Feature story is an article in a newspaper, a magazine, or a news website that is not meant to report breaking news, but to take an in-depth look at a subject. While there are no precise guidelines on the differentiation between features and news stories, features are often significantly longer than news articles, are more likely to be written from a personal perspective, and unlike news stories do not always deal with the events of the immediate past.
Features are written in a less urgent fashion than news stories, sometimes taking several paragraphs to arrive at the main story while trying to engage the reader and keep them reading by employing narrative hooks.
Feature stories often delve deeper into their subjects, expanding on the details rather than trying to concentrate on a few important key points. The writing style of the articles can be more colorful and employ a more complex narrative structure, sometimes resembling the style of a nonfiction book more than a news report.
As the print media faces ever stiffer competition from other sources of news, feature stories are becoming more common because they can be more engaging to read. At many newspapers, news stories are sometimes written in "feature style," adopting some of the conventions of feature writing while still covering breaking events. Wire services such as the Associated Press, which previously made a point of distributing only news, now also include feature stories.
SOURCE: WikiPedia
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
FINAL: WHAT MAKES ME READ AN ARTICLE
The reason I read an article is not just for the gossips and not because of the excitement whenever I read the lines “rumors has it”.
I read stories in the newspapers and magazines because it helps me fill the spaces in my knowledge box and it keeps me on track with what is happening in the society.
Before, I was reading just to entertain myself. But it changed after I decided to take up journalism and so I had to read, read, and read. But some articles are really boring and corny while some are really worthy of your time.
Articles that use action words and the ones that seem to be retelling a story are the most interesting. Exciting and lively kind of stories are the ones that captures my interest and makes me want to read on.
The ones with facts and background stories keep me reading because it gives me additional knowledge about certain issues. And these issues are explained well when writers use background stories as basis for their opinions.
My favorite genre of reading materials are stories that hold me in suspense. Every words count and every paragraphs and sentences are important to complete the thought of the story. I am always thrilled with every scene in the story that i feel I'm part of it. The enjoyment and fun that I experience makes me do everything just to finish an article.
I read stories in the newspapers and magazines because it helps me fill the spaces in my knowledge box and it keeps me on track with what is happening in the society.
Before, I was reading just to entertain myself. But it changed after I decided to take up journalism and so I had to read, read, and read. But some articles are really boring and corny while some are really worthy of your time.
Articles that use action words and the ones that seem to be retelling a story are the most interesting. Exciting and lively kind of stories are the ones that captures my interest and makes me want to read on.
The ones with facts and background stories keep me reading because it gives me additional knowledge about certain issues. And these issues are explained well when writers use background stories as basis for their opinions.
My favorite genre of reading materials are stories that hold me in suspense. Every words count and every paragraphs and sentences are important to complete the thought of the story. I am always thrilled with every scene in the story that i feel I'm part of it. The enjoyment and fun that I experience makes me do everything just to finish an article.
FINAL: THERE'S MORE TO LEARN
The Manila Times, to some is just the oldest surviving English newspaper in the Philippines, but to aspiring journalists, it’s the perfect place to learn and receive training.
The Manila Times newspaper was revived in 2001 and along with this was the foundation of the Manila Times School of Journalism. A school that is run by professional journalists and the faculty is composed of experienced print and broadcast practitioners.
The School of Journalism also has a similar curriculum to the University of Sto.Tomas (UST), Colegio San Juan de Letran and others.
The school’s programs and training also requires only three years of studying. Because of this, the school attracts numerous students from all over the country to enroll. And the achievements of the earlier graduates of the school had been the greatest proof of the excellent training the school offers.
Just recently, the Manila Times decided to change the school’s name from “School of Journalism” to “Manila Times College” and with this they also changed the school year division from Trimester to Semestral and added another year of training along with additional courses offered: AB English and AB History starting this coming school year 2008-2009.
The question now, would these changes affect the school’s ability to attract more aspiring journalists?
An additional year for training might decrease the number of students enrolling in the school since the shorter year of training have been the reason of some in choosing the Manila Times from other universities. “I checked the curriculum of UST and Manila Times, they were the same. But since Times offers the course training shorter, I decided to enroll here” said Krista Montealegre a graduating student of the Manila Times School of Journalism.
In the part of the administrators, another year of studying means more to learn and more practice before the students face the real world.
Dante Ang II had once quoted during one of his classes “the graduates of the three-year course offered here in Manila Times showed excellent performances but their attitudes toward work is a bit immature”
For the school’s administrators, talent means everything but less training and exposure may affect the students’ attitudes and personalities. Hopefully, these newly implemented changes in The Manila Times College would help develop and nurture journalists and communication practitioners to possess, represent and build upon the values of competence, ethics, social responsibility and truth.
The Manila Times newspaper was revived in 2001 and along with this was the foundation of the Manila Times School of Journalism. A school that is run by professional journalists and the faculty is composed of experienced print and broadcast practitioners.
The School of Journalism also has a similar curriculum to the University of Sto.Tomas (UST), Colegio San Juan de Letran and others.
The school’s programs and training also requires only three years of studying. Because of this, the school attracts numerous students from all over the country to enroll. And the achievements of the earlier graduates of the school had been the greatest proof of the excellent training the school offers.
Just recently, the Manila Times decided to change the school’s name from “School of Journalism” to “Manila Times College” and with this they also changed the school year division from Trimester to Semestral and added another year of training along with additional courses offered: AB English and AB History starting this coming school year 2008-2009.
The question now, would these changes affect the school’s ability to attract more aspiring journalists?
An additional year for training might decrease the number of students enrolling in the school since the shorter year of training have been the reason of some in choosing the Manila Times from other universities. “I checked the curriculum of UST and Manila Times, they were the same. But since Times offers the course training shorter, I decided to enroll here” said Krista Montealegre a graduating student of the Manila Times School of Journalism.
In the part of the administrators, another year of studying means more to learn and more practice before the students face the real world.
Dante Ang II had once quoted during one of his classes “the graduates of the three-year course offered here in Manila Times showed excellent performances but their attitudes toward work is a bit immature”
For the school’s administrators, talent means everything but less training and exposure may affect the students’ attitudes and personalities. Hopefully, these newly implemented changes in The Manila Times College would help develop and nurture journalists and communication practitioners to possess, represent and build upon the values of competence, ethics, social responsibility and truth.
Raising the Dead
Raising the Dead
By Noah Shachtman
1. What captivates you about the story? How does he paint a picture for the reader? Cite the passages that are most compelling for you.
- The story has presented various stories of people trying to solve cold cases even if they don’t earn from it and their perseverance and obsession attracted me to read the whole article. And it was how the writer presented the facts that made the story very interesting, how he illustrated the scenes and how he explains the feeling of each character.
(from the article) Matthews also makes regular trips to the lonely spot where his father-in-law found the tent girl. The trees must have been in full bloom then – it was the middle of May. Maybe the waters of Eagle Creek weren’t sickly greenish-brown, like rust and blood and industrial waste had been collecting there for two generations. But when Matthews brings me along, there are no leaves. The creek looks like liquid cancer. The air is clotted with the smell of rotting flesh.
2. Who is the target audience for this publication? How does the story relate to them? Does the story appeal to other demographic groups as well, and if so, why?
- the target audience for this publication could be the mystery-book readers, those who might find it interesting to read an article of a real-life situation where a simple local solves a cold case and sometimes cops in real life or the families who are suffering because they have the same situation as the people in the story. The story have presented hope for the families of missing people, that what Matthews did before could be repeated and that someday they’ll find there loved ones too.
3. What "rules" did the writer break?
- The writer wasn’t able to connect the beginning of his story with how he ended it. Though he did broke a rule but still he was able to present the story without any missing links or things that could’ve made the story vague. The ending was the best way to end it based on how he wrote it.
4. How does the writer end the story? Why is it effective?
- The writer ends the story as if he was talking about a living girl. It was quite moving, because the story was talking about how a man solves a case of a missing girl, a dead girl and then another phase of his life begins from there and then numerous findings have made him known by many as the mystery solver but then at the end of his story he again remembers the tent girl as if he had met her and had treasured her from then.
By Noah Shachtman
1. What captivates you about the story? How does he paint a picture for the reader? Cite the passages that are most compelling for you.
- The story has presented various stories of people trying to solve cold cases even if they don’t earn from it and their perseverance and obsession attracted me to read the whole article. And it was how the writer presented the facts that made the story very interesting, how he illustrated the scenes and how he explains the feeling of each character.
(from the article) Matthews also makes regular trips to the lonely spot where his father-in-law found the tent girl. The trees must have been in full bloom then – it was the middle of May. Maybe the waters of Eagle Creek weren’t sickly greenish-brown, like rust and blood and industrial waste had been collecting there for two generations. But when Matthews brings me along, there are no leaves. The creek looks like liquid cancer. The air is clotted with the smell of rotting flesh.
2. Who is the target audience for this publication? How does the story relate to them? Does the story appeal to other demographic groups as well, and if so, why?
- the target audience for this publication could be the mystery-book readers, those who might find it interesting to read an article of a real-life situation where a simple local solves a cold case and sometimes cops in real life or the families who are suffering because they have the same situation as the people in the story. The story have presented hope for the families of missing people, that what Matthews did before could be repeated and that someday they’ll find there loved ones too.
3. What "rules" did the writer break?
- The writer wasn’t able to connect the beginning of his story with how he ended it. Though he did broke a rule but still he was able to present the story without any missing links or things that could’ve made the story vague. The ending was the best way to end it based on how he wrote it.
4. How does the writer end the story? Why is it effective?
- The writer ends the story as if he was talking about a living girl. It was quite moving, because the story was talking about how a man solves a case of a missing girl, a dead girl and then another phase of his life begins from there and then numerous findings have made him known by many as the mystery solver but then at the end of his story he again remembers the tent girl as if he had met her and had treasured her from then.
Battle Company is Out There
Battle Company is Out There
By Elizabeth Rubin
1. Does the writer hold your attention through a long article? If she does, how did she do it? If not, why?
- No, I wasn’t that interested to finish the entire article because the writer has used a very boring style of writing this feature. It has a very interesting topic but she failed to illustrate the story lively that I wanted to throw it away when I was just at the third page. War, especially if you are where it is happening, is an exciting story to tell, but without using appropriate words to arouse the excitement among readers then the experience would just go to waste.
2. Quote the most vivid and vigorous sentences in this feature.
- When Kearney’s moment of decision came, two of 2nd Platoon’s sergeants, Kevin Rice and Tanner Stitcher, had been shot, and the fight was still going on. Kearney could see a woman and child in the house. “We saw people moving weapons around,” Kearney told me. “I tried everything. I fired mortars to the back side to get the kids to run out the front. I shot to the left, to the right. The Apache” – an attack helicopter – “got shot at the left. Kept asking for a bomb drop, but no one wanted to sign off on the collateral damage of dropping a bomb on a house.” Finally, he said “we shot a javelin and a tow” – both armor-piercing missiles. “I didn’t get shot at from there for two months,” Kearney said. “I ended up killing that woman and that kid.”
3. Write this feature as straight news, 100 words maximum.
- More American soldiers are being killed as the Korengal Valley is raided to defeat Afghan insurgents. In the last two years, American soldiers have increased their presence in the Kunar province but Korengal was tougher than Iraq that lieutenants and captains can’t leave their posts at night in fear that enemies would attack and wash them all off.
The absence of Afghan government made the American’s work harder. Afghans were protecting the insurgents like Los Angeles people would as compared by Kearney, “And were the L.A.P.D. kicking doors, arresting guys, demanding for information about gangs. But we’ve angered them for so many years that they’ve decided ‘I’m gonna stick with the anticoalition militants, who are my brothers and I’m not gonna rat them out.”
After the 9/11 bomb attack the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have used bombs more than the ground troops and as a result the deaths of innocent civilians increase along with the number of dead American soldiers.
By Elizabeth Rubin
1. Does the writer hold your attention through a long article? If she does, how did she do it? If not, why?
- No, I wasn’t that interested to finish the entire article because the writer has used a very boring style of writing this feature. It has a very interesting topic but she failed to illustrate the story lively that I wanted to throw it away when I was just at the third page. War, especially if you are where it is happening, is an exciting story to tell, but without using appropriate words to arouse the excitement among readers then the experience would just go to waste.
2. Quote the most vivid and vigorous sentences in this feature.
- When Kearney’s moment of decision came, two of 2nd Platoon’s sergeants, Kevin Rice and Tanner Stitcher, had been shot, and the fight was still going on. Kearney could see a woman and child in the house. “We saw people moving weapons around,” Kearney told me. “I tried everything. I fired mortars to the back side to get the kids to run out the front. I shot to the left, to the right. The Apache” – an attack helicopter – “got shot at the left. Kept asking for a bomb drop, but no one wanted to sign off on the collateral damage of dropping a bomb on a house.” Finally, he said “we shot a javelin and a tow” – both armor-piercing missiles. “I didn’t get shot at from there for two months,” Kearney said. “I ended up killing that woman and that kid.”
3. Write this feature as straight news, 100 words maximum.
- More American soldiers are being killed as the Korengal Valley is raided to defeat Afghan insurgents. In the last two years, American soldiers have increased their presence in the Kunar province but Korengal was tougher than Iraq that lieutenants and captains can’t leave their posts at night in fear that enemies would attack and wash them all off.
The absence of Afghan government made the American’s work harder. Afghans were protecting the insurgents like Los Angeles people would as compared by Kearney, “And were the L.A.P.D. kicking doors, arresting guys, demanding for information about gangs. But we’ve angered them for so many years that they’ve decided ‘I’m gonna stick with the anticoalition militants, who are my brothers and I’m not gonna rat them out.”
After the 9/11 bomb attack the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have used bombs more than the ground troops and as a result the deaths of innocent civilians increase along with the number of dead American soldiers.
Tragedy of Britney Spears
The Tragedy of Britney Spears
By Vanessa Grigoriadis
1. How does this article differ from the usual celebrity and gossip features? Does this article elevate itself from the typical celebrity and gossip feature?
- This article is very much different from the usual tabloid celebrity gossip feature. I didn’t think its also sensationalizing, its more of a ‘real story’ on how Britney fell. It was a story of tragedies, but this time I didn’t hate Britney for doing rude and bad things, instead she got my sympathy. Her life was horrible with people crowding behind her trying to be the hero but at the same time making money out of ‘her’, and it made me feel sorry for her. It was different mainly because it wasn’t another monster out of Britney, but instead, the feature showed the poor girl behind the wild ‘animal’.
2. How does the writer hold the reader's interest about a subject matter that is over exposed?
- The writer used different side of the subject’s story. She used people from the past and from the present. She was able to present the story interestingly with different interviews from different angles. She also added real stories behind the stories that already came out and that made it very interesting to read.
3. How does the writer appeal to readers who are not admirers or sympathizers of this celebrity?
- The writer showed the good Britney and the bad Britney, she was able to illustrate how the celebrity was before and who she had turned into. The writer didn’t even say his own opinion on how Britney should be treated, but instead she left the readers the right on how to judge the actions of Britney from the past until now.
4. What voice does the writer use and does it work for the magazine's target audience?
- The writer used an active voice and it was perfect since he was retelling stories from the past and present and it felt as if she was just in front of me telling me how wonderful Britney’s life could’ve been if not for the people around her. And I think the audience will really appreciate and understand what the writer wanted to say through her choice of words.
By Vanessa Grigoriadis
1. How does this article differ from the usual celebrity and gossip features? Does this article elevate itself from the typical celebrity and gossip feature?
- This article is very much different from the usual tabloid celebrity gossip feature. I didn’t think its also sensationalizing, its more of a ‘real story’ on how Britney fell. It was a story of tragedies, but this time I didn’t hate Britney for doing rude and bad things, instead she got my sympathy. Her life was horrible with people crowding behind her trying to be the hero but at the same time making money out of ‘her’, and it made me feel sorry for her. It was different mainly because it wasn’t another monster out of Britney, but instead, the feature showed the poor girl behind the wild ‘animal’.
2. How does the writer hold the reader's interest about a subject matter that is over exposed?
- The writer used different side of the subject’s story. She used people from the past and from the present. She was able to present the story interestingly with different interviews from different angles. She also added real stories behind the stories that already came out and that made it very interesting to read.
3. How does the writer appeal to readers who are not admirers or sympathizers of this celebrity?
- The writer showed the good Britney and the bad Britney, she was able to illustrate how the celebrity was before and who she had turned into. The writer didn’t even say his own opinion on how Britney should be treated, but instead she left the readers the right on how to judge the actions of Britney from the past until now.
4. What voice does the writer use and does it work for the magazine's target audience?
- The writer used an active voice and it was perfect since he was retelling stories from the past and present and it felt as if she was just in front of me telling me how wonderful Britney’s life could’ve been if not for the people around her. And I think the audience will really appreciate and understand what the writer wanted to say through her choice of words.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
REVISED: What makes me read an article?
The reasons I read an article is not just for the gossips and not because of the excitement whenever I read the lines “rumors hast it”.
I read stories in the newspapers and magazines because it helps me fill the spaces in my knowledge box and it keeps me on track with what is happening in the society.
Before, I was reading just to entertain myself and not to be educated, but it changed after I decided to take up journalism. I had to read, read, and read. But some articles are really boring and corny and some are really worthy of your time.
Articles that use action words and the ones that seem to be retelling a story are the most interesting. Exciting and lively kind of stories are the ones that captures my interest and makes me want to read on.
The ones with facts and background stories also keep me reading and hold me in suspense that I’d do everything just to finish it.
I read stories in the newspapers and magazines because it helps me fill the spaces in my knowledge box and it keeps me on track with what is happening in the society.
Before, I was reading just to entertain myself and not to be educated, but it changed after I decided to take up journalism. I had to read, read, and read. But some articles are really boring and corny and some are really worthy of your time.
Articles that use action words and the ones that seem to be retelling a story are the most interesting. Exciting and lively kind of stories are the ones that captures my interest and makes me want to read on.
The ones with facts and background stories also keep me reading and hold me in suspense that I’d do everything just to finish it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
