These are my notes on Chapter 7:

• a features story can provide additional background information, generate human interest, and created understanding in a more imaginative way.
• features are considered soft news; they all have the potential to provide more information to the consumer, give background and context about organizations, provide behind-the-scenes perspective, give a human dimension to situations and events, & generate publicity for standard products and services.
• good features writers ask a lot of questions
• news events/issues can trigger ideas for features stories
• once you have your feature idea there are 4 ways to proceed:

1. write a general feature & distribute to a variety of publications (most common)
2. write an exclusive feature for a specific publication
3. don’t write the feature at all. give a journalist your idea that they may/may not want to develop on their own
4. post the feature on your organization’s website for possible downloading by journalists & consumers

• There are many different types of features, including: case studies, application stories, research studies, backgrounders, personality profiles, & historical pieces.
• formatting for a features is similar to that of a news release
• you can use an informational headline or one that uses a play on words, alliteration, or a rhyme
• the purpose of the lead in a features story is to attract attention and get the reader interested
• the body usually includes:

1. direct quotes from people
2. concrete examples and illustrations
3. basic statistics or research findings
4. descriptive words that paint mental pictures
5. information presented in an entertaining way

• photos & graphics often accompany a features story to give it more appeal
• Placement opportunities include newspapers, general-circulation magazines, specialty/trade magazines, and internal publications. (broadcast & online media are also an option)
• op-ed means “opposite the editorial page”; it is to present a variety of views on current news events, governmental policies, pending legislation, and social issues
• “the whole point of the op-ed is to illuminate the issue in a new way. it isn’t just opinion; it’s an opinion grounded in facts, data, and research”
• the op-ed pages in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Washington Post are the best known/most prestigious (in terms of placement).
• the next best thing to an op-ed is a letter
• letters should be short, temperate & factual, identify the subject in the opening paragraph, state the theme in the second paragraph, have several other paragraphs, & a closing.