Reference no: EM132365490 , Length: word count : 1200

Assignment : Writing Feature Articles and Op Eds.

FEATURE WRITING

A Feature is an in-depth analysis of either a person or an issue.

OPINION EDITORIALS (OP EDS)

An Op Ed is a letter, usually written by a reader, to the newspaper outlining a person’s opinion or experience with an issue.

Writing style? In both features and op eds, the language is less formal than a report.

Features put the reader “in the picture” through images and adjectives. In feature writing, the writer can show his or her opinions and personality – through the use of adjectives (eg. “a bleak affair” or “a surprising move”) or even making quality statements (eg. “this was not good news for anyone”). However, in general they still try and retain a veneer of objectivity.

Op eds, on the other hand, are subjective. They try to explain or convince the reader of their point of view. The writer explains who they are and why they have an interest in the issue. Op eds are less descriptive and more evocative in language (“I was outraged to read…”) (“The report left me dancing for days”).

The following gives a simple example

Straight report: “The Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s latest report recorded the lowest rainfall in Australia in a decade…”

formal, factual, non-committal language

Feature Article: “Farmers across the nation are facing their toughest year yet after the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s latest report predicts the lowest rainfall the country has seen in years…” paints an image, more descriptive, less language, writer tells us what he or she thinks, but subtly, through their toneOp Ed: “As a third generation farmer, it breaks my heart to know that we are in for our harshest year yet. The latest report from the ABM might be a statistic to some, but it is devastation for us …”

informal, personal, emotive, calls for a response

First person? Third person?

As a rule of thumb, a feature article about a person is told in first person (eg. “When I met Keanu Reeves for the first time, it was easy to forget he was a movie star…).

A feature article about an issue can be approached in first person (“It’s never easy to write about poverty…” or Third person: “The concept of poverty has beleaguered the nations for millennia…” An Op Ed is always in first person.

Bringing in different voices: In a feature, the journo will often cover the angle from a variety of different viewpoints, bringing other people into the  conversation”. These other voices deepen, challenge or clarify the point. UNCC100 could use this style to bring in different ideas in the assignment:

Eg. “Catholic Social Thought says the foundation of human dignity rests on the idea that human beings were created in the image an likeness of God. But, there are other possible foundational points for human dignity. At the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights in 1948…”

Eg. “When the principle of subsidiary was first put forward, its purpose was to limit government, but this is not to say that governments have no place. In his letter -called an encyclical - letter written in 1961, Mater et Magister, Pope John XXIII says …”

The ‘Hook’: Journalism follows what is called the ‘inverted triangle’ method of writing. This means that the most important, most interesting, information is put at the top. The opening sentence should contain an eye-catching statement (or ‘hook’) to encourage readers to read on.

Students of UNCC100 might see if they can add a little journalistic flavour to their first assignment by giving careful thought to the opening line. However, it would still be important to have an opening, body and conclusion.

Referencing Feature Articles and Op Eds: Feature articles an Op eds do not have references embedded in them—or if they do, it is very loose (“The Prime Minister told The Herald Sun …”; “sources confirm…”; “In Man’s Search For Meaning, Frankl says…”). It would not pass muster in an academic setting.

Perhaps students could use the concept of the different “voices”, but reference academically:

Eg. When the principle of subsidiary was first put forward, its purpose was to limit government,1 but this is not to say that governments have no place. In his letter - called an encyclical - letter written in 1961, Mater et Magister, Pope John XXIII says; “insert quote here”.