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
7. Is it a newspaper
or magazine story?
• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can
appear in a newspaper
• 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
• 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
• 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
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 lede 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 lede 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 lede or nut
• Could serve as your pitch
• You might have to change it
22. The nut graf
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lede in context by
answering three questions
23. The nut graf
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lede in context by
answering three questions
• What is the story about?
24. The nut graf
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lede in context by
answering three questions
• What is the story about?
• Where is the story going?
25. The nut graf
• Usually the third or fourth paragraph
• It places the anecdotal lede 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
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
45. A generic news-feature outline
• Part two
– Secondary lede
– Explication and narrative
– Flesh out all or some of the six key concepts
• History, scope, reasons, impacts, countermoves,
futures
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”
• Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style”
57. Reading for journalists
• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of
Feature Writing”
• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”
• Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style”
• Anywhere good news features are
published