Inverted pyramid
Encyclopedia
The inverted pyramid is a metaphor
used by journalist
s 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, or "Bottom Line Up Front" or BLUF
.
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".
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.
Chip Scanlan's essay on the form includes this frequently cited example of telegraphic reporting:
Who, when, where, what and how
are addressed in the first paragraph. As the article continues, the less important details are presented. An even more pyramid-conscious reporter or editor would move two additional details to the first two sentences: That the shot was to the head, and that it was expected to prove fatal. The transitional sentence about the Grants suggests that less-important facts are being added to the rest of the story.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
used by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s 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
News style
News style is the prose style used for news reporting in media such as newspapers, radio and television....
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, or "Bottom Line Up Front" or BLUF
BLUF (communication)
B.L.U.F. is an acronym for "Bottom Line Up Front". The term is common in US military writing.The concept is not exclusive to writing; it can also refer to conversations and interviews.- Writing :...
.
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".
Other styles are also used in news writing, including the "anecdotal lead," which begins the story with an eye-catching tale or anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
rather than the central facts; and the Q&A, or question-and-answer format.
History
Historians disagree about when the form was created. Many say the invention of the telegraph sparked its development by encouraging reporters to condense material, to reduce costs. Studies of 19th-century news stories in American newspapers, however, suggest that the form spread several decades later than the telegraph, possibly because the reform era's social and educational forces encouraged factual reporting rather than more interpretive narrative styles.Chip Scanlan's essay on the form includes this frequently cited example of telegraphic reporting:
Who, when, where, what and how
Five Ws
In journalism, the Five Ws is a concept in news style, research, and in police investigations that are regarded as basics in information-gathering. It is a formula for getting the "full" story on something...
are addressed in the first paragraph. As the article continues, the less important details are presented. An even more pyramid-conscious reporter or editor would move two additional details to the first two sentences: That the shot was to the head, and that it was expected to prove fatal. The transitional sentence about the Grants suggests that less-important facts are being added to the rest of the story.