Lead paragraph
A
lead, or
lede, paragraph in literature is the opening paragraph of an article, essay, news story or book chapter. Often called
the lead, it usually occurs together with the headline or title. It precedes the main body of the article, and it gives the reader the main idea of the story. In both spellings, the word rhymes with the word
need. In the journalism industry, particularly in the United States, the term is spelled "lede". The alternative spelling was invented to differentiate it from the metal lead, which was used in hot metal typesetting. This spelling is absent from almost all print dictionaries, though it has recently begun to appear in some online US dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster.com and TheFreeDictionary.com. In journalism, the lede paragraph should not be confused with the standfirst, rider, kicker, bank head, or subhead. These terms refer to an introductory or summary line or brief paragraph, located immediately above or below the headline, and typographically distinct from the body of the article.