Stop Burying the Lead: Why We Need to Teach Storytelling, Not Just AP Style

There's a common misconception that news writing is just about getting the facts straight and following AP style. That's wrong. If it were that simple, we wouldn't be losing the race against time. The truth is, we've been so focused on the mechanics that we've forgotten the art. We need to teach storytelling, not just style.

The Decline Is a Writing Problem

We are in a crisis of attention. Trust in news across 48 markets is stagnant at 40%, and in the U.S., it's a dismal 30% (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025). News avoidance is at an all-time high, with 40% of the global sample sometimes or often avoiding the news, up from 29% in 2017 (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025). And yet, we keep churning out the same inverted-pyramid, just-the-facts-ma'am stories that put people to sleep.

Local news is dying. We've lost more than 3,500 newspapers since 2005, nearly 40% of the total (Medill State of Local News 2025). News employment has dropped more than 75% since 2005 (Medill State of Local News 2025). We can blame the economics, but we can't ignore that we've also lost the craft. When a newspaper closes, it's not just a loss of a business; it's a loss of a community's storyteller.

The Inverted Pyramid Is a Crutch, Not a Strategy

Our fundamental news-writing structure, the inverted pyramid, was designed for the telegraph, not for the scroll. It puts the most important information first, but it often reads like a robot wrote it. It's efficient, sure, but it's not engaging. We teach students to master the inverted pyramid and AP style (Journalism course curricula), but we rarely teach them how to make a story sing.

We need to flip the script. We need to lead with the human element, the narrative hook, the thing that makes a reader care. The inverted pyramid can be a tool, not a template. We can still give the facts, but we should wrap them in a story that has tension, conflict, and resolution. The hourglass format, which starts with a summary lead but then tells the story chronologically, is a better model for engagement.

AP Style Is Not a Substitute for Voice

AP style is essential. It ensures consistency and clarity. The AP Stylebook is the standard for spelling, punctuation, and grammar (AP Stylebook). But it's not a voice. It's not a personality. Too many newsrooms have become so obsessed with AP style that they've squeezed all the life out of their prose. We need to teach journalists to write with authority and flair, not just correctness.

We can look to the wire services for examples of crisp, clear writing, but we should also learn from feature writers and narrative journalists. We need to teach a range of story structures, from the inverted pyramid to the magazine-style feature. We need to teach students how to use dialogue, scene-setting, and detail to bring a story to life.

The Counterargument: Just the Facts, Ma'am

Some will say, "We're journalists, not novelists. We deal in facts, not stories. If you want entertainment, watch TV." But that's a false dichotomy. We can be factual and engaging. The best journalism is both. The Pulitzer Prizes, since 1917, have honored excellence in journalism that often combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling (Pulitzer Prizes).

And let's face it, the audience is telling us they want more. Over half of people (55%) still prefer to read news, but they're not reading it on our websites. They're reading it on social media and video networks, which for the first time have overtaken traditional sources as the way Americans get news (54% vs. 50% for TV) (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025). If we want to reach them, we need to write stories that deserve their attention.

The Future Is Narrative

We need to overhaul our journalism curricula. We should still teach the fundamentals—leads, attribution, ethics—but we must elevate the teaching of narrative structure, scene work, and voice. We should teach students how to build suspense, how to use quotes as dialogue, and how to find the story within the facts.

We can look at programs like the University of Vermont's Community News Service, where student reporters are supervised by professional editors to fill gaps in local news (Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025). These students are learning to tell stories that matter to their communities. They're not just learning AP style; they're learning how to connect with readers.

The most important thing to remember is this: News writing is not a formula. It's a craft. If we want people to read the news, we have to give them stories they can't put down. The inverted pyramid and AP style are useful tools, but they should never be the end goal. The end goal is to inform, engage, and move the reader. That's what we need to teach.

Sources

• Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 - https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2025/overview-and-key-findings-2025-digital-news-report
• Medill State of Local News 2025 - https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/were-losing-the-race-against-time,258373
• Journalism course curricula - https://catalog.ccac.edu/preview_course_nopop.php?catoid=13&coid=24234&print
• AP Stylebook - https://www.apstylebook.com/
• Pulitzer Prizes - https://www.pulitzer.org/