General Information
The Inverted Pyramid form of newswriting is the most widely used and easy-to-read structure for news articles. In an Inverted Pyramid story, the idea is to get the most important and interesting information to the reader before they get bored and move on. It also allows readers to quickly scan and read only what they want instead of having to dig through stories for details. Finally, it allows editors to cut off the ends of stories without having to worry about losing any important details.
The news article used as an example is 'Prosecutors Seek Appeal in Dismissal of Gun Case' by the NYTimes. You can read the full article here
The news article used as an example is 'Prosecutors Seek Appeal in Dismissal of Gun Case' by the NYTimes. You can read the full article here
Part One: The Lead
Almost all news stories, even ones not written as Inverted Pyramids, begin with a lead, a quick, general summary or introduction to the story that should remain under 35 words. An example:
Notice how concise it is. It isn't a wordy introduction, it very quickly tells what the news is. It could be read over a radio or television broadcast as it tells what happened without getting carried away in details.
The money quote is a quote that is 'worth money' (not literally') as it introduces the story or gives the story a great deal of flavor but isn't too specific to introduce early on. An example:
That's right. After the introduction using a lead, nut graf and money quote, there's little real structure to the rest of the news article, besides the general ranking of most important first. Some newswriters choose to stick to a somewhat chronological order after they've introduced the story, others refuse to deviate from the most important to least important formula.
Prosecutors in Arizona scrambled on Thursday to figure out how to appeal a state judge’s decision to dismiss charges against a gun dealer who had been accused of arming a Mexican drug cartel.
Notice how concise it is. It isn't a wordy introduction, it very quickly tells what the news is. It could be read over a radio or television broadcast as it tells what happened without getting carried away in details.
Part Two: The Nut Graf
The nut graf is usually the second paragraph, though it and the money quote (below) switch places. Usually, however, the nut graf follows and extends the lead, providing any extra information that is vital to the story. Example:The judge’s decision underscores how difficult it is in the United States to convict a gun dealer of wrongdoing in connection with the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico.
Part Three: The $ Quote
The money quote is a quote that is 'worth money' (not literally') as it introduces the story or gives the story a great deal of flavor but isn't too specific to introduce early on. An example:“We believe it was an error, and we are going to do everything we can in the system to correct that error,” the state’s attorney general, Terry Goddard, said in an interview Thursday. “It’s not over by any means.”
Part Four: Everything Else
That's right. After the introduction using a lead, nut graf and money quote, there's little real structure to the rest of the news article, besides the general ranking of most important first. Some newswriters choose to stick to a somewhat chronological order after they've introduced the story, others refuse to deviate from the most important to least important formula.More Help
I plan to write more newswriting-related knols in the future, but here are some that may be useful.- Index of Journalism/Article Knols
- Grassroots Journalism: A Practical Guide
- The Embedded War Journalism Controversy
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