ABSTRACT
What are features for? At first glance, that seems a trite question as features have been an integral part of newspapers for 250 years. Without the need of a hard news ‘hook’, features take the reader behind the headlines; they can amuse, infuriate, stimulate and inform. They offer a contrast in tone and length to the news coverage at the front of the newspaper, allowing the reader space to reflect on issues of import and whimsy, and to engage in opinion as they are confronted by a wide range of voices. As such, they tend to be written with a great deal more stylistic freedom and in a variety of different formats to news, with its inverted pyramid model of informational hierarchies. Their purpose seems obvious, which is why almost all analyses of features have centred upon the ‘how-tos’ of journalism practice, coaching students on the various methods of intro/outro construction, peaks and troughs and in-depth interviewing.
