Feature stories tell a story through people, engaging us through what some call “humaninterest” stories. They have news hooks, however, and often put a face on an otherwise straight-forward news story.
For example, a news story about a new technique to improve blood flow in people with blocked arteries could be fashioned as a feature by talking to patients who hope to have the procedure, have had it already, or can’t afford it. Or, the story could tell of a day in the life of the researcher working to improve the procedure. In other words, the story is told through the eyes of the people involved, in their words and experiences.
Feature stories:
* Have some kind of news hook
* Have narrative blocks, i.e. “storytelling” in chronological or thematic order
* Include observation and description
* Include lots of great quotes from the people telling the story
* Include anecdotes from those sources to give the reader a full picture
* Include lots of types of sources:
Documentary
Expert-interview
Reporter’s observations
“Lowest level of action” people
Human interest focus on one or two people
But feature stories still adhere to the basics of journalism. They must include:
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
And, they must include the structural basics:
Lead Nut graf Body organized by subject or theme