Feature Leads vs. Summary Leads

The lead can be the most important part of an article.  A feature lead will give the reader an idea of what is to come in the story.  It paints a picture of the story, while persuading the audience to continue reading.  Depending on the author's style, it may or may not include all of the five W's and H.  Summary leads will usually give the reader the basic facts of the story, while not going into too much detail, enticing the reader to peruse further.  Some readers may read only the lead, finding the facts interesting or uninteresting, and decide whether to continue or move on to the next story.  This is why the lead must grab the reader, shake them a little, and say, "Take a look at this."  

A recent feature lead I found was from www.cnn.com, in an article by John King.  "The Yuma desert is below: San Luis, Arizona, to one side and San Luis, Mexico, to the other.  On this clear day, the Colorado River is glistening, birds playfully circling over what any map defines as the U.S.-Mexico border in this area."  This clearly shows the reader that the article will have to do with immigration or border policy.  

Another lead, found in an article on www.time.com, by Gregory Katz, discusses British popular culture, though it is so light-hearted that it gives a sense of bad news to come.  "Ahhh, Britain.  The land of Shakespeare and the Beatles, Churchill and the Queen.  Rolling green hills, groovy London shops, hip plaids splashed over raincoats and umbrellas."  It is confirmed in the next paragraph, where Britain's high teen pregnancy rate, underage drinking problem and escalating violence are discussed.