Lead Writing Exercises News Writing Lead writing reminders

Lead Writing Exercises News Writing

Lead writing reminders • Think of the “what” and the “who” first … usually those make the best start for a lead. • Look at the facts and numbers. Anything? • Choose the information with the most impact or that is the most interesting. Think of your news values (proximity, timeliness, impact, conflict, oddity, human interest …) • Write a complete summary lead. One or two sentences to start the story and cover most of the 5 W’s and H. • Don’t add info that you don’t know!

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H According to Lake Mary Police: • Where: Lake Mary, Fla. , an Orlando suburb • When: Monday, Sept. 9 • Who: George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty in the shooting of Trevon Martin, who was unarmed • What: Zimmerman was arrested after his wife called 911, saying he had threatened her and her family with a gun • Why: Zimmerman’s wife recently filed for divorce • How: Police dashcams showed Zimmerman on his knees as police approached. One of the officers had a gun drawn on him.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • • • Where: Orlando, FBLA state competition When: Sunday, Nov. 3 Who: Adam Bernstein, senior What: won first place in Website Design Why: His website for the fictional Willow Lake B&B was judged the best of those submitted. • How: “I’ve been working on this website for months based on the national topic, ” Bernstein said. “I’ll be tweaking it based on the judges’ comments in hopes of winning at nationals. ”

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • What: Try-outs for the 20 available positions in the Color Guard. Ability to twirl a flag not necessary, but coordination is. • Where: Main courtyard • When: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 3 p. m. • Who: Dancers, students with rhythm • Why: New positions are open because the awardwinning band auxiliary is expanding. • How: See Ms. Brenda Lee, Color Guard coach, Room 142, to sign up.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • A fight broke out in the cafeteria during second lunch on Tuesday. • Ten students were suspended, according to information the principal provided to teachers. • Although students are saying race was a factor because one of the students seen in the fight used the n-word, the principal denies that race was an issue. • “The students suspended were of different races and nationalities, ” Principal Joe Garcia said. “And that’s all I’m going to say about it. ”

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • Music teacher Susan Schaub has received a grant to study in New York this summer. • She will take a course at The Julliard School and participate in a choral performance at Carnegie Hall. • She will attend symphonies, an opera and a Broadway musical, meet directors and conductors and participate in music seminars. • “It’s a dream come true, ” she said. • She’s particularly excited to be bringing what she learns back to her students next school year.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • The monthly meeting of the student council was called to order at 3: 30 p. m. Friday, Feb. 1. The roll was called and the minutes approved as written. • Vicki Chavez, treasurer, reported that there was $2, 425 in the treasury and that the group had raised $1, 621 at the talent show on Jan. 18. • Rob Andrews, finance committee chair, said because of the success of the talent show, his group would like to have another one on May 19. His motion to have another talent show passed. • Discussion: The May talent show will emphasize teacher talent rather than student talent. Assistant Principal David Hart will perform with his rock band, and the faculty women will do a comedy routine.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • The student council voted at its meeting on Thursday to spend $350 for prizes in a campus clean-up campaign. • Prizes will be awarded at the end of first quarter to the clubs that create and complete the best clean-up plans. • First prize is $150. Second prize is $100. Third prize is $50. • The Environmental Science Club figures it will win the top prize because it already has recycle bins in most of the classrooms and members pick up the recycling weekly. • The Key Club plans to sweep teachers’ classrooms after school. • SHAPE will go outside with gloves and trash bags and pick up trash. • The Cheerleaders bought Magic Erasers and Clorox wipes and plan to clean all the door frames in the school. • Spirit Club has decided to stop all use of profanity in the halls and lunchroom by calling for a school spirit ban on the use of such words.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H According to a North Miami police report: • Joe Platto, 17, was driving south on Biscayne Boulevard when another car apparently ran a red light at 172 nd Avenue and broadsided Platto’s car, a blue 2005 Toyota Corolla. It was demolished. • Sergi Clemens, 34, was driving the other car, a 2009 Buick. • Clemens wasn’t hurt. He was issued a ticket for reckless driving. • Platto was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital by EMS, but he died without regaining consciousness. • The accident occurred around 12: 30 a. m. Sunday Principal Joe Smith also confirmed the following information: • Platto was a transfer student in his second week at North Dade Senior High. He was in 11 th grade. • Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 3 p. m. at Fred Hunter Funeral Home. • Grief counselors are available all week in Student Services.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • The Principal’s Award is given each year to the most outstanding senior. • This year’s award is to be presented to Janie Jordan. • According to the criteria, the award should go to the person who is most outstanding in scholarship, athletics, music and extracurricular activities. • Some students think that Janie, who has a 2. 5 grade point average on a 4. 0 scale, does not meet the criteria. • Other students support her nomination because she is captain of the school’s winning volleyball team and senior class president. She sings the National Anthem at school functions. She was the lead in the school play, won a state award in thespians competition, and she leads the chorus.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • A mural to brighten up the school picnic area is behind schedule. • Students in the Art Club are supposed to be doing the work. • Kelly Jeffries, Art Club president, blames the principal for not providing money. • Principal Joe Baker says the Art Club has been uninterested in doing the mural. He says the money is available. • The Art Club has planned a mural of school life on the largest wall of the picnic area. • Jeffries says the committee has not received approval for the mural from the principal. • The principal says no drawing has been presented, so he cannot release the funds.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • The PTA met on Tuesday night, April 26, in the cafeteria. • Treasurer Ines Martinez reported that there are 252 members and the treasury has $6, 823. • Robin Lattice, who teaches algebra, was named Teacher of the Year for her work with the Homework Hotline, a phone line students can call for help with math homework. • Member Kathy Burrows was named Member of the Year for having perfect attendance. • The awards were presented by PTA President Cindy Li. • Li also announced that the school’s faculty has reached 100 percent membership for the second year in a row.

Write a lead using the 5 W’s and H • A baby macaw parrot was stolen from the Baby Exotic Birds store in Lakewood. • Jill O’Connor, 35, faces felony charges for stealing the bird, worth $2, 000. • O’Connor was employed at Baby Exotic Birds. • She traded the bird for a 2000 Mercury Cougar. • She bragged to the car owners that she’d smuggled the bird out of the store by nesting it in her brassiere. • The car owners were friends with the owners of the bird store. They reported theft. • O’Connor was booked into the county jail.