A news feature is a long-form story about a topic of interest in your community. Often these stories are broadcast on radio and television. They are also sometimes published in newspapers.
The first thing to think about when making a news feature is your audience. This is not just who you are aiming the feature at, but it is important for planning the overall structure of your piece. A good idea will fail if it is not interesting or engaging for your audience.
When planning a news feature, keep your audience in mind throughout the process – planning, production and editing. It is easy to lose track of the audience and end up with a dull or irrelevant piece. Talent is another key element of a news feature, just as it is for any other kind of program or show. A great idea without talent will fail – just as a movie will be dull if it is not well-acted.
A good news feature should include a large number of photographs and illustrations. This is especially important if the subject matter of your news feature involves the military, since you may have to secure permission to visit bases and record service personnel. It is worth including a “contingency” budget in your planning for this kind of production, as there is always the possibility that something will go wrong.
It is also a good idea to try to give your news feature a national or international perspective. This will help your audience to understand the context of events, which is important for making sense of current news. Mae C. Jemison, for example, was inspired to become an astronaut when she saw telecasts of the Gemini and Apollo spaceflights on television as a child.
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