LA CARLOTA CITY COLLEGE

-oOo-

ENGLISH 41/61

MODULE IN
CAMPUS
JOURNALISM

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Larren Joy Tumpag-Castillo

FACEBOOK: Larren Joy Tumpag Castillo
GMAIL: larrenjoytumpag@deped.gov.ph
 FEATURE WRITING
What Is a Feature Story?
• Oxford Dictionary defines a feature article as “a newspaper or magazine article that deals in
depth with a particular topic.”
• Cambridge Dictionary calls a feature article as, “a special article in a newspaper or magazine,
or a part of a television or radio broadcast that deals with a particular subject.”
• Feature stories emphasize on people, places and issues that affect the lives of readers.
o A story that narrates the plight of the homeless people in Mumbai can be considered to
be a feature story. While it is as important as a news story, it isn’t governed by the
immediacy factor.
• Notwithstanding, a news event can also inspire a feature story. While the news story will focus
on the facts and figures and reveal the 5Ws and 1H, the feature story will adopt a specific angle
and go deep into it.
• A feature story is not really a hard piece of news and is distinguished by the way it is written. In
fact, feature stories should be unique in their style of reporting and should have a different style
of writing and expression.
• News writers follow the inverted pyramid structure while feature writers go by the upright pyramid
structure.
• To be more precise, a feature must essentially conform to the three-act structure of storytelling
wherein the narrative is divided into three distinct segments – the setup, the confrontation and
the resolution.
The APPLAUSE Formula
According to a popular theory, a feature story must subscribe to the APPLAUSE Formula, where
each letter of the word APPLAUSE stands for the following values:

A Appeal
P Plain Facts
P Personalities
L Logic
A Action
U Universal/ Unique
S Significance
E Energy/ Enthusiasm

Let us now try to comprehend the significance of each of the words used above:

Appeal: A feature must evoke interest. If it doesn’t, it can’t ever become a feature story. At some level
and somewhere, it must appeal to the senses of the readers. The Syrian Refugee Crisis appeals to the
emotive chord of the readers and hence it is potential feature material for most of the news
organizations.

Plain Facts: Facts are stranger than fiction and so goes the adage. If we are to believe this, it becomes
obvious that facts sell more than fictions do. A feature report must essentially deal with facts for it to
become acceptable. A reported must ensure that the feature has enough plain facts.

Personalities: Readers like celebrities. If a feature narrates the personal story of an individual who is
important enough, readers will lap it up. An interview or a biographical piece can be very interesting
depending on who it deals with.
Logic: Obviously, a feature story has to conform to logical considerations. If it isn’t dictated by a natural
flow of facts, no one will buy the argument inherent in the story. The story has to move from one part
of the subject it is dealing with to the other part seamlessly. Let us take an example. If a story talks about
the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, it has to start from how it was commissioned and flow seamlessly
into an account of the protests that happened. However, if the story deliberates only on the protests
without taking into consideration the background, the story will remain logically incomplete.

Action: A feature should ideally incite people into action. Only then, it fulfills its objective. What is
journalism if it doesn’t spur people into doing something? The inherent purpose of journalism is to bring
about a positive change and a feature is a distinct tool to do just that.

Universal/ Unique: A feature should have a decidedly universal orientation. It needs to be palatable
and useful to all and sundry. It can’t necessarily target a certain section of readers alone. At the same
time, the feature can do extremely well if it deals with something that is unique and essentially different.

Significance: The feature has to ideally deal with a subject matter that has impact on people’s lives. In
some way or the other, the feature should have some relevance in the daily lives of people.

Energy/ Enthusiasm: A feature should be emphatic in its approach. It should be convinced about its
own subject matter. In other words, a feature story needs to be energetic and enthusiastic in nature.

TYPES OF FEATURES
In The Universal Journalist, an iconic textbook on journalism, the British journalist David Randall argues
for the following different types of feature stories:

1. Colour Piece: A feature story that essentially tries to enlighten readers on a particular theme or
subject.

2. Fly on the Wall: A feature story that is conceived and narrated unobtrusively and mostly without the
explicit permission of the subjects.

3. Behind the Scenes: A feature story that shifts its focus from the principal event to the background
and narrates an interesting tale.

4. In Disguise: A feature story that is told while the storyteller is a part of the event.

5. Interview: A feature story that develops itself around questions asked to a respondent, who is usually
in a place of prominence.

6. Profile: A feature story that is based on the exploits of a particular eminent person with or without his/
her interview.

7. How-To: A feature story that is dependent on research and helps readers in solving a problem or
deciphering a scenario.

8. Fact Box/ Chronology: A feature story that provides plain and simple facts mostly in a chronological
order.

9. Backgrounder/ A History of: A feature story that provides detailed information.

10. Full Texts: A feature story that is nothing but extracts from a book or transcripts of an interview.

11. Testimony: A feature story that is the first-person account of an individual.

12. Analysis: A feature story that scholarly analyzes an event.

13. Vox Pop/ Expert Roundup: A feature story that accumulates opinions from the general citizenry and
thought leaders concerning a subject.

14. Opinion Poll: A feature story that conducts a research of opinions and presents a generalized
summary of the accumulated opinions.

15. Review: A feature story that reviews a work of art and presents a generalized opinion.

NOTE: While news items are extremely important, feature stories play the extremely critical role of
building opinions and inciting actions. Features are extensively used for the purpose for advocacy as
well. Feature writing is a skill that is acquired over a period of time. Proper training modules are required
to turn a naturally gifted writer into a feature writer. Only a professional and comprehensive course on
journalism can do that. Just in case someone wants to take up feature writing as a conscious career
choice, it is advisable that he/ she takes admission in a media school and convert his/ her passion into
profession.

NEWS FEATURE
• A news feature is a kind of story that focuses on a hard news topic. It combines a feature
writing style with hard news reporting.
NEWS VS FEATURE
• A news story reports the facts about an event. A feature story explains the significance of an
event. It offers analysis.

Source: Bhattacharjee, S. Feature Writing: An Essential Journalistic Craft. Adams University, May 26, 2020.