Basic Journalism Terms

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Byline

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The name of the reporter who wrote the story, usually appearing at the beginning of the article.

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Lead (Lede)

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The opening paragraph of a news story that summarizes the most important information.

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Headline

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The title of a news article, designed to grab attention and summarize the story.

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Angle

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The specific perspective or approach a journalist takes when covering a story.

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Beat

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A journalist’s area of specialization, such as politics, crime, sports, or education.

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Source

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A person, document, or record that provides information for a story.

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Copy

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The written text of a news article before it is published.

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Editorial

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An article that expresses the opinions of the newspaper's editorial board, not an individual journalist.

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Feature

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A longer article that goes in-depth on a subject, often focusing on human interest or a trend.

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Inverted Pyramid

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A journalistic style of writing that presents the most important information first, followed by supporting details.