What is a News Feature

What are features?

Features could be described as non-fiction short stories, quotation filled, descriptive, informative and entertaining stories (reading week 1)

A new features; Tells the COMPLETE story! It explores an issue going BEYOND a single event, Provides solid research and planning.

News Features allow for expansion of a news story. It's a good way to profile a person...

Key elements include; Humanize, humanize, humanize which adds colour to a news event, educate the audience, illuminate about a complex series of events and is able to entertain your readers.

Longer in length than straight news stories.

The Process of writing a feature:

• Come up with a story or idea and get a clear idea of your angle and of the topic.
• Research your idea/topic.
• Create on clear concise statement that sums up the story you want to tell. 
• Outline the logical steps.
• Use Visual support!

The Outline of your feature should include a brainstorm of your ideas... 

Your angle should be as unique as possible and allow you to remember your focus is what your pitch's first sentence is.

If this process is followed the reader should be able to stay focused throughout...


Before the body of your feature, write the lead and the conclusion then the body.

The structure of a Feature: the lead

A lead: a block of one or two paragraphs, used to arouse the readers, sets the mood and the scene and invites the readers into the feature.

THE NUT GRAPH - In straight news writing the nut is the first thing that will be provided in your story, in a feature the nut graph will come later on. It answers the question, 'so what?' It explains the reason why the story is being written.

THE BODY - It's main aim is to educate the reader. The body provides vital informaiton for the audience, informs about the event/topic discussed and, well done, it emotionally ties an audience to the subject.

Strong story telling skills required.

Use Background information as well.

RISKS: don't loose the reader's attention... 

Dialogue, can be used to keep the story moving (However, dialogue must be very accurate in news features)

THE CONCLUSION - The ending of a feature wraps up the story and COMES BACK to the lead. If you don't tie the ending to the beginning there is a risk your story will just fade away, it could read like a story that lacks purpose. 

Writing features doesn't involve the use of the INVERTED PYRAMID.

It's very common to note use the pyramid in features. The style is more narrative. News can be written escaping the inverted structure and still appear as a front page. Once you escape the pyramid the rules apply in other ways.

THE THREE ACT Structure in Plain English - Youtube it!

News features must include; rich descriptions, characters, interviews and can also include; anecdotes that are observed (not only spoken. E.g. impressions, feelings, facial expressions, mannerism, etc.)

Polishing the feature - Re-read your story before submitting it at least 3 times, check your tenses flow throughout the story, the fairness of the statements and facts. Only one idea per paragraph. First person should be reduced as much as possible.

Style is about many thing, it's your personality, it's your voice, what voice will you use in your feature... Style is about the use of techniques, the ability to blend factual details with rich descriptions.

The Australian Settlement

Values shaping the Settlement, Pillars & Policies, Demolition of the Settlement, A bit of History, 'Criticisms of the Australian Settlement'.

Paul Kelley's book, The End of Certainty (1992) looks through the 1980s which he says is an attempt to restructure the Australian political tradition. Moving into the 20th century consensus major policy directions  & themes - i.e. 'settle policy'. Certainty of established policies replaced by uncertainties of economic re-structure. Moved from an area of certainty to uncertainty.

Kelly's main points on the Settlement of Australia...

Australia was founded on; faith in government authority, belief in egalitarianism, judicial determination of wages, protection of industry and jobs, dependence upon a great power for security and finance & hostility to geographical location.

"This framework... is undergoing an irresistible demolition." ~ Paul Kelley 

There are values that exist alongside settlement that people should be aware of; that is a belief in the role of government, belief in fairness and equality, xenophobia.

Pillars of the Australian Settlement in terms of Public Policy:

• White Australia (restrictive immigration policy (very first law by Commonwealth Parliament - Immigration Restriction Act 1901), Immigration policy to ensure harmony and unity. 

"The unity of Australia is nothing, if that does not imply a united race. A united race not only means that its members can intermix, intermarry and associate without degradation on either side, but implies one inspired by the same ideas..." (Deakin, Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, 12 September 1901, p.4807)Alfred Deakin

• Industry Protection - Tariffs on imported goods, Import substitution - not export-oriented policy. Tariffs protected Australian jobs and 'fair' wages, 1950s - 1970s - Australia and New Zealand had the highest manufacturing tariffs in the developed world. 
• Wage Arbitration - Judicial setting of wages and working conditions, system based on needs of the worker, wages adjusted to cost of living.   
• State Paternalism - Belief in government action (tradition of government owned enterprise), early social security measures (1950s - 1970s lagged behind Europe). 
• Imperial Benevolence - Geographical location required close security and trade ties with Britain (Basis of defence policy + trade and foreign investment policy), Empire changed in World War II from Britain to the United States (but subservience remained). 

Demolition of the Settlement - Fundamental political divide not Labor vs Liberal as they were both heading in same policy direction. The new divide is those who know the Australian Settlement is unsustainable vs those who fight to retain it. 

More history... 

Protection of Industry & Jobs - Arbitration, immigration controls, expansive system of tariff protection. Australian was a laboratory of social reform and democracy. 

Throughout the 1980s the market was turned into Liberalism, forced by international economic forces. 

Australia's traditional pattern of public policy shifted in the 1980s. Economic change included: End of industry protection, major tariff cuts, impact Tabo on social policy. 

Criticisms of the Aust. Settlement; Argument anticipated by others. 

Policies were not fixed - Chronologically misleading, White Australia was buried in the 1970s. Foreign policy subservience persists. 

Australian Policy = Search for balance between egalitarianism/equity and freedom/efficiency. 

1901 - 1983 - nation building. 

1983 - 2007 - efficiency, repairing the economy. 

2007 - 12 - Swing back to equity? 

Cf. Polanyi's 'double movement' theory: policy oscillates from free-market principles & economic re-structuring and mobilisation as a reaction to the excesses of market-driven policy. 

Open to criticism - But useful conceptual tool, explains the context in which Aust politics has evolved. Describes the dominant values of Aust public policy, and how they have changed. 

Onsight Studio Logo Design

For the second practical for NM1402 Design for Media Communication we were given the task of replicating a logo for the fictional business, Onsight Studio.

The design is featured below.

Onsight Studio - Logo from Practical

Walking Wounded

The Four Corners episode that aired on August 5, 2013 showed the tragic IED explosion that changed the life of war photographer Giles Duley forever.

The episode aired on four corners in a structure that's not frequently used. For example normally Four Corners starts with Kerry O'Brien introducing the story, rather this episode first started with shocking scenes from the Afghanistan war in 2011 just prior to the explosion.

The documentary began showing chronologically the incident that unfolded. Dramatic footage of Giles Duley was shown while he spoke in first-person describing the pain he was going through as Army officers placed him into a chopper for an Med Evac. The story then goes on to describe what his reconstruction surgeons faced when carrying out complex medical procedures to ensure his survival.

The documentary changes direction midway through when Duley announced his return to Afghanistan. After this point, the journalist along with Duley visits Afghan nationals in emergency hospitals who have experienced explosions by simply carrying out everyday tasks such as walking to school, driving or sitting on their doorstep.

As the story progresses patients suffering from different injuries are shown. Some look to be beyond talking while others are at an advanced stage of their rehabilitation and can talk to Duley and the journalist.

Considering the main reason for Duley's return to Afghanistan was to finish the job he started, document the Afghan War there are points where Duley's images are shown. Him images make an impact especially when the producers show video captured and then show Duley taking an image with his camera, the next clip is then of what you would imagine his camera is focused on.

As expected the documentary re-communicates Afghanistan's lack of medical facilities. It explains how Afghan's are second in-line for emergency treatment as soldiers receive treatment first at NATO hospitals. It also highlights that their is a fear after coalition forces withdraw conditions may worsen. 

What is Public Policy

Public is the people as a whole. Policy is political wisdom; a course of actions; prudent procedure.

Public Policy is government laws, rules and programs that guide the decisions by government and its agents to act or not act in specific areas.

Public Policy is the purpose, substance and effect.

Purpose why the government has acted and what is achieved; Substance actual content of government action, what the policy is; the effect or the impact of that policy on the public.

Public Policy Practice =  the decisions of government.

Public Policy includes interest groups, corporations, media, "public opinions", other arms of state.

Analysing public policy is more than describing government a actions; Must understand influences on decision-makers - and the values involved.

Madison & Dennis - Two categories of definition - Authoritative choice, policy is government making decisions. Policy making is rational & ordered.

Preferred - "Public Policy is the interaction of values, interest and resources, guided through institutions and mediated by politics."

All policies underline values and interests. Interests are often confused as values (who stands to benefit), values are fundamental beliefs or principles.

Elements of Public Policy - Resources, Institutions & Politics.

Spann & Cunrow's types of policy analysis: decision making, policy content and techniques to evaluate and improve the policy.

Parking: "Analysts of public policy try to disentangle these elements of the process, in order to obtain a better understanding of how the whole governmental system operates and perhaps to provide insight into how the process might be improved.

Thomas Dye was a guru of Public Policy - Argued that political science should not be silent or impotent . In the face of political crises and that political scientists have a moral obligation to advance specific policies.

Glyn Davis - "Pointing out the errors of current practice is fun, but it avoids the more risky business of suggesting viable alternative."

In some PP literature politics don't exist. They focus on procedure, techniques, rational, 'scientific ' processes.

Weller - Best politics may be bad politics. Good politics may mean mediocre policy.

Policy as Window dressing or Spin - Spin is the professional selling of the political message. "... Policy making is nine-tenths press release and one-tenth substance."

Community Consultation and engagement is the response of government to public disconnect.

Good policy studies attempt to hold power to account - John Wanna.

Lecture 1

Why study Digital Media Communication.

Ever heard of socialnomics.

We are apart of the communication revolution.

The way business communicates with us has changed.

There are several models that represent ways of communicating.

The linear model, Shannon Weaver Model of Communication, Interactive model of communication and transactional model.

Is traditional advertising and marketing communication still meaningful with people today?

THE GOAL OF MARKETING is to connect an entity with others.

Communication dictionary definition is - A letter of message containing such information or news.

Communication Design is about informing, educating and delighting people.

Design is problem finding, not just problem solving - Bryan Lawson.

Technology is a catalyst for change.

Any tool that enhances communication affects how we learn.