The inverted pyramid style of journalism starts with a summary sentence, followed by progressively less important information. It originated from the need to transmit important news via telegraph. The style is simple and lacks artistic expression, with short paragraphs and sentences.
The inverted pyramid style of journalistic writing consists of a sentence at the top of a story that summarizes the most newsworthy highlights in a slightly more expanded form than the headline above it. This “guide” is followed, in descending order, by information of progressively lesser importance. Many are taught to think of this simple, basic method as putting the “bottomline first” or the “good stuff, then fluff.”
With the inverted pyramid, readers can get the news story in one sentence, usually no longer than 35 words, then decide for themselves if the rest of the story is worth their time. There is no anticipation involved. Subsequent paragraphs then expand organically on the topic, in descending order of importance and interest. At the top, as the inverted pyramid illustrates, key information is crammed into a small space: what, where and when, with perhaps even some of the how and why.
The telegraph, which came into widespread use in the mid-19th century, is credited with forming a need for the inverted pyramid story. If communications were lost while a story was being wired, at least the most important information had been received. The remaining information could then be used in a follow-up story when telegraph communications resumed.
It is unclear which specific story was first in the inverted pyramid style. According to Chip Scanlan of the renowned Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a well-known historian has theorized that the form originated from the Associated Press news service, to mark a shocking date in American history: April 14, 1865. “The president was killed in a theater tonight and possibly mortally wounded,” the sentence was written, before being transmitted via Morse code to city newspapers throughout the young country. Just five days earlier, the American Union had celebrated the end of the Civil War; news alone was all that was needed for impact and reader interest.
The inverted pyramid is thought to be the simplest method of writing news, panned by many for being devoid of artistic expression. His paragraphs and sentences are short and largely devoid of descriptive adjectives and unnecessary detours. The flow of the paragraphs should flow effortlessly towards the less noteworthy information with the use of transitional sentences that tie the preceding paragraphs together with the following ones. These transitions are often, but not always, quoted from key observers.
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