For those who don’t know, a lede (pronounced LEED) is the first paragraph of a news story. It’s supposed to be the most important fact in the story, which is why it comes first. But modern journalism has decided that ledes don’t have to include the most important information if that interferes with creative story telling. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to find the lede in the fourth, fifth or sixth paragraphs, after colorful prose introducing one to some victim or other striving against obstacles set up by a cruel capitalist system.
But putting the lede in the last paragraph is a first. That’s what The Herald-Sun did in its story today on the drought forum organized by Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and held at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.
It begins with Syd Miller, water resources program manager for the Triangle J Council of Governments, warning that recent rains might keep people from conserving water. There follows 16 more paragraphs about conservation, evil lawn waterers, etc. And the final paragraph is this one, which I think would be huge news to anyone who’s been reading about water shortages in our local media:
“We have sufficient available resources right now to easily last us through the next 50 years,” Miller said. “It’s more of a function of making better use of what we have.”
Talk about undermining urgency to conserve water! If word of this gets out there’s be a rebellion among those whose businesses are threatened as we speak due to water restrictions.
