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Have you read paragraph 8?

Why journalists rarely start at the beginning, instead leading with the latest development

When journalists tell stories, they rarely start at the beginning but instead with the latest development. Context comes towards the end. It’s called the ‘inverted pyramid’.

When scandal at the Confederation of British Industry hit the newspapers and boss Tony Danker was dismissed, he complained that articles didn’t state right at the start that he was not accused of the worst misconduct. If you didn’t make it much past the headlines, you might not realise that.

We discover why journalists write stories ‘the wrong way up’, how that affects how we understand them, and how that might change with new technology.

‘How to Read the News’ - this series is all about giving you the tools to decode the news.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Charlotte McDonald
Researchers: Beth Ashmead Latham, Kirsteen Knight
Editors: China Collins, Emma Rippon

Available now

14 minutes

On radio

Mon 6 Jan 2025 11:45

Broadcasts

  • Mon 8 Jan 2024 13:45
  • Mon 6 Jan 2025 11:45
  • Tue 7 Jan 2025 00:30

8 Things We Learned About How to Read the News

8 Things We Learned About How to Read the News

How our perception of the facts in news reporting can be shaped by those presenting them.