featurewriting

Feature writing is a style of journalistic writing that goes beyond the basic reporting of facts to explore a topic in greater depth. Unlike straight news, which focuses on the who, what, where, when, and why of an event, feature writing delves into the human interest, emotional, or anecdotal aspects of a subject. Feature articles aim to engage the reader by providing context, background, and narrative. They often explore trends, profiles of interesting individuals, historical events from a new perspective, or in-depth examinations of social issues. The tone can be more descriptive and evocative than in hard news, allowing for a wider range of vocabulary and sentence structure. Feature writers typically conduct more extensive interviews, research, and observation to gather rich material. The goal is not just to inform but also to entertain, provoke thought, or evoke emotion. Common types of features include profiles, trend pieces, human interest stories, and explanatory articles. The structure of a feature article is also more flexible, often beginning with a compelling anecdote or vivid description to hook the reader before developing the main theme.