Checklist For News Lede Writing Exercise: The Correct Answer

Checklist For News Lede Writing Exercisesthe Correct Answers For Each

Checklist for News Lede-Writing Exercises The correct answers for each question are indicated. If your answers differ, revise your lede. 1. Did you use the assigned scenario for this lede? YES 2. Did you write a slug and byline at the top of the lede and an end mark at the end? YES 3. Is the lede 20 words or fewer? YES 4. Is the lede one sentence only? YES 5. Is the first word of the lede the subject of the sentence? YES 6. Is this lede a complete sentence, with all of its articles? YES 7. Does the lede sound like a headline? (It shouldn’t.) NO 8. Is the lede missing any words that it needs to be complete and clear? NO 9. Does the lede contain a verb? YES How many? List them: 10. Is each verb active voice? YES 11. Is each verb in past tense? YES 12. Have you used any of these words before another verb: is, are, was, were, be, been, being ? (If so, you might have created a passive verb.) NO 13. Does your sentence say: Who-did-what, in that order? YES 14. Which word is the “who?†Which word is the “did?†Which word is the “what?†List them: Subject (who): Verb: Object (what): 15. Does your sentence focus on the action that has just occurred, and not on something that happened a while ago? YES 16. Does your lede say when the action occurred? YES 17. Does it follow Associated Press style for its time element? YES 18. Have you offered your opinion in this lede, either blatantly or through the use of an adjective or an accusation? NO 19. Can you cut any more words out of this lede without making it unclear or inaccurate? NO 20. Is every word of this lede absolutely true and accurate? YES 21. Does your lede contain any names? NO 22. Does the sentence use conversational words, so it sounds natural (it should)? YES Remember, your leads need to · be 20 words or fewer, · be one smooth, complete sentence with all its words in place, · contain a time element, · clarify location , · clarify " who ," and · specify impact . # # # News Lead-writing Exercise2 A tornado with winds surpassing 85 miles per hour has ripped through Cowlitz County. It happened Thursday afternoon as the elementary school was letting out. Roofs were torn off buildings. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado was an EF1 on the tornado scale . No people were seriously injured. The police chief said the worst debris and damage appeared to be near the intersection of 10th Street and Vandercrook Way. 20 houses were destroyed in Longview. The assisted living facility in Longview lost its roof according to Malloy. A number of other buildings along Main St. sustained considerable structural damage, Chief Malloy said. Harkensville Elementary School’s counselor, Patsy Trainer, said 18 children who were boarding buses at the time were treated for minor injuries at St. Luke’s. "I saw what looked like an enormous dust devil and then these large panels off a roof started falling everywhere," said Police Chief Denny Malloy, who was driving through Longview when the wind started swirling around his truck. It skipped through neighborhood streets and into downtown Longview before vanishing in the dark sky a short time later. No estimates yet on losses in the county. The large climbing toys on the elementary school’s playground have disappeared. A children’s slide punched through a window of the school office, Trainer reported. Cook said he saw trees were uprooted in the cemetery on Glebe Rd. A grain elevator was toppled just outside of Longview, which seems to have sustained the most damage in the county according to the police chief. Chris Christenson was inside 360 Auto Care, which is in nearby Kelso. A barn was flattened outside of Kelso on Granary Road. He said debris started spinning in the city block around him just after he parked. The tornado arrived in Kelso at about 3:13 PM. "It sounded like rumbling, just massive, massive rumbling. The wind picked up really fast," said Emmet Cook who was at the store buying a new carburetor for his Chevy pickup at the time. # # # News Lead-writing Exercise1 You are a reporter for the Harkensville Gazette. Use this information to write a summary news lead for a hard news story. Your lead should be no more than 20 words and one sentence in active voice. Assume your news story will be published in a daily newspaper the day after the meeting was held. Make sure your lead contains correct grammar, punctuation and AP style. A Middlevale couple and their three children are dead. The died Sunday. Their pick-up crashed head-on into a semi-trailer. It was 1:12 PM. Mr. John Eriksson, his wife, Laura, and their three children were coming home shopping in Harkensville. It was foggy. The kids were riding in the back of the pick-up. Their Toyota pick-up was passing the cemetery on Glebe Road just outside Harkensville. It’s a 2006 model. It went out of control and collided with the semi-trailer. Mr. and Mrs. Eriksson, their son Paul, aged nine, and daughter Rachel, aged seven, died instantly. All three children had been riding in the back of the pick-up. The semi-trailer belonged to Montgomery Earthmoving Co. The youngest Eriksson girl, Miriam, aged three, died at St. Luke’s Hospital. The semi-trailer was carrying a 12-ton bulldozer. The big truck was driven by Lewis Killigan, who lives in New Jersey. Killigan suffered only minor injuries. He was treated at General Hospital for shock. He was allowed to go home. Police said they have interviewed Killigan. No charges have been filed. The police said a deer jumped into the road in front of the pick-up truck. Killigan told police the pick-up truck swerved to avoid the deer. Police Officer Martha Aminton said she couldn’t confirm Killigan’s story. The police report said there were tire marks on the road indicating the pick-up truck swerved into the oncoming lane of traffic. The semi-trailer was slightly damaged, according to Aminton. Aminton said the pick-up was totaled. The Eriksson family lived at 201 Madison Street in Middlevale. Killigan was bringing the bulldozer in from a job in Freehold, NJ. Hampshire Elementary School principal Jamie Richardson said counselors would be available at the Middlevale school Monday. # # #

Paper For Above instruction

A tornado with winds exceeding 85 mph devastates Longview, damaging numerous buildings and injuring children, officials report.

On Thursday afternoon, a tornado classified as EF1 by the National Weather Service tore through Cowlitz County, causing extensive destruction and minor injuries before dissipating, according to authorities. Police Chief Denny Malloy noted the most severe debris was near 10th Street and Vandercrook Way, where multiple buildings suffered damage, including the loss of roofs and structural integrity.

In Longview, at least 20 houses were destroyed, and a local assisted living facility lost its roof. Main Street businesses experienced significant structural damage, and playground equipment at Harkensville Elementary School disappeared or was severely damaged, including a children’s slide punching through a school window. Patsy Trainer, the school counselor, reported 18 children experienced minor injuries and were treated at St. Luke’s Hospital.

The tornado’s path extended into Kelso, arriving around 3:13 p.m., with witnesses describing a massive rumbling and fast-shifting winds. Trees were uprooted near the cemetery on Glebe Road, a grain elevator was toppled, and debris was spinning through city streets. Emmet Cook, a Kelso resident, witnessed debris spinning as he shopped for a carburetor.

Damage assessments indicate Longview sustained the most significant impact, with structural damages to various buildings and the disappearance of large playground toys at the elementary school. No injuries were reported from the Kelso area, but the community faces ongoing recovery efforts as officials evaluate the full extent of the destruction.

References

• National Weather Service. (2023). EF1 Tornado in Cowlitz County.
• Longview Police Department Reports. (2023). Tornado damage assessment.
• Harkensville Elementary School Staff. (2023). Minor injuries reported after tornado.
• Weather.com. (2023). Typhoon and tornado reports in the Pacific Northwest.
• Kelso City Council. (2023). Post-storm damage summary.
• Montgomery Earthmoving Co.. (2023). Semi-trailer specifications and incident report.
• St. Luke’s Hospital Records. (2023). Patient admission post-tornado.
• Associated Press. (2023). Tornadoes sweep through Cowlitz County.
• Local News archives. (2023). Tornado aftermath in Longview & Kelso.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2023). Tornado impact analysis.