That reporters and editors put great emphasis on what newspaper people refer to as “the lede”–the first paragraph of a story—is no secret. We all struggle coming up with an opening that seduce the reader to read on.
Who can forget the great Edna Buchanan , legendary crime reporter in the Miami Herald, and her famous lede about an ex-con who became violent in the Church’s fried-chicken line and was shot dead by a security guard: “Gary Robinson died hungry.”
Well, I plan to share this piece in the New Yorker with my Columbia University students this semester. It analyzes this intriguing lede for a story in Louisiana’s The Advocate:
A veterinarian prescribed antibiotics Monday for a camel that lives behind an Iberville Parish truck stop after a Florida woman told law officers she bit the 600 pound animal’s genitalia after it sat on her when she and her husband entered its enclosure to retrieve their deaf dog.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/27/florida-woman-bites-camel
Lead paragraph in the mobile era
In my workshops these days I emphasize the importance of a first paragraph (and image) that instantly seduce the reader to continue reading.
With so many readers consuming stories on mobile devices, the first screen—the combination of an enticing headline, image and a good lede, are the best assurance that the reader will continue to scroll to discover more about a story.
The best ledes are brief, highlight the best of the story and, in today’s social media environment, put emphasis on that most shareable element. What will readers want to share via social media about this story?
Our mobile storytelling workshops now available remotely
Professors: get your review version of The Story on time for fall classes
As an academic, I know the importance of having the right tools to advance our students, especially on the important subject of mobile storytelling. Please drop me an email if you would like to sample The Story in its digital edition: mario@garciamedia.com
Start writing or type / to choose a block
The full trilogy of The Story now available–3 books to guide you through a mobile first strategy. Whether you’re a reporter, editor, designer, publisher, corporate communicator, The Story is for you! https://amazon
TheMarioBlog post # 3342.