Module 5 - Campus Journalism - 091441
Module 5 - Campus Journalism - 091441
Module 5 - Campus Journalism - 091441
Expanding Knowledge
The Lead
The lead is the opening sentence of an article. It summarizes or introduces the story,
in the case of a news feature. It arouses the reader’s interest and highlights the news
interest or news value. It answers right away the important questions the readers want to
know, in the case of straight news story.
American researchers suggest that for an average reader, one sentence or paragraph
should contain 17 to 35 words for him/her to comprehend at once the message of the
sentence. The lesser the words in a sentence, the higher is its comprehensibility.
Classifications of Lead
A. Summary Lead. It answers the five Ws and one H (Who, What, Where, When, Why,
and How). The news story is presented using an inverted triangle where the most
important data are in the first and second paragraphs. This is used in straight news.
It summarizes the most important five Ws and H.
B. Grammatical Beginning Lead. The logical importance of the major details in a lead
is presented using different grammatical structures to break the monotony of
summary or conventional lead paragraphs.
C. Unorthodox or Novelty Lead. This kind of lead is used to attract the reader’s
attention, to arouse his/her curiosity, and to sustain his/her interest. It is used in
writing a news feature or a feature article.
b. What Lead. This is applied if the most important angle of the news is the event.
Example: The opening of classes for the school year 2020-2021 will be moved to
September.
c. Where Lead. If the location where the event takes place is more significant than the
other aspects of the news, then this kind of lead is best applied.
Example: Ilocos Region will host this year’s National Schools Press Conference.
d. When Lead. This type of lead is seldom used since this is the only applicable when
the time element is more important than the other angles of the story. Nonetheless,
it suggests urgency and immediacy.
e. Why Lead. If the cause of the event is the most effective angle of the story, this type
of lead is best suited.
Example: To increase the enrollment this school year, Sto. Nino ES held an early
registration program yesterday.
f. How Lead. If the process or the manner of how the event happened is more
important among the other angles of the news, how the lead is used.
b. Infinitive Phrase Lead. The phrase is introduced by the preposition “to” plus
the main verb.
Example: To minimize the problems that crop up during the enrolment period,
the Department of Education launched Oplan Balik Eskwela…
c. Participial Phrase Lead. This lead is signaled by the presence of the present or
past participle of the verb, acting as a modifier.
Example: Hoping to retain its overall championship title in last year’s Division
School Press Conference, Sto. Nino Academy is presently conducting a
campus journalism training workshop.
Example: Building enough classrooms for five million pupils and students is
President Arroyo’s target next school year.
e. Clause Lead. This lead commences with a clause, which may become either an
independent or subordinate or may transform as either a noun or an adjectival
or adverbial clause.
Example: On the fifth of June 2015, Herodes Barabas, 34, experienced the
longest one hour in life as he sat on a swivel chair in front of his
eight interviewers at Aklan State University. It was an entrance
interview of the long queue of applicants mustering their patience
in waiting for an Instructor I position
Example: If Palawan were a class record, it must have a nearly perfect grade
weighted average for the unending praises of tourists coming in to
experience its breathtaking grandeur. Who would not drop his jaw
when he sees the evidence of God’s dexterous hand that crafted the
seascapes and landscapes of Palawan?
f. Astonisher Lead. This lead aims to give the reader a strong sense of
emotional value. Thus, it primarily uses an exclamatory sentence.
Example: With the glittering and shimmering banting along the skimpy
roads, as if a throng of rainbows came to visit the town of Gattan,
Cagayan to celebrate with its 30 th Agsalukag Festival on April 13,
2016.
Example: Twenty years ago, he was the school’s janitor. Now, he came back
to become the school’s principals.
j. Staccato Lead. Primarily rooted from musical parlance, this term suggests a
lead that consists of a series of words and phrases, punctuated by periods,
commas, or dashes.
1. The Five W’s and H. news writing strives to answer the “The Five W’s and H.”
that is, Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Good leads answer as many of
these questions as possible in a single sentence. When writing a lead, it helps to
think about which of these facts is the most vital for readers to know.
2. Keep it Short. A good lead provides all the information the reader requires in
just a few words. Ideally, a lead should be between 25 and 40 words.
4. Write in Active Voice. Avoid all forms of the verb “to be”. Common exceptions
including writing about fatalities (“two people were killed Thursday”) and when
discussing police activity (“two people were arrested”). Passive voice is often the
result of incomplete reporting.
5. Structure Your Lead Properly. Put your most crucial information at the very
beginning of the sentence. Important secondary information can go in
subsequent sentences. Not following this practice is called the “burying the
lead”. If you need attribution in your lead, make sure it goes toward the end of
the sentence because it is less important than the information itself.
6. Understand the Context. Keep in mind what your readers may already know
about your story based on previous media coverage. Write in a way that speaks
to these realities and adds relevant useful information.
Synthesizing Knowledge
Task 1
Direction: Write the kind of lead that is reflected in the following sentences.
GRAMMATICAL BEGINNING LEAD 3. Filled with prayers and hopes, the first batch of
medicine graduates of Tarlac State University are scheduled to take the board exam
tomorrow.
NOVELTY/UNCONVENTIONAL LEAD 4. Will the Agri team sustain its royal throne this
coming Intramurals Meet? Everyone anticipates the answer as the five departments in
the college will clash on 12 sports events next week.
_____________________7. Having own the title Mr. Sports fest 2015, Beth Logan will
represent the school in the town’s pageant next week.
_____________________8. The first costumers of the newly constructed gymnasium are the
internationally acclaimed performers, Filipino Penumbra, who visited the school
yesterday.
SUMMARY 9. Swimming it is! Students of the Agri-Fisheries Department are now set to
dive as the Board of Trustees approved yesterday their Physical Education subject –
swimming.
Task 2
Directions: Complete the following matrix about the kinds of lead. Search for online
campus papers and look for their news articles. Cut and paste the lead into the table
below and identify its kind.
Task 3
Directions: Based on the lessons you have learned from this unit, write a one-sentence
lead for the following details. Vary the kinds of leads that you will write.
Who lead : Karen Montemayor will the speaker to speak to members of the English club
next week.
2. There will not be a cheer dance presentation this week so students choose to
stay in their classes. The pep squad performance has been canceled because the
head coach, Mike Marquez, and the band director, William Panahon, are out
with the flu, as are a number of athletes.
Why lead: There will not be a cheer dance because the coach and the band director not
attend during the flu of presentation.
3. Saturday, October 10, is the date set for this year’s Student’s Night, which will
be at the La Parilla Ballroom Hall. The theme will be “Fantasia” and decorations
will be Disney-related. The activity was originally scheduled to be held at the
Lakewood Country Club but it burned down.
4. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” says artist Ruth Antonio. She will
exhibit her sculptures and paintings in the front lobby next week as she begins a
tour of schools in several cities sponsored by the National Art Honors Society.
She hopes to sell some of her pieces on the tour but does not want to count on
making a lot of money from the ales she sees how well in the exhibit is received.
Quoted statement lead: Ruth Antonio present her sculpture and painting visit by several
cities sponsor by the National Art Honors
References: www.scribd.com