WEEK FOUR NEWSPAPER

WEEK FOUR NEWSPAPER

FEATURE ARTICLE

THE AIM OF A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

Newspaper articles provide information on newsworthy topics, this is any event or issue of
importance to the majority of readers. News articles provide the reader with all the facts about
this issue or event including who, what, where, when, why and how.

Statements, comments and opinions from experts or people involved are also included. It also
aims to inform, entertain and persuade readers. Online articles require you to be able to grab
the reader's attention quickly and hold that attention. Writing a great article isn't always easy
and there are many aspects that come together to make a great article.

PURPOSE

Feature articles are detailed pieces of writing that explore a range of issues, opinions,
experiences and ideas.

The purpose will vary depending on the media it is meant for. Regardless, it should appeal to
the particular audience being targeted.

For example if a magazine was targeted at middle aged women, then the articles,
advertising, and pictures within would reflect their interest in lifestyle, career, money, health
and relationships.

TYPES

Feature articles can be informative, entertaining, persuasive, or simply satisfy the reader's
curiosity about a particular topic. A feature article may provide more information about an
important issue, offer an opinion about current affairs, or simply present a personal or
humorous perspective on modern day life. Unlike news reports, which can quickly go out of
date, feature articles have a more general focus and may interest readers long past the date
they're published.

Feature writers are often regular contributors who have a particular expertise or interest in
their subject or topic. Writers go beyond just the facts on the surface and add colour, detail,

1 |ENGLISH IN MEDIA 1 - ENG1323

background and personal comment. The appeal of these articles is usually the personal
touch and viewpoints that they offer.

Types Include:
 Analysis and opinion on current issues.
 Profiles of, or interviews with well known-people.
 Humorous reflections.
 Personal experience or anecdotes.
 Online articles (Hub Pages).
 Background information on local, national or international events.
 Magazine articles.
 Human interest stories.
 Newspaper articles.
 Background information and personal opinion on your interests

STEPS TO WRITING A FEATURE ARTICLE

Brainstorm Research the Grab the
ideas - What's topic reader's
the purpose? attention

Leave an Keep that
impression attention

2 |ENGLISH IN MEDIA 1 - ENG1323

STRUCTURE
Like any form of writing a feature article follows a standard structure. While it may vary
depending on your topic, a feature article should always include a headline, introduction, the
main body and a concluding paragraph.

Pitching the media can be tough. Every day, reporters are inundated with breaking news from
different sources, all clamoring for attention. One way to break through the cacophony is to
offer a different type of article--one that speaks to a topic that's of interest to a target audience
but isn't dependent on being newsworthy right at the moment it's sent. That type of article is
called a feature.

A feature is an in-depth look at a topic, product or industry--it's a complex story designed to
be read at a leisurely pace. And a feature can benefit your company by linking your brand or
product to a larger trend or industry focus while also showcasing you, the entrepreneur, as a
thought-leader in your field. While a news release is designed to entice the reporter into finding
out more information themselves, a feature's designed to be used as is, or merely edited to fit
the space available.

Topics such as health, home improvement, travel and technology all lend themselves well to
features since they can be used in special sections of newspapers--such as lifestyle, home,
arts or technology--or in the weekend magazines. Trade publications also publish feature
articles, usually in the form of special supplements.

Because a feature should be written from a journalistic perspective, you should
emphasize information over outright promotion. Ideally, a feature editor won't change the
story at all and will use it when it's needed as part of a theme or to fill space.

Papers like to have quality articles on hand, so come up with your feature-worthy concept,
then use the following guidelines to help you write a great article.

Headlines
The headline is the most vital part of your feature. Treat the headline as if it were a summary
of the article. Ask yourself, Why is this story important? What about it will it grab readers'
interest? A good headline answers those questions by telling the reader something new,
different or useful--in 20 words or less. A few examples I've seen recently include:

 Plug-In Devices Help Save Money on Your Utility Bill
 Reinventing the "Mommy Tack": More Women Choose Business Ownership to Gain

Control, Flexibility and Family Time
 The Sleep Expert's Advice on Creating the Right Sleep Environment for Students

3 |ENGLISH IN MEDIA 1 - ENG1323

To come up with a good headline, pretend you're telling a friend what the article's about,
explaining the most interesting aspects of your story. Keep the wording simple, and avoid
superlatives and emotive language. Also, avoid using a brand or client name in the headline
unless it's very well known. Instead, focus on what's most interesting about your topic.

Leads
A strong lead paragraph offers intrigue from the start. Editors don't have time to read through
the entire article to reach your key point, and neither do your readers. Think of the lead as an
extended version of the headline, even using some of the same words.

When writing a lead, try to keep the paragraph short--two to three short sentences at the most.
In total, your feature should be close to 400 words. Don't worry about your brand at this point-
-just introduce the interesting aspects of the story. If your lead reads like an ad, it'll be
discarded immediately.

The Second paragraph
The second paragraph serves to support and expand on the ideas set out in the lead. It's also
a good place to let people know who's "behind" the feature so there's no confusion about who
provided the copy. Also, if the article has to be shortened due to space imitations, having the
name of the company or spokesperson and your web address near the beginning will be vitally
important.

If written well, the first two paragraphs can serve as a brief column item or filler if a newspaper
or magazine has only limited space.

Using Quotes
A quote can lend authority to an article, introduce an expert and further advance the story.
Most important, quotes can introduce personal feelings, comments and opinion, so this is
where you want to use superlatives and emotive language (without sounding false!). Be sure
quotes are in a conversational style, and don't merely cite facts or figures--no real person
speaks only in data. Also avoid repeating information or using jargon; speak as if you were
explaining your product or service to your grandmother.

Ideally, the person you quote should be someone who'd be available for interviews should a
journalist want to ask additional questions. So he or she should be knowledgeable on the topic
and open to working with the media. Use your strongest quote first, and be sure to provide
information on the speaker and his or her relation to the company in a contact section at the
end of your article.

4 |ENGLISH IN MEDIA 1 - ENG1323

Getting Into Details
After the third paragraph, any information you add should develop the story further and hold
the interest of the reader. Now's the time to go into detail about the benefits of a product, or
the mechanisms of how it works. However, for ease of reading, use bullet points or "top tips"
if you're listing information.
Another thing to remember--and one way a feature differs from a news release--is that a
feature story will almost never include corporate identity or forward-looking statements.
Image and Multimedia
A photo can often mean difference between your feature being chosen for publication vs. them
choosing your competitor's. A photo helps explain the story and can draw the eye of those
scanning the page. It also gives editors more options when filling space.
Make sure your photos are high-quality: Always provide digital photos in high resolution (300
dpi) and, if possible, have them shot by a professional. A bad photo will reflect on the quality
of your feature.
Other multimedia options include a video or audio version of your story, or additional expert
quotes and interviews. A feature podcast or multimedia news release can include all these
assets to transform your story into an online experience for your audience, complete with links
and reference materials to let them experience more for themselves.

5 |ENGLISH IN MEDIA 1 - ENG1323