A featured story is a piece of content that is displayed prominently in your app or website widgets. It can be anything from a newsworthy article to user-generated content or even a limited-time promotion. The key is to make it a story that is newsworthy, entertaining or otherwise engaging for users.
Feature stories expand on the news by revealing complexities and providing new perspectives on topics. They often use elements like sensory details, anecdotes and quotes to create a richer narrative for readers to engage with. Unlike hard news, which focuses on what happened and when it happened, the key to a great feature is human interest.
When a factory closed in La Villeneuve, France, local citizens came together to rescue children trapped inside the building. The BBC tells this inspiring story through a mix of photographs, video and interview excerpts, highlighting the heroism of these citizen-heroes in their efforts to save kids from the fire.
Another great example of a feature story is NBC’s look at the segregation in Detroit, which takes readers inside the city through historical pictures and an interactive map. This immersive and interactive story is a powerful way to bring a difficult issue to light. A strong featured story should leave a lasting impression on readers. Clunky phrasing or awkward pacing can undermine the work that went into writing it. The best features have a clear goal and are well-crafted with expert writing skills.