Features > News Stories

What makes a news story different than a feature story?

News stories are much different than features in several ways. They are more formal always saying Mr. This and Mrs. That. They get out the story quicker and focus on the most important facts. Features are more informal and get to know the person before delivering their point.

News stories are always on your television, radio, or print media, almost always the same types of stories. Features are more focused on one topic, or person, and are very lengthy. News stories are always short and get right to the point. Features always have a large background section and talk at length either in an interview or with an anecdote before getting to the focus structure of the piece.

Features are just more interesting and attract more of an audience than regular news stories. I feel as if everyone would get tired of hearing about a reoccurring story about a man who tried to rob a convenient store and got caught later by police. Features are more attractive when talking about a collegiate football like Mark Herzlich who had to spend a year out of football at Boston College, then heroically coming back and predicted to be drafted in the National Football League.

Overall, features are just better than news stories. They don’t always come out like regular stories on the news each day, so they are more interesting and have more content. They are so informal because the writer always gets to know the person, which gives the reader a sense of knowing the person being featured themselves rather than a reporter talk to one person involved in their story and report that story in under a minute and a half.