Feature Writing: Chapter 4 Campus Journalism

Summary

In this YouTube video, Momsha Roxanne explains the concept of a feature story, contrasting it with news stories. She highlights the differences in treatment of issues, depth of research, writing style, and structure. Feature stories are characterized by their focus on human interest, emotional appeal, and originality. Roxanne outlines various types of feature stories, such as personality profiles, trend stories, and human appeal stories, and discusses the qualities and structure of effective feature writing, including tips for crafting engaging leads and conclusions.

Takeaways

• 📰 A feature story differs from a news story in style, depth, and the presence of opinions.
• 🔍 Feature stories require deeper research compared to news stories, which are more fact-driven.
• ✍️ Feature stories can be written informally and allow for creative and flashy writing styles.
• 📐 Unlike news stories that use the inverted pyramid, feature stories follow a normal pyramid structure.
• 🎭 Feature stories focus on human interest, emotion, and curiosity, often highlighting the most interesting aspects of a story.
• 🖋️ Various types of feature stories include personality profiles, human interest stories, trend stories, and in-depth backgrounders.
• 📚 Feature stories often utilize descriptive and original writing techniques to engage readers emotionally and intellectually.
• 💡 Common leads for feature stories include question leads, startling statements, descriptive leads, and anecdotal leads.
• 📖 Effective feature stories contain a strong introduction, a detailed body, and a memorable conclusion with emotional impact.
• 🎯 Writers should avoid clichés, ensure accuracy, use active voice, and tailor the story to their audience's interests and concerns.

Q & A

What is the main difference between a news story and a feature story?

A feature story is not a news story and can be opinionated, go in-depth with research, have a more flexible writing style, and follow a normal pyramid structure compared to the inverted pyramid structure of news stories.

What are the key characteristics of a feature story?

Feature stories may vary in length, can be timely or not, written in any form and style, usually begin with a novelty lead, reveal something new, and may contain human emotions or feelings.

What types of features does Momsha Roxanne mention in the script?

Momsha Roxanne mentions personality profile, human interest stories, trend stories, in-depth stories, backgrounders, news behind the news stories, personality sketch profiles, science and technology stories, human appeal stories, historical and cultural features, how-to and what-to-do features, business and development features, lifestyle features, entertainment features, hobby features, career features, seasonal themes, and travel features.

How does a feature story typically begin?

A feature story usually begins with a novelty lead that reveals something new, even if the topic is old.

What are some ways to develop the lead of a feature story?

Ways to develop the lead include using a question lead, startling statements, striking statements, descriptive lead, summary lead, anecdotal lead, quotation lead, contrast lead, break formally, and character lead.

What are the qualities and features of a well-structured feature story?

A well-structured feature story contains an introduction, body, and conclusion based on the writer's development of ideas. It can have complex narration, include quotations from various sources, use elements of fiction and informal writing, and may incorporate visual aids like photographs or diagrams.

What are some tips for writing the conclusion of a feature story?

The conclusion should be memorable and show the reader that their time was well spent. It can summarize key points, present an argument, ask questions, offer solutions, make forecasts, or include appropriate quotations.

How does Momsha Roxanne suggest focusing when preparing a feature story?

Focusing is crucial when preparing a feature story as it helps to narrow down the topic and gather a large amount of information through interviews and background research.

What are some tips for getting a feature article published?

Tips include having a clear focus, being clear about the purpose of the article, writing in the active voice, maintaining accuracy, avoiding cliches, conducting in-depth interviews, using anecdotes and direct quotes, being creative, and talking to multiple sources.

How does Momsha Roxanne define human interest stories?

Human interest stories are written to show a subject's oddity, practical emotion, or entertainment value and are meant to evoke emotional responses from readers.