News story and a Feature Story

Although a news story might seem as if it is a feature story, it most definitely is not. There are many differences between the two. First of all a news story is written about everyday happenings or everyday occurrences.

Second when one is writing a news story it is usually a short and concise story that will either be updated at a later point and finally will disappear into the archives. When a feature story is written it is usually about a specific large scale event that effects a large amount of people and that will be eye catching.

Also when writing a news story, usually it is written straight and to the point while a feature story might have some type of a twist to it with much more insight. Usually a feature story encompasses much more in depth reporting as oppose to a quick wire report that has been compiled from different AP stories.

Finally, a feature story usually interviews multiple people and people who are experts in the field. Then all of those interviews, quotes, and in depth coverage are all compiled together into a long in depth and detailed article.

News Story vs. Feature Story

A Hard news story should always start with a well-written lead.

The lead should be simple, clear, and to the point and should always include the who, what, when, where, why, and how.

News stories should always be written in the inverted pyramid style of writing so the important information should be in the beginning and the least information information should be toward the end.

Be sure to put important quotes toward the beginning of the story to have more of an impact on readers and help verify information.

Writing a feature is completely different than writing a story in the inverted pyramid style. A feature is usually a long, in-depth story about a subject or issue.

In a feature, the lead should draw the reader in and make them want to continue reading.

When writing a feature, you should choose a single subject and make them come alive through your writing. The story should reflect the person’s character and personality.

In a feature, almost half of the story should be direct quotes from your subject and contractions may be used to set a more informal tone.

When writing any story be sure to distinguish between news stories and feature stories so that you can decide which style of writing would work best.

what makes a news story different than a feature story?

In features, the immediacy of the event is secondary. It's replaced by reader interest. Bare facts are surrounded by elaboration, interpretation, mood, context, detailed description, emotion, irony and humor. The goal of a feature story is to communicate the truth, not fiction in a different way than a news story.

When writing a news story, immediacy is first. The whole point of a news story is to deliver the news, starting with the most important information first. You have to make sure that you have a strong lead. The is one of the most important elements of news. Your lead is the opening paragraph or two of the story. Its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in.

Therefore, a news story is different than a feature story because when writing a news story, your first priority is immediacy; to inform the readers what the story is about in the first sentence, using the most important feature. While in a feature, immediacy of the event is secondary, and their main goal when writing is grabbing the readers interest by elaborating, using interpretation, context, etc.

Obituary

For my obituary I would like to do J.D. Salinger, however if that is too recent, than I'd like to do Frank Sinatra. 

Good obituary

A good obituary must include all of the information you can find on the person. An obituary is a celebration of the persons life and should therefore include positive aspects of the persona life.

You have to be sensitive when's writing an obituary and make sure to not offend anyone or put any negative comments in there.

It is important to include information about the time and place of the wake and funeral in addition to visiting hours. A good obituary will remosns readers of the memories they had with the person

Obituary topic

For my obituary I would like to do it on Steve irwin

Obituary assignment

For my obituary I will be writing on George Harrison

Obituary Pitch

I'll be writing Ten Kennedy's obituary

I've always been interested in Kennedy's life and legacy, and it pertains to my major (political science).

Obituary Pitch

I am going to write my obituary assignment on Jim Morrison.

how to write a good obit

A good obituary sound be more then just a note of death but rather a piece that helps the reader to bring that person back to life. An obituary should celebrate the life of whoever has past.

A written must pull together all of the information they can find on this person, as well as this person’s family.

Even though and obituary is meant to be a full reminder of that persons life the writer also needs to be as sensitive as possible to the one the person has succeeded.

A writer should try to put all positives about the deceased in their obituary.

They should also never say, “left behind” when regarding the family or loved one the deceased has succeeded.

It is important that the writer include in this information that time and place of the wake, funeral, as well as the visiting or viewing hours. This way friend will be notified on when they can say their goodbyes.

An obituary should be something a loved one can read and say, “yup that was him alright”.

Obituary

I would like to write about Marilyn Monroe 

Obituary Assignment

For my obituary assignment I would like to write it on my grandpa because he died when I was little and I want to find out more about him.

Obituary Assignment

I would like to do my assignment on Ray Charles.

Obituary Assignment

I would like to write my obituary on Audrey Hepburn.

Obituary Assignment

I would like to write my obituary on Princess Diana.

Obituary

While we were home for spring break, Conor Reynolds (the brother of a student/my friend here at RWU) was murdered near my house at a party. My nephew was also friends with Conor and was at the ER with him. I saved the articles surrounding the party and his death so I have lots of sources to write an obituary about him.

Obituary

For my obituary I will be writing about Christopher Wallace, otherwise known as Biggie Smalls.

Obituary Assignment Pitch

For my obituary assignment, I would like to write about Elvis Presley.

Writing a Good Obituary

In memory of the person who died, an obituary is written about the person’s life. Family and friends look to the obituary as a celebration of the deceased’s life.

Writers need to be careful about what information they put in the obituary and how they talk about the person’s life. If the person had a drug or alcohol problem for example, the reporter would not want to write about that himself; he would want to get a quote of someone else stating the problem so the family does not get upset.

It is important to include information about the wake and funeral if they are having one. Acquaintances will want to know when and where the services will be taking place so the writer needs to be specific about the information.

A good obituary will remind the readers what it was like to have the person living with them and the memories they shared with that person. An obituary is an attempt to capture a person’s entire life in a story.

Even in Death...

A good obituary requires significant information about a person's life.

The obituary should celebrate the person's life while including information about who the person was, where they came from, what they did, who they left behind, and of course, how they died.

The obituary should also include details on the funeral arrangements, i.e., who is able to attend, where the funeral and wake will take place, and the family's concerns and wishes.

A good obituary often evokes emotions from the readers and express how valuable and remarkable the person was. It is not enough to just state who the person was and why they're gone. It is essential to revive the person through words. The obituary should, in a way, resurrect the person for the reader.

People read obituaries to remember the person and learn about certain arrangements. It is crucial to pay tribute to the deceased through high praise, without bending the truth.

What makes a good obituary?

When a person dies an obituary is written about the person’s life.

According to the book, family and friends consider this an important part of celebrating the person’s death, they often find themselves in a scrapbook commemorating the person’s life.

An important part of writing an obituary is preparing for it.

The writer must collect the name and address of the deceased person, their occupation and age, cause, date and place of death and name of living relatives.

Also the writer must collect, the time and place of the funeral, the burial site and biographical information.

The journalist should apply the same practices to writing an obituary as he or she would when as a news story, when writing the lead and building the body.

In an obituary it is imperative to include the time and place of the funeral and burial, the visitation time(s) if any, survivors, date and place of birth, achievements and memberships of the deceased.

When reporting the cause and circumstance of the death the writer must be careful to watch the language used because it is a very sensitive topic.

Life After Death: How to Write an Obituary

Obituaries are one of the toughest pieces of writing to accomplish. Because it deals with the profiling of the recently deceased, some precaution must be taken while the journalist is writing it as to not offend anyone who may have known or cared for the individual. There are several methods a writer can use to successfully describe someone in an obituary.

One key point is to make sure all the facts are straight. There is no greater error in writing that putting in the wrong information, as this ruins the credibility of the source. This especially applies to obituaries because it can be a sign of disrespect to the person who just passed. When writing a obituary, a writer wants to put in several key facts about the person, such as when they died, how they died, how old they were, important events they had a hand in, who they are survived by, etc.

Another aspect that must be taken into account is positivity. For the most part, obituaries are meant to serve as a celebration of what the person did in life and how them leaving this world affects the ones that are closest to them. This is important to have as it shows the deceased friends and family that care and delicacy was taken into the chronicle of their loved one's life.

How to write an Obituary

A good obituary is more than just a notice of a death. It should contain information on the funeral and burial service, information on the family and loved ones who have been survived. Any key background information with a slight background should be included.

The most important thing to remember when writing an obituary is accuracy. The story is meant to recognize the life of the person, and they should be respected with full accuracy. Show characteristics and information on the death, don’t just list the facts. An obituary can contain a thank you to those who helped out, and even a request for memorial donations.

People tend to read obituaries to gain information on recent deaths. Obituaries spread the unfortunate news of a death, and allow the readers to gain the information they need in order to attend a funeral.

What’s a Good Obituary?

When some one passes away it is customary to write an obituary for that person. In order to write a good obituary the writer needs to find out all the information possible to give the readers an idea of who the person really was.

An obituary is something that is supposed to honor a deceased person. The writer needs to take that into consideration and write the best things possible about the person. The writer should talk about achievements the person may have had or things that the person would want others to know.

Also, the information has to be exact. The writer has to make sure the person’s name is spelled correctly as well as what town they’re from and any other important information.

Finally, the writer should provide information about the funeral and wake services so people who knew the deceased person can pay their respects. The most important aspects of a good obituary are that it is informative to the readers and it is respectful of the deceased person.

An Important Obituary

Obituaries appear in many newspapers, and are considered important. They can also appear on the radio and television. An obituary is a story about a person's life, and this is important to the person's family and friends. A good obituary should include the name and address of the person who died. The person's age and occupation should also be included. The relatives of the person and the cause, date, and place of death should also be in the obituary. Also, the obituary should have the time and place of the funeral, burial site, and biological information of the individual. A good obituary should be interesting, and in order to get any background research on the person who died, the reporter should check their publication's library or in a database.
Readers and viewers watch and read obituaries, because they contain important information for anyone who has died. Obituaries help spread the word about a person's death. They also tell people where the funeral service is in case anyone wants to attend the ceremony. It is important to read an obituary, because unfortunately, you never know if someone you knew died recently. Also, if you heard about someone dying but did not know what the cause of death was, the obituary could tell you what happened.

What make a good obituary?

When someone dies, most of the time an obituary is written about them. Although some may think that it is easy and down right simple to write a great obituary about someone, they are incorrect. There are many elements that go into writing a good obituary.

The first of which is knowing what to publish and what not to talk about. For example, one should be able to include when that person was born, how they died, what there job or jobs were in life and even their survivors.

It is also important to note any achievements that they had received in life while trying to sound as positive as possible. Many people do read and watch for these types of obituaries in order to figure out why someone passed away and what there life was like.

In some circumstances an obituary can be very similar to a eulogy when that specific person is praised or it can be the opposite and talk about how that person died a violent death and was very sick. What ever the case may be, it is the writers job to include all the pertinent information so that the public will continue to be informed.

A Good Obituary

What makes a good obituary? Why do readers/viewers read and watch them?

A well written obituary should honor the person who passed and display their character in a favorable way.

Typically they tell who the person is leaving behind and their relation to that person. They also remark on the accomplishments and achievements of that person.

These all are things that celebrate the person’s life, it should never focus on the negativity of their death. A well written obituary’s may mention the sequence of events of the person’s death if it was a murder or an accident, any death that is controversial.

Many people are drawn to read obituary’s to gain knowledge on a specific death that happened in their area.

For example when someone well regarded in the community dies many people want to read their obituary to see how it is written and if they were honored properly.

Obituary’s should be written with the person in mind and their family. A good journalist will even write it with their own family or friends in mind and write it as well as they would for someone they know.

Speeches and Meetings

Speeches and meetings tend to be very monotone and are more often than not monologues which are very difficult to listen and pay attention to.

However, a good reporter will keep themselves interested and keep their ears and eyes open regardless and search for a good quote to liven up their story.

To make your story writing easier before attending the speech or meeting collect proper background information on the speaker and their topic.

Not only will having background information be helpful to your eventual story, it was also help yourself to stay focused because you will be in the know.

When you are at the speech/ meeting make it will be important for you to take diligent notes, because unlike in an interview you will not be able to ask the speaker to repeat a good quote.

That quote may be the piece of the story that makes it most interesting.

You can also add some life to your story through how you present the events of the meeting or speech.

An excellent place for you to add some life is in your lead, where you have the ability to be as creative as you want.

Feature Pitch....

For my feature I would like to write about the School Reform for the schools of New Haven, Connecticut. But I would focus on one school particularly: Brenan Elementry School. Recently this school has undergone many changes, the teachers have been fired for next year, the school day has been extended 2 hours, and the school year has been extended. I will talk to people within the school system to find out more details about the current situation.

The good obituary

In an obituary the first thing you must learn are the basics. You must learn the name, the address, occupation and age, the cause of death and place, relatives, place and time of the funeral, and where the recently deceased is being buried.

You will want to make the obituary as heartfelt as possible. To do this you will want to find out things that they may have liked, awards they have won, and other life achievements.

This information can be found in a lot of places such as the library or though the internet.

Remember an obituary is something that family member will keep forever so make sure it is something worthy of that.

Keep the person you are writing about honored, think of how you would want your obituary written when you are gone.

The good obituary

In an obituary the first thing you must learn are the basics. You must learn the name, the address, occupation and age, the cause of death and place, relatives, place and time of the funeral, and where the recently deceased is being buried.

You will want to make the obituary as heartfelt as possible. To do this you will want to find out things that they may have liked, awards they have won, and other life achievements.

This information can be found in a lot of places such as the library or though the internet.

Remember an obituary is something that family member will keep forever so make sure it is something worthy of that.

Keep the person you are writing about honored, think of how you would want your obituary written when you are gone.

What constitutes a good obituary

Obituaries are one of the more somber pieces of writing in the media. They should do more than simply report someone's death, they should honor their life in some way while also educating the reader of what they are leaving behind. The true purpose of an obituary is to tell a story about someone's life, while also announcing to the public that this person has passed away.

A good obituary will identify the deceased and state their cause of death and proximately to the report date. It must give, at least briefly, a summary of the achievements that the person did or any notable events in their lifetime.

The obituary should always give the reader an understanding of the person's family, including extended family such as cousins, aunts, and uncles. This helps complete the person's life and include the people that he or she were related to, lived with, or had a close relationship with.

Obituaries shouldn't be noticeably somber in nature. They should instead hold an aura of respect and tribute.

Writing an Obituary

A good Obituary should begin with the who, what, when, where, why, and how like any other news story. The age of the person who died is also considered essential and should be included in the first paragraph of the obituary.

When writing an obituary, the writer must include the time and place of the funeral/burial, visitation times, date/place of birth, life achievements, and occupation of the person.

It is important when writing an obituary to verify all your information including names, dates, places, and addresses. Be careful not to confuse your subject with someone who has the same name.

If you look at the Obituaries section of NYtimes.com, you’ll see that the writers use a distinctive characteristic of the person’s life in each obituary. Their list of obituaries range from “Conversationist in Kennedy and Johnson Cabinets” to “Prosecutor in Chappaquiddick Case” to “Former Auto Executive.”

I think that there can be various reasons why people read and watch obituaries. Some people may want to discover details and information on a well known or controversial death, whether local, national, or international. Others may want to learn about the deaths that result from certain diseases, disorders, natural disasters, accidents, etc. In the case of a well known or celebrity death, the public may read their obituary to learn the truth about their death, despite gossip and negative media.

Obituaries are never easy or fun to write, but they are an important and essential part of news.

A Compelling Obituary

Unlike most news stories getting the facts for an obituary is not typically difficult, however to make a compelling obituary one needs to go a little deeper with their research.

First off one must find the basics, the name and address, occupation and age, cause of death and place, relatives, place and time of funeral, and lastly the burial site.

Typically to find more information on the deceased one can visit a library, although today there are other means of making an obituary more heartfelt.

For instance using the internet it is possible to find more information on the deceased, such as awards they won, community volunteering, and other influential achievements.

Lastly when writing an obituary one has to remember who will read it, make sure your facts are correct because relatives of the deceased do not want him/her dishonored.

All the relatives will give the time to read the obituary, but with thorough research a fact may be uncovered that will make the obituary interesting to more readers.

Obituary

A good obituary should celebrate the life that a person has lived, and their impact on the community that they lived in. An obituary should mention any notable accomplishments or jobs that a person completed throughout their life, and it should mention how there lives impacted others. In certain circumstances an obituary should state who the person is survived by and how they passed away, but this is not always the case. Obituaries may also include the funeral place and time if the funeral is public or for a notable figure.

Obituaries should always try to focus more on the life that a person has lived and avoid discussing their death too much. Readers should be able to read an obituary and find a fond, positive remembrance of the deceased listed in the paper. Obituaries should also keep the interests of the remaining family members and friends alive, and they need to be kept in mind when deciding how much to write, what to write, and what photo should be used.

Reporting a death should celebrate a life

An obituary covers the life and death of a person who has deceased. The lead should cover who, what, where, when, why and how – just like any other news story. These facts should be checked with the family as well as the police and medical examiner.

More importantly, a good obituary celebrates the life that person led rather than simply reporting the death. Mentioning characteristics of the person’s life, quotes from loved ones, and the impact the deceased had is important to bringing that person to life on paper.

Readers are interested in the cause of death and the age of that person. Some newspapers may leave this information out if the family asks them too. Towards the end of the obituary the time and place of the funeral, and the time and place of the burial should be listed.

Giving readers what they want takes careful preparation. All information should be checked by contacting the family and the funeral home. The spelling of names, addresses and birthdays is important. Checking the stylebook for correct terminology and tips for writing can be extremely helpful with such sensitive topics.

Spicing up a speech

Speeches and meetings can be boring and routine so it is the reporter’s job to make these events interesting to viewers. It’s important to decide what is newsworthy and focus on highlighting what is most important. Trying to include all topics covered would lose the readers’ attention.

To the people of the community, the speech or meeting could be the most important article in the newspaper. Journalists should take advantage of this by writing the article in a way so that it directly relates to the readers.

Major decisions are typically made at these events, so careful reporting is necessary to get all the facts straight. While the speech is the main event, a journalist doesn’t want the entire story to be quotes. Picking out a few choice quotes and explaining the context will help the reader understand.

Preparing for these speech and meeting events is important to create the best story, and it makes it easier for the reporter. Beforehand the reporter should review video of previous stories on the subject, check online info, the morgue, and national databases.

If possible, the journalist should ask for the topic or get a copy of the agenda. Interviews before and/or after the speech or meeting can really bring a story together. Coming prepared with a recorder can be useful in taking exact quotes.

Speechs and Meetings and Bears, Oh My!

Speeches and meetings are some of the most difficult topics to write about when it comes to a news article. Usually, these events include only the talking and dialect of a single person, with many others listening. The lack of action may seem daunting in that there is not enough to report on.

The first step is to make sure the reporter has all their facts straight. You want to know all relevant information about the person or persons giving the speech or holding the meeting. This will make it easier to write and give you better background on the people at hand.

A second step would be to figure out the speakers agenda. What were they trying to accomplish with this event? How did they go about doing that? Were they successful is proving their point? These key questions can help the writer identify how the speaker felt their performance went.

A final step is to gauge the audience. What do they want to hear? How has this provided them with a better or worse understanding of the topic? Did they enjoy the presentation or dislike the thing all together? The audience is a great meter to find whether the event was a success or a total failure.

Writing A Speech Story

A writer can prepare for speeches and writing a story by getting the proper background on the speaker or the people involved in the meeting. Interviews are also important for speech stories.

The writer can also read similar articles on the topic to get hints how to write the specific story properly and successfully.

Additionally, the journalist must be well-versed on the topic of discussion or the topic of the meeting.

When writing a speech story it is necessary to include the date, time, place, circumstance(s), audience and the people involved in the speech or behind the scenes.

When including those items, be descriptive, make the reader visualize the scene and hear the audience’s questions.

Speech stories are not always the most interesting, so the writer must make the speech interesting.

The book says if you do not attract readers in the lead they will not continue to read or listen, and then the whole story will be wasted.

Feature Pitch

For my feature pitch, I would like to cover RWU's first sorority, Theta Phi Alpha. I have been told that the process of getting the sorority approved was time-consuming and would very much like to cover exactly what had to be done to make this happen. My plan of action would include talking to the girls that first proposed the sorority idea, Caitleen Evers and Carolynn Klipfel, as well as some contacts from the sorority's national office, and ask them what the pros and cons are of having a sorority on campus, how having one has affected their college experiences, and why they wanted this to happen to RWU in the first place. I could also speak with other members of the sorority and ask them how they are enjoying their membership and their overall feelings on the experience.

Speech! Speech!

Let's face it, speech and meeting stories aren't that interesting. As a journalist, it would be our job to make them interesting.

Speech and meeting stories still fall under the category of news, meaning all of the information provided by the speaker will be new. No matter how boring the topic, it is still important to make sure you cover the who, the what, the where, the when, the why, and the how of the story.

Writers can prepare to cover such topics by being fairly well-informed on the topic the speech will cover. Having some background on the speech subject is helpful when taking notes, and when generally writing the story.

Another idea is to put some creative flair on your lead or your general approach to the story, the most boring story in America can seem more exciting with a bold headline or an exciting lead that will pull the readers in and leave them wanting more. Also a good tactic could be relating the information, or even the speech topic, to the readers themselves. More people will read the story if it affects his or her own life.

Piiiittttccchhhhh

I would like to write about the presser to drink on sports teams. Or if student athletes feel that during the season schoolwork takes a back seat.

I would like to interview athletes form different teams, men and woman’s and get some quotes from them as well as their coaches. 

make it relatable!

Speeches and meetings can be very uninteresting topics to read and write about. Therefore it is the writer’s job to do the best they can to make the topic seem more interesting that it may be.

Writer should do their best to be as knowable about the topic at hand as possible.

If a writer doesn’t know about what he’s listening to in a meet or during a speech and then tries to write about it, the reader may get confused.

A writer should also try their hardest to relate the topic back to the potential readers.

This why if a reader doesn’t know much about what the writer is writing about they can still get a general idea because its easer to understand. 

Writing a Speech Story

One way to learn how to write a good speech is to look at those who say them best. For example, you could learn a lot from President Obama about how to write and make a speech, because he is one of the best at it and it helped him get in office. You start with a lead that summarizes the key point of your message. Next you set the context for the speech. Using quotes and quoted phrases are essential because you are actually writing an article about the speech. Background on prime-time speeches highlights the speech's importance. Towards the end of your article, you should return to the wider context of the main topic. Make sure to make transitions to new thoughts, and address things that happened before the speech that it had addressed, and reactions/potential reactions to the speech. Overall, just stay on topic, and make sure you completely understand all the aspects of the speech, who it is addressing, and what the potential aftermath of the speech could be.

Pitch

For my main story I would like to discuss the process and how successful the building of the new residence hall has been. I plan to talk to students who live there, along with Tony Montefusco, and potentially the people who designed the building. I think it would be a good story that people would be interested in.

What makes a good feature?

Making a good feature involves a few simple guidelines. First of all, it is important for the writer to tell a story and give important information, but to do it in an interesting and appealing way. For example, use a real person, rather than a person in authority, to introduce a story. Also, if you can add a great photo or visual that goes along with your feature, that's a definite bonus, because public relations professionals know that releases accompanied by photos or art of some kind get more attention and more play. Attention-grabbing headlines on the top of the release is also a great way to grab a reader's attention. The most important thing is to make sure it is interesting, and something that the reader wants to read. If you can do that, then you should have no problem writing a good feature.

Meeting Preparation

The preparation for writing a meeting story is the most important part. The writer must answer several questions before they begin. 1) Who is holding the meeting? 2) What kind of organization or group of people is it? 3) Who are the important figures? 4) What is the main topic for discussion?

Before the meeting arrives the writer should contact the key figures to learn a background of the meeting they will be covering. Writing will be much easier if you what to expect, because background research can and should be done.

The entire event must be covered, not just the content of the meeting or speech. The date, time, place, circumstances, audience and all those involved should be added to the writing. Being an observant writer is most important when covering a speech or meeting.

Meeting coverage stories are not always the most interesting. It is important to find an interesting angle to approach the story. For instance, you can find someone who is directly affected by the subject being covered, and then write the story on that individual, of course including all the accurate information.

What Good Speech Stories and Meeting Stories Need

Meeting stories and speech stories are interesting, because a reader can see what was exactly said during the speech or meeting. Not everyone can go to speeches or meetings. That is why it is always good to look at what someone wrote when attending the speech or meeting. A good speech story or meeting story should have a lot of imagery in it. It would be good if the reporter wrote about how everyone reacted during the event, and included direct quotes of the important things that were said. If possible, the reporter should also ask questions during the event. Reporters should also interview people who are at the event.
It might be hard to prepare for stories like these, but a writer can do several things to make the reporting easier. One thing that a writer could do is try to find out what the speech or meeting will be about before attending the event. Another thing they can do is look up background information about the speaker, or anyone that will be involved in the meeting. After getting permission, maybe the writer could also bring a tape recorder to record the speech in case they miss any important information.

Meeting and Speech Stories

When writing a story on a speech, there are many aspects that need to be worked into the story in order for it to be perfect. First, the lead is the most newsworthy statement and should contain the date and location.

After the lead, the following paragraphs should include background and the best quote possible. Also, the body paragraphs of the story should mix in paraphrases as well as quotes in order to develop the main points of the speech.

The writer should also include information about the audience: set the scene, background on the audience, who is not in the audience that should be, and the reaction of the audience. The rest of the story should include more quotes from the speech as well as background information about the topic.

As for a meeting story, the writer is writing for an audience of people who were not at the meeting. The audience expects the reporter to take their place at the meeting. Therefore, the reporter needs to give quotes, information about the meeting topic, and set the scene of the audience with their reactions.

Feature Story Pitch

For my final feature story I will be attending and working at the 2nd Annual KIX Concert for Kids in Northampton, Massachusetts.

This concert helps benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude Children’s research hospital helps to “advance cures, and means of preventions, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment” according to St. Jude Children’s Hospital’s website.

Two experts that I will be interviewing will be the promotions director and a DJ for the station. I will interview them on how last years concert went and how much money they raised. I will also interview them how much money they intend to raise this year and how they were able to get the musical acts.

Since this is the second time that the concert is being held I also want to ask about how this whole concert idea came up and was it everything that they expected it to be. I will also interview some spectators to get their reaction to the concert and why this specific charity has been chosen over the years.

I will also look at reactions from past years and how future concerts are going to be planned out to help this great cause.

What makes a speech or meeting story interesting? How can a writer prepare?

Speech or meeting stories may not always be the most interesting to read.

Therefore, it is the journalist's job to make the story sound interesting so the readers will stay interested.

These kinds of stories can be interesting because the person giving the speech or the members of the meeting

usually are announcing important news or making an important decision. And it is up to the journalist to

portray that information in an interesting way.

The journalist should be well aquainted with the topic and the information he/she is going to present.

They should also have background information on the speaker or members of the committee that is

making the decision.

Feature Pitch

For my Feature story, I plan to write an article on how Roger Williams Track and Field became a varsity sport. I will digress on what it means to be a club sport at RWU, how they are different from varsity sports, the requirements of an athletic program in realtion to Title IX, and how after years of great success at the club level Track and Field finally was promoted to the status of varsity for the 2009 season. For my research I plan to interview several people in deep connection with the team, such as head coach Sean Livingston and Captain Andrew Gallant. I will get their intake on what it took from the team to get the university to advance them to the varsity level and how the team is different now than it was as a club sport. This feature will be a success because not many people at this university are aware of the recent success and rise of the Track and Field program, so I plan to use this feature as a stage for Track to become more widely known as a legitimate, extremely competitive sport on this campus.

Writing about Meetings and Speeches!

Speeches and meeting can be boring but they can also be extremely interesting if you look at it the right way.

When listening to a meeting or a speech always remember that the information you are getting is most likely new and could very well be important.

Be knowledgeable on the topic before hand, that way when you are listening to the topic or the meeting you have an idea on what you are listening too. This will help you take notes as you read and ultimately make your writing better.

No matter the size of the meeting or the speech if you are writing about it make it interesting, no one wants to read something boring. That is why it is your job to make the information sound interesting. One way to make it more interesting is to relate it to your audience.

People care a lot more if the information affects them in one way or another.

Feature Pitch

For my feature story I would like to write about The Relay for Life. The Relay for Life is a 24 hour event that takes place in June. The goal is to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Teams raise money throughout the year in preparation for the event. The story i want to do will be about a team called Cancer Crushers, a team of high school students, who in the past two years has raised about 17,000 dollars. I believe that this story will raise awareness for their cause. I can interview the captain of the team, and the organizer for the actual event.

Feature Pitch

For my story I was going to write about internships. Most students at RWU need an internship to graduate so the story can relate to a lot of people. I was planning on focusing on political internships. I work at the career center so I can interview the career advisors on how to acquire internships. I can also interview Bob Casey, the senator of Pennsylvania, about what students need to be chosen for political internships in his office.

Make it Interesting!

Speeches and meetings can be boring. It is a writers job to make sure that the information from the speech or meeting is communicated with the audience and it is interesting.

When there is a big story like a speech or meeting many people are going to cover it. The reporter needs to make their coverage stand out and be interesting. Cover the most interesting aspects, the main points of the speech or meeting. Also, putting a twist on the lead or story will make it seem more interesting to the readers.

The audience wants to know the reason why the speech or meeting is occurring. Why is the story important to the audience? The audience wants to know why they should care about the story.

If a speech or meeting is cancelled readers will want to know why. It could also make for a bigger story. Was there a controversy? Conflict makes the story more appealing to readers.

Feature Pitch

When I first came here I wanted to be part of something at school and wanted to feel like if I had a problem I had people to go to. So, I was thinking of writing about the pledge process of Delta Sigma Pi and how it is the beginning of starting to be part of something. I could interview the Pledge Educator of Deltasig, the President of Deltasig and a pledge.

Writing about Speeches, Meetings and more

A speech or a meeting story can be a very interesting way to divulge or to pass on information because usually this is the first time people are hearing about this information.

Whether it is a news conference, a small meeting between politicians or a large scale press conference with someone as important as the President of the United States, a writer must always be able to make the information sound interesting, because people will shy away from pieces that are less interesting.

When writing about a speech, one must be able to develop a good lead and one must also be able to keep the readers interest by writing about key points and key issues.

When writing about a meeting, it is sometimes very tough to make the story sound interesting. As stated in “Telling the Story,” one way to make a meeting story interesting is to find information that is pertinent to your audience and that relates to their well being.

When writing about a news conference, since many topics are usually discussed, according to the book, “Telling the Story,” it is the writers job to figure out the important issues and present them first in your story.

Feature Pitch

Feature Pitch

The first sorority has been developing over the last year at Roger Williams University. It’s been a long, hard struggle and the girls deserve some recognition. I work with the two founding girls of the sorority so I will interview them on why they wanted this sorority, what they had to do to get the sorority passed, what their plans are for this next year and beyond, as well as the benefits of this group on campus. I will interview girls in the sorority, and if John King will give me an interview – I can ask how he came to the decision to pass this sorority, why we didn’t have any before, and what he anticipates from this group of students.

Writing a Story on a Speech or Meeting

A speech or meeting story is interesting because the speech giver or members of a meeting are usually announcing some important news or making an important decision.

For example, in the article Obama Turns Up the Volume in Bid for Health Measure by Helene Cooper and David M. Herszenhorn on the New York Times website, President Obama not only tried to gain support for his Health Care proposal but also assured wavering members of his party to not give up hope.

These kinds of articles are powerful when the writer quotes the most vital parts of the speech and uses the 5 senses to help the readers feel what the speaker’s audience feels.

A writer can prepare to cover a speech or meeting several ways. The writer should read similar articles so they understand what techniques to use to successfully write the story.

The writer should then be well acquainted with the topic of discussion. They should be aware of any past speeches or meetings concerning the current topic and past outcomes or decisions.

The writer should also have some information on the background of the speaker or members of the meeting.

Covering a speech or meeting can be easy as long as you are as well prepared as you can be.

Feature Pitch

Topic 1: Compare/contrast life at RWU for suite-mate from Romania and roommate from Bristol. I would talk to Bianca (Romanian Student) about the main differences she noticed between living in Romania and living in the U.S.. I would ask Kristin (Bristol Student) what has changed about her life from being a high school student living in Bristol to being a college student living just 10 minutes from home. I would also do A Day in the Life Of... for both Kristin and Bianca. For experts I would interview the leader of Intercultural Center and International Student Services.

Topic 2: Talk to perspective students visiting on Accepted Students Days within the next few weeks. I would interview a few students on each Accepted Students Day about their visit, why they applied to RWU, and if they think they’ll be coming to RWU after this visit. The experts I would interview are workers at Admissions who helped plan Accepted Students Day.

Feature Writing

Writing features a reporter must show not tell, description and depth are the keys to success.

Since a feature is not breaking life changing news it is important to find a way to make the article relate to the reader.

Why should the reader stop to view the feature? The answer hopefully being because it is interesting.

Quotations are important, but quotes alone do not transport the reader to scene the feature is describing. Using dialogue and combining quotes helps to bring life to the feature.

Do not just write what a person says but illustrate how they say it with descriptions. Using the five senses can help describe many situations.

Features usually get more space in the news because in today's world people like to be entertained.

Since features get more space there is no need to use the inverted pyramid style of writing, their feature will likely not get shortened.

The intro should be descriptive and not give away the whole story; it should leave the reader wanting to know more.

The into should be descriptive and not give away the whole story, it should leave the reader wanting more.

Features

A good feature covers a particular issue more in-depth than a straight forward news coverage story.

A properly well written feature typically focus on human interests and the elements of a certain event. Features will focus on engaging the readers emotions to elicit a response and motivate them to read further.

A feature story gives the writers more freedom and allows them to be more creative with their writing because they do not have the strict guidelines to abide by.

Features will captivate the reader by evoking them to think, and imagine by presenting them with a picture to help them better visualize the story.

A good feature takes more than facts, it will involve testimony and opinions of others strongly tied to the chosen subject. By writing a feature on a topic of interest it helps the journalist to make sure it is the best and most interesting it can be to other people.

the facts about features

Feature stories are different from news stories; they are longer and more detailed.

As well as being more detailed they are also not written using the invered pyramid method.

 They are meant to be factual and interesting through out the whole story and not have all the important information at the top.

The flow of a feature story is very important.

The first paragraph sound draw the reader in much like a good lead would.

The transition should also be smooth from paragraph to paragraph.

It’s more important to make the story more in depth and flow smoother then a news story. 

What makes a good feature?

A good feature story won't be quite as heavy as a hard news story. What it should be is a story that piques human interest, one that will keep the readers coming back for more.

By using quotations and injecting dialogue into the piece, it makes the situation a journalist is reporting on seem more realistic. The quotes you see, the dialogue you read, all came from real people just like you and me, it gives the story more life.

Reporting a feature story is more than just facts, features are more flexible in topics that can be covered and how exactly to cover them. There still are facts, and there still is an interview process, just as any hard news story has, but features are more popular with readers, as their best interest should always be in mind while writing one.

Features also utilize the senses, which help enhance the imagery of the story. This literally paints a picture of the story in the readers' minds, it makes it seem as if the reader themself is in the story. Interview subjects have names, faces, voices, real human qualities, as opposed to just being a witness, a victim, or whatever the subject of the hard news story may be.

Creativity is key when writing a feature story. Use details, use dialogue, foreshadow your events, why not throw in an anecdote or two? Make it interesting, and readers will find it interesting to read.

Now Featuring...

A feature story is a place where a journalist can take a step back form the news world and write a story that has an emphasis on human interest.

Much like news stories, a feature must be clear and concise about what it is trying to say, and contain many of the same key elements such as the who, what, where, why and how.

The difference is that the immediacy of the event is not the focal point of the story, instead, the focus is on the human side of it such as the mood, atmosphere, humor or emotions involved.

Our last blog topic, the profile, would be a prime example of a feature type story, one more directed towards the person than the event.

Often times features are told as a narrative or bounce from event to event, so it is vital the author’s transitions flow effectively form place to place.

It is important that features have a drawing lead to pull you into the story.

“Give a human touch to the feature story as deemed fit to make it more interesting. The plot should build up tension and not be boring” eHow.com says about feature writing.

a feature tells a story form the people for the people and breaks the monotony of the straight forward fact report.

feature! feature! read all about 'em

What makes a good feature is that it has the ability to be lighter than a hard news story. It’s important to get a story that will grab many readers' attention and keep them interested.

Quotes are very important to features that make it fun. As a reporter you can interview so many different kinds of people because it’s a topic that is not 100% all fact based, there is a more playful edge to it.

They are meant to be fun. Especially when taking an angle of a hard news story that is not going to be in every paper or news source.

Features include things like concerts, or book reviews, or  something related to pop culture.

In today’s word of a lot of bad things going on it can be hard to find “good news” and the beauty of features is that it is meant to lighten the tone of everyday life to make it fun and interesting.

Imaaaaaginaaaaation

A good feature story usually appeals to the interests of a lot of people. Good features require a mix of elements that stress human interest and emotion. The story should draw it's audience in by capturing the imaginations of it's readers in an orderly manner.

The feature should start with a strong first paragraph that will entertain the reader. The writers of good feature stories use creative techniques to appeal to their audience to keep them reading the entire piece. The use of strong words and sentences also enhance the story. Varied sentences work well, too.

It is important to familiarize the content by using language many people will understand. Features generally tell a story in a clear and chronological way. The structure of the paragraphs is similarly important.

A good feature will cover an entire topic in a casual way while still getting a point across.

A Good Feature Story

A feature story is unlike that of a hard news story in that the journalist goes more in-depth on a particular story instead of trying to get all the information involved right away.

When writing a feature story the journalist writes more narrative elements in the story then that of a hard news story.

For example, in a feature story you want to make the reader seem like they are actually there. Appeal to the senses, so the reader feels as if she is seeing what is being described, hears the music playing and sees the picture the journalist is trying to describe.

A feature story gives journalists the chance to have fun with the story and create more interest among readers.

In a feature story, if the lead is boring and simple, the reader does not want to read on.

Therefore, be creative, use details and most of all have fun!

Other narrative elements you want to involve in a feature story might be the use of characters, foreshadowing, dialogue, anecdotes and chronology to build a climax.