Here are some great feature story angles, some suggestions on how to come up with a story plan and how to craft the actual story:
Personality — A profile of an unusual or outstanding person. News feature — an up-close angle on a recent news story. Human Interest — stories with a heartwarming twist, drama or a unique turn on human lives. Occasional pieces — based on holidays or special events, yet taking a unfamiliar slant. Historical feature — story based on a current event or person that has a unique connection to the past. Informative feature — a story based on information your readers need to know. First-hand experience — a story based on the first hand account of a unique experience. Consumer report — a story based on the investigation of a product or service. Background feature — a story that gives readers an insider or a “behind the scenes” account of a person or event. Unlimited Subject Possibilities Could be about history, hobbies, unusual situations. Often describes the mood of an event. About anything that people are interested in. How do you craft the story?: Creative Style –They provide writers flexibility in word choice, but not license to make things up. –Don’t have to follow the “inverted pyramid” format. –Opinion and speculation are not allowed. –Allow the use of literary devices such as character development and dialogue. Show, don’t tell Use details that help the reader see, smell, hear, taste, and touch the elements in the story. Personalize and localize Whatever the topic, incorporate real people from your school and community. Find the angle Focus on a topic of interest that is unusual. Built on good quotes Let people tell the story in their own words. Use a limited number of anecdotes or quotes to get across a single idea. Provide resolution The ending should bring the story to full circle and provide the readers with a strong closing statement. On your blog please complete the following checklist: 1. Who is your main subject? 2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to)? 3. What is the topic or potential topic? 4. Which angle from above will you write the story? 5. Then to help you get going faster, come up with 20 questions that you can ask your main subject. Type these in your blog. 6. Once you complete that portion, you need to come up with 5-10 questions you need to ask your supporting interviews. Type these into your blog. You may need different questions for each supporting subject. 7. You will need to do a little research on the topic you expect to interview your main subject about. Take a little time and do some google searching - find at least 5 new things about the intended topic you should know before you interview your main subject. List those on your blog. 8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)? 9. Where you will interview them (some interviews are better to do in the persons environment, while others should be done in public places, ALL interviews should be done in person)? 10. How will you record the information? (taking notes is ideal, and if you want to record the conversation you MUST get permission. You can do both if they will allow you to record, this is a very effective technique that you could use.) Feature stories aren't defined so much by subject matter as they are by the style in which they are written. In other words, anything written in a feature-oriented way is a feature story.
These are the characteristics that distinguish feature stories from hard news: The Lede: A feature lede doesn't have to have the who, what, where, when and why in the very first paragraph, the way a hard-news lede does. Instead, a feature lede can use description or an anecdote to set up the story. And a feature lede can run for several paragraphs instead of just one. Click the link for more information. Pace: Feature stories often employ a more leisurely pace than news stories. Features take time to tell a story, instead of rushing through it the way news stories often seem to do. Length: Taking more time to tell a story means using more space, which is why features are usually, though not always, longer than hard news articles. A Focus on the Human Element: If news stories tend to focus on events, then features tend to focus more on people. Features are designed to bring the human element into the picture, which is why many editors call features "people stories." So if a hard news story recounts how 1,000 people are being laid off from a local factory, a feature story might focus on just one of those workers, portraying their grief at losing their job. Pick one of these feature articles to read and write about: The Atlantic - The Coddling of the American Mind Grantland - The Consequence of Caring NYTimes - Snowfall On your blog - create a new post called Feature Writing Preview: Please answer the following questions: 1. What is the difference between a hard news lead (lede) and the one you read? 2. In what paragraph(s) did you learn the following information? a. Who b. What c. Where d. When e. Why f. How 3. Are there quotes in this story? 4. Are those quotes arranged in the "quote-transiton" style we used in news writing? 5. Who is quoted in the story? 6. What quote is the most powerful in the story, in your opinion? 7. How many paragraphs are the story? 8. How many words are the story (hint: you can copy and paste into Word and get a word count)? 9. What is significant about the lead (lede) and the final paragraph of the story? 10. Why do you think the writer did that with the lead (lede) and final paragraph? 11. Was the story interesting to read? http://educationnext.hks.harvard.edu/the-detracking-movement/
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.421.139&rep=rep1&type=pdf https://www.soe.vt.edu/highered/files/students/Sample2.pdf http://ejournals.library.vanderbilt.edu/index.php/vurj/article/viewFile/3795/1880 So we have decided on a topic for our first editorial: The Culture of Levels at Anderson, IB vs. AP vs. Dual Credit vs. Regs
Today you will be doing the class discussion to decide as an organization, your unified view on this topic. Review the previous post about what kinds of editorials there are, what an editorial has, and how an editorial is written. Editorials are a different kind of Opinion/Commentary story that appears in every daily newspaper in the country and most high school papers feature one as well.
Editorials are the voice of the newspaper. This is the only place where the staff as a whole takes a stance on a subject. Most daily newspapers have an Editorial Board that decides the topic and one person on that Editorial Board writes the story. Most of the time that person remains anonymous to protect them since it is the opinion of the Editorial staff and is the newspapers opinion. Editorials have: 1. Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories 2. An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues 3. A timely news angle 4. Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issues the writer addresses 5. The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good editorials engage issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or other petty tactics of persuasion. 6. Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. Anyone can gripe about a problem, but a good editorial should take a pro-active approach to making the situation better by using constructive criticism and giving solutions. 7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's opinion. Give it some punch. Four Types of Editorials Will: 1. Explain or interpret: Editors often use these editorials to explain the way the newspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject. School newspapers may explain new school rules or a particular student-body effort like a food drive. 2. Criticize: These editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions or situations while providing solutions to the problem identified. Immediate purpose is to get readers to see the problem, not the solution. 3. Persuade: Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution, not the problem. From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific, positive action. Political endorsements are good examples of editorials of persuasion. 4. Praise: These editorials commend people and organizations for something done well. They are not as common as the other three. How to Write an Editorial 1. Pick a significant topic that has a current news angle and would interest readers. 2. Collect information and facts; include objective reporting; do research 3. State your opinion briefly in the fashion of a thesis statement 4. Explain the issue objectively as a reporter would and tell why this situation is important 5. Give opposing viewpoint first with its quotations and facts 6. Refute (reject) the other side and develop your case using facts, details, figures, quotations. Pick apart the other side's logic. 7. Concede a point of the opposition — they must have some good points you can acknowledge that would make you look rational. 8. Repeat key phrases to reinforce an idea into the reader's minds. 9. Give a realistic solution(s) to the problem that goes beyond common knowledge. Encourage critical thinking and pro-active reaction. 10. Wrap it up in a concluding punch that restates your opening remark (thesis statement). 11. Keep it to 500 words; make every work count; never use "I" On your blog, in a post titled Editorials and Personal Columns, list three ideas you have for an editorial that could appear on The Pursuit on it's first day. That means it needs to be a current topic that relates to Anderson students and staff. Timeliness is important!! After receiving feedback from your peers, ask those same questions of yourself. What do you like about your piece? How effective is your lead at establishing the story? What are the essential details and information the reader needs to know to understand the story? How could you improve your story?
Consider incorporating peer suggestions in your final draft. Today, you will take a look at the first drafts of your peers' articles. In groups of 3-4, you will share copies of your first draft.
After reading your peers' article, craft your feedback in the form of an email response to these four questions: 1. What did you like about the article? Think about what the strengths of the article are. 2. From the lead paragraph, what did you expect the story to be about? 3. To fully understand the story, what do you need (or want) to know? 4. If this were your story, what would you do to strengthen the article? Responses should be directed TO the author and not ABOUT the author. Use "you/your" language. When you are finished, email your peer with the feedback (and copy me). Your groups are: Sam, Sophie, Nicole Lauren, Elinor, Faris, Diana Evan, Stephanie, Ana, Iris |
AuthorMr. Forinash is the teacher for Journalism I Archives
April 2016
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