It can be hard to write a good lede. For the past two minutes I’ve tried to think of a good one for this blog post alone. Part of the difficulty involved in writing a lede comes from the fact that the definition of ‘good’ depends on what type of article you’re writing. A hard news story requires a lede that gives away the most important information right away. For example, a hard news lede might read something like this: “Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi’s attacks used fighter jets, special forces and regular army troops in an escalation that brought Libya closer to civil war.” It gives the Who/What/Where/When/Why. A more creative lede would suit novelty, culture or lighter news: “Fame kills. Or at the very least, it would appear, it destroys your health, your love life, your family and your sanity.” Ledes pull the reader into the story. A decent lede communicates the point of the story. A better lead pulls the reader into the story.
Ledes taken from NYT.
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