Headline

This is the article’s title. There are different types. If the event is considered serious, the headline announces what the event is. For example, “15 Missing After Boat Capsizes”. If the event is less serious, the headline may be playful. For example, “Plucky Boy Wins 10 Chickens”.

Lead

The essential information about the event is called the lead. It’s usually somewhere between 20 and 30 words long at most.

Unlike typical introductions for longer articles (often called feature articles) in magazines or other sections of a newspaper, the lead doesn’t try to create interest with a grabber. It also doesn’t try to ease the reader into the subject by giving context and announcing what the article will focus on. Instead, the lead gives the main content about the event all at once.

Inverted Pyramid

Because the more important information comes at the very start of a news article and less important information comes after, this style is often called an inverted pyramid. The big stuff is at the top and the smaller details are at the bottom, which is contrary to a pyramid’s design.

Because all the essential information about the event is given at the beginning, experienced readers know that they won’t miss anything important if they decide not to read all the way through.