All About News Leads

Preparation for a story begins when the reporter starts gathering information.

• True

• False

The central point of a story should always appear in the lead.

• True

• False

The lead is the most important part of a story.

• True

• False

The lead should answer all six of these questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

• True

• False

In many stories, the names of the main subjects are not as important as what those people did or what happened to them.

• True

• False

A "blind lead" hides the central point of the story.

• True

• False

Leads should omit many names, particularly those readers are unlikely to recognize or those of people who played minor or routine roles in a story.

• True

• False

Leads can be too long, but they cannot be too short.

• True

• False

Journalists should avoid using active verbs because they make stories seem too sensational.

• True

• False

Reporters should always know what the central point of their stories will be before they begin gathering information and should not rethink the central point after they have begun.

• True

• False