Journalism Journalism Today!Today!

Chapter Chapter 1010Writing Feature StoriesWriting Feature Stories

Feature Stories – Feature Stories – Humanizing the Humanizing the

NewsNewsFeature Vs. News StoryFeature Vs. News Story LighterLighter More humanMore human Usually funnierUsually funnier Usually not related to any current eventUsually not related to any current event Usually not written in inverted pyramidUsually not written in inverted pyramid Can be about anything, anybodyCan be about anything, anybody

TimelessnessTimelessness Most features are Most features are

evergreensevergreens

““News-Feature” – News-Feature” – connected to a connected to a specific item of specific item of current news; often current news; often published as published as color color sidebarsidebar

Creative StyleCreative Style Feature writers have Feature writers have

more freedom with more freedom with language! (voice, language! (voice, tone)tone)

More opportunity to More opportunity to be creative, clever, be creative, clever, colorful with language colorful with language (not so boring, dry as (not so boring, dry as news stories)news stories)

Creative StyleCreative Style Still – NO opinion or speculation!Still – NO opinion or speculation! Fanciness beware! Fanciness beware! Writers (esp. beginners) can kill Writers (esp. beginners) can kill

features if too creative – features if too creative – style/voice/cleverness overpowers style/voice/cleverness overpowers the content of the feature itself . . .the content of the feature itself . . .

Subject Subject MatterMatter No subject matter limitNo subject matter limit

Can be historical – throw new light on Can be historical – throw new light on old subject or review a past eventold subject or review a past event

Remote places, remarkable or obscure Remote places, remarkable or obscure peoplepeople

Can be written in first person (water-Can be written in first person (water-skier example)skier example)

Above all, subject must interest Above all, subject must interest people!people!

The The Personality Personality

FeatureFeature All people are possible subjects for All people are possible subjects for feature storiesfeature stories

Incident, idea, problem, thought, Incident, idea, problem, thought, opinion, hobby that will make an opinion, hobby that will make an interesting readinginteresting reading

Students or teachers at school and Students or teachers at school and their special accomplishmentstheir special accomplishments

TheThe PersonalityPersonality

FeatureFeature Lots of stories include published quotes about Lots of stories include published quotes about

principal, superintendent, class president, etc.principal, superintendent, class president, etc. But . . . Usually no personality featureBut . . . Usually no personality feature Most students probably don’t really know Most students probably don’t really know

anything about these peopleanything about these people ““Who is this person anyway?” “What does Who is this person anyway?” “What does

Mella/Reinke do on the weekends?”Mella/Reinke do on the weekends?” If you ask enough questions, you’re bound to get If you ask enough questions, you’re bound to get

something for a feature storysomething for a feature story THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for the hard work of THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE for the hard work of

digging for facts!!!digging for facts!!!

Finding Finding subjects . . .subjects . . . Gather ideas from your own Gather ideas from your own

experiences or the experiences of experiences or the experiences of relatives/close friends – these are the relatives/close friends – these are the best places to find ideas for features best places to find ideas for features (the human interest elements)(the human interest elements)

Never stop thinking of ideas for Never stop thinking of ideas for features/evergreens!features/evergreens!