HOW TO WRITE A GREAT FEATURE

ARTICLE?

DEFINITION
A form of
reporting

Stresses accuracy and

truth
Never sacrifices
accuracy for creativity

Differs from
news in its
intent

News provides
information
Features interpret, add
depth and color,
instruct or entertain

Not just dry

facts

Provides story and

information from a
unique angle

TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Profiles/ Interviews
Humorous
Reflections
Personal Experiences /
Anecdotes

TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Online Articles
Background info on local,
national and international
events

Human Interest

TECHNIQUE
Title

Grabs
Grabs the
the reader's
reader's
attention
attention

Highlights
Highlights main
main idea
idea

Includes
Includes keywords
keywords

Lead
(Intro)
Best
Best leads
leads anecdotal
anecdotal in
in
nature,
nature, 3
3 paragraphs
paragraphs
long,
long,

A
A microcosm
microcosm of
of the
the
bigger
bigger story
story

A
A good
good lead
lead beckons,
beckons,
invites,
invites, informs,
informs,
attracts
and
attracts and entices.
entices.

Nut
Graph
(Angle)
The
The entire
entire article
article in
in a
a
nutshell
nutshell

Body
(Blocks )

Conclusi
on
(Ending)

History
History
Sense
Sense of
of Closure
Closure
Scope
Scope

,, illustrates
illustrates how
how that
that
individual
individual case
case is
is
actually
actually representative
representative
of
a
bigger
trend
of a bigger trend or
or
how
how it
it fits
fits into
into a
a bigger
bigger
overall
picture
overall picture
a
a well-worn
well-worn formula
formula
thats
thats still
still used
used by
by the
the
Wall
Street
Journal
Wall Street Journal and
and
countless
countless other
other
publications
publications today.
today.

a
a paragraph
paragraph that
that says
says
what
what this
this whole
whole story
story is
is
about
and
why
you
about and why you
should
read
it.
should read it.

Cause
Cause

Impact
Impact

Ends
Ends the
the story
story with
with a
a
punch
punch

Action
Action of
of contrary
contrary force
force

Future
Future

The
The best
best kind
kind either
either
sums
up
sums up and/or
and/or
reinforces
reinforces the
the central
central
message
message of
of the
the story
story

FIVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES YOU CAN TAKE ON A

TOPIC

Smoki
ng

Profile

People
People who
who
diseases
diseases as
as
smoking
smoking

have
have suffered
suffered
a
result
a result of
of

Explanatory
Pieces

How smoking leads

to diseases

Issues/Tren
ds

The
The rise
rise of
of smoking
smoking
among
among women
women in
in urban
urban
areas
areas

Investigative

How
How cigarette
cigarette
companies
companies use
use
innovative
innovative strategies
strategies to
to
target
target teens
teens

Narrative

The
The story
story of
of the
the first
first person
person
to
to sue
sue a
a cigarette
cigarette company
company
for
for causing
causing him
him to
to develop
develop
cancer
cancer

Language and
Style
A personal

tone
through
the use of
informal,
colloquial
and first
person
narrative

Use of
relevant
jargon to
Facts to
add
validate
authenticit the writers
y to the
viewpoint
information
& opinions

Language and
Style
Use of
exaggeratio
n&
generalizati
on to add
humor

Use of
rhetorical
question to
involve the
reader

Anecdotes
to hold the
readers
attention

Language and
Effective
Style
use of

use of
Emotive
imagery
words to
and
evoke a
descriptio
personal
n to
response
engage
in the
readers
reader
imaginatio
n

Use of
direct
quotes to
personalis
e the
topic

DONT FORGET
RESEARCH
RESEARCH

BE
BE
INSIGHTFUL
INSIGHTFUL

BE
BE
AUTHORITAT
AUTHORITAT
IVE
IVE

WRITE
WRITE WELL
WELL

ENTERTAIN
ENTERTAIN