If there is one thing many newspapers around the world seem to have in common, it is the rigid adherence to the Inverted Pyramid as a style of news presentation. Editors justify the Inverted Pyramid as an effective way of informing readers very quicky about what happened, when, where, why, to whom it happened and how, without losing their interest and attention. Though there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this approach, it has created the impression that all the news has to be reported in the first paragraph, hence the use of summary leads.

Reporters never will have enough time to work on all the story ideas or turn in absolutely perfectly polished prose on deadline. They might as well acknowledge that fact and pay more attention to the other factors in their work they can control.

Need to file a story on a tight deadline? Keep these tips in mind.

Readers give you just a few seconds to capture their interest before their eye moves on to the next story or photo. You need a crisp lead and a strong focus to keep the reader going.

Question approach: Answer in less than 25 words. What is the story about?