The Wall Street Journal Formula

An article I found that utilized the Wall Street Journal formula was from The Baltimore Sun's website and was written by Susan Reimer, entitled, "See gardens at their peak."  It can be found at http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/custom/homegarden/bal-ae.li.susan04jun04,0,3527788.story.  

The article begins with the lead, "If gardeners are ever truly green, it is probably with envy, an emotion that overtakes them when they see someone else's garden."  The lead is somewhat extended as the next sentence is, "That's never more true than on garden tours, when you pay for a ticket to see gardens that are nicer than yours."  The article goes on to discuss the Historic Reservoir Hill Tour, which has been going on for 15 years.  People take self-guided tours of the area, and signs and balloons mark places of interest.  The article ends with the sentences, "If you decide to take one of these tours, don't be discouraged if what you see doesn't compare to what you have.  This isn't a competition."  

It follows the Wall Street Journal formula because it begins with a slightly vague, but intriguing anecdotal lead to draw the reader in.  It then tells the story, using the inverted pyramid.  Finally, it circles back to the lead in the conclusion, which readers enjoy, as it nicely wraps up the story, and in many cases, the feeling of resolution.