However, the spelling "lede" first appears in journalism manuals only in the 1980s, well after lead typesetting's heyday. The earliest appearance of "lede" cited by the OED is 1951.
Despite being used in journalism today, the term "lede" did not become common until the 1980s, which came after the era of lead typesetting. According to the OED, the earliest known use of "lede" is from 1951.