The Inverted Pyramid Ms. Melton

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The Inverted Pyramid Ms. Melton

• Why is it important?
• Who uses it?
• How does it improve writing?

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Understanding Different Types of Media Stories

• Hard News-stories contain new information.
• Soft News-stories generally are feature oriented.
• Tribal Times-which do you find that we feature?

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Purpose of Inverted Pyramid

• Makes reading easier and faster
• Enables a hurried reader to get all the important
  facts in a very short period of time.
• Satisfies curiosity in a logical form
• Briefest possible summary of a story.
• All reporters should use this concept when
  writing or brainstorming on leads for stories.
• Includes the most important facts, A summary lead
  tells an audience the most important of the six
  primary elements of an event, the five Ws and H.

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The Five Ws and H
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Inverted Pyramid

• Main Facts-the lead
• The facts become less significant as the pyramid
  decreases.
• At the pointed bottom the facts may be
  dispensable.

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Sample Inverted Pyramid

• Central High defeated Tech High last night, 23-0.
• All-State Senior Rodney Morris scored twice for
  the Rams with a 27-year run in the first quarter
  and a plunge over the goal in the second.
• Sophomore Curtis Jones missed his first
  conversion attempt but then booted a 29-yard
  field goal later in the game.
• The Pistons have lost their past three games.
  Central is now tied for first in the Leagues with
  Lincoln South.

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How to find out what is most important in
writing a lead

• Use your knowledge of news facts
• Know who your readers are
• Ask yourself What would you like to read about
  if you were the reader?
• Effective leads require concentration, critical
  thinking and imagination.
• All writers are readers!!!!

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Good Summary Lead on Feature Stories

• WASHINGTON-With scorching heat destroying crops
  and killing more than 100 people, President Bush
  rushed disaster relief to Texas farmers Thursday
  and authorized 100 million to help Americans pay
  their electric bills and buy air conditioners.

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Good Summary Lead on a Hard Stories

• They wave one finger, two fingers, a frantic
  hand they use a shrill whistle and even a
  shapely leg. But New Yorkers are finding it as
  hard as ever to get a taxi, despite reports and
  studies and public complaints.

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Bad Summary to Hard News Story

• In the school auditorium last Friday afternoon,
  Principal Arthur Learned introduced convocation
  speaker Lt. Gov. Charles Smith, who announced
  that he is in favor of raising the driving age to
  18.

• It wastes the readers time
• Main fact- Lt. Gov. raised the driving age.
• But before stated tells location, when and who
  introduced the Lt. Gov.
• The main fact must come within the first few
  words of the lead.

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Whats wrong with this lead?

• Seniors would be given the last Friday of May for
  final examinations, the school colors would be
  changed from red and blue to crimson and blue,
  retiring teachers would be given plaque of
  appreciation from the student body, and the
  editor of the school newspaper would be elected
  from the student body under bills introduced in
  the regular weekly meeting of the Central High
  school Student Council Friday.

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Whats wrong with this lead?

• The MCC Board of Trustees voted Jan 26 to
• -pink-slip the entire faculty and staff with the
  exception of President Charles N. Pappas.
• -approve a budget of 11,905,005 for this year.
• -transfer 208,500 from auxiliary enterprise
  income and student fees to an emergency operating
  fund.
• -change the rules on registration and tuition
  payment for next fall.
• You student Council is considering several new
  projects.

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Excellent Leads from High Schools and Colleges

• On the day after Thanksgiving, the entire world
  was shopping in Houston.
• Mrs. Lillian Matthews was sitting in the
  housemothers room on the tenth floor with her
  feet up on the air conditioner giving herself a
  manicure.
• Norman Williams gets paid to do unto others what
  he would not want others to do unto him.

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Lets Review

• Inverted Pyramid-what is it?
• Why does this help in writing?
• The Lead consists of what?

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Activity

• Choose a newspaper
• Use scissors to cut out three different stories
• Re-write the lead to each of the three stories
  you have chosen.
• Next class period we will switch the stories and
  edit and critique the new leads from your
  classmates.