ASSIGNMENT - WHAT IS FEATURE WRITING?

Feature writing is writing an article in a newspaper, a magazine, or a news website that is not meant to report breaking news, but to take an in-depth look at a subject. While there are no precise guidelines on the differentiation between features and news stories, features are often significantly longer than news articles, are more likely to be written from a personal perspective, and unlike news stories do not always deal with the events of the immediate past.

Features are written in a less urgent fashion than news stories, sometimes taking several paragraphs to arrive at the main story while trying to engage the reader and keep them reading by employing narrative hooks. Feature stories often delve deeper into their subjects, expanding on the details rather than trying to concentrate on a few important key points. The writing style of the articles can be more colorful and employ a more complex narrative structure, sometimes resembling the style of a nonfiction book more than a news report.

reference: http://www.wikipedia.org

ASSIGNMENT - RAISING THE DEAD

1. What captivates you about the story? How does he paint a picture for the reader? Cite the passages that are most compelling for you.

What captivated me the most in this article is that it is a mystery story. As the story continues to flow, curiosity builds in the mind of the reader making him/her want to read more. He paints a picture for the reader by stating lots of details such as the people, the scene, the venue, and the things that are happening.

The passage that was most compelling to me was this:
“As Riddle kicked through the leaves and brush, his foot caught on something solid. It was a green burlap sack, the kind carnies use for carrying big-top tents, tied with a tan cord. Inside was a woman’s body. She was naked except for a shred of cloth diaper draped over her shoulder. Her eyes had rotted away. She had three broken fingernails – part of a futile attempt, apparently, to claw out of her shroud.”

This was most compelling because through this accident marked the beginning of the investigation.

2. Who is the target audience for this publication? How does the story relate to them? Does the story appeal to other demographic groups as well, and if so, why?

The target is those who are interested in mystery solving. The story fits well in the likes and interest of the target audience since it involves mystery and investigations. This is also a good article for detectives and investigators so that they would get an idea on how to better their investigations.

3. What "rules" did the writer break?

The author wasn’t able to connect the beginning to the end.

4. How does the writer end the story? Why is it effective?

The author ended his work by leaving something that would make Matthews be remembered as someone who has solved the case of the “Tent Girl”. It was also effective because the author also left a good impression on Matthews by saying that he (Matthews) wasn’t able to do something for his dead family members, but at least to the “Tent Girl, he was able to do something. That would make the reader remember Matthews.

ASSIGNMENT - BATTLE COMPANY IS OUT THERE

1. Does the writer hold your attention through a long article? If she does, how did she do it? If not, why?

No. It’s too long that I don’t understand it much. Not suitable for readers who can’t stand reading very long articles, like myself.

2. Quote the most vivid and vigorous sentences in this feature.

Kearney kept his soldiers on a tight leash at first. Col. John Nicholson, a brigade commander with the 10th Mountain Division, had promised the Afghans he would not bomb their homes. When Kearney and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team officially took over from the division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team on June 5, they kept that promise. “My guys would tell me they didn’t know which houses they’re shooting from, and I’d tell them they can’t shoot back into the villages,”

“They hated me.” The insurgents were testing the new captain, he suspected, by deliberately shooting from homes.

The soldiers don’t hesitate to call in Big Daddy (who, in today’s military, often flies in with the voice of a female pilot). But while these flying war machines are saviors to the soldiers, they cannot distinguish between insurgents and civilians.

3. Write this feature as straight news, 100 words maximum.

Note: To be quite frank, I really don’t know much about this article…

ASSIGNMENT - TRAGEDY OF BRITNEY SPEARS

1. How does this article differ from the usual celebrity and gossip features? Does this article elevate itself from the typical celebrity and gossip feature?

This article is not just straight news like usual celebrity articles. The article showed the background of Britney herself and also her mother, Lynne. It also has lots of quotes and it traced Britney’s early years, her rise to fame, her decline to self-destruction.

2. How does the writer hold the reader's interest about a subject matter that is over exposed?

The article contained a lot of shocking contents (such as Britney losing her virginity at fourteen) which will eventually build up the interest of the reader. It also contained some slang quotes which could bring humor.

3. How does the writer appeal to readers who are not admirers or sympathizers of this celebrity?

The writer showed a background of the celebrity to trace her rise and fall, and probably for the sake of those who don’t know her much. This would also interest the non-admirer reader because it’s too unusual for a superstar who was so high and loved by money to turn into someone that most people would probably laugh at or hate.

4. What voice does the writer use and does it work for the magazine's target audience?

The writer used a voice that would fit the mood of the story. Probably a voice that was a little humorous and it works since I was laughing when I was reading this.

THE SCHOOL RUN BY A PAPER (revised)

Insights by a student of the school itself
By Franco Attento

Most colleges and universities in the Philippines are run by government officials and church factions. But here is something new: A school run by a newspaper company. Its name is the Manila Times School of Journalism.

As its name implies, it is a school that specializes in training the youth to become better journalists in both print and broadcasting.

The Manila Times School of Journalism, or MTSJ for short, has no separate building of its own. It’s located at the top floor of the Manila Times building in Port Area, Manila. It's very small, and everyone who venture here don't get lost. It consists of three classrooms, two computer labs, a radio booth, and a TV production studio.

The training in MTSJ can be a pain in the neck, but sometimes it could be fun. In print, the student will be trained in writing articles, and will be assigned into newspaper desks to be given real assignments for real publication to the newspaper itself. Most of the students found the field work a pain since most of them don’t want to enter the newspaper industry. In broadcast, the student will be given a shot at the radio booth, to be trained as a radio announcer and a programmer. The students will also be shaped in TV production. The radio and TV training are what the students liked and most of them are looking forward for more productions.

There are professors who are top-notch, and others who come from different schools. Some of them have doctorate degree; others have a high stature in society. Few of these professors will get in your nerves, but most of them are fun to get along with. Dante Francis "Klink" Ang II , the CEO of the Manila Times, and Benjamin Defensor, the dean, are some of the professors in MTSJ's arsenal.

The students in MTSJ are a mixed bunch. There are those who pursue their studies well so that they could finish college quick, some who just want to have fun, some who are as loud as megaphones and some who are as quiet as a feather. But no matter how different they are, they have one thing in common: They are fun to get along with.

“The school provides training in both print and broadcast. It's not something that you see in other schools", said Gem Eiroll Manalo, a sophomore of the school itself.

WHY I HAVE MY EYES GLUED ON ARTICLES (revised)

By Franco Attento

I read articles for three reasons. I want to know what will happen next; I found it interesting, and just for fun.

I read articles because I am in need of new information everyday. It has become a routine that information became like food to me. I need to know what’s going on around me or some updates on recent events. It’s like watching daily episodes of my favorite sitcoms. I read articles of the latest news because I am intrigued on what is going to happen next, like what is going to happen to the politicians’ game of tug-o-war, updates on the performance of my favorite tennis player and the on-going games, or the latest in the happy and sad faces of our celebrities. To sum the first reason up, I read articles because I want to answer the question: “What will happen next?”

Whenever I find an article that caught my eye, I would probably read it. But what makes an article interesting that it would make me read it? Well, the style of the writer is a factor, and also the interests and likes of the reader. Take me for example. I like movies so whenever I see a review of a good movie, I would definitely read it as long as the writer doesn’t spoil it. Another example is that I am interested in unusual stuff, like the ones people show on “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”. I usually read articles of things that don’t happen everyday such as pigs born with two heads, people creating houses with garbage, someone eating something the people don’t usually eat, and so on. So basically, an interesting article will make a person read it.

Sometimes whenever I get bored, I pick up a magazine to kill some boredom. If there is nothing interesting on television, or I don’t have a new game for my console, or I’m just too lazy to get out of home, I read an article from a magazine or digest that I like such as K-Zone, Otakuzine, and Games Master. But it’s not just me who read articles for fun; many people also do this.