News feature is a wide-ranging form of journalism that includes opinion pieces on current events, interviews and human interest stories. They offer readers a more in-depth look at topics and present them in a narrative manner to make them more engaging.
The first step in writing a news feature is to identify your target audience and decide what type of topic you want to explore. This can be done by brainstorming a list of possible article ideas or expanding on timeless, evergreen topics to see what unique angles can be explored.
Once you have an idea in mind, the next step is to take a deeper dive into your subject and find all the information needed to support your argument. This can be done by interviewing people involved, researching data and facts and using persuasive language features like emotive language, rhetorical questions, statistics, quotes, direct address and inclusive pronouns to connect with your audience.
Unlike news articles, which are often based on factual research and the 5 Ws and H, news features can have a more subjective approach that allows for analysis and commentary. This can be seen in the introduction of the story, which can take a more creative spin than a standard news lede. Similarly, the end of the story may include a call-to-action or wrap up quote to engage your audience. For example, Sky News concludes their story on WNBA by encouraging viewers to follow the league on social media.
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