Reading Summary Chapter 7 and Chapter 8

Chapter 7: Creating News Features and Op-Eds 

• Feature story: provides additional background information, generates human interest, and creates an understanding in a more creative and imaginative way in comparison to a news feature 
• considered “soft news”
• often show up in speciality sections of newspapers
• provides “behind the scenes” perspective, generate publicity for products or services 
• Service journalism: concept of publishing consumer tips and “news you can use” 
• key components: save time, make more money, save money, or get something free 
• Three things to keep in mind when writing a feature idea

1. Conceptualize how something lends itself to feature treatment
2. Determine if the info would be interesting to a particular audience
3. Feature helps achieve organizational objectives 

• Six types of features

1. Case study: tell how individual customers have benefited from a company’s product or service or how another organization has used the product to improve efficiency or profit
2. Application study: similar to a case study, but this study focus primarily on how consumers can use a product or service in new and innovative ways 
3. Surveys and research study: use findings from study to create feature to engage reader
4. Backgrounders: multiple types, one focuses on a problem and how that’s fixed, or how technology has evolved over the years 
5. Personality profile: humanize a celebrity, people love reading about people 
6. Historical piece: significant milestones like anniversaries, birthdays, and major changes create features

• Parts of a feature
• Headline: draws the reader, two types: informational or alliteration 
• Lead: attracts attention and gets the reader to read the rest of the article
• Body: uses direct quotes, concrete examples, stats, descriptive words, and presents info in entertaining way,  not as short as a news release, but concise 
• Summary: clear, complete, and most important part of the story, the lasting message that the writer leaves the reader with
• Photos and graphics: can be important in a feature, info graphics are popular for this 
• Features can be placed in newspapers, general magazines, and specific magazines 
• Op-ed: opposite the editorial page, purpose of these articles is to present a variety of views on different social aspects or topics 
• In a public relations world, this is an opportunity for clients to reach audiences that are considered to be “opinion leaders” 
• generally 400 to 750 words 
• Letter to the editor: shorter than an op ed piece, rebuts editorial, clarifies information in a news story, or adds additional information in an original story 

Chapter 8: Selecting Publicity Photos and Graphics 

• Photos and graphics are important components of new releases, generate more interest 
• Components of a good photo
• must be high resolution, and appeal to media gatekeepers 
• technical quality: high contrast and sharp detail are extremely important 
• subject matter: grip and grin format is okay for trade magazines, but can be boring, large group photos are also not welcomed in general circulation newspapers and magazines, instead try smaller groups of locals that you can send to local cities’ papers
• composition: keep the photo simple and uncluttered, take tight shots with minimal background, emphasize detail, but not the whole scene, try to frame picture, avoid wasted space, no sunglasses 
• action: action projects movement and creates the idea that something is happening, always more interesting, sometimes mug shots are needed 
• scale: contain some element of known size so the viewer can understand how big or small an object is 
• camera angle: different approaches can create interest 
• lighting and timing
• color photos 
• Cropping and retouching  photos may be necessary, however could create ethical issues 
• Caption: brief text under photo that tells the reader about the picture and its source, all photos sent to the media need one, usually around two to four sentences
• Infographic: simple and well designed, colorful graphics
• Pie chart: ideal for showing what part of the total is used, often used by organizations to show budget or revenues
• Bar chart: ideal for showing comparisons between the years like income, sale or prices
• Graph: like a bar chart, but better suited for showing changes over a long period of time