Basic Ledes: Order of Importance

In journalism, we shouldn't list things simply how they are listed; we should rank things based on importance.

Let's look at this lede:

A fire broke out at 9:15 p.m. Saturday on Maldren Avenue in East Lansing, resulting in $39,000 damage, the deaths of two children, and serious harm to their babysitter.

Now, let's look at the end results. How would you rank the imprtance of the following facts?

1. There was $39,000 in damage
2. Two children died
3. Their babysitter was badly hurt

I think most people would rank it 2, 3, then 1, right? So, do the same in your fact order, like this:

A fire broke out at 9:15 p.m. Saturday on Maldren Avenue in East Lansing, resulting in the deaths of two children, serious harm to their babysitter, and $39,000 in damage.

Just like a lede takes what is most important in a story and puts it out front, the elements of the lede must emphasize which facts are the most important among the most important.