The Inverted Pyramid

1. The Inverted Pyramid

2. “Inverted Pyramid”. Wikipedia. 2010. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 7 September 2010. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid> • The inverted pyramid is a metaphor used by journalists and other writers to illustrate the placing of the most important information first within a text. It is the most widely preferred method in writing news stories.

3. The "inverted" or upside-down "pyramid" can be thought of as a simple triangle with one side drawn horizontally at the top and the body pointing down. The widest part at the top represents the most substantial, interesting, and important information the writer means to convey, illustrating that this kind of material should head the article, while the tapering lower portion illustrates that other material should follow in order of diminishing importance. It is sometimes called a "summary news lead" style.[1]

4. Why Invert? • The format is valued because readers can leave the story at any point and understand it, even if they don't have all the details. It also allows less important information at the end to be more easily removed by editors so the article can fit a fixed size.

5. Other Approaches to an Intro • Other styles are also used in news writing, including the "anecdotal lead," which begins the story with an eye-catching tale or anecdote rather than the central facts; and the Q&A, or question-and-answer format. This form of writing is also sometimes referenced when referring to the notion of "Bottom Line Up Front" or BLUF

6. Practicing the Pyramid • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ukMz2Q49sE&feature=related • Use this following news event to write a sample introduction to an article using the inverted pyramid.