Feature Writing in Journalism. Types of Feature Articles and 7 Types of Features Writing With Examples. Types of Feature Stories.
List of Contents
Feature Writing in Journalism
Feature writing refers to the feature article or feature story. In journalism, feature writing is a longer, more in-depth non-fiction story that covers actual events, issues, and trends. Feature writing is also known as a feature article or story. According to the BBC, the feature articles are soft news and human-interest stories. The primary objectives of feature articles are to add color, humanize, educate, and entertain both active and passive audiences.
A feature article in journalism must have three essential parts: news lead, body, and end. According to the inverted pyramid style, the news lead presents the key information, the news body provides details, and the news tail provides additional information. However, the feature story writing style does not thoroughly comply with the inverted pyramid style of news article writing. The news articles, such as hard news, follow the inverted pyramid model comprehensively. Feature writing is the genre of print media and digital journalism.
Types of Features Writing
The 7 Types of Feature Articles are:
- Profile Feature Article
- Round-up Feature Article
- How-To Feature Article
- Personal Experience Feature Article
- Review Feature Article
- Travel Feature Article
- Obituary Feature Article
These are the most common types of feature writing and stories in journalism. The author presents the seven types of feature articles as examples for students.
1. Profile Feature Article
A profile feature article demonstrates a person’s appearance, characteristics, lifestyle, emotions, hobbies, and positive aspects. Therefore, it is also known as personality story writing. People are always curious to know about others. Consequently, it is one of the most important types of human interest features in journalism. So, the journalist needs to take the person’s consent and assistance to write a profile feature article. A profile feature story aims to show how a person gains recognition and to elaborate on a person, place, idea, or organization. In addition, it displays feelings, exposes attitudes, and captures habits and characteristics. Finally, profile feature writing entertains and informs the audience about a person or group.
The profile feature article emphasizes those in a good position in society: criminals who reach the milestone, gain experience, and want to justify their attention. The personality news feature article provides basic information about the subject, including physical characteristics, personality, intelligence and abilities, background, dreams, and surroundings. It is the most significant feature writing among the seven types of feature stories.
Example of Profile Feature Article:
The Untold Stories of Paul McCartney
2. Round-up Feature Article
The round-up feature article refers to posts on blogs and social media platforms where writers present various ideas and suggestions. Sometimes, reviewers play the role of journalists and evaluate products that help potential customers make decisions. Additionally, the employees write a product round-up feature for the customers and stakeholders.
Example of Round-up Feature Article
Five tips on how to pick the perfect roommate
3. How-To News Feature Article
The how-to feature is an article that shares someone’s experiences to help others understand that phenomenon. It is undoubtedly a great way to help people complete new tasks and achieve new goals. Writing a “how-to article” is a great way to share your expertise with other people. Therefore, it is another crucial genre of news feature articles to solve problems.
The scholars propose instructions for writing a complete how-to feature article, including using a transitional verb to maintain sequence, gathering questions about the topic, elaborating on steps, mentioning what will happen next, and sharing the consequences.
Example of the How-To Feature Writing
How to Write:
How To Write a Feature Article in Journalism
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Rule of How-to Feature News Article Writing
Firstly, the writers need to spend 30% of their time researching and finding the story idea. Additionally, they need to pay 30% of their time doing interviews and reporting. Finally, journalists need to spend 40% of their time writing the article. Journalists spend more time studying than writing articles.
4. Personal Experience Feature Article
Personal experience feature writing is a form of journalism in which an expert shares an article. It is another type of feature writing in journalism in which experts share their experiences. Nowadays, writers share their expertise on print and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The fundamental objectives of the personal experience feature are to share experiences and educate others. It also assists in coping with new challenges.
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5. Review the Feature Article
The review feature is an article that critically assesses and summarizes topics such as books, movies, articles, fashion, arts, restaurant policies, performances, etc. It is also called the overview or survey article. The primary objective of writing a review article is to offer an honest analysis and provide suggestions to the audience. The 3 Idiots film review is an example of a movie review feature in journalism.
Example of Review Feature Article:
6. Travel Feature Article
The travel feature in journalism is a report on travel guides, with photos and suggestions. It explores nature’s beauty and explains travel guidelines for the journey. The travel feature in journalism is also known as a travel story or travelogue. People travel for various reasons, such as personal business, job-related travel, immigration, curiosity, and adventure. According to Rob McFarland (2007), photos are an inevitable element in travelogue features, making them more exciting and vivid for audiences. So, journalists need to follow some instructions when adding photos to articles, including using the rule of thirds, placing something in the foreground, filling the frame, and using a frame.
Example of Travel Feature Article:
Travelogue Example for Students– Tour To Japan
7. The Obituary Features Article
An obituary is an article that announces a death and provides details about the funeral. It also includes background information such as date of birth, birth location, education, occupation, legacy, and a meaningful summary of a person’s life.
Example of Obituary Feature
Diana, Princess of Wales, 36, Died in a Crash in Paris
Conclusion
The seven types of features in journalism are profile, round-up, how-to, personal experience, review, travelogue, and obituary articles. Feature articles in journalism explain and disseminate factual information regarding people, places, processes, history, expertise, experience, and so on. It is a great platform to educate people about unknown phenomena. People are benefiting from both personal and corporate perspectives through feature articles. Therefore, it substantially impacts society by imparting knowledge and entertainment.