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A feature is a report or story about a specific theme, issue, community or person. It is often a regular item in a news or magazine show and a more in-depth discussion of a topic. Radio terminology can differ from station to station, so you may find that this type of report is also called a package.
Structure of a Feature
The structure of a feature is influenced by many factors. These include:
- Length - Are you doing a quick piece or a longer story with a more documentary-like feel? Features can be any length, from a few minutes to 30 minutes, or sometimes even longer.
- Location - Features are almost always recorded in the field, rather than in the studio. That's why the location is an important element in the story. How will you make the most of different sounds to tell the story and paint pictures for the listener?
- Resources - How many sources of information, and other ingredients, are you using and how will they be included? You will probably use at least some of the following:
- Interview clips. How many interviews do you need in a feature? There's no easy answer to that question. But your feature needs to focus on more than one angle if it is going to be really satisfying.
- Sounds (for example, background traffic, a busy market, crowds cheering).
- On-the-spot descriptions from a reporter (sometimes called stand-ups).
- "Vox pops" - or quick comments from citizens or people on the street about the issue you're covering
- Deadline - Are you covering a current news event (in which case you'd want to complete the piece quickly) or are you investigating a story about a long-developing social issue (for which you can take more time)?
- Placement - Will the feature appear in a news program or a magazine program? Features can be used in both types of programs so placement will influence everything from the angle you choose to the final length of your piece.
Programs that use Features
Both news and magazine programs use features. However, because the goals of those programs are quite different, the features used in each are also different.
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News Programs
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Magazine Programs
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Length
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News shows must cover many topics in a short span of time. News features are therefore typically short, a couple of minutes or so. Time and the news focus can limit the topics covered in a news feature.
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Magazine shows typically focus on one or two story topics. The longer the story or report, the more it takes on characteristics of a documentary, a program presenting facts and information, especially about a political, historical, or social issues.
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Role of feature within the program
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A news feature takes a deeper look at stories in the news by presenting more detailed information about current events or issues. It often offers a range of diverse views about the topics.
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A magazine feature is usually the core of the show. It will often have a news hook (for example, World AIDS Day) and generally focuses on the human angle of a story. It can also be used to generate follow-up discussion in the studio after the segment airs.
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Participants