A brief guide to conceiving, reporting, organizing and writing a work of enterprise journalism

1. Stalking the wily news feature
A brief guide to conceiving,
reporting, organizing and writing
a work of enterprise journalism

2. What is a news feature?
• Not breaking news

3. What is a news feature?
• Not breaking news
• Not merely a human-interest story

4. What is a news feature?
• Not breaking news
• Not merely a human-interest story
• Generated by reporter and editor

5. What is a news feature?
• Not breaking news
• Not merely a human-interest story
• Generated by reporter and editor
• Freedom to define what the story is

6. Is it a newspaper
or magazine story?
• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can
appear in a newspaper or online

7. Is it a newspaper
or magazine story?
• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can
appear in a newspaper or online
• Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500
words

8. Is it a newspaper
or magazine story?
• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can
appear in a newspaper or online
• Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500
words
• News story — 700 to 1,200 words

9. Is it a newspaper
or magazine story?
• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can
appear in a newspaper or online
• Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500
words
• News story — 700 to 1,200 words
• Longer magazine story — 3,000 to 10,000
words

10. Getting ideas
• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books,
internet

11. Getting ideas
• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books,
internet
• Talking — friends, family, colleagues,
sources

12. Getting ideas
• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books,
internet
• Talking — friends, family, colleagues,
sources
• Paying attention — carry a notebook!

13. Is there a story?
• Pre-reporting

14. Is there a story?
• Pre-reporting
• Google, LexisNexis, etc.
– What can you learn?
– Who else has written about this?

15. Is there a story?
• Pre-reporting
• Google, LexisNexis, etc.
– What can you learn?
– Who else has written about this?
• Short interviews to refine story and see if
sources will be available

16. Theme sentence
• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely
what your story is

17. Theme sentence
• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely
what your story is
• A guide to your reporting — cut it out,
paste it on the wall in front of you

18. Theme sentence
• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely
what your story is
• A guide to your reporting — cut it out,
paste it on the wall in front of you
• Could form basis of your lead or nut

19. Theme sentence
• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely
what your story is
• A guide to your reporting — cut it out,
paste it on the wall in front of you
• Could form basis of your lead or nut
• Could serve as your pitch

20. Theme sentence
• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely
what your story is
• A guide to your reporting — cut it out,
paste it on the wall in front of you
• Could form basis of your lead or nut
• Could serve as your pitch
• You might have to change it

21. The nut graph
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph

22. The nut graph
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lead in context by
answering three questions

23. The nut graph
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lead in context by
answering three questions
• What is the story about?

24. The nut graph
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lead in context by
answering three questions
• What is the story about?
• Where is the story going?

25. The nut graph
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lead in context by
answering three questions
• What is the story about?
• Where is the story going?
• Why should the reader keep reading?

26. Whom should you interview?
• Horizontal diversity
– Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral

27. Whom should you interview?
• Horizontal diversity
– Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral
• Vertical diversity
– Variety of sources — key players, expert
observers and ordinary people

28. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History

29. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History
• Scope

30. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History
• Scope
• Reasons

31. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History
• Scope
• Reasons
• Impacts

32. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History
• Scope
• Reasons
• Impacts
• Countermoves

33. Blundell’s six key concepts
• History
• Scope
• Reasons
• Impacts
• Countermoves
• Futures

34. Organizing and writing
• Step one — read through your material
quickly

35. Organizing and writing
• Step one — read through your material
quickly
• Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as
you prepare to write

36. Organizing and writing
• Step one — read through your material
quickly
• Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as
you prepare to write
• Keep related material together

37. Organizing and writing
• Step one — read through your material
quickly
• Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as
you prepare to write
• Keep related material together
• Try not to bring sources back for an encore

38. Organizing and writing
• Step one — read through your material
quickly
• Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as
you prepare to write
• Keep related material together
• Try not to bring sources back for an encore
• Aim for a memorable ending

39. A generic news-feature outline
• Part one
– Lead

40. A generic news-feature outline
• Part one
– Lead
– Nut graph

41. A generic news-feature outline
• Part one
– Lead
– Nut graph
– Support for nut graph

42. A generic news-feature outline
• Part one
– Lead
– Nut graph
– Support for nut graph
– Quote and/or setup for next part

43. A generic news-feature outline
• Part two
– Secondary lead

44. A generic news-feature outline
• Part two
– Secondary lead
– Explication and narrative

45. A generic news-feature outline
• Part two
– Secondary lead
– Explication and narrative
– Flesh out all or some of the six key concepts
• History, scope, reasons, impacts, countermoves,
futures

46. A generic news-feature outline
• Part three
– Can be short

47. A generic news-feature outline
• Part three
– Can be short
– “Circling back”

48. A generic news-feature outline
• Part three
– Can be short
– “Circling back”
• Quote from person you opened with

49. A generic news-feature outline
• Part three
– Can be short
– “Circling back”
• Quote from person you opened with
• Quote from another, similar person

50. A generic news-feature outline
• Part three
– Can be short
– “Circling back”
• Quote from person you opened with
• Quote from another, similar person
• Your own attempt to sum up

51. Too formulaic?
• Not as much as it seems, especially after
you’ve done it a few times

52. Too formulaic?
• Not as much as it seems, especially after
you’ve done it a few times
• Not the only way to write a news feature,
but simple and effective

53. Too formulaic?
• Not as much as it seems, especially after
you’ve done it a few times
• Not the only way to write a news feature,
but simple and effective
• Sometimes editors want something
different

54. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing” (much of this slideshow is
based on his ideas)

55. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing”
• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”

56. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing”
• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”
• Donald M. Murray, “Writing to Deadline”

57. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing”
• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”
• Donald M. Murray, “Writing to Deadline”
• Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style”

58. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing”
• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”
• Donald M. Murray, “Writing to Deadline”
• Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style”
• Anywhere good news features are
published