A news feature is an article that explores a topic in depth. It covers a range of topics including lifestyle, travel, science and technology, culture, and business. News features can be informative, entertaining, or a mixture of both. Its main purpose is to engage and inform the reader.

News features should be based on facts and expert opinions. Interviews should be conducted to gather the information needed for the story. Experts lend news features authority and credibility. They also provide valuable insights into how the topic might affect people.

Many newcomers to writing news features are tempted to tackle problems like crime, poverty or injustice in their first articles. This is a mistake. Entire books can – and have – been written about these issues, so you’ll need to narrow your focus. For example, instead of talking to a patrol cop about the rise in homelessness, you should talk to someone who’s studied homeless trends.

A good news feature should have a delayed lead that prepares the reader for its focus statement (aka the nutgraph). The body of a news feature should move the reader along a timeline and include anecdotes, descriptions and quotes. It’s a good idea to split your news story into sections for readability, but the segments should be linked to each other so that the flow is seamless. A news story should also wrap up with a quote or command message.