burying the lede
Hiding key information
Burying the lede is placing the most important or newsworthy information deep in a story rather than leading with it.
The phrase comes from journalism, where the lede is the opening sentence or paragraph.
A reporter who buries the lede forces readers to dig for what matters most.
The expression has spread beyond newsrooms: After twenty minutes of small talk, she finally mentioned—almost in passing—that she'd won the lottery. Talk about burying the lede.
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- editorialPublication's official viewpoint article
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
- headlineNews article title
- lead paragraphOpening section of article
exposition · omission · spin · obfuscation · press release · subhead · newsworthiness · sequencing · emphasis · kicker · investigative reporting · prioritization · pacing · slow burn · copyediting · persuasion · anticlimactic · feature writing
burying the ledefront-loading
Placing burden at beginning
inverted pyramid · headlining · foregrounding · cutting to the chase · getting to the point
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