Police Chief Resignation Article Analysis

This hard news article appeared in the October 3, 2008 issue of the New York Times. Here's a link.

It begins with a summary lede, giving the who, what, where, when, and why: respectively, the police chief of London who resigned in London, England on Thursday, pushed out of office by the mayor.

 

The killer quote appears in the next paragraph, direct from Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair. It gives the reader his reasoning for resigning, and was used because it's important to get quotes and opinions directly from the person whom the article concerns. The second paragraph elaborates on the subject, giving the reader the police commissioner's name and background.

It's difficult to say whether the  third paragraph is the nut graf, as it offers mostly background, instead of answering the "so what?" question. It seems the summary lede has replaced the nut graf in this article, a likely case in this short article.

The next three paragraphs provide more background on the topic. In the seventh paragraph, the reader hears from the other side, in this case the mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Importantly, this source provides the other side's opinion. 

The article has a "look ahead" ending, concerning the search for Sir Ian's replacement. It is structured in a background format, as it provides a great deal of information about what has happened before in the commissioner's career to cause his retirement. The a-b format is also used a little to give a sense of the opposing sides' opinions.