JOURNALISM

Module 1: Feature Writing

8

Self-Instructional Module
Made Easy

Gelly E. Alkuino, PhD

Irineo L. Santiago NHSMD
1
INTRODUCTION
This Self-Learning Modules in Journalism 1 for Special Program in
Journalism (SPJ) students is an interactive module designed to meet the need of
the learners in this most challenging time of pandemic brought about by CoViD 19.
It is anchored on realistic approach in developing the basic learning competencies
in Journalism I.
The lesson is presented through a pre-test/review followed by capsulized
theories and series of activities for application and evaluation congruent to the
learning competencies thereby solidifying the journalistic skills of the students.
This module focuses on print media to equip the students with knowledge
and polish their hidden skills in writing. The reading texts and exercises are culled
from the campus journalism books and workbooks of this author in a
contextualized setting by highlighting localization and indigenization.
With this module, the author hopes that the leaners would become proficient
language learners and eventually share their journalistic skills to become catalysts
of change in our society.
To the teacher, you are expected to facilitate the orientation on how to use
this module. Though the learners are allowed to manage their own learning at their
own pace, you also need to keep track of their progress. You also expected to assist
them and entertained their queries relevant to the different tasks included in this
module.
To the learner, this module is designed to provide you with the needed theories
and activities aligned to specific competencies in every important aspect of print
media in a self-directive way at your own pace. You are requested, however, to
follow the following reminders in using this module:
1. Do not write anything on any part of this module.
2. Provide your own paper in answering the exercises.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each activity.
4. Observe honesty in doing each task.
5. Return this module to your teacher on specified time of retrieval and
distribution of another set of module.
6. Should you find some difficulties in answering some activities of this
module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher through text or messenger.

Happy learning everyone.

GELLY E. ALKUINO, PHD

2
What I NEED TO KNOW?
In this module, you will be able to
1. Explain the qualities and purpose of feature stories
2. Differentiate various kinds of feature stories
3. Write illustrative examples of a good novelty lead for feature articles

WHAT I KNOW?
ACTIVITY I.A. Direction: Match Column B with Column A and write the
corresponding letter of your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Novelty lead a. that quality of a feature story that stirs
one’s emotion
2. Graphic description b. when you show the subject using your
senses
3. Dramatic quality c. overuse of words to describe the topic
or subject
4. Verbose d. refers to the first and second paragraph
5. Title e. part of the feature story that must be
striking to the reader

ACTIVITY I.B. Direction: Identify the kind of novelty lead used in the
following. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Wanted Perfect President !

This was the thought that came into my mind as I heard President Rodrigo
Duterte lambasted the priests and nuns of the Catholic church.

2. Who says that fun and learning cannot go together?

If you are one of them, think again. Come, enjoy and learn through the
Improving English Language Teaching and Learning in Mindanao (IELTLM)
program, where the class mimics what the narrator says overheard from the
CD
player rather than what the narrator says overheard from the CD player rather
than from their teacher.

3. “You raise me up so I can stand on mountains

You raise me up to walk in stormy seas
I am strong when I am in your shoulder
You raise me up to more than I can be.”

There goes the sing that echoes a strident voice from the deepest part of
me. It is an inner voice that pulls a tug of questions and conclusion from my
deepest, once wailing soul.

4. Freedom came with a price for this young man.

Chito Rodriguez, 18, was reported missing four days ago and was
allegedly seen being escorted by a policeman out of Lucena City Jail.

3
 5. “I don’t care if I burn in hell for as long as the people I serve live in
paradise.”

President-Elect Rodrigo R. Duterte said in one of his campaign

materials during the recently concluded Presidential Election 2016.

WHAT I NEED TO LEARN?

Read the following topics below and take note of the most important data to
help you do the activities relevant to this lesson.

Feature Writing
Definition of Feature Story
Gene Gilmore in his book, Inside High School Journalism, states that the
best way to describe a feature story is to say that it is a news story written like a
piece of fiction. For like a short story writer, a feature writer, often use literary
devices like color, wit, humor, dialogue, anecdote and emotive words to capture
human interest. It may also instruct, inform and advise, but its main objective is to
entertain.

Qualities of a Feature Article

1. It deals with any topic.
2. It usually entertains more often than it informs, instructs or advise.
3. It may be long or short as long as it covers the subject adequately and keep
it interesting to the readers.
4. It may be light or serious, depending on its purpose.
5. It may or may not be timely.
6. It begins with a novelty lead.
7. It is written in any form or style, but well-organized.
8. It is written in ascending interest.
9. It is based on facts. Though sometimes, the writer uses his imagination to
play up the details, it is still anchored on facts.
10.It can be garnished with adjective, figures of speech, dialogue, local color
and idiomatic expressions.
11.It can be written in the first, second or third person.

Kinds of Feature
1. Human interest feature. A story that somehow involves people and their
troubles, failures and successes. It may evolve in some minor happenings that
deserve attention only because of some dramatic, humorous, tragic, odd, or
sentimental angle that appeal to the emotion. The readers can relate to it as if,
somehow, it happened to them, too.
2. Personality feature. It offers a semi-biographical account of a newsworthy
person. The information usually comes from interview with successful people or
celebrity. Feature writers should prepare questions that will shed light on the
individual life.
3. Historical feature. It narrates the evolution of something like name of a
particular place, origin of a celebration and others.
4. Analytical feature. It dissects problem, such as school vandalism or student
cheating and describe how some people would try to solve the difficulty.

4
5. Seasonal feature. It presents new angles on an old angle in an old theme with
some fresh insights of information.
6. Travelogue. It describes a place and the kind of people the writer has met
during his travel.
7. Entertainment feature. A story with wit and humor and aims to entertain the
readers not only of the unusual topic, but also in the style of writing and the
kind of language used. It also includes crossword puzzle, maze, and others.
8. News feature. It takes its material from a recent event. Unlike the news story, its
focus is less in the information, but on the deeper meaning of the incident. It
does not supplant the news, but add variety and contrast and to play up the
substance of the news.
9. Informative feature. It emphasizes the giving of information with the element of
human interest. It is usually taken from interview or from research materials,
such as drug problems, street children, victims of calamities and other current
issues. It may also deals with scientific facts presented in non-technical
language, or some interesting useful facts
in other areas.
10.Interpretative feature. It instructs, informs or makes clear to the reader the
background significance of social, economic, political and other problems of
everyday life.
11.“How-to” feature. It aims to explain a process or how a certain product or
service is made or rendered.
12.Personal experience feature. It deals any unusual experience, usually written in
first person.
13. Unusual feature. It deals with paranormal beings like witch, ghost and the like.
14. Interview feature. It is in the form of question and answer with a little
introduction.
15. Science feature. It features anything related to science and technology.
16. Sports feature. Any feature article related to sports.

Sources of Feature Articles

1. Experience
2. Observation
3. Reading materials like books, newspapers, magazines and others
4. Special events like anniversaries and holidays
5. Advertisements
6. Speeches and commentaries
7. Movies
8. Casual conversation
9. Travel
10.Tourist spots
11.Fads
12.Interview
13.Imagination

Steps in Writing Feature Articles

1. Choose topic which you know very well.
2. Limit your subject to just one specific area.
3. Think of a more interesting and fresh angle of the topic.
4. Make a tentative title.
5. Make an outline.
6. Use appropriate and striking novelty lead.
7. You can garnish your article with anecdote, dialogue and local color.

5
 8. Use graphic description. Don’t just tell, show it to the reader through the use
of senses.
9. Place direct quotation in the beginning.
10. Use simple words and shorter paragraphs.
11. Avoid being wordy.
12. Make sure the feature article contains dramatic quality.
13. Give examples to make your article convincing or easy to understand.
14. Tie up ending with the opening paragraph.
15. Make a striking title.

Structure of Feature Article

Feature story follows the pyramid structure. The details of the story
are arranged according to the ascending order of importance, from the least
important to the most important ones. It begins with a novelty lead.
The novelty lead has two objectives:
1. To draw the reader into the story
2. To set the stage for the material to follow
Some leads are designed to startle and shock the reader, others to arouse
curiosity, others to stir his imagination and still others to inform the reader
about the nature of the story.

Kinds of Novelty Lead

1. Narrative lead. It draws the reader into the story by allowing him to relate
himself with the character of the story.
Example:
In the old days, before the coming of the earth satellite, my college professor
told me, weather forecasting was done by intrepid pilots, who flew their one-
engine small planes into the eyes of the approaching storm to measure wind
direction and velocity.
Once inside the eye of the typhoon, however, the pilot experienced an eerie
calm while the winds swirled outside.
2. Descriptive lead. It illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader.
This is effective in writing a personality sketch.
Example:
The raging rain fell outside of our dilapidated house. For the past 14 hours
nothing could be heard other than raindrops. No bodyfrom the five-member family
uttered a single word, but deep within, they were waging against the nightmarish
fear that crept into their senses, for it was the same ambience when a lethal flood
besieged their town, killing hundreds of people two years ago.
3. Quotation lead. This statement uttered by well-known speaker or
celebrity in the community.
Example:
“You stole the presidency, not only once but twice.”

Shouted Susan Roces, widow of Fernado Poe Jr., during a gathering of the
opposition, denouncing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s alleged vote-rigging
during the 2004 election.
4.Question lead. A thought-provoking question to capture the interest of the
reader and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of
the article.
Example:
When was the last time I told my father I loved him?

6
 This question had brought my memories back into the past with my father,
who never ceased on loving me even at the time when I was no longer worth
loving for. He was there, always willing to give even if he had nothing to give. He
was always there to ease the pain of my bad falls and to carry my cross when I
was weary and lost. He had given me too much of everything.

5.Teaser. A device to deceive the reader in a jesting manner to arouse his

curiosity and gently lead him into the story. It is generally short, crisp and
witty. Riddles are often used and they do not give the readers any clue on the
nature of the story. They are mostly suggestive and humorous.
Example:
What comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be made possible
without the hen. But where does the hen come from?
6.Punch lead. It is short, striking one-sentence lead
Example:
A man, who attempted thrice to die by hanging, finally died of cardiac arrest.
7. Astonisher. It uses an exclamatory sentence.
Example:
Olympic performance!

Twelve SPED pupils were among the 500 yellow, blue, red, brown and black
belters who competed in the National Poomse Competition at the Ninoy Aquino
Stadium, July 23, 2007.
8. One word lead. It uses a very significant word to capture the interest of the
reader.
Example:
BANG!

Sprinters from the different divisions of Region XII zoomed like bullets to the
finishing line during the 100-meter dash of the Cotabato Regional Athletic
Association (CRAA) Meet, held at Antonio C. Acharon Sports and Development
Center, Calumpang, General Santos City, April 1-5.
9.Parody lead. It consists of a parody of a well-known quotation, song, poem,
book or movie film title.
Example:
“Morn mri as mri as da win mru
As mri as da ngras ngru
Morn mri to faru ngyur ngrem”

These were the lines of the song I heard from a very beautiful lady, who
almost broke not only my eardrums, but my love struck heart.
10.Background lead. It describes an event in which the background
overshadows the individuals who participate in it; often use for stories about
carnivals, festivals, dances and others.
Example:
It was like the school was put in a time machine and was led back to the
past, when teachers and students who participated in the culmination program of
the Buwan ng Wika, gathered in front of the four-storey building garbed in old
Filipiniana costumes.
11.Freak lead. This kind of unique lead uses typographical effects to enhance
appeal.
Example:
Kidney for Sale

7
 Ruben Tocal, 28, resident of Taguig and a father of seven children said
yesterday that he was forced to sell his kidney to provide his family a bright
future.
12.Contrast lead. It is used to point up opposites and extremes.
Example:
In the 1960’s, a 10 centavo coin was already a treasure. Today, nobody cares
to give it a second glance on the ground.
13.Staccato lead. This usually consists of a series of words or phrases,
punctuated by periods, commas or dashes.
Example:
Terrorrism. Insurgency. Corruption. Too much political bickering. And
uncontrolled oil price hike. These are but few of the maladies that crippled our
economy.

What Is It?
Activity 2. Discuss or differentiate the following.
1. When can you say that an article is a feature story? Discuss its qualities.
2. More than the giving of facts, what o you think is the primary purpose of a
feature story?
3. How does each of the following kinds of feature differ from each other. Give
its description by using the chart below.

Kinds of Feature Story Description

1. Human Interest
2. Personality
3. Historical
4. Analytical
5. Seasonal
6. Entertainment
7. Travelogue
8. News feature
9. Informative
10.Interpretative
11.“How to” Feature
12.Personal Experience
13.Unusual
14.Interview
15.Science
16.Sports

.
Activity 3. Identify to which does each example of novelty lead belongs and write
the letter of your answer on your answer sheet.
a. Narrative b. Descriptive c. Quotation d. One word
e. Question f Punch g Astonisher h. Freak
i. Parody j. Background k. Contrast l. Teaser m.Staccato

1. “Now that you’re gone

I wish you never had to go
Now that you’re gone
The pain I feel inside me

8
 Just goes on and on
Now I know, I need you
And I never should have let you go.”
Elaine Duran rendition of this song, Now That You’re Gone, had
brought back the pain that I felt back then when I told you to go, though my
heart told me to let you stay.

2. I saw your face with a captivating smile, but your eyes reflected that
unfathomable fear you felt inside. You tried hard to control your hand from
trembling as you grasped my right hand attached to a hung bottled
Dextrose. No word, only a light press on my palm asking me to fight for my
life for you and for our children as a sent off message before I was brought to
the operating room.

3. It was a gloomy afternoon. I sat on a big stone along the shore

overlooking the sea. I saw a huge ship sailing the deep blue water to anchor
at the nearby wharf. I remember you and your promise 10 years ago that
you would be coming back. I felt my tears trekking down from my eyes to my
face until I tasted them from my lips. They tasted less bitter than what I felt
inside my heart.

4. CoViD.

It is just a word but it changes the face of the earth and the lives of
billions of people. It creates fear, crushes economy and brings us to a new
normal.

5. The bahaykubo of our ancestors made their lives simple and

comfortable with cool cogon or nipa roof and bamboo floor and wall. With the
invasion of the foreign cultures, Filipinos now copied tomb-like cemented
house and equipped it with costly electric fans and air-conditioning unit to
create a hole in their pockets.

6. A few days after the last CoViD patient had recovered, Chinese students
trooped to their schools like Ninjas of the old Japanese era, garbed with
personal protection equipment, face mask and face shield.

7. Wanted Perfect Father!

If he has only the courage to place a tarpaulin along the street to drum
beat what he feels about his irresponsible father, he should have done so.

8. He shoots a woman a picture, but she shoots him dead, too.

9. Son of illiterate and poor parents. Hearing impaired. Stammers when he

talks. He has lot of qualities to fail than to excel.

10. When can we say that we are afflicted with CoViD 19?

This question lingered in my mind as I felt the pain in my chest and

could hardly breathe. I experienced hard cough and my body temperature
rose to 37.9 degree Celsius.

9
 11. Unbelievably inspiring!

He has all the qualities to fail, but he always proves to the whole world
that there is more to his hearing impairment than meets the eye, for he had
already made a significant difference in his life and in the lives of his
students.

12. Water is everywhere but not a drop to drink.

This happened when GenSanville Subdivision of Barangay Bula was

sieged by a knee-deep flood and electricity brown out that made pipes ran
out of drinking water.

13. “We may have inadequate school facilities and attended classes under
uncomfortable and dilapidated classrooms, but we have the best teachers
and that matter most.”

This was the statement of Engr. Michelle Servinas, ranked second in the
Licensure Examination for Agricultural Engineer, as she inspired the
academic achievers of her alma mater during their recognition day at the
school ground yesterday.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED?

Activity 4. Complete the following sentence fragments. Kindly use a separate
sheet of paper for your answer.
1. I learned that the qualities of a feature article include the following . . .
2. The purpose of a feature story is to …
3. To discuss the difference of each kind of feature story I should begin from …
4. To illustrate each kind of novelty lead, I should . . .

WHAT CAN I DO?

Activity 5. In not less than four paragraphs, summarize the things that you
learned from the different topics of this lesson. Kindly use a separate sheet of
paper for this activity.

ASSESSMENT
Activity 6.A. Discuss the following in your own words. Kindly use a separate
sheet of paper for this activity.
1. When can you say that an article is a feature story? Discuss its qualities.
2. What is the main purpose of a feature story?
3. How does each kind of feature story from each other. Cite possible topic for
each kind.

10
Activity 6.B. Illustrate by giving your own example of each of the following kinds of
novelty lead. Kindly use a separate sheet of paper for this activity.
1.Narrative
2..Descriptive
3. Quotation
4. One word
5. Question
6. Punch
7. Astonisher
8. Freak
9. Parody
10. Background
11. Contrast
12.Teaser
13.Staccato

ANSWER KEY
Activity I.A Activity 7
1. d 1. i
2. b 2. a
3. a 3. b
4. c 4. d
5. e 5.k
Activity I.B 6.j
1. Freak lead 7.h
2. Question lead 8.f
3. Parody lead 9.m
4. Punch lead 10.e
5. Quotation lea 11.g
12.l
13.c

Reference:
Alkuino, G. E.(207). Campus Journalism in the New Generation. General Santos
City: RFM (Motong) Printing Press

11
Acknowledgment: Allan T, Flores, Cover Art Designer

12