NEWS FEATURE

• timely • timeless
• brief • can vary in
• meant to inform length
• meant to
entertain
• The main objective of writing feature stories
is to entertain. It has anything under the sun
as its subject. Among the different categories
on Campus Journalism, the feature has the
widest source of subject.
• A feature story may explain or supplement
the news. Yet, although it may explain, it is
not opinionated.

• The feature story is the most varied in scope,

purpose or style. Features add life and
vitality to any paper.
1. Creativity – Feature stories give the writer a
free hand to write anything. From the most
ordinary to the bizarre or most
unimaginable subjects. Creative
presentation and the use of language
counts a lot. But however creative feature
articles maybe, they must be based on date
gathered, not merely on the imagination of
the writer.
2. Human Interest – Feature stories are best
when written on the first person accounts.
Through the imaginative treatment of the
material, coupled by the writer’s own
thoughts and emotions, feature story
become entertaining.

3. Factual Content – What has not been

covered by the hard news is provided by
the feature story.
4. Entertainment Value – It provides the
break in the monotony and
gruesomeness of war, murder, rape,
scandal, disaster, corruption, political
bickering, controversy, and other grisly
news that fill the news page of the
paper.
• The paper gives color, life, or mood to the
event or subject. In talking to people of
different walks of life, the feature writer
produces a highly entertaining material
about the people around him, their thoughts,
their emotions, their feelings, giving the
material the needed ingredients for
humaneness that appeal for a greater
readership
5. Timeliness or Imperishability - Feature
stories, unlike news stories, do not lose
their usefulness.

6. Entirety – Feature stories are read up to the

end so the writer can place the climax (the
highest point of interest) at the end unlike
news where the most significant
information is in the lead.
7. Variety of tone and style – Most feature
stories begin with the novelty lead. They
barely start with the summary lead.

8. Organization – To achieve unity, coherence

and emphasis, apply the principle of creative
writing. Feature writing allows the use of
colorful phrases and figurative language. The
writer may employ these provided they add
up to the beauty of the article.
 It has the title, the introduction, the body,
and the conclusion.

 The Introduction – The introduction or lead

should out rightly attract the attention and
interest of the reader. It should be an
astonisher. It is very important to draw the
interest of the reader in the very first
paragraph so that they will continue reading
the article.
• Select a topic that has reader appeal
• Narrow down the topic to give the story focus
• Find and use at least three primary sources of information
• Identify all sources
• Ask questions that require more than “yes” or “no” answers
• Use strong quotes-use those that provide more than facts
• Play on the reader’s emotions
• Write a strong lead
• knows how to look beneath the surface of
everyday events
• investigates various angles of a story to
get the story behind the story.
• is a keen observer
• has varied interests
• Has the ability to write in an interesting
manner
 Question lead – asking a question where the
answer is found in the story.
a) Are you a vegetarian?
b) Animal milk for my baby?
 Exclamation lead – the opening sentence by
its very nature compels attention.
a) Jump or die!
b) Believe it!
 Quotation lead – Begin the lead with a
quotation which will draw interest.
a) “Gone are the days when children are
only seen and never heard.”
b) “Mirror, mirror on the wall. . . “
 Descriptive lead – gives a vivid description of
a place, person, or situation creating a picture
of it in the mind of the reader.
a) A slippery, muddy, winding road in an
eerie isolated place where no one dares to
tread.
b) Tension, excitement, adrenalin, pumping,
stomping of feet, shouts of cheers. This
means the season of sports activities in
school. In short, intrams!
 Striking statement – A short snappy statement
set off in a paragraph by itself.
a) Hope at last to the people of Malauli.
b) Eva Gracia, mother at 12
 Contrast lead – The lead points out the
opposites and extremes that are sharp and
witty.
a) They were given a new house, P 50,000
richer, a full scholarship grants to all the
three children but they could not get over
the death of their parents in the fire that
gutted their house.
 Narration lead – the lead is written in the
form of a narration.
a) The day started with a parade of students
in colorful costumes and uniform. From the
school quadrangle and around the
community then back to the school covered
court for the opening program. The school
is celebrating its 38th foundation
anniversary.
• The body of a feature story must have unity,
coherence and emphasis. It must be able to
hold and sustain the interest of the readers

• Feature stories have shorter paragraphs than

those of literary short stories but longer than
paragraphs in a news story.
 In the body, the writer makes use of
descriptions, narrations, figures of speech,
idiomatic expressions, quotations, surveys,
statistics, anecdotes and other expressions
that give color to the story.

 Set aside unnecessary details not directly

related to the main subject. A theme (main
idea) must be carried all throughout the
story.
• The conclusion maybe written in a condensed
summary or state the important points in the
story. Or give the highest point of interest
(climax). Be sure to leave an impact to the
reader for them to remember.
1. Choose an interesting subject.
2. Slim down your topic to just one specific area.
3. Give it a tentative title. (This will keep you
within the circle of your topic.)
4. Prepare your outline.
5. Highlight important things you wish to feature.
6. Concentrate on the most important feature
with specific details. Use data gathered from
interviews, research, and personal
experiences.
7. Use the different devices that will make your
story interesting to read. Devices such as
figures of speech, idiomatic expressions,
quotations, passages and the like will add up
to the beauty of your story.
8. Review what you have written. Delete what
is not needed, check if some things were
omitted.
9. Rewrite your piece.
10.Check you title (head). Is it catchy enough to
attract reader’s interest?
11.Make the final copy.
1. Informative feature – Gives information on subject
of current interest. This feature is usually based on
interview and research.
2. Human Interest Feature – It deals with minor
incidents that deserve attention because of
dramatic, humorous, tragic, sensational, or unusual
(odd) angle of the story.
This kind of feature story appeals to the emotion, it
may have a lesser news value but it enjoy wide
readership because of its human appeal.
3. News Feature – It gets its materials from
current events, covering details that were
omitted by the news.

4. How–to– feature – It gives information

on the process of doing things and how
certain products are made.
5. Personality Sketch – Silver screen celebrities,
political figures, athletes, beauty titlist, these
are the popular choices for personality
sketch. As we all know people are
interested in people, so much so, articles
written about them, especially about their
private lives, and secrets are much sought
after and read by their fans.
6. Personal Experience – This tell of some
unusual true – to life experiences written
in the first person account.

7. Humorous Feature – The primary objective

of feature stories is too entertain and what
is more fitting than making people laugh
and be relieve of the stress of life while
reading your article.
8. Interpretative
Feature – This feature helps
the reader understand the background and
significance of social, economic, political
and other problems of everyday life.
9.Seasonal or Holiday Feature – Subject are
events celebrated once a year.

10.Travelogue – An account of one’s travel

experience and a vivid description of
places visited