JOUR 350 Feature Writing
   (pre-requisite: Jour. 221-2 News Reporting and Writing in Chinese)

(1 Term; 3 Credits)

This course emphasizes producing and submitting articles for publication in newspapers, consumer magazines, and online publications. Students will analyze the concept of a news feature, writing techniques and structure of quality features in newspapers and magazines. Students will develop ideas, target stories for specific audiences, research, report and write different types of features.
By the end of this course, students will have been given the chance to learn to do the following:
‧ Build on basic writing skills to write compelling features – from bright to in-depth magazine pieces.
‧ Generate story ideas and develop them into feature stories
‧ Outline and structure longer pieces
‧ Turn breaking news stories in features
‧ Tackle stories that fall outside one’s comfort zone
‧ Research effectively (online and off-line)
‧ Prepare for interviews
‧ Find quality and diverse sources
‧ Conduct in-depth interviews
‧ Write queries
‧ Market (pitch) stories to editors
‧ Understand the legal and ethical issues involved in writing feature articles