Description
The feature story should be on a topic related to SMC or a trend impacting college students in general.
The feature story should be 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pages long, about 600 to 1,200 words.
Write it up as a unified story, NOT a Q and A.
Rather than just stating a broad topic, try to come up with an angle or trend. Ask yourself, what’s new about this issue?
Feature ideas can stem from basic human needs — food, shelter, air, water, the environment, sleep, work, relationships, love, marriage, divorce, dating, friendships, religion, transportation, sports, entertainment, etc…
So you could write an article about the rising cost of rental housing near SMC. Or you could write about whether interracial dating is more accepted these days by the younger generation.
Think of a creative lead — perhaps anecdotal or scene-setter.
Plan your ending to avoid using your opinion.
Find a statistic to use in your article and make sure to name the source. Don’t use a random blog. Use a recognized organization, university or government website.
Remember that on first reference to a person in a story, it is proper style to use that person’s full name. On second reference, only the last name.
