2. Feature
• A news story can be hard, chronicling as concisely as possible the Who, What,
Where, When, Why and How of an event.
• Or it can be soft, standing back to examine the people, places and things that
shape the world, nation or community.
• Feature stories are often written on these soft news events.
3. Feature Writing and News
News
• “Indian diver Rahul sharma claimed her second medal in synchronized diving
today."
Feature
• "As a boy jumping off a log into the stream running behind her house, Rahul
Sharma never dreamed she would leap into the spotlight of Olympic diving
competition."
(One approach emphasizes the facts of the event, while the feature displaces the
facts to accommodate the human interest of the story)
4. • Feature writing can stand alone, or it can be a sidebar to the main story,
the main-bar. A sidebar runs next to the main story or elsewhere in the same
edition, providing an audience with additional information on the same topic.
• A news story provides hard news. It provides information in a straightforward
manner.
• A feature appeals to the emotions. It covers all kinds of topics and provides the
information in an interesting and easy-to-read manner.
5. • It informs the reader. It analyses and interprets issues and events. Sometimes
it also entertains. But most frequently it takes a stance and offers a point of
view
• Features are usually narrative and descriptive write-ups that attempt to
entertain the audience while informing them. These are written in about 800
words. Features differ from news stories in terms of scope and intention.
• While a news story presents facts in a direct manner, a feature can cover any
aspect of an event and in a manner as to make it interesting
6. • A feature tries to entertain while informing.
• Editorials provide the newspaper's point of view.
• Articles, on the other hand, provide the point of view of individual
writers.
7. Characteristics of Features
• Feature stories are journalistic, researched, descriptive, colorful, thoughtful,
reflective, thorough writing about original ideas.
• Feature stories cover topics in depth, going further than mere hard news
coverage by amplifying and explaining the most interesting and important
elements of a situation or occurrence.
• Feature stories are popular content elements of newspapers, magazines, blogs,
websites, newsletters, television broadcasts and other mass media.
8. Characteristics of Features
• A feature story is not meant to report the latest breaking news, but rather an
in-depth look at a subject.
• Feature articles range from the news feature that provides sidebar
background to a current event hard news story, to a relatively timeless story
that has natural human interest.
• Features generally are longer than hard-news articles because the feature
focuses deeper into its subject, expanding on the details rather than trying to
concentrate on a few important key points.
9. Types Of Features
• Personality profiles: A personality profile is written to bring an audience closer to a
person in or out of the news. Interviews and observations, as well as creative writing, are
used to paint a vivid picture of the person.
• Human interest stories: A human interest story is written to show a subject’s oddity or
its practical, emotional, or entertainment value.
• Trend stories: A trend story examines people, things or organizations that are having an
impact on society. Trend stories are popular because people are excited to read or hear
about the latest fads.
• Backgrounders: A backgrounder--also called an analysis piece--adds meaning to current
issues in the news by explaining them further. These articles bring an audience up-to-
date, explaining how this country, this organization, this person happens to be where it is
now.
10. Types Of Features
• In-depth stories: Through extensive research and interviews, in-depth stories provide a
detailed account well beyond a basic news story or feature
• Historical features These features commemorate important dates in history or turning
points in our social, political and cultural life. They offer a useful juxtaposition of then
and now. Historical features take the reader back to revisit an event and the issues
surrounding it. You should aim at reporting the facts and nothing else.
• News features A news feature is a kind of feature story that focuses on a hard news
topic. News features combine a feature writing style with hard news reporting. News
features typically try to shed light on problems in our society. It thoroughly explores an
issue through research, statistical data and most importantly, interviews with news
sources.
