News Writing: Lead Paragraph Exercises - The Learning Lab at HFCC
News Writing: Lead Paragraph Exercises - The Learning Lab at HFCC
News Writing: Lead Paragraph Exercises - The Learning Lab at HFCC
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On the last page of this handout there are very good lead paragraph answer examples foreach of these exercises. Compare the leads you write for the lead exercises with the answerexamples on the last page. Most beginning news writers write too much when they write a leadand, as a result, they surround the main point of the story with facts th<strong>at</strong> really should be st<strong>at</strong>edl<strong>at</strong>er in the story, if they should be st<strong>at</strong>ed <strong>at</strong> all. Just remember SIS when you write a lead (short,interesting and simple).An important part of this handout is to give you practical experience in correct leadwriting. If your lead is significantly different than the example on the last page of this handout,make sure th<strong>at</strong> you understand why your lead is different before you continue. And, if you stillcannot see the reasons for any differences after comparing the two, go back over the previoushandout, A<strong>News</strong> <strong>Writing</strong>: <strong>Lead</strong> <strong>Paragraph</strong>s@, <strong>Learning</strong> <strong>Lab</strong> handout number 5.17, and make sureth<strong>at</strong> you understand the principles behind good lead writing.<strong>Lead</strong> <strong>Paragraph</strong> <strong>Exercises</strong>:1. According to Officer Symth of the Pittsville Police Department, a youngwoman, Judy Voss, who said th<strong>at</strong> she lives nearby, st<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> she heardscreams coming from Fox Wood Apartments <strong>at</strong> midnight. Officer Smythalso st<strong>at</strong>ed th<strong>at</strong> he has been working for the department for over 25 yearsand has never seen anything like wh<strong>at</strong> was found in th<strong>at</strong> apartment parkinglot. AThis is under investig<strong>at</strong>ion so I am not gonna say a lot,@ said Smyth.A But I can say th<strong>at</strong> this was no average killing.@ According to JudyVoss, AI heard lots of screaming, but I thought th<strong>at</strong> it was just another oneof those college parties. I called the police before about those parties andthey never showed any interest in breaking them up. I never knew th<strong>at</strong>this time it was something different. But all the same I would have calledif I thought th<strong>at</strong> the police would have come out here.@ Another personwho refused to st<strong>at</strong>e her name said th<strong>at</strong> there had been very open drugtraffic <strong>at</strong> Fox Wood Apartments for years and th<strong>at</strong> the police had knownabout it. Symth said th<strong>at</strong> the body of a male, who appears to have beenin his twenties, was found early this morning by a young man deliveringmorning newspapers. He also said th<strong>at</strong> the cause of de<strong>at</strong>h is underinvestig<strong>at</strong>ion and he refused to give any more inform<strong>at</strong>ion.
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