Summary Lede

A summary lede is the opening sentence or two of most news stories that is designed to summarize the story quickly. Its main characteristics include a time element, that it is written in past tense and that it includes specific information that serve to set up the rest of the story.

Examples:

• From the Baltimore Sun: Michael Phelps, the Rodgers Forge native who has won more gold medals than anyone in Olympic history, acknowledged yesterday that he had engaged in "regrettable" behavior and shown "bad judgment" after a photo of him smoking what appears to be marijuana from a glass bong was published in a British tabloid over the weekend.

I like this lede because it is robust, full of information and gives me a good sense of what is to follow in the story. I felt this was a good example because it was full of info.

• From the Baltimore Sun: An off-duty Prince George's County firefighter rescued a disabled man who fell off a pier into the South River in Edgewater early yesterday, Anne Arundel County fire officials said.

What I like about this lede is the way that the author was able to compile the detail that the man who fell off the pier was disabled. Had that piece of information been neglected, this lede would be much weaker. I felt this was a good example because it was quick and to-the-point.

• From the Baltimore Sun: Infielder Oscar Salazar has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles announced in a news release.

I like this lede because it is short and sweet. Short in that it is one, quick sentence. Sweet because I covered Oscar Salazar for a full-season in 2007 while working the Bowie Baysox beat and it's nice to see that he will be staying with the Orioles' organization. Salazar, though limited in his English, is a fun-loving guy who treated me well in my first season covering the team. I felt this was a good example because at the end of the sentence, the reporter cites where the information came from.