New York Times Two Ledes

The comparison of the two ledes below are from two different authors, reporting on completely different topics. One is reporting on politics, and the other is reporting on a drug that has hit a town and completely affected the lives of people living in it. Both topics can be very interesting to niche audiences and the general public as well. However, Lede #2 is much more captivating than Lede #1. 

LEDE	OUTLET	LINK
METUCHEN, N.J. — The former campaign workers who partied at the home of Barbara Buono this month were “just jubilant.” The people she bumps into on the street “are just happier to greet me.” And amid the deluge of supportive texts she receives, there are often pictures of Gov. Chris Christie sitting on the George Washington Bridge. She chuckles but doesn’t reply. POSITIVE (WHAT WORKS): The headline to the story is catching and creates inquisition among the reader because of the current scandal and hot water that Govener Christie is currently in. If you are aware of the background story to this, you will most likely be interested in reading it further.  NEGATIVE (NEEDS IMPROVEMENT): However, once the reader begins to read this story, it does not get to the point. If you do not know about the alleged scandal related to the George Washington Bridge, you will have no idea what the writer is talking about, and you may lose interest. A possible suggestion would be to take the political slant off slightly and make the lede a bit more main-stream so that the general public can understand the background more.	THE NEW YORK TIMES	http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/nyregion/amid-christie-scandal-buono-says-some-democrats-have-buyers-remorse.html?hp&_r=0
LEDE	OUTLET	LINK
Few people understand the way addiction mangles families, said Karen Hale, who lost her 21-year-old daughter to an overdose in a Wisconsin town hit hard by the drug. POSITIVE (WHAT WORKS): This lead is very intriguing and comes across as both informative and a type of narrative. The author is taking you in to the experience and personal trial and tribulation of one woman, Karen Hale, who is clearly among many who’ve been affected by the drug. Moreover, it is upsetting to the reader that this drug has had such a serious impact on an entire community. The heading grabs your attention, but the lede makes you think, “Can this happen in my town? To my family?” Therefore, you are wondering about the details of how this drug became so prevalent in one town. The photo is also impactful and matches the heading/lede as you can tell that must be Karen Hale’s daughter’s bedroom, and the woman who looks to be grieving, must be Karen Hale.  NEGATIVE (WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT): If you do not have children, or have no interest in community or potential threats to your community, you may not be interested in reading this. However, one would suspect that all people have interest in their communities.	THE NEW YORK TIMES	A Town’s Heroin Toll, and a Mother’s Grief