The term "lede" refers to the introductory section or the first few sentences of a news story or journalistic article. Its purpose is to grab the reader's attention and entice them to read the full story. The spelling "lede" is a deliberate variation from "lead" to distinguish it from the word "lead," which also refers to a metal strip used in traditional printing technology. Journalists use "lede" to clearly denote the opening summary or main idea of a news piece without confusion.
In summary, a lede is the critical opening paragraph in journalism that sums up the main points and sets the tone for the article, often answering key questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.