While fiction lets writers explore creativity and essays dig deep into analysis, news writing is all about getting to the point. News stories are time-sensitive and cover current events in the news. This is because the main objective of a news article is to inform readers of current issues with accuracy and speed.
Feature articles are less time-sensitive and allow journalists to dive deeper into an issue or story. This gives them the freedom to be more subjective, and include more storytelling and descriptions. Unlike news stories, which use the inverted pyramid format and contain a headline, lead, nut graf, and a fact-based conclusion, feature articles are long form and have a more human interest angle. This allows the journalist to go into more detail about an event or topic and include more information such as background on the subject, quotes from people involved, and more.
There are different types of news features, such as a profile or personality feature, a historical feature, or a seasonal or holiday feature. A sidebar or explanatory feature often accompanies a larger story to add more information and can be written in a Q&A format.
For example, NBC News created an immersive and interactive feature story on segregation in modern Detroit using a mix of images, video, and interviews with local citizens to show the effects of racial discrimination in homeownership. Another example is a feature by Water Aid about the impact of climate change in Malawi, Africa. The piece includes full-screen photographs, statistics, and quotes from scientists to bring the story to life for the reader.