1. Types of News Stories
It is important to distinguish the various types of news stories because the term “news” is very broad. In categorizing news, we have to consider news value and standards of conduct.

2. News story
Attempts to answer all the basic questions about any particular event in the first two or three paragraphs
Who? What? When? Where? and Why? and occasionally How? ("5 W's").
Unbiased
Multiple sources, quotes and P.O.V.’s
Provides analysis of

3. Examples of News Stories

4. Examples of News Stories

5. Inverted Pyramid
top-loading the essential and most interesting elements of a story, with supporting information following in order of lesser importance.
Developed during the civil war to insure the main facts of the story would not be lost during communication by telegraph.
Lead and body

6. Inverted Pyramid cont.

7. Hard News Hard News includes two concepts:
Seriousness: Politics, economics, crime, war, and disasters are considered serious topics, as are certain aspects of law, science, and technology.
Timeliness: Stories that cover current events—the progress of a war, the results of a vote, the breaking out of a fire, a significant public statement, the freeing of a prisoner, an economic report of note, etc.

8. Soft News
soft news is sometimes referred to in a derogatory fashion as infotainment and includes two concepts:
The least serious subjects: Arts and entertainment, sports, lifestyles, "human interest", and celebrities.
Not timely: There is no precipitating event triggering the story, other than a reporter's curiosity.
Timely events happen in less serious subjects—sporting matches, celebrity misadventures, movie releases, art exhibits, and so on.

9. Hard or Soft? Gardening tips and hobby "news"
Warnings about natural disasters
domestic security threats
A medical story about a new treatment for breast cancer
Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt
Sports statistics and game results
Investigative reporting (muckrakers)?

10. Feature Story
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 a subject.
Less urgent, attempts to engage reader
Narrative structure (beginning, middle, end),expands on details
Longer in length, includes personal perspective
Entertaining, often include pictures
Hard or Soft?

11. Examples of Features Stories

13. Feature story cont.
Needs a neat ending that wraps up the story (conclusion)

14. Editorial
Short, persuasive essay which usually contains the writer’s opinion or reaction to a timely news story or event.
Influence readers to think or act a certain way
Written to either inform, promote, praise, or entertain

15. Editorial

16. Column Personal observations by the writer about a certain subject
Includes facts and states a conclusion
Written on almost anything

17. Column

18. Entertainment Type of features story
Reviews: movies, music, TV shows, video games
News related to entertainment industry (i.e. Disney starts own streaming service)

19. Entertainment examples

20. Sports Athlete profiles Pre-season stories Seasonal updates
Play-offs, sectionals
Awards

21. Sports