News story? Feature Story? What's the diff?

So far, we have been talking about using the inverted pyramid or inverted triangle structure for our stories. With the inverted triangle, the most important information is placed at the begining of the story and the least important information at the end. This is a typical format for news reporting and it effectively addresses the who, what, where, when, and why. The story has a beginning and a definite ending. The story ends when the story ends.

News feature stories take on a different type of structure. News Features takes an in-depth look at what’s going on behind the news. This website explains it best: " Feature stories get into the lives of people. These types of stories try to explain why and how a trend developed. Unlike news, a feature does not have to be tied to a current event or a breaking story. But it can grow out of something that’s reported in the news." Many feature stories address the "how" part of a story.

As we take stock of our topics, let's ensure that you know which type of structure your story will follow. Is it news or is it a news feature? Check out some of these great examples written by students of different types of news and feature stories:

• News Feature: Internet Plagiarism
• Eyewitness Account: Anticipating the Dream
• Profile of a Person: From Bed Bound to Breaking Boards
• Interview Report: Student Entrepreneur...