Generic Magazine Formats

There is no such thing as saying ‘I’m going to produce a feature’. No magazines are impressed/ respect this term. Work that you produce for a magazine or newspaper must be in a particular format such as:

·         Confessional Interview

·         Consumer Reviews

·         Pictures/fashion

·         Comment

·         Feature Interview

·         Documentaries

·         News Features

·         Profiles ( CV style layout) Facts about someone, usually starts with an anecdote

·         Art Reviews

·         Investigations

·         Observational (Gonzo Journalism) e.g. Tom Wolfe & Louis Theroux

·         Response

The definition of the above mentioned formats differ from editor to editor. Considered more of an art than a science. In many ways subject matter is secondary to the format. Need to separate out generic forms of features.  Don’t create a mix of the various formats.

Differences between News and Features

NEWS                                                  FEATURES/ DOCUMENTARIES

Telling                                                    Seeing (inc "word pictures" on radio)

Brief/Summary                                     Lengthy/ detailed

Aimed at whole audience                    Aimed a "niche" sections of the readership

Length varies (importance)                 Length fixed by editorial structure/TV radio /news agenda

Defined styles                                       Many styles/ generic types

Pictures useful                                      Pictures essential/ graphics

Published instantly                               Published according to schedule

Done by staff reporters                        Done by production staff/ freelancers

Event-led("the news agenda")             Production-led (fitting schedule/structure of mag/newspaper)

·         News tries to appeal to everyone. It varies, nothing stays the same. Features are planned in advance and very much production led.

·         With features / news story online all text stories should have a picture. The text is written to compliment the photograph.

·         Broadsheet newspapers now run feature ‘puffs’ (adverts for articles) above the title. This means that when newspapers are folded and placed onto the shelves in a newsagents these ‘puffs’ in the ‘flannel panel’ are on display for potential buyers.

·         Barkers are like ‘hooks’ to keep people on a website. Bulk it out and make the website ‘sticky’. Come for the news, stay for the features.