Deck 10: Features: Alternative Story Types

Question 1

Feature stories are often optional, entertaining stories that don't have to be written, but offer an enjoyable reading experience.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Features are non-fiction stories written with the writing techniques of fiction; while the content of feature stories is never imagined or created, the content may be treated imaginatively and creatively.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Like other news stories, features are written under strict deadline pressure.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

What happens when a hard news story is given feature treatment?

Question 5

What is a sidebar?

Question 6

Unlike news stories, features do not structure information in an inverted pyramid form, but are more casual, conversational and cleverly written.

Question 7

In a feature lead, some, if not all, of the usual who-what-when-where-why-how information is omitted and picked up after the lead is finished.

Question 8

Feature leads, more like opening sections of stories, set the direction and tone of the story and are finished when the introductory unit is complete.

Question 9

"Feature stories offer particular benefits to public relations writers." Explain how.

Question 10

Feature leads are very formal and avoid the use of contractions.

Question 11

Feature writers are expected to write leads that are clever, entertain readers with creative language, and attract readers into reading the story. How is this accomplished?

Question 12

Feature writers have a great deal of latitude in writing their leads. As long as the lead attracts readers to a story, it is considered well written.

Question 13

What is involved in creating a narrative story structure?

Question 14

Personal narratives involve individuals telling readers what happened to them, with the exception of reporters, who are never permitted to use the personal narrative format in a news or feature story.

Question 15

What are color stories?

Question 16

Color features are highly structured.

Question 17

Sensory language is typical of color features, and color stories are also known for their richness of observed physical detail.

Question 18

Some professionals argue that all journalistic stories are human interest stories, since all stories appeal in some way to the human values of readers. Agree or disagree? Why?

Question 19

While human interest features generally take the form of lengthy interview articles, the journalist must remember he or she is not a stenographer and that the same rules apply for quotes discussed earlier: Keep 'em brief!

Question 20

How does a personality profile differ from a news interview story?

Question 21

What elements make up profiles?

Question 22

What are brights? What are they called in broadcasting?

Question 23

What are backgrounders?

Question 24

While backgrounders are similar to news stories in that they are written in an objective, fairly formal style, they have a clear explanatory, educational intent. Unlike editorials and personal columns, they teach but don't preach.

Question 25

Because backgrounders are usually quite long, their focus must be maintained and the material steadily paced. Because they are quite complicated, they must be controlled with clear transitions that keep ideas following logically one after another.

Question 26

Anniversary stories are probably the easiest features to write because you can almost write the same thing year after year.

Question 27

Another easy feature is the how-to because it is generally a rehash of folk wisdom the reader already knows.

Question 28

Many alternatives to the inverted pyramid exist; the possibilities are limited only by your reporting and writing abilities.