The Bloomberg Way: A Guide for Reporters and Editors, 13th Edition
by Jennifer Sondag, Matthew Winkler
Chapter 3The Four-Paragraph Lead
Bloomberg News stories have a structure as immutable as the rules that govern sonnets and symphonies. The structure begins with the lead. We have identified the ideal lead as having four paragraphs.
Here’s a guide to what belongs there. Learn how to apply this to stories—all stories—and you will know how to succeed.
Theme. This consists of two elements: the what and why, or sometimes the what and so what.
What: The information that the story will provide. Stories about economic indicators, corporate earnings and markets must convey a sense of direction: rose, fell or little changed. Include a comparison with historical performance, forecasts or published estimates to help show the surprise. Stories about companies ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access