WHAT TO ASK AND OBSERVE WHEN WRITING A FEATURE STORY

  WHAT TO ASK AND OBSERVE WHEN WRITING A FEATURE STORY:

Feature writers observe people in different situations:

Observation involves all the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.

1.People may behave differently when they know they are being observed but that is not a reason not to tell them they are being observed.

2.You must record your observations to have evidence of its existing.

3.In observation, various people might be well suited, though training may be necessary

5.People may behave differently when they know they are being observed so it is better not to tell them.

6.You must record your observations to have evidence of it existing.

7.You, as someone who “knows” the program and the participants, are best suited to conduct the observations.   

WHO/WHAT CAN YOU OBSERVE?
1.People (individuals, groups, communities)
2.Characteristics
3.Interactions
4.Behaviors
5.Reactions
6.Physical settings
7.Environmental features
8.Products/physical artifacts.

WHAT TO ASK
1.Ask open questions, be a good listener, and probe  or anecdotes. Get a source talking by asking questions that begin with "how" or "why." Once a source starts talking, try to keep him or her going by asking follow-up questions like, "What do you mean by that?" or "Can you give me an example?“
2.Focus on what's most compelling. Before you start writing, think through all the information you have and all the points you plan to make. What's surprising? What's important? What's useful?
3. Avoid yes/no questions.
Ask plenty of HOW and WHY questions. Use DESCRIBE questions. You are asking questions to get specifics for your copy.
 ALSO:Know the rules of attribution. You must identify yourself as a reporter before beginning any conversation with a source. If you don't, his or her comments will not be considered "on the record" -- and therefore they will not be useable in your article. A source cannot retroactively take his or her comments "off the record" -- so if a source says at the end of an interview, "but that was all off the record," that person is out of luck. Triple-check for accuracy. Spell names right. Get grade levels and titles right. Get facts right. If you are unsure of something and cannot verify it, leave it out. Before you turn in your story, ask yourself these questions: Have I attributed or documented all my facts? Are the quotes in my story presented fairly and in context? Am I prepared to publicly defend my facts if they are questioned?  Fill holes. Are there questions raised by your story that you have not answered? Ask a friend, teacher, editor or fellow reporter to read through your story and tell you what else he or she would want to know.
Putyour story in context. You must help answer a reader's biggest question about any story: Why should I care?