Inverted Pyramid
An inverted pyramid serves as a design standard of news delivery and tech writing. The AP Stylebook endorses the use of this model making it the most widespread design of journalism and media writing.
Organizing Content
The inverted pyramid is constructed by placing the most important information first. The explanation or supporting details that make the headline and attention grabbing information true should follow. Lastly, general details may close the article. These details will be the least likely to be read. In the event that these details are cut, the article should not suffer.
The 5 Ws
The 5 Ws help the author determine the most important information. According to inverted pyramid style, these questions should be answered by the conclusion of the first paragraph.
- Who? Well known names should be in the headline. Others may go in the first paragraph depending on the subject.
- What? Readers visit sites to discover current news or results of occurrences. Essentially the first paragraph or headline should answer the question, "What's happening?"
- When? Time is important to web journalism because news and data are ever changing. A reader should be able to tell the relevance of an article to his search without reading the full entry.
- Where? Location like time helps the reader determine relevance to his life. Someone is California may not necessarily want data or news from a study or an event in Florida.
- Why? After reading a headline, a natural reaction from the site visitor will be "Why?" If this information is available, it is necessary to the beginning of the article. Often times readers surf the web for the "why" of a new law, murder, food recall, etc. Exclusion of this detail will cause a reader to go elsewhere and flag the blog as lacking knowledge.
Purpose of Inverted Pyramid in Tech Writing
The inverted pyramid contributes to scan-ability. Placement of the most essential information at the beginning of an article or entry allows the reader to get what he needs without scrolling. Site visitors read less on the web than in print. Bloggers should implement the inverted pyramid to share need-to-know information quickly and retain frequent visitors. Webwise Wording says, "If they cannot quickly and easily assess your article for points of interest, they are likely to leave your webpage and go search for an alternative that is easier to skim."
References
- Carroll, Brian. (2010). Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- Inverted Pyramid Style Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- Purdue OWL: Journalism and Journalistic Writing Retrieved 9 April 2013.