A summary lead is a quick synopsis of a news story in two or three sentences. A summary lead is supposed to be as specific as possible, avoid backing in, be concise, and to use the active voice. It should immediately grab the reader's attention.
From Baltimore Times
"Clay Aiken spotted in Baltimore
The former 'Idol' contestant watched the Super Bowl at Regi's American Bistro "
I like this lead because it quickly establishes who the story is about, what they were doing and where they were. It has enough information to teach the reader and to make them want to read more.
"Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has surgery for pancreatic cancer"
It's a very short summary lead, but it specifically let's the reader know what the story is about, and who is involved. In this case, reading the article is not as necessary because the lead is very straightforward
"Iraqi prime minister's party big winner in provincial elections"
As a major news headline, it's not always easy to put all the pertinent information in a short lead, but this headline clearly talks about the Iraqi elections, the outcome, and gives the reader enough background info to be able to read it later on without confusion.
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