Maria Burns Ortiz

Feb. 5: Ledes for print/Web (Part 1)

Reading: Writing and Reporting the News: Chapter 4

Assignment: Lede writing exercise. (Will be sent via email.)

Powerpoint: Hard ledes

Feb. 7: Ledes for print/Web (Part 2), Information selection

Reading: Writing and Reporting the News: Chapter 5, Chapter 8

Assignment:
Reporting assignment. Report on a story pegged to Valentine’s Day.

Write four possible ledes: an anecdote, a scene-setter, a zinger and a straightforward lede. Bold the lede you feel is the best fit for this story. Give a 1-2 sentence explanation as to why you chose that lede.

What are the 5 Ws and H for this story?

Write up a nut graf for this story.

What are three other pieces of information you collected in your reporting that would include in your story? One sentence each or bullets.

What are five pieces of information you collected in your reporting that are unnecessary for the story? One sentence each or bullets.

As part of the reporting process, interview three people for this assignment. (You will use these interviews for Week 5′s first homework assignment.)

Powerpoint: Soft Ledes

This page has the following sub pages.

• Ledes Examples