news peg

noun

a news story that forms the basis of or justification for a feature story, editorial, political cartoon, or the like.
the reference in a feature story, editorial, or the like, to the newsworthy event that underlies or justifies it.

Origin of news peg

First recorded in 1955–60

Also called peg.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018