News feature is a genre of journalism that takes a more in-depth look at a particular topic than a regular news story. It often takes on a more human-interest angle and explores how issues affect people in real life by using descriptive language, narrative structure, and creative storytelling. It is commonly used in magazines, newspapers, and online.
Unlike a regular news article, which tends to be time-sensitive, a news feature can take longer to research and write. For this reason, it is important to choose an interesting angle and stick with it throughout the piece to ensure it will keep readers engaged.
To help with this, it is useful to break the subject down into smaller elements that can be more easily researched and presented to readers. This helps to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the amount of information that needs to be included and can also help you focus on capturing an audience’s attention through the use of creative ledes.
For example, this Sky News news feature on WNBA star, Skylar Diggins’s work with Water Aid uses a mix of images and video to showcase the impact that her efforts have had. It also includes a short personal anecdote to engage readers and add a relatable dimension to the story.
When asked what the purpose of a news feature is, editors and journalists will often say that it entertains while informing. While there are many different definitions of a news feature, they all agree that it is an informative piece that explores a particular topic in more detail than a standard news article.