What is a lede and nut graf?
What is a lede and nut graf?
(“Graf” is journalistic shorthand for “paragraph,” just as “lede” is industry lexicon for the top of a story.) The nut graf goes by other names—kernel, theme, hammer, context, hypothesis, even hoo-hah.
Which story structure is best suited for breaking news?
Breaking-news stories typically use an inverted-pyramid structure, and the lead is at the top of that pyramid. It should provide a concise summing up of the article so the reader knows about the news.
What is a delayed lede?
A delayed lede allows the writer to take a more creative approach by setting a scene, describing a person or place or telling a short story or anecdote. A delayed lede is much like the opening of a short story or novel.
Do all stories have a nut graf?
You don’t need a nut graph in news stories, but they’re essential in feature-style stories.
What goes in a nut graf?
In journalism, the nut graf (nutshell paragraph) is a paragraph that explains the context of the story. The term can be spelled many different ways. In many news stories, the essential facts of a story are included in the lede, the first sentence or two of a story.
What is the best lead for breaking news?
Summary lead
Summary lead: This is perhaps the most traditional lead in news writing. It is often used for breaking news. A story about a city council vote might use this “just the facts” approach. Straight news leads tend to provide answers to the most important three or four of the Five W’s and H.
What are the types of leads?
Different Types of Leads
- Summary Lead. A summary lead is the most common and traditional lead in journalism.
- Single-Item Lead. This lead focuses on just one or two elements of a summary lead.
- Delayed Identification Lead.
- Creative Lead.
- Short Sentence Lead.
- Analogy Lead.
What is a buried lede?
A writer “buries the lede” when the newsworthy part of a story fails to appear at the beginning, where it’s expected. Say, for example, that two people die in a house fire. The lede is buried if the reporting mentions the location, time, or cause of the fire before the deaths.
Why do journalists say lede?
The spelling of lede is allegedly so as to not confuse it with lead (/led/) which referred to the strip of metal that would separate lines of type. In journalism, the lede refers to the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story.
What is the meaning of a nut graf?
“Nut graf” is an old time-y newspapering phrase. It refers to a tidy little paragraph that should appear near a story’s start. The paragraph — or graf — distills the article down to its essence. This little nut is supposed to be so clear that readers will instantly grasp your story’s basic theme.
How long should a nut graf be in a story?
“They tell stories of” specific examples — “guns filled with bleach, pepper and even garlic” — to convey a fad gone out of control. The nut graf can be longer than one paragraph but in a news story I’d argue that they shouldn’t be longer than two or three paragraphs. Longer than that, and the story can bog down.
What happens after the lead and nut graf?
After the lead and the nut graf, the story consists of alternating sections, all designed to samplify the story’s focus. Section 1: Quotes from experts support the story’s thesis and demonstrates that this isn’t merely the reporter’s opinion, but one backed up by authoritative sources.
What is the nut graph in a story?
It often tells readers why the story is timely. It often includes supporting material that helps readers see why the story is important. In effect, the nut paragraph (“graph” or “graf” is short for “paragraph”) is the “So what?” paragraph of a story. By constantly encouraging ourselves — as journalists — and our readers, to ask “So what?” (i.e.
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