openingsalinea

Openingsalinea is the opening paragraph of a news article or feature in Dutch journalism. It introduces the main facts and sets the tone, and the term is also called lede or lead, borrowed from English. The openingsalinea should give the reader the essential information up front and answer the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. In practice, the lead is written in the present tense and in active voice, aiming for conciseness and clarity. It often contains the most important facts, such as the incident, the people involved, the date and location, and the central development.

Structural role and variations: The openingsalinea functions within the inverted-pyramid style used in hard news, where subsequent paragraphs provide details and context in decreasing order of importance. In longer features, the lead may be more narrative or descriptive while still summarizing the central point. In online journalism, it is common to place even more emphasis on brevity and to include a summary of the article's scope. Some outlets use a standfirst preceding the openingsalinea, offering a secondary summary.

Alternative terms and usage: In Dutch, lede/lead is synonymous, and the phrase "opening alinea" is the standard description in style guides. The quality of the openingsalinea influences reader engagement and the perceived credibility of the article.