Do modern journalists use it as a spelling? It'd surprise me... but then, I'm not a journalist.
I'll be interested to read what US journalism students or graduates have to say about this, Sara - if AnnieM is still around, she'd know, I'm sure.
Anyway... just out of curiosity, I looked up 'lede' on Marriam-Webster, Bartleby.com and Dictionary.com - none of them had an entry for it. Websters 1913 dictionary had 'lede' as an Old English spelling of 'lead', with quotes from Chaucer and Shakespeare. If I still had access to the online Oxford English Dictionary, I know I'd be able to get more information for you, including a full etymology.
Wendy
