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FOCUS ON THE NEWS FEATUREEvents and issues in close-up: the news feature in action
©Martin HirstDeakin UniversityMarch 2012
WHAT IS THE NEWS FEATURE?
Issues-based features are really the bread and butter of feature writing and quite often are written to accompany a developing news story.
feature writing (telling the story), p.255
Tanner, Kasinger, Richardson (2008)
On a current issue in the news Background Analysis Commentary Profile
Adds to understanding
Talks to leading players
Takes the story further
EXPLAIN, EXPLORE & ENTERTAIN
People make the news Events have
consequences What happens next? Trends develop over time
Features
A news feature goes deeper than just a press release. It thoroughly explores an issue. In order to write a feature, youneed to provide research, facts, statistics, and, most importantly,interviews or sources. It takes more time and effort to create afeature than a press release, but the results are often remarkablybetter.
New information or angle Research Facts Statistics Interviews Sources
THREE FEATURES OF A NEWS FEATURE
Backgrounder gives details not presented
in a breaking news item Investigation
delivers new information that takes the story further
Bringing it home takes a national or
international story and localises it for your community
THE INVESTIGATION Hypothesis-based
inquiry Patience and
persistence Never tell your
sources everything Careful and congenial
first contact Nurture with frequent
conversations Sorting and planning
your material Step-by-step approach Can build from a news
feature
Investigative journalism involves exposing to the public matters that are concealed – either deliberately by someone in a position of power, or accidentally, behind a chaoticmass of facts and circumstances that obscure understanding. It requires using both secret and open sources and documents.
Hunter, et al. Manual for investigative journalists
FOCUS AND CONNECT
Focus your story. Don't make sweeping generalizations that you don't back up with your reporting. Take out statements you can't support, or continue digging until you can nail it.
Don't make five points that are thinly reported, when you could make two or three strong points that are well reported and fleshed out.
Chris Harvey 2008
MAKE IT MANAGEABLE
Keep your project to a managable size
Try having more than one go at the story
Save an angle for later
Go back to your sources for clarification
Keep the lines of communication open
Don't bite off a topic that's too huge to fully report in a couple of weeks. To write a trend story documenting all the restaurant openings and closings on Route 1 might take weeks or even months to fully report and write, but to write about one restaurant's failure and re-birth could be done in the allotted time.
Chris Harvey (2008)
BITE FIRST, CHEW LATERTHE RESEARCH FILE
The research file is a tool to help you develop your story lines, narrative frame and argument
STORY LINES – the angles and information you are pursuing the ‘known unknowns’
NARRATIVE FRAME – how do you think that the story will be best told – remember your audience and target publication
ARGUMENT – the evidence and opinion you will mount to prove or disprove your hypothesis
THE RESEARCH FILE Synopsis – a succinct summary of your topic
Tell us what your story lines are, what your hypothesis/argument will be and outline your narrative frame
Background – the context Give some history to the case/story – demonstrate that your
hypothesis is sound & based on history / facts / similar events & trends
Current situation – what do you already know Outlines more about your hypothesis and importance / impact / value
of your story lines
Sources – primary and secondary Primary sources – potential interview subjects and people /
organisations who have information you want Secondary sources – previously published material on the topic or
related topics
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