Leadwriting Practice Exercise
Write one lead for each of the following.
Lead #1
Who: The Pentagon
What: Rejected a congressional report urging it to suspend its controversial
anthrax vaccine program.
When: yesterday Where:
Why: " `It's very important that we use the
existing and available, safe and effective vaccine to give
our troops that go in
harm's way the protection that they deserve,'' Marine Corps Maj. Gen.
Randy West told a Pentagon news conference.
1) Anthrax is the
deadly biological agent that defense officials believe poses a threat to tens
of thousands of
2) A House
subcommittee had asked the Pentagon to suspend the vaccination program on
grounds that some military members do not trust the Pentagon's medical
information.
3) In a report
released Thursday, the House Government Reform national security subcommittee
said the anthrax vaccine does provide a degree of protection to those who
receive it.
4) The Pentagon says
it is searching for an improved vaccine but may not get one for years.
5) So far more than
400,000 troops have been given approximately 1.5 million shots.
Lead #2
Who: A study
What: Said that 300,000 to 400,000
When: Yesterday
Where: in
Why: The researchers perceived a need for such a study
Additional Details:
1) Their 3-year,
$400,000 study is based on research in 17 cities. The work includes interviews
with 200 child victims, most already in the legal system, and more than 800 state, federal and local officials.
2) There are 72
million children age 17 or younger in the
3) The largest
group, about 122,000, is made up of children who have run away from home and
turned to prostitution or pornography to get money for food or drugs.
4) The
second-largest group, about 73,000, is made up of children who live at home and
are used by family or friends in exchange for money, food, drugs or other
enticements.
5) The third-largest
group, about 52,000, is made up of ''throwaway'' children who have been
abandoned by parents or guardians and turned to the sex trade to survive.
Lead #3
Who: Qwest Communications International
What: Said it was cutting 4,000 jobs, or 6 percent of its work force, and
lowered its financial forecast for the fiscal year
When: Yesterday
Where: in
Why: Because of deteriorating economic conditions
Additional Details:
1) The Denver-based
telecommunications company said it expected revenue of approximately $20.5
billion this year and earnings of about $8 billion.
2) The company
previously expected this year’s revenues to be in the range of $21.3 billion to
$21.5 billion, with cash flow in the range of $8.5 billion to $8.6 billion.
3) For next year,
Qwest expects revenue growth in the high single digits and EBITDA growth to be
slightly better than revenue growth.
4) Qwest plans to
cut its work force by 4,000 jobs, from 66,000 to 62,000 employees, by the end
of the first quarter of next year.
Lead #4
Who: The
What: Is paying 1.8 million yearly for 8,900 phone numbers the government
doesn't use.
When: N/A
Where:
Why: Good question
1) The information is
according to a new report by the D.C. inspector general.
2) The lines either
are not being used or were somehow assigned to users outside city government,
including a liquor store and a military base
3) “I've seen it
all," said Inspector General E. Barrett Prettyman
Jr., who has spent 13 months tracking down waste and fraud in the city
government. "But I was surprised and chagrined at this one. It is a
complete and total waste."