Stalking the wily news feature
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This document provides guidance on conceiving, reporting, organizing and writing a news feature story. It discusses what constitutes a news feature, how to generate story ideas, develop a theme sentence to guide reporting, interview diverse sources, organize information using a generic outline structure, and emphasizes reading to improve feature writing skills. The goal is to produce a medium-length piece between 1,500-2,500 words that tells a compelling narrative using the techniques of narrative journalism.
Stalking the wily news feature
- 1. Stalking the wily news feature A brief guide to conceiving, reporting, organizing and writing a work of enterprise journalism
- 2. What is a news feature? • Not breaking news
- 3. What is a news feature? • Not breaking news • Not merely a human-interest story
- 4. What is a news feature? • Not breaking news • Not merely a human-interest story • Generated by reporter and editor
- 5. What is a news feature? • • • • Not breaking news Not merely a human-interest story Generated by reporter and editor Freedom to define what the story is
- 6. Is it a newspaper or magazine story? • Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper
- 7. Is it a newspaper or magazine story? • Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper • Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500 words
- 8. Is it a newspaper or magazine story? • Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper • Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500 words • News story — 700 to 1,200 words
- 9. Is it a newspaper or magazine story? • Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper • Medium-length feature — 1,500 to 2,500 words • News story — 700 to 1,200 words • Longer magazine story — 3,000 to 10,000 words
- 10. Getting ideas • Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet
- 11. Getting ideas • Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet • Talking — friends, family, colleagues, sources
- 12. Getting ideas • Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet • Talking — friends, family, colleagues, sources • Paying attention — carry a notebook!
- 13. Is there a story? • Pre-reporting
- 14. Is there a story? • Pre-reporting • Google, LexisNexis, etc. – What can you learn? – Who else has written about this?
- 15. Is there a story? • Pre-reporting • Google, LexisNexis, etc. – What can you learn? – Who else has written about this? • Short interviews to refine story and see if sources will be available
- 16. Theme sentence • A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is
- 17. Theme sentence • A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is • A guide to your reporting — cut it out, paste it on the wall in front of you
- 18. Theme sentence • A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is • A guide to your reporting — cut it out, paste it on the wall in front of you • Could form basis of your lede or nut
- 19. Theme sentence • A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is • A guide to your reporting — cut it out, paste it on the wall in front of you • Could form basis of your lede or nut • Could serve as your pitch
- 20. Theme sentence • A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is • A guide to your reporting — cut it out, paste it on the wall in front of you • Could form basis of your lede or nut • Could serve as your pitch • You might have to change it
- 21. The nut graf • Usually the third or fourth paragraph
- 22. The nut graf • Usually the third or fourth paragraph • It places the anecdotal lede in context by answering three questions
- 23. The nut graf • Usually the third or fourth paragraph • It places the anecdotal lede in context by answering three questions • What is the story about?
- 24. The nut graf • Usually the third or fourth paragraph • It places the anecdotal lede in context by answering three questions • What is the story about? • Where is the story going?
- 25. The nut graf • Usually the third or fourth paragraph • It places the anecdotal lede in context by answering three questions • What is the story about? • Where is the story going? • Why should the reader keep reading?
- 26. Whom should you interview? • Horizontal diversity – Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral
- 27. Whom should you interview? • Horizontal diversity – Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral • Vertical diversity – Variety of sources — key players, expert observers and ordinary people
- 28. Blundell’s six key concepts • History
- 29. Blundell’s six key concepts • History • Scope
- 30. Blundell’s six key concepts • History • Scope • Reasons
- 31. Blundell’s six key concepts • • • • History Scope Reasons Impacts
- 32. Blundell’s six key concepts • • • • • History Scope Reasons Impacts Countermoves
- 33. Blundell’s six key concepts • • • • • • History Scope Reasons Impacts Countermoves Futures
- 34. Organizing and writing • Step one — read through your material quickly
- 35. Organizing and writing • Step one — read through your material quickly • Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as you prepare to write
- 36. Organizing and writing • Step one — read through your material quickly • Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as you prepare to write • Keep related material together
- 37. Organizing and writing • Step one — read through your material quickly • Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as you prepare to write • Keep related material together • Try not to bring sources back for an encore
- 38. Organizing and writing • Step one — read through your material quickly • Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as you prepare to write • Keep related material together • Try not to bring sources back for an encore • Aim for a memorable ending
- 39. A generic news-feature outline • Part one – Lede
- 40. A generic news-feature outline • Part one – Lede – Nut graf
- 41. A generic news-feature outline • Part one – Lede – Nut graf – Support for nut graf
- 42. A generic news-feature outline • Part one – – – – Lede Nut graf Support for nut graf Quote and/or setup for next part
- 43. A generic news-feature outline • Part two – Secondary lede
- 44. A generic news-feature outline • Part two – Secondary lede – Explication and narrative
- 45. A generic news-feature outline • Part two – Secondary lede – Explication and narrative – Flesh out all or some of the six key concepts • History, scope, reasons, impacts, countermoves, futures
- 46. A generic news-feature outline • Part three – Can be short
- 47. A generic news-feature outline • Part three – Can be short – “Circling back”
- 48. A generic news-feature outline • Part three – Can be short – “Circling back” • Quote from person you opened with
- 49. A generic news-feature outline • Part three – Can be short – “Circling back” • Quote from person you opened with • Quote from another, similar person
- 50. A generic news-feature outline • Part three – Can be short – “Circling back” • Quote from person you opened with • Quote from another, similar person • Your own attempt to sum up
- 51. Too formulaic? • Not as much as it seems, especially after you’ve done it a few times
- 52. Too formulaic? • Not as much as it seems, especially after you’ve done it a few times • Not the only way to write a news feature, but simple and effective
- 53. Too formulaic? • Not as much as it seems, especially after you’ve done it a few times • Not the only way to write a news feature, but simple and effective • Sometimes editors want something different
- 54. Reading for journalists • William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing” (much of this slideshow is based on his ideas)
- 55. Reading for journalists • William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing” • William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”
- 56. Reading for journalists • William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing” • William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well” • Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style”
- 57. Reading for journalists • William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing” • William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well” • Strunk and White, “The Elements of Style” • Anywhere good news features are published