The lead is the opening of a news item. It may consist of two words, two sentences or even a paragraph. It is important as it determines the entire structure of the story introduces the topic and attracts and repels the reader. It summarizes the news and thus helps the newspaper to perform the basic function of conveying information. Rudyard Kipling, journalist and author, advised sub-reporter to be sure that the lead itself answers the six basic questions what, where, why, when, who, and how, the “who” is frequently the opening element, This is true sometimes even when the who carries less importance than the other elements. The reason is apparent: who is the human element in the story and it may introduce the characteristic prominence. If a famous man does something, say the opening of a clinic, the story should begin with that person’s name. The name is a magnetic attention getter.
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