Inverted Pyramid

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 477.

Story Structure

All stories have a structure in the same way that people have a spine, or, at least, they should! Without a structure, stories would be a jumble of facts with nothing to hold them together. Structure is essential for stories to be understandable and meaningful, but not all stories should be structured in the same way. Good writers choose the most suitable shape for the story they are telling.

Many news stories begin with the most newsworthy information, following a traditional story structure developed more than 100 years ago. The “inverted pyramid” form puts the most important information at the top, followed by other information in descending order of importance. This shape is useful when reporting important or breaking news, when timeliness is of the essence. If you are the first to report a significant development, you'll want to tell the audience what has happened right at the top of your story. A report on a massive storm, for example, likely would begin with the death toll and the location of the heaviest damage. Writers who resist using this structure when it is called for may be accused of “burying the lead,” making it more difficult for the audience to determine the story's importance.

In the inverted-pyramid structure, information following the lead expands or develops the point that is made in the lead. In the case of the storm report, the writer might describe the scene of the worst devastation, and then include a quote from a survivor or an emergency worker. Supporting paragraphs would elaborate on the topic, filling in details and providing background on the storm. In a longer story, a reporter might include secondary information that is related to the primary theme but not directly. The storm story, for example, could include information about international relief efforts, and the needs of survivors, both immediate and long term. One reason for the popularity of this structure is that editors can cut from the bottom to save space and time without worrying about cutting vital information.