Good Lead Vs. Bad Lead

Good Lead- Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2760618/Vote-Yes-Or-Else-Attempts-intimidate-No-voters-force-graffiti-polling-station-walls-millions-polls-decide-future-Union.html

“Voters in Scotland have only four more hours to decide on the future of Great Britain.”

This is a really good lead because it grabs you in, tells you in general what the article is about and also makes you want to read it. When I looked on the Daily Mail site for news I did not expect to find a good article written by the it as it is well known as one of the worst news papers in England. It is the National Enquirer of England essentially. However, the lead is very well written. It is straight to the point and it only contains simple and easy to understand language.

Good Lead- New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/world/middleeast/british-hostage-warns-the-west-in-new-isis-video.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LargeMediaHeadlineSum&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

“Departing from its serial beheading videos of Western hostages that have outraged the world, the Islamic State released a new video on Thursday featuring a captive British journalist seated behind a desk, explaining the group’s message and warning that America and its allies are foolishly heading into another unwinnable war.”

This is another good lead, if a little long. Apart from the length it sums up what the article is going to talk about so if you just want to skim read you can just read this first sentence and know what the rest of the article is about. At the same time it makes you want to read more to find out more about what the British journalist said and who he is. The words are also all easy to understand and there is nothing in the way to trip you up.

Bad- USA today

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/24/missing-girl-nj-charges/1653753/?siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-6CbgFwj0mPdWnWRWfZNTig

“Autumn Pasquale loved to ride her BMX bike.”

This is possibly the worst lead I have read. It tells you nothing at all about the article or about the girl, even the header above reads “The boys' mother called police after reading a suspicious Facebook posting” Which also doesn't tell you the most important thing, that Autumn is dead. It is only on the third line in when you find out that she died. It doesn't grab me in either because I really don't care that Autumn loves to ride her BMX bike, it means nothing to me and so I have no reason to continue reading.