Stalking the wily news feature

A brief guide to conceiving,

reporting, organizing and writing

a work of enterprise journalism

What is a news feature?

• Not breaking news

What is a news feature?

• Not breaking news

• Not merely a human-interest story

What is a news feature?

• Not breaking news

• Not merely a human-interest story

• Generated by reporter and editor

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

Is it a newspaperor magazine story?

• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper

Is it a newspaperor magazine story?

• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper

• Medium-length feature — 2,000 to 2,500 words

Is it a newspaperor magazine story?

• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper

• Medium-length feature — 2,000 to 2,500 words

• News story — 700 to 1,200 words

Is it a newspaperor magazine story?

• Lines have blurred — “magazine” story can appear in a newspaper

• Medium-length feature — 2,000 to 2,500 words

• News story — 700 to 1,200 words

• Longer magazine story — 3,000 to 10,000 words

Getting ideas

• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet

Getting ideas

• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet

• Talking — friends, family, colleagues, sources

Getting ideas

• Reading — newspapers, magazines, books, Internet

• Talking — friends, family, colleagues, sources

• Paying attention — carry a notebook!

Is there a story?

• Pre-reporting

Is there a story?

• Pre-reporting

• Google, LexisNexis, etc.– What can you learn?– Who else has written about this?

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

Theme sentence

• A sentence (or two) explaining precisely what your story is

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

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

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

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

Whom should you interview?

• Horizontal diversity– Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral

Whom should you interview?

• Horizontal diversity– Variety of viewpoints — fair and neutral

• Vertical diversity– Variety of sources — key players, expert

observers and ordinary people

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

• Scope

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

• Scope

• Reasons

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

• Scope

• Reasons

• Impacts

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

• Scope

• Reasons

• Impacts

• Countermoves

Blundell’s six key concepts

• History

• Scope

• Reasons

• Impacts

• Countermoves

• Futures

Organizing and writing

• Step one — read through your material quickly

Organizing and writing

• Step one — read through your material quickly

• Step two — re-read slowly, organizing it as you prepare to write

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

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

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

A generic news-feature outline

• Part one– Lede

A generic news-feature outline

• Part one– Lede– Nut graf

A generic news-feature outline

• Part one– Lede– Nut graf– Support for nut graf

A generic news-feature outline

• Part one– Lede– Nut graf– Support for nut graf– Quote and/or setup for next part

A generic news-feature outline

• Part two– Secondary lede

A generic news-feature outline

• Part two– Secondary lede– Explication and narrative

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

A generic news-feature outline

• Part three– Can be short

A generic news-feature outline

• Part three– Can be short– “Circling back”

A generic news-feature outline

• Part three– Can be short– “Circling back”

• Quote from person you opened with

A generic news-feature outline

• Part three– Can be short– “Circling back”

• Quote from person you opened with• Quote from another, similar person

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

Too formulaic?

• Not as much as it seems, especially after you’ve done it a few times

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

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

Reading for journalists

• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing” (much of this slideshow is based on his ideas)

Reading for journalists

• William E. Blundell, “The Art and Craft of Feature Writing”

• William K. Zinsser, “On Writing Well”

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”

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