Inverse pyramid principle
The principle of the inverted pyramid ("inverted pyramid", sometimes also referred to as "funnel structure") is mainly used to explain the typical structure of individual news reports , but also of entire news pages or programs ("news pyramid "). In this sense, the term comes from communication and media studies and belongs to the field of news research . The term is now also used in other areas, especially in weight training .
Application in journalism
The principle of the inverted pyramid in journalism states that news begins with the most important information and then follows increasingly insignificant information. In relation to individual news reports, this means that at the beginning there is a headline and a concise introductory sentence (lead sentence, preamble) with the key information about the respective event. These core information includes answers to so-called "W-questions" ( W he w as w ann w o w ie and w hy do?). In the second sentence of the message usually follow the source of the information ( w oher = 7 W question) and other important information. This is followed by more details in further sentences, at the end of the report there are background information, causes, effects and relationships (factual dimensioning).
In relation to entire news pages or programs, the principle of the inverted pyramid means that the main reports ("lead stories") appear on the front page or at the beginning of the program, followed by increasingly insignificant reports - up to "human interest" reports, sports and weather. Backgrounds can usually only be displayed on the back pages or in subsequent programs.
The reason for the structure of the message is of a technical nature: when newspapers were still printed with type boxes , a message could only be shortened quickly if it was formulated according to the funnel principle. You just brushed it from below and you had more space on the side. This principle was retained in later years and also adopted for radio and television - also because it allows the reader or viewer to get out of their minds and still have experienced the most important things.
Example: In the Tagesschau all contributions have “predetermined breaking points” so that they can be shortened every 30 seconds. [Document?] That's why the daily news is 14 minutes long.
The principle of the inverted pyramid is also used in press work ( PR ) in order to provide journalists, as recipients of press releases , with texts that have been prepared as far as possible. In this case, the purpose of the inverted pyramid is still that the journalist who accepts a press release can have it end at almost any point according to his / her editorial specification.
criticism
The great advantage of the reverse pyramid principle in journalism is that individual reports or entire pages and programs can be structured in such a way that they can be shortened from the back as required, depending on the space or broadcast time, without the core information or main reports being lost. News reports written according to this principle are first detectable in the USA in the 1860s . During the American Civil War and later, correspondents had to put the most important information at the beginning of the troublesome transmission of their reports by telegraph . If the connection went down, at least the core information had already been transmitted. Despite these advantages, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that the inverted pyramid principle caught on in news journalism worldwide.
A disadvantage of the reverse pyramid principle in journalism is that information about the background, causes, effects and connections of events is first truncated. However, even if background information is contained in a message, it is very far removed from the (new) core information at the beginning of the text. So if the reader or listener does not understand the first sentences, he can only classify them later - news often comes at the expense of intelligibility. The principle of the inverted pyramid contradicts normal human narrative behavior, according to which an event is reported more chronologically .
In addition, the term "inverted pyramid" is of course misleading:
- On the one hand, this principle is usually shown as a two-dimensional triangle and not as a three-dimensional pyramid for the sake of simplicity in the graphic display . In fact, it is irrelevant for understanding whether the principle is represented in two or three dimensions.
- And on the other hand, it is not necessarily clear why the pyramid has to be upside down, i.e. with the point down. To show the typical message structure, the most important (top) information could also be at the top of a normally aligned pyramid. A common explanation for inverting the pyramid is that the above, most important part of a message can be better clarified in this way.
Alternatives
- In the normal pyramid structure , a text begins with an insignificant detail and ends with a conclusion (the most important for this text). This structure is used in reports , for example .
- The anvil structure of a text is a combination of the principle of the inverted pyramid and the normal pyramid structure. So here both the beginning and the end contain the most important information. This structure is used, for example, for comments .
- The modern message structure takes into account the criticism of the inverted pyramid and is based on a modular model: the building block model. The building blocks - core, source, details, background - are arranged in such a way that readers, listeners and viewers can easily perceive the message. (cf. Schwiesau / Ohler, news - classic and multimedia).
Use in weight training
The inverted pyramid in weight training means that you start lifting weights with a heavy weight and reduces the weight in the course of the training. Typically, weightlifting begins with a low weight and high repetition rate. Then the weight is gradually increased and the number of repetitions decreased more and more. This type of training is the most common and is considered relatively safe. In contrast, the inverted pyramid in weightlifting means that training starts with a heavy weight and few repetitions. After that, the weight is gradually reduced and the number of repetitions increased more and more. With this form of training, the heaviest weight is lifted when the athlete is freshest. Therefore, when lifting weights using the reverse pyramid principle, there is a greater risk of injury if one does not warm up sufficiently before training.
literature
- Thomas Kropf: About the difficulties with the classic message structure - or: A “docking model” as an alternative to the “pyramid model”. in: Journalistik, Vierteljahreshefte für Kommunikationforschung, Vol. 44, Issue 2/1999, Opladen 1999, pp. 200 ff.
- Walther von La Roche , Gabriele Hooffacker , Klaus Meier : Introduction to practical journalism . 19th edition. Berlin 2013 ( Praktischer-journalismus.de ). Website for the book with additional information on journalism, ISBN 978-3-430-20045-5 .
- Horst Pöttker : News and its communicative quality. The "inverted pyramid" - origin and enforcement of a journalistic standard, in: Publizistik, Vierteljahreshefte für Kommunikationforschung, Volume 48, Issue 4/2003, Opladen 2003, p. 414 ff.
- Dietz Schwiesau, Josef Ohler: News - classic and multimedia. A Manual for Education and Practice. Springer VS. Wiesbaden 2016 website on the topic of news
- Siegfried Weischenberg : Message writing . Journalistic practice for study and self-study. various editions, Wiesbaden