Source: http://www.sunnybank.bridgeaustralia.org
Several articles appeared in the The Bridge Journal in the USA between 1964 and 1965 recommending leads, especially against No Trump contracts. They were written by various Bridge Journalists and became known as Journalist Leads. The leads were eventually categorised into guidelines as follows:
1. Lead the Ace, usually, from AKJx or more, or from AKQTx or more, or from AKT9 or more. Note: the partner is requested to unblock a high honour, such as the Q or J from this leading sequence if the partner has this card, but to otherwise give a length signal. A length signal is high from an even number of cards and low with an odd number of cards in that suit.
2. Lead the King from AK or KQ, if the assumption is that a high honour should be led.
3. Lead the Queen from QJT or from KQT9. The recommendation is that the partner should play the Jack to unblock, if he holds it.
4. Lead the Jack from JT. Any lead of a Jack denies a higher ranking honour.
5. Lead the Ten from AT9 or from KT9 or from AJT or from KJT. Leading then guarantees at least one Ace, a King or a Queen.
6. Lead the 9 from T9. Any lead of a nine promises the ten but no higher honour. From a sequence of 987 the lead of the eight is correct.
7. Normally, the lowest card from a long suit headed by one of two honours is led to encourage suit continuation. The purpose of these leads is to make it easier for partner to realise whether to continue the attack on this particular suit or to change suits.
An advantage of Journalist Leads is to eliminate the ambiguity of leading from the top of an inner sequence such as KJT9. Leading the Ten guarantees any honour from the Ace, King, Queen.