o A feature would delve into whether the city or municipality that was

responsible for maintaining the pipe might be liable for those injuries. It
could include a statement from someone in authority at the city or
municipality regarding the incident and whether that person believes any
negligence might have occurred.
 The idea behind a feature is to go one step further: You’re not just
telling your reader what happened. You’re explaining why it’s important,
who is affected and presenting the big picture.
Writing the feature story [http://slideshare.net/saracarillo/]

 What should be written in a feature story? Personalities/ character sketch,

usually short. Emphasize more on the person. Experience and adventure,
First person point of view
 Description- Use simple words/concrete words. Factual and original
narratives. Historical. Not always adventure and experiences
 Backgrounders- Background of a certain event
 How to introduce the Feature Article? Use rhetorical questions. Example:
Who says age is a hindrance to education? Startling Statement. Example:
“We’re not stones!”
o Narrative opening. Example: Mrs. Alicia Banal, a third-year evening
student sends herself and her 13 children to school, acting as a mother and a
father at the same time.
o Quoted remarks. Example:- “I learn while I earn.” She smiled despite the
negative issues thrown to her outside and inside her work in show business.
o An old maxim, an aphorism or proverbs. Examples: “Trees, trees
everywhere, but no fresh air to breathe.”
o History or Background of the subject: Islams throughout the world,
including our Muslim brothers observe the holy month of Ramadan starting
Sept 17. Ramadan is the…
o Problems to be discussed in the article or the facts to be established.
Example: There is an answer on the rising cost of vegetables: raise your
own.
 Ending a Feature Article:
o A summary of whole article. Example: Take it from the experts: Smoking is
definitely harmful to health. Smoking makes you manly, but you may not
live long enough to be one.
o An announcement of the main point for the first time. Example: Therefore,
a major part of the development communication effort should be directed at
strengthening the character of the people.
o A question left in the reader’s mind. Example: The hands of the new
generation toil for the love of creation. Do you have these kinds of hands?
o Suggested results or significance. Example: Let us conserve our forests now
if we want to save the future of our country and of our children.
o A forecast or prophecy. Example: In six-and-a-half centuries for now, if the
population explosion would not be checked, there would be one person
 standing on every square foot of land on earth. By that time, people would
be devouring one another for there would no be more space for plants to
grow.
o A repetition of introduction. Example: Asked if he had any formal training
in photography, Hazel Morgan finally answered, “Ah, it is now the reverse.
It is here where I enjoy while I earn, not I earn while I enjoy.”
o An appropriate quotation. Example: Ana claims that she is poor. But when
asked why she gave her last centavo to the old woman, she answered: “Not
what we give, but what we share. For the gift without the giver is bare. Who
gives himself with his alms feeds three: himself, his hungering neighbor,
and me.”
You will understand what feature writing requires by knowing the character of
feature stories. Compared with traditional news, feature stories are [Open Course
Materials from Ohio State Instructors] -

 Typically longer.
 Use delayed leads or begin with an anecdote.
 Writing style is different. It is friendlier or less formal.
 Use many quotes and emotional cues, focusing more on showing the reader
what’s going on instead of telling.

Just as there are different kinds of hard-news stories in journalism, there

are several types of feature stories. Often described as "soft news," a feature
story doesn't deliver the news directly, as a hard-news story does. A feature
story, while containing elements of news, aims to humanize, add color,
educate, entertain, and illuminate, says Media-Studies.ca. These stories
often build on news that was reported in a previous news cycle.

Examples of feature stories include news features, profiles, spot features,

trend stories, and live-ins. Feature stories can be found in the main news
section of a newspaper, especially if they profile a person or group currently
in the news. But they are also likely to be found in sections farther back in
the paper—in lifestyles, entertainment, sports, or business sections. They
also can be found in other news formats, such as radio, television, and the
Internet.

News Feature
The news feature is just what the name implies: a feature article that
focuses on a topic in the news. News features are often published in the
main news, or "A" section, or the local news, or "B" section, of a paper.
These stories focus on hard-news topics but aren't deadline stories. They
bring a softer writing style to hard news. These articles often are people
stories, focusing on individuals behind the news, and they often seek to
humanize a set of statistics.

A news feature could claim, for example, that a community is experiencing

a methamphetamine epidemic. It would begin by citing facts such as arrest
statistics from local, state, or federal authorities or treatment numbers from
area hospitals and drug counselors. Then it might include quotes and
information from people involved in different aspects of the story, such as
police, emergency room doctors, drug counselors, and meth addicts.

This kind of feature story focuses not on a single crime, drug-induced

death, or meth-related arrest; instead, it briefly tells the story of one or
more of the above-mentioned characters, such as recovering meth addicts.
The news feature seeks to put a human face on a crime statistic to bring the
story to life for readers and inform them of potential problems with the
issue.

Profile
A profile is an article about an individual, such as a politician, celebrity,
athlete, or CEO. Profiles seek to give readers behind-the-scenes looks at
what a person is like, warts and all, behind the public persona. Profile
articles provide background about the individual: education, life
experiences, and challenges faced in getting where he or she is now, as well
as basic information such as age, marital status, and family details,
including the number of siblings and children.

A profile can appear in any section of the paper, from the "A" section to the
business section. For example, in 2016, The Orange County Register ran a
feature story on Carl Karcher, the late founder of Carl's Jr. The story,
written by reporter Nancy Luna, described how Karcher started the fast-
food restaurant, which specializes in hamburgers, on July 17, 1941, by
selling 10-cent hot dogs, tamales, and chili dogs out of a cart on a street
corner in Los Angeles, California. "He financed a $326 food cart by
mortgaging his Plymouth Super Deluxe for $311," Luna wrote. "He paid the
rest in cash."
The remainder of the article told how Karcher rose from being a "poor Ohio
farm boy with an eighth-grade education" to the owner of one of the most
successful fast-food chains in the country. Karcher had passed away in
2008, so Luna interviewed a restaurant official to obtain background
information.

Spot Feature
Spot features are feature stories produced on deadline that focus on
a breaking news event. They are often used as sidebars to the mainbar, the
deadline news story about an event.

Suppose a tornado hits a community. The mainbar would focus on the five
W's and H of the story—the who, what, when, where, why, and how—
including the number of casualties, the extent of damage, and rescue
efforts. Complementing the mainbar, the paper might publish one or more
spot features focusing on various aspects of the event. One story might
describe the scene at an emergency shelter where displaced residents were
housed. Another might reflect on past tornadoes that have devastated the
community. Yet another might examine weather conditions that led to the
storm.

The paper could publish dozens of spot features depending on the severity
of the event. While the main news story would be written in a hard-news
style, the spot features would convey a softer feature style, focusing on the
human toll of the tragedy.

Trend
The trend story would likely appear in the lifestyle, fashion, cooking, high-
tech, or entertainment section. These stories explore trends such as a new
look in women's fall fashions, a website or tech gadget that everyone's going
nuts over, an indie band attracting a cult following, or a show on an obscure
cable channel that's suddenly hot.

Trend stories take the pulse of the culture at the moment, looking at what's
new, fresh, and exciting in art, fashion, film, music, high technology,
cooking, and other areas. Trend stories are usually light, quick, easy-to-read
pieces that capture the spirit of whatever trend is being discussed.
Live-In
The live-in is an in-depth, often magazine-length article that paints a
picture of a particular place and the people who work or live there. Live-in
stories might appear in the lifestyle section of the paper or in a magazine
that the paper publishes occasionally, such as once a week or once a month.

Live-ins have been written about homeless shelters, emergency rooms,

battlefield encampments, cancer hospices, public schools, and police
precincts. Live-in pieces are often a day-in-the-life or week-in-the-life
stories that give readers a look at a place they probably wouldn't normally
encounter.

Reporters doing live-ins must spend a lot of time in the places they're
writing about, hence the name live-in. That's how they get a sense of the
place's rhythm and atmosphere. Reporters have spent days, weeks, even
months doing live-ins (some have been turned into books). The live-in in
some ways is the ultimate feature story: an example of the reporter—and,
then, the reader—becoming immersed in the topic.

Though they might have different names, depending on the medium, these
types of stories are just as likely to appear on a TV screen, radio station, or
Internet website, serving readers, listeners, and viewers in much the same
way as they do newspaper readers: by adding depth, humanity, color, and
entertainment to the news of the day.

CITE

Feature Story - Sample

1. 1. Touring Salem State: To Talk or Just to WalkBy: Courtney DenningDecember 5,

2011Salem, Mass. -- As a student at Salem State University, there are many
different things you canbecome involved in: on-campus activities like sports or
student-run groups, off-campus things likeshopping in downtown Salem or dinner in
Boston, as well as many opportunities for jobs,internships or work-study, both on
and off campus.For Katelyn Phaneuf, it was the teacher-to-student ratio and the on-
campus preschool that broughther to Salem State to pursue her double major in
Education and Spanish, but it’s her job that allowsher to show other incoming
students the different things that this school has to offer.“Being an Admissions
Ambassador here is fun, because I just get to be really honest with studentsabout
whatever they want to ask,” said Phaneuf about guiding the tours on campus for
prospectivestudents and their parents. “I let the kids know everything about on-
campus and off-campus liferight off the bat, and answer any questions that the
 parents might have, so it’s a win-win and theyget all the information they need to
decide on a school. I don’t lie to them.”In her opinion, the tour around campus really
does need a guide with a face, someone to walkaround and answer questions,
regardless of the distance away from the other campuses. “We don’thave time to
take them to the O’Keefe Center or to South Campus, although we encourage them
tovisit both. But the questions that they get to ask us on the walk from Central to
North Campus aresometimes crucial to their decision and aren’t something you
could get out of a pamphlet,” Phaneufsaid. “It’s really best that they come during the
school year for a tour so that they can see life oncampus and look into the
classrooms to see the real teacher-to-student ratio and the diversity ofstudents that
we have here.”There are many on-campus events to attend like the “Weekend
Warriors” event, where freshmencompete in an inflatable obstacle course against
each other as well as against the other dorms towin prizes like gift cards, money for
their Clipper Card and more. The school also hosts the “SnowDown,” winter’s
version of a Wild West party, equipped with a mechanical bull; an auction nightwhere
you can raffle off your friends for a date, as well as sporting events just about every
nightwhen the seasons are in full swing. If you’d rather go off campus, there is plenty
to do in downtownSalem any time of year, but the fall is especially active with spooky
but informative events, plenty ofdifferent museums, as well as the plethora of
restaurants and coffee shops that make downtownSalem appealing all year round.
The commute into Boston’s North Station is also just a 25-minutetrain ride.With the
ongoing campus renovations, new residence halls, and university status, Salem
State ismaking an excellent name for itself. The fair price of tuition has kept students
like Phaneuf here forall four years. “Even for me to pay out-of-state tuition, it costs
less than the schools I was looking atin New Hampshire,” she said. “It’s a great price
to pay for everything I’m getting out of it. The valuefor me has been huge.”
2. ere are two examples of news writing. The first is a news story, the second, a feature
article. Both present unique challenges to the writer. A news story tells you exactly what
happened at a recent event. A feature article puts you in the subject's shoes by giving you
more details, more background. Like a news story, a feature article can be about a person,
place, or thing. It can make readers laugh or cry — or both.
3. Elián's Reunion
4. After five months of separation, Elián Gonzalez was reunited with his father, Juan Miguel
Gonzalez.
5. In the early morning of April 22, U.S. immigration officials took 6-year-old Elián out of his relatives'
house in Miami. Elián was flown to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., where his
father was waiting.
6. On their first day together, Elián and his father played baseball and went for a walk.
7. Elián's father wants to return with his son to Cuba, their native home. U.S. Attorney General
Janet Reno says Elián should be able to go back to Cuba.
8. Elián's Miami relatives want Elián to stay in the U.S. They disagree with the Communist
leadership of Cuba, saying it limits people's personal freedoms. Elián's relatives have asked a
U.S. federal court to keep Elián in the U.S.
9. For now, Elián will remain in the U.S. with his father until the court decides whether or not he can
ask for political asylum, or protection, from Cuba. He could then stay in the U.S.
10. Scholastic News Senior, May 15.

11. Children at Work

Millions of children around the world must work for food and shelter
12. Bonauli Simamora stands on a rickety fishing pier, staring at the waves slapping at the wooden
beams below. With the sun's rays beating down on his back, the 14-year-old hauls up a giant
fishing net, careful not to lose his balance and fall into the ocean.
13. For the past nine months, Bonauli has worked 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. From sunrise to
sunset, he labors on a pier that sits 10 miles off the coast of Indonesia.
14. "I work from 8 in the morning until 6 at night," says Bonauli. "Every morning, I wake up, sort the
fish, dry them, boil them, and put them into storage. Then I wait for the tide to go down and do it
again."
15. Bonauli is one of 120 million children worldwide, from ages 5 to 14, who work instead of going to
school. Each day, nearly 80 million of these children risk their health, safety, and often their lives,
to earn money.
16. Endangered Lives
"Child labor is cheap labor," says Darlene Adkins of the Child Labor Coalition, a group that works
to end child labor abuses around the world.
17. As many as 70 percent of the world's working children labor on farms, picking crops, herding
cattle, and operating equipment. In the fields, they are exposed to dangerous pesticides, or
poisonous chemicals. Pesticides increase the children's risk of developing lung disease.
18. In India, Nepal, and Pakistan, boys and girls work up to 16 hours a day weaving carpets in small
huts with little light or fresh air. Loom owners sometimes chain children to the looms, so they
won't run away.
19. "Their hands are dry, cracked, and gnarled from labor," Adkins says.
20. In Peru, young boys work in mines, digging for gems and coal deep below the earth's surface. As
they crawl through dark, cramped tunnels, the boys risk death from cave-ins. Around the world,
girls as young as 5 work up to 15 hours a day, 7 days a week as housekeepers.
21. "These children are living with families, but they are not considered part of the family," says
Adkins. "Often, they are beaten, only fed leftovers, and are forced to sleep on the floor. They are
treated as slaves."
22. Stopping Child Labor
Students at Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts, created their own Web site
to educate Americans about child labor.
23. The students raised more than $100,000 through the Web site to help build a school in Punjab,
Pakistan. Today, 288 children, who might otherwise be weaving rugs or stitching soccer balls,
attend class instead.
24. For Bonauli, school seems like a distant dream. After endless months of backbreaking labor, the
homesick teenager has just one wish: to see his family again.
25. "I miss my mom," he says. "For the past 2 1/2 months, I have asked to go home, but there is no
one here to replace me. I have to wait until a new worker comes."
26. For now, Bonauli works and waits.
27. Before starting your article, you must know what you are going to be writing about! Then
you must get some supporting information. Here are some tips by Lucille Renwick on how
to come up with a topic and interview people.
28. • Reporters usually get assignments from their editor. But the best reporters also come up with
ideas for their own stories. How? They look, think, ask lots of questions, and talk with LOTS of
people. One story I wrote involved kids living with their grandparents instead of their parents. The
idea for this story came to me indirectly. While interviewing somebody for a different story, I
learned about a woman who was raising her grandson. I later asked questions of a few other
people and discovered that many kids live with and are raised by grandparents. I thought it would
be great to do a story about this — to show kids and grandparents that they aren't alone.
29. • Topics for stories are everywhere. Do you see a new student in the halls, a new teacher in the
classrooms? Has your principal introduced any new programs or schedules that will affect
students directly? These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself when looking for a news
"hook" or angle. And keep in mind the timeliness of the topic. You may have an interesting
subject, but it's not a news story unless something is going on that makes your subject of interest
today.
30. • Once you have a few ideas for stories you'd like to pursue, probe a little. If you want to write
about new students, for example, ask a school official how many new students have enrolled this
 year. See if any of the students come from far away. Then try to get their names and phone
numbers from the principal's office. Learn as much as you can before making calls. And think
about what you'd like to ask. That way, you can prepare questions for your interviews.
31. • While conducting interviews, you may find a whole new angle for the story. Be flexible. The idea
you start out with may not make a good news story at all. And the next idea you discover may be
just the thing! Follow your information — and instincts — to get the best story. (Be sure to bring a
reporter's notebook and a few pens to each interview. If you have a small tape recorder, use that
as a backup. But before you turn it on, inform your source that his or her comments will be
recorded.)
32. Asking Questions
Always remember to ask: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?These are your building
blocks to getting a good story. Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple yes or
no. Such questions don't tell you much, and they certainly don't give you any good quotes for
your story. A good quote not only conveys information, it adds life and "color" to a story.
33. Don't ask: "Are there any new programs for school this year?"
34. Instead, ask: "What new programs are you introducing this year?"
35. If the answer is "none," probe further. Ask "Why not?" The answer to that question may be your
story.
36. Make the person you interview talk specifics. Get the details!
37. If he or she responds vaguely, press for an explanation. If, for example, your principal tells you
about vandalism problems at the school last year, ask for the details of specific incidents.
38. Ask: "How many kids were involved?" or "What was the worst incident?"
39. If you don't understand, ask again, in a different way. "Can you explain that?" Or, simply, "Give
me an example."
40. Finally, verify your facts. You can get information from other news stories on the Web and in the
paper, encyclopedias, and interviews. If you're unsure of something, find out who you can call to
get information verified. One of the first people you interviewed may have said that the moon is
made of cheese. Don't believe it until you talk to an astronomer or find the information on the
NASA Web site.
41. A special warning about the Web: Not everything you find there can be trusted. While it is a useful
research tool, you still have to confirm your information from at least two or three reputable
sources: i.e. encyclopedias, government agencies, and/or national newspapers.

42. WHO: Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush
43. WHAT: participated in a debate
44. WHEN: last night
45. WHERE: St. Louis, Missouri
46. WHY: to win votes in the election
47. HOW: by arguing about the issues