A Colorful Conversation Ms. Mitton English

 “Feature stories often focus on issues that are less timely, more personal: trends, relationships, entertainment.  “News stories tell you what happened; feature stories offer you advice, explore ideas, make you laugh and cry.” –Tim Harrower

 Writing Style: features incorporate literary writing techniques that were previously seen as too colorful for newspaper writing.  Realistic, intriguing quotations  Vivid imagery & sensory details – show, don’t tell!  Alternative perspectives (told through the eyes of characters in the story)  Writing style & voice are valued

 Organizational Structure: features don’t use the inverted pyramid style that news stories utilize.  Organizational formats can vary  More information on this later in this slideshow  Topics Covered:  lifestyles, health & fitness, food, culture, entertainment & pop culture, homes & gardens  grab bag (you never know what topics might come up!)

 Yes – Review your news values:  Novelty  Conflict  Impact  Timeliness  Prominence  Proximity  Think of an example of a feature for each news value with the person next to you. We will share in a few minutes!

 Your reporting methods will be the same:  Brainstorming, planning, researching, interviewing, writing, coaching, editing, etc.  Features might be stand-alone, or they might be part of a bigger package  Could accompany, enhance or complement a news story or package

 Simply put, no.  Features can take a variety of structures.  The reporter is charged with knowing and choosing which structure will work best.  Consider the topic, angle, purpose and package of the story.

Type of FeatureExample Personality ProfileStockers at the local toy store Human-Interest StoryLast-minute/Christmas Eve shoppers Color StoryThe anticipation of waiting in line BackgrounderThe history & evolution of Black Friday Trend StoryOnline shopping – Cyber Monday Reaction PieceHow people feel about the early store hours FlashbackHow your grandmother used to shop for gifts How-To StoryHow to get the best deals on Black Friday Consumer GuideThe best toy buys for the holidays Personal NarrativeA shopper’s all-nighter experience

Type of FeatureExample Personality Profile Human-Interest Story Color Story Backgrounder Trend Story Reaction Piece Flashback How-To Story Consumer Guide Personal Narrative

 Good question. We’ll cover three basic organizational structures here:  The Wall Street Journal Style (aka the Kabob)  Chronological Style  Topical Style

AnecdoteNut GrafMeat Anecdote  The Wall Street Journal Formula or the circle  Starts specific, gets general, ends where it started

 Written in the order that the events occurred order  Clear to write, read The LeadNut Graf Chronology of Events Resonating Quote

By Topic – Issue/Problem The LeadNut Graf Person 1, Person 2, Person 3 Resonating QuoteThe LeadNut Graf Problem 1, Problem 2, Problem 3 Resonating Quote By Topic – Interview Subject

 Features should end with a powerful, humorous, meaningful or significant quotation  There is the expectation that readers will finish the story, not just look for key information at the start  Don’t let the ending fizzle, it should pack a punch

 Paint a picture for readers – use imagery, dialogue and details.  Stay objective! Show readers what is happening, not what you think about it.  Ride the line between showing your voice and being a professional journalist.  Be clear, concise and consistently good – you want to build your readership!  Aim for paragraphs. Remember, paragraphs should only be one to two sentences long.

 Tim Harrower’s Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism  First Edition, 2006