HOW TO WRITE A GREAT FEATURE

ARTICLE?
DEFINITION

•Stresses accuracy and

A form of truth
reporting •Never sacrifices accuracy
for creativity

•News provides information

Differs from •Features interpret, add
news in its intent depth and color, instruct or
entertain

•Provides story and

information from a unique
Not just dry facts angle
TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Profiles/ Interviews

Humorous Reflections

Personal Experiences /
Anecdotes
TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES

Online Articles

Background info on local,

national and international
events

Human Interest
TECHNIQUE

Lead Nut Graph Body Conclusion

Title
(Intro) (Angle) (Blocks ) (Ending)

History
The entire article in a
Grabs the reader's Best leads anecdotal in nutshell
Sense of Closure
attention nature, 3 paragraphs long,
Scope

, illustrates how that

individual case is actually
representative of a bigger Cause
trend or how it fits into a
bigger overall picture
A microcosm of the bigger
Highlights main idea Ends the story with a punch
story
Impact
a well-worn formula that’s
still used by the Wall Street
Journal and countless other
publications today.
Action of contrary force
A good lead beckons, The best kind either sums
invites, informs, attracts up and/or reinforces the
Includes keywords and entices. “a paragraph that says what central message of the
this whole story is about story
and why you should read it. Future
FIVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES YOU CAN TAKE
ON A TOPIC

Smokin
g
•People who have suffered diseases
as a result of smoking

•How smoking leads to

diseases

• The rise of smoking among

women in urban areas

• How cigarette companies use

innovative strategies to target
teens

•The story of the first person to sue a

cigarette company for causing him to
develop cancer
 Language and Style
A personal
Use of
tone through
relevant
the use of Facts to
jargon to add
informal, validate the
authenticity
colloquial writer’s
to the
and first viewpoint
information &
person
opinions
narrative
 Language and Style
Use of Use of
Anecdotes to
exaggeration rhetorical
hold the
& question to
reader’s
generalization involve the
attention
to add humor reader
 Language and Style
Effective
Emotive
use of
words to Use of direct
imagery and
evoke a quotes to
description
personal personalise
to engage
response in the topic
reader’s
the reader
imagination
DON’T FORGET
RESEARCH

BE INSIGHTFUL WRITE WELL

BE
ENTERTAIN
AUTHORITATIVE