Written by Lauren Buser. Media by Baylen Whitfield.
Newspapers have sections from sports to opinions, entertainment to world news, and even local news. But there’s one section that is a smorgasbord of ideas, the features section! A features article is traditionally supposed to “feature” a program, event, or person. Because there are so many subjects that features can cover, the real trick is trying to decide what to cover without stepping on the ground of other sections.
Inform
Like almost every article in a paper, a features article informs the readers of something. On the Papyrus, many of our features articles about Greenville College are meant to inform only! Marcoot Creamery and Staying Safe on a College Campus are two of our latest informative articles.
Entertain
Features articles can be very entertaining as well, however, most newspapers also have an entertainment section! So, it is important to know where the boundaries are for the section. At the Papyrus, the section editors set up their own section, creating articles that fit their overall theme. Meeting and staying in touch with these other writers and also reading some of their section’s work is a great way to draw lines on how to make your article more feature-like. But be sure to reach to the limits that other sections cannot; all those random, strange news articles that don’t quite come across as news, like races and events for a charity near you!
Persuade
An article is usually between 500 to 700 words. This makes it much more likely to be read than a long essay or paper, meaning your chances of getting the word out there is almost guaranteed! The Papyrus is all online, which makes using persuasive tools much easier. For example, an article on the web can use links, photographs, and videos to enhance the reading experience. These add-ons along with an easy to read, attention-grabbing article makes it convenient for readers to search deeper into the topic or discover more about how to get involved in the topic being prompted.
Features articles can be fun, entertaining, and even informative. But the best part about these articles is they can be about anything! Writing is something that should be fun and interesting. If the author enjoys what he/she is writing about, then it is going to be a better written work. That will make it more enjoyable for the reader because they will sense the passion behind the words.
For more about features articles and how to write one, click here!
