http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_20409466/man-charged-attempted-murder-allegedly-stomping-pregnant-ex
Man charged with attempted murder for allegedly stomping on pregnant ex-girlfriend
This story from the Pioneer Press truly followed the adage "If it bleeds it leads".
The story is about a man stomping on his ex-girlfriend's stomach in attempts to kill the fetus.
Just from the headline, you can tell it's a gruesome story! But, it gives a good example of what runs in order to get readers. The story sure caught my eye.
The story begins with the lede summarizing the alleged stomping, where it took place, and simply says "over the weekend". There is not a nutgraf and the author goes right into the chronological order of events. The story starts with the police arriving and finding blood on the victims sweatpants. The next paragraph tells the reader the name of the man and that he was charged Monday (the day the story ran). The author goes on to give a few quotes from the Fridley Police Dept. and then gives the condition of the fetus, telling the reader that there is still a faint heartbeat but the future condition of the fetus is unknown. The story ends with the man's criminal record.
Overall, the story is very straight forward. It gives a summary in the lede and then the chronological events. The story is newspaper's bread and butter, the domestic abuse souffle. The headline and lede grabs readers attention and one wants to know if the child is okay. Knowing this, the author strategically did not give the readers the condition of the child until the ninth paragraph in order to get them to read the whole story! The story does not teach the reader anything, but gives a gruesome glimpse and what people are capable of (and get's readers to pay attention the story, and ultimately the advertisements surrounding it)/.
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