How to write an analytical feature So how do we write a good feature? What are the key ingredients?

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IIJ Economic Journalism Berlin 2011

!efine the "E# $%E&'I() it is trying to answer *Bad +uestion , -ad feature It has a &'.%/'%.E It has 1(/%&E! /()'E)' It has a 3.I44I)3 I)'.( It has a reada-le &'#6E It has a 48#(11 that feels like an ending

Lets look at these in more detail...

'HE 4(I)' (1 'HE 1E8'%.E9 %nless you ha:e identified the key +uestion you are trying to answer; you are ne:er going to write a good feature< 8 feature is not o=inion< It is not a rant< It is an attem=t to look dis=assionately; at the e:idence and =ro:ide some kind of answer to a to=ical +uestion< Has =ower =ri:atisation lead to lower =rices? Why did com=any > go -ust? What future for &tate 8irline?

'his e:en a==lies to =rofiles9 Has /hief E?ecuti:e &unil .amakrishnant got a sound strategy for the com=any he is running? What does /hief E?ecuti:e @ohammed 8li think a-out the key issues affecting his com=anyAthe economy Why is it worth kee=ing an eye on Economics @inister 8=ril (dinga

&o figure out the $%E&'I() you are trying to answer<

)ow; the +uestion may or may not -e your ownB < It may -e that it is o-:ious to all in the newsroom It may -e that you ha:e thought u= the idea for the feature yourself It may -e that the news editorAeditor has de=uted you to write it< If that is the case; try to esta-lish e?actly what exactly the commissioning editor has in mind< 'alk it through< 8nd if heAshe doesnCt know; go -ack and discuss again when #(% ha:e a clear idea of what it &H(%6! -e a-out< In many cases; you may not know the key +uestion at the outset< #ou know that the issue is worth a dee=er look< But it is only after you ha:e -egun researching that you disco:er the cru? of the issue< 'he im=ortant thing is to -e looking for the key +uestion; to identify it when you find it; and then to ensure you address it in the feature< 2 &'.%/'%.E If you are going to ask a +uestion; you ha:e to try to answer it< #ou donCt ha:e to do so at the end< #ou could do so at the -eginning; or anywhere else you choose< But the old Donly time will tellE =ayoff is )(' 3((! E)(%3H< !uring your research; you should identify the key elements of the issue; and co:er them< #ou will usually ha:e to -e selecti:e< E:en 1000 words is rarely enough to co:er e:ery rele:ant detail< But you canCt co:er any issue in much less than 100 words F e:en 200 is sometimes a challenge F so you will ha:e to identify fi:e or si? key elements; and discard the rest< #ou then ha:e to order these mini-cha=ters< !o it in a way that makes your thoughts easy to follow< It could -e order-of-e:ents; it could -e ad:antages and disad:antages; it could -e =oint and counter-=oint< But it @%&' -e easy to follow; and the cha=ters must -e Goined with links that sign=ost to the reader where you are going<

1(/%&E! /()'E)' When you are writing; I)/6%!E what is rele:ant< 6E8HE (%' WH8' I& )('< 8nd include all of the necessary /()'E>'< &o many features fail -ecause they are written for insiders< 'o remind yourself what conte?t you need to include; imagine you ha:e Gust arri:ed from @ars<

If you are writing a-out a com=any; you need to say what it does; how -ig it is; how =rofita-le *or otherwise it is; why it matters< If you are writing a-out an indi:idual; say where he or she is from *=lace; =re:ious Go-s; whate:er has sha=ed them Bmay-e e:en where they seem to -e going toB #ou also need to =ro:ide any necessary history; geogra=hy; and so on; and e?=lain technical terms so that they can -e understood -y your readers or listeners< !( )(' (HE.E&'I@8'E their financial literacy; or their fascination with the su-Gect<

3.I44I)3 I)'.( How many features do you -other to read F or listen too on the radioAwatch on the 'H -efore you change channel?? #ou really ha:e only one sentence in which to gra- the attention of your target audience F at -est two or three< &o youC:e got to make them count< #ou can =ro:ide a gri==ing summary9 DWhen .aGdee= &ingh decided to e?tend his =en factory; he ne:er imagined he was going to unco:er a mass gra:e<E #ou can intrigue9 D@id-afternoon; mid-week; @id-3lamorganE for a feature a-out rural industrial de:elo=ment #ou can try to fascinate with colour9 DWith white-uniformed stewards dancing attendance; media tycoon 3erry 6o:it and Internet -illionaire Julio 1ernandeI toasted their deal on the afterdeck of 6o:itCs yacht anchored in the har-our at /annes<E 'y=ical %" &unday news=a=er; ty=ical Wall &treet Journal< B%' -e careful of this< It is o:er-used; and unless the action is really interesting; it gets a yawn< #ou can do 8)#'HI)3 that gets attention; =ro:ided your editor will allow itJ 8nd the more original the -etter< 8 good intro might come to you in a flash< (r it might take hours to gestate< 4ersonally; I often wander away from my com=uter for a few minutes to make a cu= of coffee or some such thing and formulate the intro =artly in my su--conscious< But e:en once youC:e got the idea; itCs worth working at it F for as long as it takes or as long as you ha:e - to try to find the =erfect words<

&'#6E /lear< &im=le< 1resh and original< 8nd de:oid of clichKs< )ow thereCs a challenge< But it is worth working at; -ecause good writing carries readers effortlessly< 'he era of 50 word sentences is gone< 'oday; increasingly; we write as we s=eak F in :ery short; sim=le sentences; without the hesitations and re=etition< &ometimes sim=le techni+ues work< 'ry writing two sentences of 20 words; then one of Gust 10< If your ideas are -adly e?=ressed; or lost in :er-iage; then they wonCt reach the reader< &o in a =iece that is longer than a news story; which is more than a structured list of new facts; you need to write in a way that will hel= the reader get to the endBand a-sor- what you ha:e to say< .eaders flooded with information; most of which is irrele:ant< 4ro:ide them with rele:ant information; clearly e?=ressed; and they will kee= reading; or kee= listening< .ead features written -y others and try to figure out why the good ones work< #ou can =astiche a style you like until you de:elo= one of your own< I sometimes find it useful to read the Economist; which; -y and large; is made u= of sim=ly-e?=ressed ideas in short sentences< 'hrough some su-conscious =rocess it hel=s me write in a similar style (r you can imagine you are e?=laining it to your mother< (r e:en to a child< If in dou-t; kee= it sim=le; and se+uential<

'HE 48#(11 I often like a -it of circularity in my features< If I o=en with a =articular idea; I like to come -ack to it as I lea:e< It gi:es the reader a sense of com=leteness; es=ecially if you o=ened with a +uestion which you answer at the end< But you can do it with geogra=hy; or time; or a =ersonB<

But it isnCt o-ligatory< 'he most im=ortant thing is to allow the reader to lea:e with the sense that the +uestion; that key +uestion we are addressing; has -een answered< What if the answer isnCt clear? He; or she; should reach the end knowing what are the key issues9 after that; he or she can make u= their own mind< &im=le; isnCt it? E)!&

L /o=yright of /ayssials Business /ommunication &8.6