FEATURE ARTICLE
 )

WHAT IS A FEATURE
ARTICLE?
MEDIA
FEATURE ARTICLE
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
COLUMN
EDITORIAL
OBITUARY
HOW TO WRITE A FEATURE ARTICLE
WHAT IS A FEATURE ARTICLE?

 ITS NOT NEWS FROM THE LAST 24 HOURS

 ITS WRITTEN ABOUT AN ONGOING ISSUE
 FEATURE ARTICLE WRITER NAMED “JOHN
SMITH EXPLORES THE UNDERWORLD OF
DRUG TRAFFICKING ……..”
 FEATURE ARTICLE TASK IA 1
YEAR 12
 MAKE IT CLEAR AT TOP THAT YOU ARE WRITING A
FEATURE ARTICLE

 PRINT HEADLINE IN LARGE LETTERS

 PRINT BYLINE IN LARGER THAN NORMAL LETTERS

 USE SHORT PARAGRAPHS THROUGHOUT

WHAT IS A FEATURE ARTICLE?

 Feature Articles are

detailed pieces of
writing which
explore a range of
issues, opinions,
experiences and
ideas
 A FEATURE ARTICLE IS WRITTEN
ABOUT AN ISSUE

 WHAT ARE SOME CONTEMPORARY ISSUES?

 PURPOSE

 The purpose of a feature article will vary

depending on the media it is meant for.
Feature Article should appeal to the
particular audience the article is
targeting. For example, if a magazine
was targeted at middle aged women,
then the articles, advertisements and
pictures within that magazine would
reflect their interests and lifestyle,
career, money, health and relationships.
 CHARACTERISTICS

 FEATURE ARTICLES CAN BE INFORMATIVE, ENTERTAINING AND

PERSUASIVE OR THEY SIMPLY SATISFY THE READERS CURIOSITY
ABOUT A PARTICULAR TOPIC . THEY ARE NOT NEWS STORIES ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS
 EG
 HOW MUCH IS THE CORONA VIRUS A THREAT TO AUSTRALIA?
 IS THERE DOPING IN MAJOR FOOTBALL?
 ARE THERE ENOUGH DAMS IN SE QUEENSLAND TO COVER DROUGHT?
 ANIMAL CRUELTY IN OVERSEAS ABBATOIRS
 IS BRISBANE SAFE AT NIGHT?
 CHARACTERISTICS

 A FEATURE ARTICLE PROVIDES MORE

INFORMATION ABOUT AN IMPORTANT ISSUE,
OFFER AN OPINION ABOUT CURRENT AFFAIRS
OR SIMPLY PRESENT A PERSONAL OR
HUMOROUS PERSPECTIVE ON MODERN DAY
LIFE. UNLIKE NEWS REPORTS WHICH CAN
QUICKLY GO OUT OF DATE
 TYPES OF FEATURE ARTICLES

 ANALYSIS AND OPINION ON CURRENT ISSUES

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON LOCAL, NATIONAL OR
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
 PROFILES OF, OR INTERVIEWS WITH, WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
 HUMOROUS REFLECTIONS
 HUMAN INTEREST STORIES
 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND ANECDOTES
 BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND PERSONAL OPINION ON
AN INTEREST
 STEPS TO WRITING A FEATURE
ARTICLE
 BRAINSTORM IDEAS.
 WHATS THE PURPOSE?
 GRAB YOUR READERS ATTENTION
 FEATURE ARTICLE STRUCTURE

 LIKE ANY FORM OF WRITING A FEATURE ARTICLE FOLLOWS A STANDARD

STRUCTURE. WHILE IT MAY VARY, DEPENDING ON YOUR TOPIC

 a feature article should always include a headline, a byline, an introduction
containing your THESIS OR
CONTENTION

 the main body

 a concluding paragraph.
 EXAMPLES OF HEADLINE AND
BYLINE

WATER WISE AFTER WET

(HEADLINE)

PETER SMITH LOOKS AT SOUTH EAST

QUEENSLAND’S MISMANAGEMENT OF WATER (BY
LINE/KICKER/TEASER)
 FEATURE ARTICLE HEADLINE

 THE HEADLINE PERFORMS A NUMBER OF

IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS.
 AN EFFECTIVE HEADLINE
 GRABS READERS ATTENTION AND PERSUADES
THEM TO READ THE FEATURE ARTICLE
LANGUAGE DEVICES USED IN
HEADLINE
 “BRISBANE BOILS” ALLITERATION
 “TO BE OR NOT TO BE A REPUBLIC” QUOTE
 “AS COOL AS A CUCUMBER- BRISBANE SHIVERS” SIMILE
 “CYCLONE DEBBIE SHOWS HER FURY” PERSONIFICATION
 “BRISBANE RIVER - THE OLD BROWN SNAKE” METAPHOR
 “DEADLY COCKTAIL OF VALUES” METAPHOR
 “ROAD RAGE RIPS TOWN APART” ALLITERATION AND
SENSATIONALISM
 “ IS THERE A FUTURE FOR THE FAMILY?” RHETORICAL
QUESTION/ ALLITERATION
 EXAMPLE HEADLINE FOR YOUR
FEATURE ARTICLE

 IS THERE A HERO IN THE HOUSE?

- RHETORICAL QUESTION
- ALLITERATION
- BIT OF HUMOUR
 PUNS (Play on Words) IN
HEADLINE

 “OTTER DEVASTATION”
 “CROC HAS BEEF WITH COW”
 “GERMANS WURST AT PENALTIES”
 “SHOE-ICIDE ATTACK”
 “I’M A CHEETAH”
 “FANS DEVOUR “HUNGER GAMES” AT BOX OFFICE”
 “WORRIES ABOUT LIGHTS WERE KEPT IN THE DARK”
 INTRODUCTION

 THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OUTLINES THE SUBJECT OR THEME.

IT SHOULD CONTAIN A THESIS OR CONTENTION

 PROVOKE THE READERS INTEREST. MAYBE MAKE A

CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT.
 PROVIDE ANY NECESSARY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
 INVITE THE READER TO TAKE SIDES
 ESTABLISH THE WRITERS TONE
 CREATE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WRITER AND READER EG
“YOU MUST REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN ………”
THE BODY OF ARTICLE

 USE SUBHEADINGS
 FACTS AND STATISTICS WHICH SUPPORT THE WRITERS
OPINIONS
 PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS
 OPINIONS OF EXPERTS
 QUOTES AND INTERVIEWS
 ANECDOTES AND STORIES
 PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS,DIAGRAMS
 WRITE IN SHORT PARAGRAPHS
 USE SUBHEADINGS
 PLAY WITH WORDS – PUNS, ALLITERATION, FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE (METAPHORS ETC), RHETORICAL QUESTIONS,
SENSATIONALISM, HUMOUR
 USE EMOTIVE AND PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE
 LAYOUT OF FEATURE ARTICLE

 DIVIDE PAGE INTO TWO COLUMNS

 HEADLINES
 BYLINE INCLUDING NAME OF WRITER
 USE SHORT PARAGRAPHS AND
SENTENCES
 USE SUBHEADINGS
CONCLUSION

 SUM UP YOUR MAIN ARGUMENT

 ARRESTING LAST SENTENCE
YOUR FEATURE ARTICLE IA 1

 WRITE A FEATURE ARTICLE IN A MANNER THAT ENGAGES READERS,

ANALYSING THE REPRESENTATION OF A KEY CONCEPT ACROSS BOTH:
Wilfred Owen’s war poetry and the film “Saving Private Ryan” directed by
Stephen Spielberg

Choose one of the following concepts to focus your analysis

 The futility of war
 The impact of war on individuals
 The suffering engendered by war
 A concept of your own (with teachers approval)
YOUR OWN FEATURE ARTICLE

 READ INSTRUCTIONS ON TASK SHEET IA 1

 YOUR FEATURE ARTICLE IS GOING TO BE AN ANTI WAR ARTICLE

BASING YOUR ARGUMENTS LARGELY ON YOUR STUDIED TEXTS
AND OF COURSE YOUR OWN COMMENTARY
 YOU WILL SUM UP YOUR ARGUMENT IN YOUR THESIS IN THE
INTRODUCTION