Lead the way.

"State police are calling him the backpack burglar." --Kennebec Journal
"Authorities in northern Mexico detained a prison director and two other officials after 129 inmates escaped from the facility through a tunnel, officials said." --CNN.com
"Complaints to Binghamton University included having to hold hot coals, being kept outdoors in underwear and even a version of waterboarding." --The New York Times

Overall, these leads have something important in common: they all make me interested in the rest of the story. This, I think, is probably the most important aspect in writing a lead-- creating something that will engage the reader. I'll be honest, a lot of the time I see an interesting title to a news story, and end up only reading the lead. Most of the time, it's because the lead didn't grab my attention well enough, and I decided to pass on the rest of the story.

I realize this isn't the best practice for someone in a journalism class.

But, in looking at different leads, I realized that as simple as this is, it really is the most important thing. You have to keep your audience engaged. This first lead, for example, absolutely has my attention. I want to know why they call him the backpack burglar. Is it for the obvious reasons? I went on to read the story, and to clarify, he's not stealing backpacks, he's stealing items by concealing them in a backpack. The more you know. The second lead also managed to convince me to read the whole story. I want to know more about this tunnel and how it went unnoticed until it was too late. The final lead had the same idea, grabbing my attention, but leaving me asking questions. This is where I make my point.

The best leads are the ones that leave you wanting more, the ones that leave you with questions that you just need to be answered. They are long enough to deliver basic information, but short enough so that you don't give up on it. Crafting a good lead is definitely a skill, and it's one I'm hoping to master.