Don't Bury the Lead

'You've buried the lead!' These are the words that every cadet journalist dreads. It means they have not satisfied the most basic requirement of good journalistic practice; they have failed to spot the most important angle to the story. Spotting the angle to the story and making sure the most important facts are given the most prominence are two essential skills of good journalists - skills that beginners must acquire swiftly. The professional and technical demands made on journalists will continue to increase, but getting 'the facts' and presenting them in the clearest way possible remains the brief for every practitioner. This book aims to provide cadet journalists and journalism students with a guide to the 'nuts and bolts of journalism, and to act as an introduction to news gathering and reporting in Australia. 'Don't Bury the Lead' begins with the basics of what is news and what is distinctive about the news genre of writing. Later chapters discuss the importance of sources in the news-gathering process, before introducing readers to the essential 'rounds' of all newspapers - covering emergency services, councils and courts. Like the cadetship process, learning also happens by doing, so each chapter ends with a set of exercises that reinforce the tenets of journalistic practice covered. Don't Bury the Lead should join dictionaries and house style guides as part of the essential armoury of Australian journalists.