Comparing & Contrasting Leads; Effectiveness

                          Canine Journalist, looking rather sleuth-like. Image from clipartbest.com

Lead One- National Public Radio

The U.S. may force companies to disclose climate risks, marking historic change

David Gura & Rafael Nam- March 20, 2022

"How much do companies contribute to climate change and how are they impacted by it? Those questions are at the heart of a major announcement expected on Monday from the Securities and Exchange Commission."

This is an example of a question lead.

At first glance, it is 34 words in length, provides an element of who, what, and when, and addresses subject matter for the body of the story in a concise manner. 

While question leads run the risk of creating more work for later, they can occasionally grab attention and effectively hook readers. I think the above does that for a particular audience, probably likely one that already has a lot of context information or interest in climate news. It poses a thoughtful question concisely. I myself like to be challenged to think differently or outside of the box when it comes to new and familiar topics alike. While I don't typically want to experience this for all news platforms, I like what the authors have done here so far. This could have been executed less effectively if they had simply forgotten to tie the question into a relevant context and set it up firmly in time (this announcement is happening on Monday and these questions are important). The article went on to fulfill the promise of explaining and analyzing climate change and the subsequent causation and consequence in relation to businesses. It contained information that readers would appreciate for being concise, knowledgable, and relevant.

After finishing the rest of the article, my only complaint or con would be the fact that, like question leads tend to do, this opening lead results in rather busy second and third sentences to backtrack and reflect more deeply on what exactly is going on and what the major elements of the story are. Major conclusion- it could have been done more effectively, but it works. 

Lead Two- Kennebec Journal

Augusta Public School budget up 6%, but officials say it won't cost city additional monies

Emily Duggan- March 24, 2022

"AUGUSTA — The Augusta Board of Education unanimously approved a proposed budget of $35.5 million for next school year that officials say will not cause the city of Augusta to contribute more money than last year, despite there being a 6.47% increase in this year’s budget."

This is an example of a summary lead.

Unlike the above question lead, this article poses a summative representation of what the article entails. It's lengthier but utilizes who, what, when, where, why, and poses local relevancy. It's long- coming in at 44 words. It's not very intriguing unless readers are picking up on the relevancy, which is the driving factor here. Anyone who cares about the school budget in Augusta or pays taxes, etc. is going to be interested in what this article has to say about budgets and money and how it affects them. It's effective enough, and the remaining article is shaped very well by this lead. I think it could be more intriguing, maybe less wordy. Maybe more verb use or a more active engaging lead. Overall, I think it hits the major context perfectly and would have anyone in the specific demographic likely to hear what the article will share in regards to the school budget going up and just why it's not going to affect the cities' contribution. 

Lead Three- National Public Radio 

Reporter describes an astounding amount of military hardware going in to help Ukraine

Terry Gross- March 24, 2022

"On a recent reporting trip to cover Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Time reporter Simon Shuster visited an airbase on the Polish side of the Ukrainian-Polish border. Watching as U.S. planes brought in loads of weapons for Ukraine, Shuster felt like he was standing on the brink of something massive."

This is an anecdotal lead.

While lengthy, this lead offers a personal portrait of the crisis through experience from the perspective of a reporter. It sets a mood and a tone that is indicative of what is to follow in the body of the story. Sure enough, it delivers a vibrant picture and a perspective that shifts readers from harrowing and constant breaking news to a more first-hand account that transports them right there at the scene. It refreshes what has already been done countless times and will continue to be many more times as this huge crisis unfolds. It's likely assumed most readers are already in possession of quite a bit of context on the issue and instead it works to shift focus or refresh through a different angle. I think it's done well, though it could probably be less lengthy. I think the final sentence really drives home and sets up relevance and promise of what is to unfold in the body of the article. I think this is very useful in articulating the depth of a major event through the human scope. Anecdotes have the power and voice to bring us closer to the reality of a given situation. 

Each of these leads tends to answer the major question, comparatively, of what the subject matter is going to divulge. In other words, they outline intention. They all do it in different ways, and some are more appealing or engaging than others. In comparison, the summary lead tends to answer a question about the effect of the budget increase on the city and community, which would draw in a lot of readers by way of local importance. The question lead sets readers up to already be thinking about businesses and their effect on climate change before the article begins. The anecdotal lead, at least for me, raises the question of what this reporter is experiencing and transports us there. Readers that are questioning what the article entails gather from the lead that this is a story reflecting a first-hand account of the Ukraine crisis and that it is likely to present information that is unique and diverges from what they have already heard through the same headlines across the nation and beyond. In summary, all of these leads hold their own elements of effectiveness. We can also see areas in which they might improve from my perspective. This all leads me to look more closely not only at news leads but at my own writing and how I can improve communication through a journalistic lens.