The Inverted PyramidMost important first, then descending, so any cut from the bottom still works.Communications & MediaOrder of a hard news story.1LeadThe single most important new fact, in one sentence.2SupportThe evidence and attribution that make the lead stand up.3QuoteA voice that adds meaning rather than repeating the lead.4ContextWhat came before and why this matters now.5DetailSecondary facts, background and the material readers can lose.The structure exists because the story is cut from the bottom andabandoned in the middle. Never save the point for the end.The Inverted Pyramidlearnposters.com
The Inverted Pyramid — printable humanities wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

The Inverted Pyramid, step by step

Order of a hard news story.

  1. LeadThe single most important new fact, in one sentence.
  2. SupportThe evidence and attribution that make the lead stand up.
  3. QuoteA voice that adds meaning rather than repeating the lead.
  4. ContextWhat came before and why this matters now.
  5. DetailSecondary facts, background and the material readers can lose.

The structure exists because the story is cut from the bottom and abandoned in the middle. Never save the point for the end.

Questions about the The Inverted Pyramid poster

What’s on the The Inverted Pyramid poster?
5 numbered steps. Order of a hard news story. Lead — The single most important new fact, in one sentence.; Support — The evidence and attribution that make the lead stand up.; Quote — A voice that adds meaning rather than repeating the lead.; Context — What came before and why this matters now.; Detail — Secondary facts, background and the material readers can lose.. The structure exists because the story is cut from the bottom and abandoned in the middle. Never save the point for the end.
Who is the The Inverted Pyramid poster for?
The Inverted Pyramid belongs to the Communications & Media section rather than to a school year, because humanities is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning journalism can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the The Inverted Pyramid poster?
When writing hard news that will be trimmed, skimmed or read on a phone. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so The Inverted Pyramid belongs on the wall where that humanities work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with The Inverted Pyramid?
Beat Reporting, Corrections and Data Journalism sit alongside The Inverted Pyramid in the Communications & Media section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Beat ReportingCorrectionsData Journalism
Is the The Inverted Pyramid poster free to download and print?
Yes. The Inverted Pyramid downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Communications & Media section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the The Inverted Pyramid poster print at?
The Inverted Pyramid is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of The Inverted Pyramid loses nothing.Printing guide

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