Chapter 6 & 7: Writing Feature Stories and The Newsroom Flashcards
According to the dictionary, this means “a special attraction, a distinctive characteristic, or an appearance”.
feature
When used in journalism, it means a style of writing that takes an in-depth look at a specific aspect of reality, whether it is about a current event, trend, or person.
Feature
Features are often termed as _ because they have more room for creative expression, and not because it is a “dumbing down” of content.
soft news
Features are not fiction. It is as obsessed with facts as a news story and the _ of effective writing.
5Cs
The story structure of the feature usually takes the form of an _, rarely does it take the literary form, with its rising action before the climax.
inverted pyramid
Unlike a straight news article, a feature does have an?
introductory lead, body, conclusion
Features are usually _ between literary writing and newswriting.
hybrids
Features use this as take-off point for the rising action.
journalistic alternative lead
Some features, especially this, can abandon form all together and simply be a Q&A, or a stylized question followed by the answer of the source.
short profiles
Help the flow of the story with the use of _ such as “moreover,” “thus,” “in a similar vein,” among others.
transitional phrases
This should make an impact on your readers and serve to tie your story together.
Conclusion
A _ often makes a good ending but you may opt to do a full circle by referring back to a word or an image used in your lead paragraph.
powerful quote
For newspapers, these are the most common types of features.
- News Feature
- Profile
- Trend Story
- Historical Feature
- Human Interest
- Service Feature
Unlike news, it does not have to be tied to a breaking story, although it should also be new and timely.
feature
e.g., a straight news story could be about the contents of the president’s State of the Nation Address; while a _ could be about the fashionable gowns worn by the female legislators.
news feature
This can also support the daily coverage by giving the readers a more in-depth understanding of the headlines, or it can discuss a situation that you see on your way to school.
News Feature
In April 2016, VERA Files released a story on “The Aquino Legacy: What has the administration done for PWDs?”. This news feature highlights the recent passage of the tax exemption law for persons with disabilities. Who is the contributing reporter that wrote this?
Jake Soriano
_ could also be about a news event that can covered more in-depth than daily beat reporting.
News features
How many heads of state came to the Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2006 where most newspapers ran a special feature on the significance of the summit and the possible benefits to the country?
14
Churned out daily reports about the agreements signed or the progress of talks during that week-long gathering.
Beat reporters
A feature on a person or place, either because of its prominence or in relation to an event. It takes a look at people from the world of sports, entertainment, politics, science, technology, business, health, international development, community activism, education, the military, fine arts or any other field.
Profile
Who wrote the entertainment profile of Gary Valenciano titled “Gary V reveals regrets, highs in his 23-year career” with a simple Q&A format?
Ruben V. Nepales
When using this type of format (Q&A format), the writer should start with a _ to explain the context of the Q&A.
short introduction
A common type of feature in the entertainment/arts and leisure pages of a newspaper.
Trend Story
Generally seasonal because they report trends in fashion and lifestyle, which change twice a year.
Trend stories
This type of feature shows the importance and relevance of significant past events. They review what happened and assess the current and future impact of an event, an idea, a person, a place, or an issue. This type of feature is usually spotted in papers during anniversaries of historical events and death anniversaries of significant personages in our history.
Historical Feature
In the month of May, there is usually a news feature on the _.
Santacruzan festival
Often emotional and even heartbreaking. The subject of this type of feature is usually not prominent but it is doing something unusual, either something odd or something inspiring. Sometimes, they take off from a hard news story.
Human Interest
It takes its name from its function—“news you can use”. In newspapers, this type of feature is usually found in specialized pages such as science, technology, health, economics, and education.
Service Feature
In most cases, the sources of Service Feature are _.
technical journals and studies that are complex
Similarly, experts and technocrats tend to speak in their? The job of the journalist is to help lay the person understand it and simplify the material for the readers.
field’s jargon
The nerve center of any print or online media organization.
newsroom
While newsrooms vary slightly depending on the size of the publication, the basic organizational structure consists of?
- editor-in-chief
- managing editor
- several subeditors and reporter-writers
The number and title of _ will depend on the sections of the paper and the scope of coverage. In a national paper, there is usually one of these per news cluster, e.g., political, business, metro, world affairs, arts and leisure, sports, etc. They are also responsible for specific tasks such as opinion, photography, and layout/design.
subeditors
Also collectively called “the editorial” or “the desk” and are responsible for deciding on the content of the paper or online news site.
Newsroom editors
In a daily paper, these editors sit down in the late afternoon for a so-called _ wherein they discuss the day’s headline, choose front-page photographs and stories, as well as assign the pages for each story submitted by their reporters/writers.
story conference or editorial meeting
In the United States, “story conference” or “editorial meeting” is also called a _ because the limited space of the newspaper needs to be properly allocated to make all the important stories fit.
budget meeting
Each _ takes responsibility for editing and writing the headlines for the stories that fall under his/her page.
editor
Usually, it is the _ or the _ who edits the front page.
editor-in-chief or managing editor
Oversees the operations of the paper and coordinates with the managing editor and layout editor to make sure that deadlines are met. They chair the story conference and is usually the one responsible for editing and writing the headlines on page one?
Editor-in-chief
Manages the content of the paper, especially the coordination with the subeditors and photographers, and oversee the day-to-day operations of the paper. For a community or campus paper, he/she doubles as the opinion editor and is usually responsible for editing the op-ed page.
Managing editor
Manages the news reporters on a daily basis by assigning beats or news coverages; makes sure that there is a reporter covering each and every event; coordinates with photo editor for stories; usually responsible for editing and writing the headlines of the news pages.
News editor
Manages the literary and feature writers by following up on deadlines for assigned stories and assessing contributions of freelance (non-staff) writers; usually responsible for editing and writing the headlines the features/literary pages.
Literary/feature editor
Manages the photographers by following up on deadlines and assigning them to cover events; usually responsible for writing the photo captions.
Photo editor
Oversees the layout of the paper and is usually responsible for coordinating with printing press; manages the artists, including the editorial cartoonist and the graphics artist.
Layout editor
Make the readers’ first impression of the paper.
Headlines
The most important tasks of an editor.
Headline writing
For this, headlines are not written by reporters because the size and length of a headline is usually determined only when the page is being designed.
print media
If the headline is not designed to fit a certain space, then this will suffer from gaps and text misalignment.
layout of the paper
If the headline is not designed to fit a certain space, then the layout of the paper will suffer from?
gaps and text misalignment
Most editors avoid this in headline, where X represents an empty space.
XXX
Most editors avoid XXX in headline, where this represents an empty space.
X
This should communicate to grab the attention of readers while informing them of the story.
good headline
The headline takes its cue from this.
lead of the story
It should confirm the lead’s news values not contradict it.
Headline
A good guide in headline writing which has been adopted by most editors in the United States. The headline should pass this test to be effective.
TACT test
T - taste
A - attractiveness
C - clarity
T - truth
_ in one point means _ in all, and the editor should rethink his/her headline.
Failure
As much as possible, headlines should be written in _, using exciting verbs to make them more eyecatching.
active voice
Apart from headline writing, editors are responsible for _ the work of the reporters and contributing writers.
copyediting
This should be limited to correcting terminology, grammar, spelling, and occasionally, to improve sentence structure.
Editing
Today, these facilitate the editing process.
computers
However, _ on hard copy is still preferrable because it helps the writer improve his/her craft.
good old-fashioned editing
He/She takes a printed copy of an article and writes in the edits.
editor
