 News stories are essentially “something
happened” stories. They generally begin with a short summary of the
main facts in the headline and lead. Then the body tells the story
in greater detail. Since news stories come to the main point so
quickly, they seem to be in a hurry, written for readers who want to
know what happened NOW!
The difference in the style and content of news stories and features is obvious from a quick comparison. Look at the two stories below. You can tell the difference from the first few paragraphs.
News
Feature
Notice that you could stop reading the news story at almost any point and still have the main facts. The feature story, however, has only just begun. It is clearly written for readers who have the time to sit back and enjoy what they read. Even from the brief excerpt it is clear the feature story is less formal and the writer is much more involved in the story. In news stories, you hardly notice the writer at all.
Tips for reading feature stories1. Don’t give up too easily. Feature stories often seem difficult, but usually only the introduction is troublesome. There, the writer tries to catch our attention and some of the methods used (humour, word-plays or idioms) can be difficult for non-native readers to understand. Once the main part of the feature begins, however — usually after three or four paragraphs — it may become much easier to read.2. Take advantage of all the help the writer gives
you. Pay special attention to the pictures and the
captions beneath them. Often the editor provides an introduction as
well. For example, in the banana story above, this is how the editor
introduced the story.
3. Take a quick look through the story to see how it is organised. Usually a feature will have several distinct parts. Once you see them, the feature becomes much easier to read — a series of short sections rather than one long story. 4. Try to find the writer’s focus. Good writers generally focus on one or two aspects of their subject. It may be a particular habit or characteristic of a famous person, for example, and the writer may give examples of it several times during the story — especially at the beginning or end. Note: Post Tips,
our lesson for teachers to use in their classrooms presented an
excellent lesson on feature writing. Check it out here.
For practice in reading and learning vocabulary from up-to-date
feature stories go to our weekly Feature
Focus column. | ||||
If you
turn to the Outlook section of the Bangkok Post,
you will find another kind of story known as the
feature. Feature stories tend to be longer than
news stories, and they go into their topics more deeply. They are
also less hurried and they often deal with subjects that are not
found on the news pages. Instead of explaining what happened,
feature writers are more likely to tell us what an interesting
person or place is like, why a certain fashion or activity has
become popular, or how we can improve our health.