The Inverted Pyramid
Read the text below and then complete the assignments that follow.
The
basic organizational style for news over the past century and a half has been
the inverted pyramid. Although some experts have stated that the style is losing
ground and may be on the way out, the advent of the Internet has brought the
inverted pyramid back to life.
The inverted pyramid style of writing can trace its beginnings to the bloody battlefields of the Civil War. With each battle, reporters would rush to crowded telegraph offices to get their stories to press. The telegraph lines were notoriously unreliable, and extra words cost money, so reporters developed a method of getting the most important information in the first few lines of the story with the least important details reserved for the end. Conclusions became optional.
Repoters and newspapers still use this style today for most of the hard news stories. Internet writers quickly learned that Internet surfers scanned the pages quickly and moved on, so many writers on the Internet promote the inverted pyramid as the way to deliver printed information.
The table below summarizes the basics of the inverted pyramid style.
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Inverted Pyramid
Basics
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| 1 | Begin your story with a summary lead that gets the most important fact in the first sentence. |
| 2 | Make sure that the opening paragraph has all the most important facts in it. |
| 3 | Newspaper paragraphs in the inverted pyramid style are short, usually 2-3 sentences. |
| 4. | Another reason to get the most important facts in the opening paragraph is to aid in headline writing. |
| 5. | Make sure that the least important facts are at the bottom, so that any information that needs to be cut during layout due to lack of space will not cause too much damage. |
| 6. | Use active voice colorful verbs . |
| 7. | Conclusions are optional in inverted pyramid style. |
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Read this article and then write a 2 paragraph summary of it: Inverted Pyramid by Kera Wall
2. Read this article and then write a 2 paragraph summary of it: Inverted Pyramid Story Format by Dr. Ken Black, Middle Tennessee State University
Writing Leads Review: Reorganize each chopped up sentence below to make it a quality lead.
example: July 30, 2005 , in the 100 meter free style . at Cut Bank Roundup swimmer placed third Josh Krank ,
Answer : Roundup swimmer, Josh Krank, placed third in the 100 meter free style at Cut Bank July 30, 2005.
3. since 1992 ended up in the RHS trophy case A third place trophy is the first divisional trophy won by the Panthers . last season The trophy . for the Southern B Boys Divisional
4. Sterling Thomas Memorial Field to be arch rival for RHS football fans Huntley High School 21-14. downed was the place as the Panthers
5. Student Body President Carol Stahl Trying to push forward her plans presented for an improved student parking area, to the District school board Tuesday night. her three part proposal
6. RHS Lady Panthers in the third quarter last Saturday. erased a Central High School to win the game 80-75 , 20 point lead and went on Using a full court press