Inverted Pyramid Structure

For decades, the “inverted pyramid” structure has been a mainstay of traditional mass media writing. Following this structure, the “base” of the pyramid—the most fundamental facts—appear at the top of the story, in the lead paragraph. Non-essential information appears in the following paragraphs, or “nut” graphs, in order of importance.

While some media writers are critical of the inverted pyramid structure, it remains one of the most widely used and time tested structures in mass media writing.