The lede (sometimes spelled "lead") is the opening paragraph of a press release or news story. Its job is to answer the five W questions (who, what, when, where, why) in two to three sentences so the journalist can evaluate the story in under 20 seconds.
What makes a strong lede
- States the news directly, no setup
- Includes the company name, the fact, and the impact
- Under 35 words when possible
- Active voice
- Concrete numbers over adjectives
Example: "PressPilot, the AI-powered press release distribution platform, today raised 5 million EUR Series A to expand its journalist database in Europe." That sentence alone tells a journalist who, what, when, and why in 25 words.
Related terms
- Press Release - A formal written statement distributed to media outlets to announce something newsworthy about a company or organization.
- Nut Graf - The paragraph that explains why the story matters, typically the second or third paragraph of a press release.
- Dateline - The line at the beginning of a press release that states the city and date of the announcement.
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