit.

The summary lead- outlines the full story in a brief paragraph.

Example: A tractor-trailer truck carrying dangerous chemicals crashed on Interstate 80 today, killing one person, injuring 3 others, and forcing the evacuation of several hundred people from their homes.

The direct address lead - the writer speaks directly to the reader.

Example: If you own property in the city, the City Council is about to take at least $50 more from you each year.

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