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It has been more than a century since this method of organization became commonplace in the American press. And its popularity is due to a simple fact: news readers gradually lose interest as they read. Because of this, those who propose this method structure their articles as follows: imagine an inverted pyramid, with the least important parts at the base of this pyramid (at the end of the text) and the most important parts of the information at the bottom. title and in the first paragraphs.
At the dawn of print journalism, lithography machines were used that arranged the print vertically. To give space or organize other more important news, it was sometimes necessary to cut parts of a story, and that was when the inverted pyramid method shone the brightest. Some of the final segments of a piece of news could be cut without losing its essence.
Let’s also take into account that this method is still used in a medium where information is collected daily for a reader who, for the most part, might not be so interested in reading each copy they buy from cover to cover.
Some virtues of using the inverted pyramid
Being a structure made to inform a reader who could be busy working all day and therefore has little time, it must bring direct and concise information. The text in which it is used aims to answer the well-known questions that journalists ask about a story: What? Who? When? Because? As? This is what the text printed in newspapers consists of. Facts are presented in short sentences, each paragraph providing the reader with small details that gradually move them closer to the story as a whole. The reader is also shown where the news came from, small doses of context and the details that are not so important but that take you deeper into the story.
In short, in this method a certain hierarchy of text information is established. This is not to say that the end of it is not important; it is a matter of space and the reader’s priorities. Let’s understand that, in this type of text, the reader will spend his time reading until the end depending on how interested he is in the particular topic or fact. This is a method that journalism uses to make reading more attractive and make the reader feel that it is worth the time he is spending reading it.
Taking advantage of this method for other types of text
When you use the inverted pyramid method in an online text , you are basically betting on capturing the reader’s attention for as long as possible.
The inverted pyramid structure can be used to tell an anecdote online or for specialized monographs. It can also be used as part of an SEO strategy, and in that case it would be very important to ensure that the reader stays on the website; there would only be a few adjustments to make, such as placing the keywords in the first paragraphs.
To successfully use this useful text structure, you can follow the following recipe:
- Come up with a headline that draws the reader in. You don’t have to include all the details, in fact, it can be a bit ambiguous. The important thing is that when reading it the reader decides that he wants to continue reading your text.
- Define your main idea. In the first paragraph you will have to place the most important part of the text. If it is an anecdote, it must be what made it so particular. If it is a monograph, immediately define the points that you will deal with next. In the case of SEO content of any nature, it may be the occasion to use the keywords for the first time.
- Write the body of your text . It is the main content, where the inverted pyramid structure shows all its shape. Order the data you have from most to least important, then add secondary details to each particular piece of information, but only if necessary. As a general rule, the most important data tends to have more details and developments than those with less hierarchy in the pyramid. As the text progresses there will be less additional detail and, depending on the type of text, it may not even need a conclusion .
References
Garcia, A. (2008). Approaches to digital journalism. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=7CyTYu7-lcQC&dq
Villar, C. (2004). The passion of journalism. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=BoqZCxbjj7QC&dq
