Nausheen Khan
The introductory part of a story,a lead is a way of front loading a story by hooking onto the beginning and latching onto it to garner curiosity and thereby more readership.
Since a lead is the first impression of a story by a journalist,it plays a critical role in shaping perceptions and molding opinions while sharpening them.
A few significant aspects of a lead that can’t be overlooked are:
It helps entice the reader and attract curiosity.
By summarising the essence of a story,a lead helps readers effectually filter out news stories that concern them keeping in mind time constraints.
A lead,by giving the first impression determines the success of a story in short term in terms of readership.
A lead sets the tone,context of a story determining its relevance in long term and establishing a position for the writer in the reader’s mind.
The intellectual and emotional engagement that a story may get is determined by the lead.
different kinds of lead sprinkle diversity into a story by manner of quotation,summary,question lead etc.
By creating anticipation and intrigue,a lead establishes the credibility of a story as well as chances of maximising the impact a story will create.A lead may even prompt readers to take action,persuade or seek for engagement on an issue.
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