Feature Article on a Feature Article
World history in the making = journalism.
To me the trickiest article to write is a good feature article. By nature they are a plethora of opposites: They must be well researched but easy to understand, smart but relatable, the topic heard of but not overdone, personal, but not unprofessionally so. All of that’s a challenge, so if you want to feel like you’re accomplishing something, try writing a feature piece. But here’s the beauty of it: You can write about whatever you please. News stories are dictated by news, if you want to review the perfect book you’ll probably have to read it first, and sometimes writing a controversial opinion article is like admitting you’re a communist during the red scare. But then again, we’re journalists, we love that sort of thing.
All that said, I don’t have some magic formula that will make you a good newspaperman/newspaperwoman. Here’s what I actually know:
- Write what you know (Cliché, but so true)
- Write about what you love (This makes it easier when you start questioning why you write anyway. Which is something I guarantee you will do.)
- Research the heck out of your topic (So when someone completely insults your writing, at least you can say: Hey buddy, I know what I’m talking about here.)
- Actually put time and effort into your work (For two reasons: So people won’t completely insult your writing, and so that YOU can be proud of what you’ve done. It’s a tone thing.)
Journalism is unique. Over the centuries we’ve evolved from white men with notepads stuck into their hat brims and cigars in their mouths to an extremely diverse bunch with different interests and perspectives.
Although some claim that since the very nature of journalism is transitive, and therefore articles have little literary merit, I beg to differ. It is this transitive conveyance of ideas and current, “before the history books were written” historical bias that defines the art of journalism. I just think we’re insanely lucky since every tool we need to convey information, opinions, and emotion is given to us.
Journalists have access to the past, as well as the freedom to speculate about the future. We also have the thrill of reporting things as they happen – to the world, to a certain group, or to an individual – that makes this genre extremely rewarding.
So congratulations! Whatever it is that motivated you to come this far, let it motivate you to try and succeed in writing your first feature article.
