could it perhaps refer to the main or a very important story featured in the news?

go to:

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/11/26/2137366...

(and search lead story)

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Note added at 14 hrs (2009-12-02 22:27:33 GMT)
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yes Anna is right and here's why:

Craft a Lead that Will Hook Readers and Won't Let Go

A well crafted news lead will provide the hook to get readers interested in the story. There are different types of leads and different methods to write leads. A better understanding of news leads will help you grab readers and make them stick around.

How-to Write Better Leads and Draw Readers In

The heart of a story is its first sentence. No other part is more important and no other part has the opportunity to say more. Here are a few tips for crafting strong leads and drawing more readers into your stories.

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Note added at 15 hrs (2009-12-02 22:39:39 GMT)
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What are the attributes of a good lead? Brevity, for one. Writers can say more with less, but many have a hard time accepting this idea. There is an attitude that a writer needs to explain every aspect, every facet of a story in the first sentence. This is not necessary. The lead should be a tease that draws the reader into the body of the story. It is here that the writer has the space to make the details come alive. If the lead is too long or says too much, there is no reason for the reader to continue on into the text. A good rule of thumb is to keep any lead under twenty-five words. Much more, and it's time to revise.
A lead must be brief, but meaningful as well. It has to say something about the story. If a lead is vague, the reader will not continue reading. Another common problem is that writers often stick information in the lead that is interesting but not relevant to what follows. There may seem nothing wrong with this approach - it certainly draws the reader in, and it often is artfully written. But it is dishonest. As soon as the reader figures out the ploy, they will stop reading. A good lead keeps to the facts and focus of the story so the reader knows exactly what they are getting themselves into.

There are a few models to keep in mind when developing a lead for your story. The most common type of lead is the summary lead. This is an approach favored for most news stories today. It tells the basics, but nothing more - who, what, where, when, and why. There is nothing wrong with this approach; it is reliable and easy to write. But it is formulaic. If the reader isn't interested enough in the raw facts of the story, this lead offers them no additional incentive to continue.

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