By Karen Hendricks
Just like ingredients you’d gather to make your favorite recipe, there’s a list of essential ingredients for a good feature story.
What makes feature stories special? That was the topic of a recent discussion organized by the Society for Features Journalism. Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Eli Saslow and Lane DeGregory shared their thoughts, including the following:
- A good feature story makes me care about something
- A good feature story also makes me feel something
- I learn facts from a good feature story
- Something transpires during the story to change me or surprise me
- A good feature story can be told through someone else’s eyes, helping me see, feel or care about their point of view — which builds empathy
Is there anything you would add to this list?
This summer, I am striving to mix all of these elements into my stories, as I pay closer attention to the quality of my ingredients than ever before. I feel especially blessed, even enriched, by several key relationships that have challenged and strengthed my journalism skills. The above discussion was one. Another, gratefully, is a growing relationship with WITF and their StateImpact Pennsylvania partnership, which has allowed me the opportunity to do something I’ve never done before: deep reporting.
My latest story is here: “Pa. farmers dig into the soil — and its ability to trap carbon — as one solution to climate change,” StateImpact Pennsylvania, a partnership of NPR affiliates WITF and WHYY, as well as the Allegheny Front.
Additional summer stories include small business and nonprofit features:
Thank you for reading/watching!
What feature stories have affected you the most and why? Do you have an idea for a great feature story? Feel free to reach out and share your ideas (email me, here).
Karen Hendricks 