The inverted pyramid is a metaphor used by journalists
and other writers to illustrate the placing of the most important
information first within a text. It is a common method for writing news stories and is widely taught to journalism students.The "inverted" or upside-down
"pyramid" can be thought of as a simple triangle with one side drawn
horizontally at the top and the body pointing down. The widest part at
the top represents the most substantial, interesting, and important
information the writer means to convey, illustrating that this kind of
material should head the article, while the tapering lower portion
illustrates that other material should follow in order of diminishing
importance. It is sometimes called a "summary news lead" style,[1] or "Bottom Line Up Front" or BLUF.[2]
The format is valued because readers can leave the story at any point and understand it, even if they don't have all the details. It also allows less important information at the end, where it can be removed by editors so the article can fit a fixed size - that is, it can be "cut from the bottom".[3]
Other styles are also used in news writing, including the "anecdotal lead," which begins the story with an eye-catching tale or anecdote rather than the central facts; and the Q&A, or question-and-answer format.
The format is valued because readers can leave the story at any point and understand it, even if they don't have all the details. It also allows less important information at the end, where it can be removed by editors so the article can fit a fixed size - that is, it can be "cut from the bottom".[3]
Other styles are also used in news writing, including the "anecdotal lead," which begins the story with an eye-catching tale or anecdote rather than the central facts; and the Q&A, or question-and-answer format.
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