Chapter 6 The Basic Components of a News Story All well-written new stories have most of the parts listed

below. Competent journalists know how to write each of these components into a cohesive whole. Most basic news stories should have: A headline A lead (sometimes written lede) A backup quote Attribution Reaction A nut graph Background An ending

The Headline. The headline is seldom more than a one or two line summary of the contents of the news story, in larger type, that tells readers what the story is about and whether (for a particular reader) it is worth reading. Headlines have a telegraphic style and, because they must fit a particular and very limited space that is usually not known at the time the news story is being written, they are not usually written by the reporter. Headlines act as an index of the contents of the newspaper, and a summary of the information in its stories. The Lead. The lead is usually defined as the first sentence of a news story, sometimes as the first few sentences. If news stories have a beginning, a middle and an end, the lead is the beginning. The lead on a hard news story is often called a summary lead. Lots of journalists have their own definition of the ideal lead. Virtually all agree that a good hardnews lead should contain the most important facts of the story at least some of the Five Ws. Most agree that the ideal lead is short no more than 25 or 30 words. Leads should be tight that is, written with economy. Leads need to be interesting their job is to entice readers into reading the rest of the story. A news story with a strong lead is more likely to be read. The Backup Quote. Most news stories, except the briefest of briefs, should have a backup quote placed soon after the lead. Ideally, the backup quote attributed to someone with knowledge of the story will sum up the claim made in the lead in a pithy, comprehensible and entertaining way. The problem from the reporters point of view, of course, is that he must accurately transcribe a genuinely illustrative quote. Not every interview subject can or will provide a good backup quote. A good backup quote pithily explains whats going on and keeps the reader reading. Attribution. All hard news stories require attribution, and even the softest of news stories require some. Attribution is the explanation of the source of the information in the

news story. It is also the identification of who made the statements contained in quotes or paraphrases of quotes. Attribution allows the reader to judge for herself whether the facts set out in the story have merit. The best stories contain lots of quotes and all quotes have attribution. A news story without attribution is worthless. Reaction. Most hard news stories, and all news stories that contain controversial statements, should have reaction the comments of someone who is familiar with the situation written about, or of someone with an alternative view of the main thesis of the story. If there has been a natural disaster in Ruritania, reaction should be sought from the local Ruritanian community. If your communitys MP, a member of the opposition, slams the government, a representative of the government should have the opportunity to respond. Fairness requires reaction. The Nut Graph. A nut graph informs readers of the focus of the story. It is usually located in the top third of the story near the beginning of the middle and it states the main point of the story. Lots of news stories must deal with complex topics and a variety of ideas, but all good stories should focus on one key theme. Not every story requires a nut graph in a short, hard news story, the lead will serve the same purpose as the nut graph. In a feature story with a softer lead, a nut graph is essential to set out for the reader what is going on. Background. Most stories need some background for the reader to understand whats going on. The history leading up to an event, the cast of characters, the value of the local currency, the physical properties of water all are examples of background. The more complicated the story, the more pressing the need for background. Background helps explain the action. The Ending. Notwithstanding the notion of the Inverted Pyramid story which in theory can be cut anywhere the most elegantly written stories come to a clear conclusion that somehow ties the story up with a neat little bow. Sometimes writers end a story with a reference to future action that is expected. (The trial continues Monday.) Sometimes stories end with a new quote that summarizes what has happened. Good endings often fall victim to heavy-handed editing. Still, they are worth the effort: Good endings leave the reader with a feeling of satisfaction. Summary All well-written stories have a beginning middle and an end. The beginning is known as the lead, pronounced lede. Well-written news stories typically contain such components as attribution, reaction, background and an entertaining summation. Many news stories especially those with a soft lead require a nut graph to sum up the point of the story.