A news feature is a story in which a journalist explores a topic with depth and perspective. It is often based on research and interviews with experts or people involved in the subject. It also includes unusual anecdotes and fresh perspectives backed up with data and facts.
The subject matter of a news feature must interest and inspire listeners or viewers to tune in, keep them listening and ideally spread the word about it to others. It should also satisfy the criteria for ‘What is news’ as set out in Chapter 1.
Often a news feature will have a number of different ‘angles’ that can be explored; these are the different aspects through which it can be presented. This could include statistics, opinions from experts, announcements by governments, advice to sufferers and families, human interest stories about people affected and so on. During the coronavirus pandemic many newspapers had to use all of these different angles in order to keep their audience interested and informed.
Length and format
The length of a news feature is normally dictated by the program it will appear in. It is worth checking what is already scheduled and listening to some examples of previous broadcasts in order to get an idea of tone, pace and format.
The nature of a news feature can sometimes involve travel and the need for permissions to access people or places that are not normally accessible. It can be helpful to plan for these in advance and to allow plenty of time for obtaining approval and solving problems that might arise.
