1. Chapter 6
Beyond Breaking news

2. The World of Features
Personalizing the news with stories that educate and entertain. Feature stories often focus on issues that are less timely and more personal: trends, relationships, entertainment.
They include topics, treatments, styles and structures you won't find in standard news stories.
Hard news vs. soft news: What do these terms mean?

3. Common Categories Lifestyles Health Science and technology
Entertainment
Food
Homes and gardens

4. Popular Types of Feature Stories
Personality profile
Human-interest story
Color story
Backgrounder
Trend story
Reaction piece
Flashback
How-to
Consumer guide
Personal narrative

5. Generating Story Ideas
There are great stories everywhere, just waiting to be discovered. The four best angles:
How to save time....
How to save money....
How to be loved....
How to make money.

6. Where to Find Those Great (But Elusive) Story Ideas
Start compiling a list: Look for ideas everywhere; then jot them down.
Organize your ideas by topic (people, places, trends) or by treatment (profiles, photo stories, how-to guides).
The best places to look for ideas:
your publication's archives
your competitors
TV, magazines, newspapers, Web sites
news releases
reader suggestions
brainstorming

7. How to Tell if Your Idea is a Good One
Eight ways to assess a story idea before you try selling it to an editor.
See page 118

8. Got a Good Idea? Here’s How to Turn it Into a Story
See if it's been done.
Focus your angle.
Talk to your editor.
Do your research.
Plan the package.
Write the story.

9. Feature Style
Some stories require a livelier, looser, more literary voice.
"The New Journalism" pioneered by Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese in the 1960s. Reporters began borrowing literary techniques from novelists.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote – Nonfiction novel
Today, feature writers still rely on literary techniques you won't find in standard news stories.

10. Advice and Suggestions
Helpful tips for successful feature writing
Using syntax and phrasing
Using voice and tense
Using detail and description
Using other dramatic techniques

11. Standard Story Structures
Using traditional text to convey information.
The inverted pyramid is rarely used in feature stories. While it's an efficient way to organize facts in a news story, it is NOT an engaging way to organize ideas in a feature.

12. Short-Form Story Structure
Using colorful, creative layouts that are easy to produce and appeal to readers' short attention spans.
Suggestions for using a more visual approach.

13. Writing Profiles
Profiles are more than a who-what-when-where-why rehash of facts.
A good profile:
reveals feelings
exposes attitudes
captures habits and mannerisms
entertains
informs.

14. Researching and Writing Profiles
Solicit your subject's support.
Interview and observe.
Find your focus.
Follow up with further interviews and research.
Structure your story.

15. Advice and Suggestions
Tips on working with photographers.
Ways to paint a better portrait: capturing details, re-creating scenes, and adding quotes and dialogue.
Checklist of questions to ask yourself when reporting and writing profiles.

16. Enterprise Projects
Special stories that allow reporters to reach beyond the routine.
Most provide in-depth examination of people and issues.
They are creative, ambitious and unique.
They often become special sections or multi-part series.

17. Advice and Suggestions
How do I find time for enterprise?
Expert advice on reporting and writing enterprise stories.

18. Investigative Reporting
In a free society, some journalists do more than just explain—they expose.

19. Three Basic Elements of Investigative Reporting
that the investigation be the work of the reporter, not a report of an investigation made by someone else
that the subject involves something of reasonable importance
that others are attempting to hide these matters from the public

20. Advice and Suggestions
Digging up dirt: Advice for investigative reporters.

21. Package Planning
Using teamwork and working with the editor, photographer and designer to turn stories into appealing packages.

22. Short-Form Alternatives
Alternatives to narrative text
Condensing data for readers with short attention spans
Short-form formats:
fast-fact box
bio box
checklist
list
quiz
step-by-step guide
factual index
diagram
timeline
quote collection

23. Writing Editorials and Columns
In editorials, columns and reviews, the writer's opinions aren't just allowed, they're encouraged. They're essential.
The Knight Scroll should include an editorial in each issue tied to a front page news story.

24. Advice and Suggestions
Editorials: where publications take a stand
Columns: where the options are endless
Writing commentary: Advice for columnists

25. Writing Reviews
Readers need your expert guidance to find the best performances and products.
Distinction between "critic" and "reviewer."

26. Advice and Suggestions
Using graphic extras that make reviews more reader-friendly.
How to write criticism that gets good reviews.