The lead "St. Thomas student hailed as hero who saved friends" on the Star Tribune web site works for the story because it is an interesting and compelling way to get visitors to click and see what the story is fully about. The general news is that the Michael Larson is from St. Thomas, but the detailed news is how he was perceived by others and how he acted in this situation. This lead is not a straightforward hard-news approach to the story, because it does not give a lot of news about what happened until you read more. The reporter probably chose this approach because it adds emotion to the story and also serves as a tribute to the life that was lost in the fire.
Source:
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/111764394.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
