It is important for journalists to embrace more and more ambitious forms of writing besides news writing skills. The use of narrative and descriptive writing techniques makes features interesting and allow for more creativity in writing and enjoyment n writing.Features are usually well planned and involve research. Features often handle complex information and require practice to write well.
A feature is one of the most interesting and also one of the most intricate pieces of journalism. While many readers quickly flip through the news pages, they often keep aside the feature pages for more serious reading, usually in the evening, when they are free. The best writers are those who take features seriously. The feature writer takes time and uses impressive style. He digs deeper into a passing news story, and the result is often a more detailed, more insightful, more exciting narrative.
A good feature story should be accompanied by large, clear pictures. In the modern age, a good picture should be taken using a digital camera, and sent by e-mail if you are working away in the field. Most feature editors will reject feature stories that are not accompanied by a good picture, but it is really the style of the writer that will endear him to the editor.Feature stories are read for their style, and not simply for their news value. As a result, they often tend to have a distinct style. They can be humorous, incisive, detailed, even controversial. They must show evidence of good research and a deeper understanding of the issue at hand.The style of a feature is something between good literature (fiction) and journalism. It should be rich in literary technique, with emphasis on word play, sounds and meanings, and must be fast-paced, fact-packed, but not too loaded with style and content. On controversial issues, features should contain as many views from as many opposing sides as possible.Typically, the features editor is concerned with issues that are important and have already been in the news, but which may be quickly forgotten in the rush for headline stories.The features editor and his team of writers also have a duty to cover issues that appear trivial or secondary in comparison to the major news stories. In Kenya Times, for instance, the features desk is structured into two main magazines as follows:
Wednesday MagazineThis magazine focuses on rural and peri-urban issues that are often forgotten by the headline makers. It is also a poor people’s newspaper. It has humour column, which strives to look at life from a villager’s perspective. Specifically, it contains the following pages:
1. Profiles: Stories of outstanding or ordinary people doing extraordinary things, especially philanthropists or people with special abilities. People undergoing special or difficult circumstances as well as those who go out of their way to help the poor, the sick and the dying are covered e..
2. Aids watch: This page often contains profiles of patients, or families living with Aids, the trauma, and the agony, stories of hope, studies on anti retroviral treatments and the efficacy of modern and traditional medicines. It frequently features medical practitioners, e.g. herbalists and shows how rural communities are coping with the scourge.
3. Famine Watch: Hunger and starvation are common happenings in different parts of
Kenya. This page strives to give a true and intimate picture of how people are coping with hunger, poverty and starvation. It also looks at contemporary advances in agricultural science, like biotechnology or organic farming, as well as other attempts at improving food production and food preservation.
Stories on philanthropy, assistance given to the poor and starving; any innovative ways by individuals, groups, agricultural institutions, researchers, government departments in helping people copping with hunger and famine are also featured here.
4. Disability watch: Profile of disabled (blind, hearing impaired, physically impaired ) persons who are emerging heroic in spite of their circumstances. Stories of courage and hope from unusual cases or instances; Special abilities of disabled persons that often go unnoticed.
5. My Town: This is usually a fast paced story with pictures on the happenings of your local town. It provides a brief history, outlines the peculiar features of the town and a few outstanding people who love there. It covers trade and cultural activities, and gives an overview of the town’s vibrant life, or the absence of vibrancy.
6. Drug watch: Human interest stories of NGOS, and groups fighting drug abuse; Individuals and families coping with the effects of drugs and alcohol, effects of alcohol on the wider community and the family; what researches and preventive measures are being taken to stop the spread of the vice.
Friday MagazineThis is a cultural publication which strives to provide comprehensive coverage of arts and cultural affairs. Stories about theatre, books, creative writing, cinema, films, books paintings, music and general entertainment easily find space here. Specific columns include:1. Literary Chat: News and review of books, publishing and the literary industry. Interviews with writers and book makers2. Media Review: A look at media coverage and trends in media practice in
Kenya.3. Culture Pot: News, views and review of cultural activities, reports on cultural festivals, events.4. Film Review: a look at new and emerging films and film trends, the life of actors, actresses and film makers5. Music Scene: Profiles and news about music and musicians. Trends in music6. Humour: Political analysis in a humorous manner of the week’s happenings.7. Fiction: Short stories and poetry, novel serialisation.
