Do you ever skip the first couple paragraphs of a newspaper or magazine article to get past the introductory fluff BS?
The rule is pounded into our heads in school: “Always start with an introduction in your papers”.
It seems to me this concept has been carried way too far.
For example if a meteor hit Los Angeles, this is how the LA Times would form their lede:
“Thelma Burgess was washing dishes in her Laurel Canyon kitchen when a bright light appeared in the distance….”
Reporters are trained to “come up with a story” to “make it personal to the reader”.
I say this training is overthought crap. Just get to the point.
We don’t need introductory crap. We don’t need hard facts to be written in a story-style narrative. It may please newsroom editors, but it doesn’t please readers.
What do you think?
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