NEWS vs FEATURE

Making friends with feature writing….

• Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on
particular people, places and events.
• Feature stories are journalistic, researched, descriptive,
colorful, thoughtful, reflective, thorough writing about
original ideas.
• Feature stories cover topics in depth, going further than
mere hard news coverage by amplifying and explaining the
most interesting and important elements of a situation or
occurrence.
• Feature stories are popular content elements of
newspapers, magazines, blogs, websites, newsletters,
television broadcasts and other mass media.
What composes a feature article…
TITLE
MOST IMPORTANT
DETAILS
LEAST IMPORTANT
DETAILS
MOST IMPORTANT
DETAILS
 WHAT TO

1. Observes the rules of grammar and syntax

2. Conforms with the principles of organization and
progression of ideas
3. Exhibits creative presentation of the story
4. Combines colorful and figurative language to
present facts
5. Uses catchy title for the article
6. Utilizes the appropriate feature type
 WHAT TO

1. Cites facts like historical references, statistics,

relevant names/facts to bolster credibility of
statements and/or narratives
2. Presents a new angle of information about the
topic that are timely and interesting to read
3. Stirs imagination of the reader
4. Balances presentation of thoughts and ideas from
the obtained data with those of the writers’
perceptions
 Writing an effective
• In writing the title, it should be
to what is contained by
the article.
would do (though shorter titles are
better). If possible,
(A, An,
The). catch judge’s
attention and enthusiasm to read
your entire work.
The body of a feature article depends on what style
of writing the writer uses. The styles of writing are as
follows:
• Human Interest: The best-known kind of
feature story is the human-interest story that
discusses issues through the experiences of
another.
• Profiles: A very common type of feature is the
profile that reveals an individual's character and
lifestyle. The profile exposes different facets of the
subject so readers will feel they know the person.
• Historical Features: These features
commemorate important dates in history or
turning points in our social, political and cultural
development. They offer a useful juxtaposition of
then and now. Historical features take the reader
back to revisit an event and issues surrounding it.
A variation is the this date in history short
feature, which reminds people of significant
events on a particular date.
• How-To: These articles help people learn by
telling them how to do something. The writer
learns about the topic through education,
experience, research or interviews with experts.
• Seasonal Themes: Stories about holidays
and the change of seasons address matters at
specific times of a year. For instance, they
cover life milestones, social, political and
cultural cycles, and business cycles.
Inside views of
unusual occupations, issues, and events give
readers a feeling of penetrating the inner
circle or being a mouse in a corner. Readers
like feeling privy to unusual details and well
kept secrets about procedures or activities
they might not ordinarily be exposed to or
allowed to participate in.
SAMPLE WINNING OUTPUT
 It’s your turn to shine…
• Develop a feature story based on
the theme: