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Article Writing Tips: News Story vs Feature Story – What’s the Difference?

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

Updated 5.30.24

A good set of article writing tips must explain the difference between a news story and a feature story.

Because a news article and a feature article are two different kinds of content.

But plenty of writers confuse them. 

And that’s a no-no. Both news articles and feature articles are standard fare in magazines, newspapers, newsletters and yes, blogs.

You don’t want to deliver a full-fledged feature when your client, an editor, or a publication asks for a news story. And vice versa.

So here’s the gist:

  • A news story reports the facts about an event.
  • A feature story explains the significance of an event. It offers analysis.

Use these additional article writing tips to get the mechanics straight as you write news stories and feature stories.

#Article Writing Tips: the difference between a news article and a feature article with Word Wise at Nonprofit Copywriter #WritingArticles #FreelanceWriting

Article Writing Tips: Writing a News Story versus Writing a Feature Story

Timing

  • A news article is time-sensitive and of immediate interest. Think election results, an accident, a robbery report, a product launch, a court verdict, a medical report release, a set of basketball game scores. 
  • A feature article can be published at any point. Its content is often evergreen or at least lasting.

Content

  • A news article reports the facts: who, what, where, when, why, and how. It is written in a straightforward, concise reporting style.
  • A feature article is a human interest story about a person, event, or place. Rather than simply summarizing the subject, a feature article highlights one aspect or significance of the story. Its less formal style may take an odd twist or heartwarming angle. 

Structure

Length

  • News articles are short, averaging 100-400 words depending upon the type of news and where it is placed in the publication. They are meant to be digested quickly. 
  • Feature articles are longer and dig more deeply into the topic. Length varies for each publication, but a typical feature word count runs between 1,000 – 2,000 words. 

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