The

Feature
Article

Feature Story
A feature story is an article in a
newspaper, a magazine, or a
news website that is not meant
to report breaking news, but to
take an in-depth look at issues
behind a news story, often
concentrating on background
events, persons or
circumstances.

Characterist
ics of the
Feature
Article

Characteristics of the
Feature Article
Variety of subject matter
Variety of tone
Variety in form and style
Usually more entertaining more
often than it forms, instructs or
advises
Factual and requires reporting
Well-organized
Rarely begins with a summary lead

Uses the novelty lead more often.

Usually strikes the keynote in the
opening sentence.
The writer strives to give the
reader a first-hand sensation by
reconstructing the original as
closely as possible.
Length of the story
May or may not be timely
Literary

NEWS STORIES

Timely
dealing on
current event
inverted
pyramid style

factual
reporting

FEATURE STORIES

Timeless
about current topic or
not
fluid form; employ a
more complex
narrative structure, a
definite beginning,
middle, end
factual reporting plus
creative freedom of
short story writing,
more colorful

NEWS STORIES

FEATURE STORIES

concentrate on delve deeper into

a few important their subjects,
key points
expanding on the
details
Often preclude tend to be original
description
and descriptive;
original in ideas
objective
add a more human
touch to reporting
a few
whole story has to
paragraphs can be read to
be scanned
understand it

Kinds of
Feature
Articles

 Feature story
Human interest story
Interview article
Interpretative feature
Informative article
Practical guidance article
Seasonal or holiday feature
Entertainment article
Travelogue
Historical feature
Personal experience or accomplishment story
Personality sketch

Feature story or
news feature
takes it material
from a subject of
current interest.

News Feature

Mayor choose strike

over SUV
By Dino Balabo
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

New
s

Fea
ture

HAGONOY, Bulacan Unlike other politicians who move around in

gas guzzling vans and sports utility vehicles (SUVs), the mayor of
this coastal town has been using a tricycle as his service vehicle for
several months now.
Although born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth,
Hagonoy Mayor Angel Cruz can easily afford an SUV as service
vehicle, but he has chosen a lowly tricycle.
Cruz is the older brother of Timmy Cruz, a singer/actress who
earned fame in the 1980s and 90s.
The STAR first saw and photographed the mayor riding his
tricycle last Friday during President Arroyos visit here when she
distributed relief goods to residents affected by typhoon Frank,
After the Presidents convoy of black, full-sized vans left for
Marilao town, Cruz casually walked alone towards the Sta. Monica
Bridge and rode his service vehicle parked at the other end of the
span.
It was a Honda motorcycle with attached stainless steel
Bocaue-type sidecar.

The motorcycles low windshield is plastered

with the logo of the
municipal government of
this town, signifying that it was an
official
vehicle, while the mayors political sign, a
red triangular flag with a letter K
emblazoned on it, hangs over the side car.
The official vehicle was acquired months ago and has no license plates
yet; instead, a for registration sign is clipped on the back of the
motorcycle.
Officials of the municipal government told The STAR that Cruz chose a
tricycle as his official vehicle to move around town not only because of the
narrow roads that connect the towns 26 barangays, but also for practical
reasons owing to the constant fuel price increases.
It saves him a lot of gasoline, said municipal engineer Nemecio Sabino.
Sabino said a tricycle can travel an average of 12 to 14 kilometers for
every liter of gasoline, unlike SUVs that guzzle gas every time its engine is
turned on.
Local officials should set the example, Sabino said, noting that he
himself had a tricycle as a service vehicle, which he uses to go to work and
bring his children to school.
Other residents who have seen the mayor on his new service vehicle
said that they have not seen a local mayor ride a tricycle before.

Human Interest Story

Has its origin in some minor
happening that merits
attention only because of
some dramatic, humorous,
tragic, odd, or sensational
angle caught by an alert
imaginative reporter.

Interview Article
May be further
classified according to
purpose and
emphasis.

Interpretative Feature
Instructs, informs, makes
clear to the reader the
background and
significance of social,
economic, political
problems and other
problems of everyday life.

Informative Article
May deal with scientific
facts presented in nontechnical language, or
some interesting or
useful facts in other
areas.

Practical
Guidance Article
how to do it
feature is usually
meant to inform.

Seasonal or
Holiday Feature
Presented from some
new angle on an old
theme or with some
fresh insight or
information.

Personal Experience
or Accomplishment
Story
Deal with an unusual
experience. Unusual
hobbies make good
subjects for the school
paper.

Personality
Sketch
brings out some
distinctive trait or traits
of a well-known
personality.

Sources of
Feature article
Ideas

Sources of Feature article

Ideas
News
Magazine articles
Books
File of ideas
Scrapbooks
Experience
Special events like anniversaries,
holidays
Advertisements

Casual conversation
Travel
Familiar places
Fads
Interview
Observation
Imagination
Speeches
T.V., radio
Movies
Files of old materials like bulletins
Museum

Casual conversation

How to keep
readers
interest

How to keep readers

interest
Choose an interesting subject
Decide your purpose and keep it in
mind as you write.
Use special devices to pinpoint
highlights.
Be specific
Use specific vivid words
Get the reader involved.
Use quotations
Use analogies
Use vivid, fresh figure of speech.

Writing the
Feature
The Lead
The Body
The Conclusion

The Lead
The beginning of the feature story
must pull the reader in. The first
sentence must make the reader
want to read the second sentence.
The lead may or may not contain a
hook, a detail that draws in the
readers attention.

Types
of
Lead

Types of Lead

News Summary Lead

Distinctive Incident Lead
Quotation Lead
Short Sentence Lead
Question Lead
Contrast Lead
Analogy Lead
Picture Lead
Janus-faced Lead

Body Should utilize the quote transition formula.

Use a variety of relevant sources.
Example: if the feature is on a specific
person, interview their family, friends, etc.
After you have written the lead, you need a
structure in which to place the information.
A structure is an organizational pattern the
writer uses to synthesize, that is to
establish relationships between relevant
pieces of information.

Conclusion
Always completely tell the story
have depth. Story should end with
a strong quote that draws the story
to a satisfying conclusion.
(Students should not attempt to
write their own conclusion or draw
a conclusion. Allow a primary
source quotation to bring the
feature to closure.)

Steps in
Writing
Feature Article

Steps in Writing Feature

Article

Pick your subject.

Limit your subject to specific area.
Write a tentative title.
Spotlight the main things you aim to do in the
feature.
Pinpoint the highlights with specific details.
Use devices and situations which will hold the
readers interest.
Rewrite.
Decide on your title.
Prepare copy.

Characteristics
of a Good
Feature Writer

Characteristics of a Good
Feature Writer
The ability to write.
Creativity
Keen interest in life
A realization that in nearly every news
event there are possible feature stories.
Willingness to probe for feature stories
beneath the surface of everyday events.
An intellectual curiosity
Keen observation

DONTs

DONTs

Never:
Tell the reader what to do, e.g., So the next time
youre walking down Main Street, stop in at Bagel
Junction. Nobody likes to be ordered around.
Use ellipses () in spoken quotes to indicate
omitted words. They are necessary when omitting
anything from written material, however.
Start a sentence with the word Well,.... Leave
that to Ronald Reagan.

Donts

Use single quotation marks (like this), unless you

are indicating a quote within a quote.
Indulge in comma splices, e.g., He is graduating in
May, he doesnt have a job yet. One particular kind
of comma splice happens when you incorrectly use
however as a conjunction meaning the same thing
as but, e.g., He is graduating in May, however, he
doesnt have a job yet. The correct way to do it
would be, He is graduating in May. However, he
doesnt have a job yet. Or:
He is graduating in May. He does not, however,
have a job yet.

Don'ts

Knowingly use a clich.

Used amongst or whilst.
Use the first-person singular (I, me) or
plural (we, us our), unless its a firstperson story. E.g., if youre doing a profile of
Harris Ross, dont write, He knows more
about movies than anyone Ive ever met, even
if its true.
Use quotation marks to indicate a funny
word or expression (as opposed to a quotation
something someone said).
Use dialect in your own writing.

DONTs
Never:

Use single quotation marks

(like this), unless you are indicating a quote within
a quote.
Indulge in comma splices, e.g., He is graduating in
May, he doesnt have a job yet. One particular kind
of comma splice happens when you incorrectly use
however as a conjunction meaning the same thing
as but, e.g., He is graduating in May, however, he
doesnt have a job yet. The correct way to do it
would be, He is graduating in May. However, he
doesnt have a job yet. Or: He is graduating in
May. He does not, however, have a job yet.

DONTs
Never:
Knowingly use a clich.
Used amongst or whilst.
Use the first-person singular (I, me)
or plural (we, us our), unless its a
first-person story. E.g., if youre doing a
profile of Harris Ross, dont write, He
knows more about movies than anyone
Ive ever met, even if its true.
Use quotation marks to indicate a
funny word or expression (as opposed
to a quotationsomething someone
said).

DONTs
Never:
Commit dangling modifiers, e.g.,
Being a journalism professor, McKay Jenkinss
life has had its share of surprises. McKay
Jenkinss life is not a journalism professor.
Invoke stereotypes about people of any age
group, gender, race, religion, nationality,
occupation, ethnic group, or hair coloreven if
youre only bringing up the stereotype to prove
it wrong. Your goal is to write about people as
individuals, not as types.

10 Steps to Becoming a
Better Writer
by Brian Clark

Write.
Write more.
Write even more.
Write even more than that.
Write when you dont want to.
Write when you do.
Write when you have something to say.
Write when you dont.
Write every day.
Keep writing.

Thank you!