News leads- information before embellishment
"Tens of thousands of protesters chanted and carried banners through the
heart of Tehran and other Iranian cities on Friday, hijacking a
government-organized anti-Israel march and injecting new life into the
country's opposition movement." - The New York Times
In the above paragraph, the writer incorporates sounds, sights and emotions into what could have been a dull, straight news lead. The information is all there: the who- protesters, the what- embarrassing the government, the when- during a government rally, and the where- cities in Iran. The bonuses are a sense of excitement, a glimpse of the event's impact and some helpful fill-ins (Where exactly is Tehran?) The sentence refers to two sets of protests, but successfully distinguishes them by using the word "march" for one and painting a word-picture of the other. The writer also subtly favors the position of the opposition movement, reflecting the current stance of the United States government against Iran. The sentence emphasizes the "what" element of the lead because it is the most complex, demanding a greater degree of clarification.
In the above paragraph, the writer incorporates sounds, sights and emotions into what could have been a dull, straight news lead. The information is all there: the who- protesters, the what- embarrassing the government, the when- during a government rally, and the where- cities in Iran. The bonuses are a sense of excitement, a glimpse of the event's impact and some helpful fill-ins (Where exactly is Tehran?) The sentence refers to two sets of protests, but successfully distinguishes them by using the word "march" for one and painting a word-picture of the other. The writer also subtly favors the position of the opposition movement, reflecting the current stance of the United States government against Iran. The sentence emphasizes the "what" element of the lead because it is the most complex, demanding a greater degree of clarification.
