News Reporting and Writing: Chapter 8
Exam Questions and Answers
inverted pyramid - Answers -a news story structure that places all the important
information in the first paragraph
tips for the inverted pyramid - Answers -1. requires the writer to rank the importance of
information
2. puts the most important information first
3. arranges the paragraphs in descending order of importance
lead - Answers -a simple, clear statement consisting of the first paragraph or two of a
news story
six basic questions when determining a lead - Answers -1. who?
2. what?
3. where?
4. when?
5. why?
6. how?
what to remember when writing a lead - Answers -1. always check names
2. keep the lead to fewer than 25 words
3. attribute opinion
4. find out the who, what, where, when, why, and how
5. tell readers what the news means to them
6. gather basic information even if it's routine
"you" lead - Answers -speak directly to readers by using "you"
second-person lead allows the writer to tell readers why they should care
immediate-identification lead - Answers -one of the most import facts is "who," or the
prominence of the key actor
delayed-identification lead - Answers -withholds a significant piece of information -
usually a person's name - until the second paragraph
summary lead - Answers -a lead that provides the briefest possible summary of the
major facts of a story in the first sentence
Exam Questions and Answers
inverted pyramid - Answers -a news story structure that places all the important
information in the first paragraph
tips for the inverted pyramid - Answers -1. requires the writer to rank the importance of
information
2. puts the most important information first
3. arranges the paragraphs in descending order of importance
lead - Answers -a simple, clear statement consisting of the first paragraph or two of a
news story
six basic questions when determining a lead - Answers -1. who?
2. what?
3. where?
4. when?
5. why?
6. how?
what to remember when writing a lead - Answers -1. always check names
2. keep the lead to fewer than 25 words
3. attribute opinion
4. find out the who, what, where, when, why, and how
5. tell readers what the news means to them
6. gather basic information even if it's routine
"you" lead - Answers -speak directly to readers by using "you"
second-person lead allows the writer to tell readers why they should care
immediate-identification lead - Answers -one of the most import facts is "who," or the
prominence of the key actor
delayed-identification lead - Answers -withholds a significant piece of information -
usually a person's name - until the second paragraph
summary lead - Answers -a lead that provides the briefest possible summary of the
major facts of a story in the first sentence
