8.1 Identifying and Developing Feature Story Ideas
4 min read•july 30, 2024
Sports features go beyond game recaps, capturing the human side of athletics. They explore themes like perseverance, dive into unusual aspects of sports, and reveal behind-the-scenes stories. These narratives connect sports to broader societal issues, offering fresh perspectives on familiar topics.
Finding unique angles requires thorough research and diverse sources. Look for unexpected elements in familiar stories, explore personal lives of sports figures, and connect sports to broader trends. Strong pitches need catchy headlines, clear narratives, and explanations of timeliness and relevance.
Compelling Sports Feature Ideas
In-Depth Narratives and Themes
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Top images from around the web for In-Depth Narratives and Themes
File:Wilma Rudolph.jpg - Wikimedia Commons View original
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Triple triumph for star sprinter Mhlongo | UCT News View original
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Dr. Deb: Perseverance & Success View original
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File:Wilma Rudolph.jpg - Wikimedia Commons View original
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Triple triumph for star sprinter Mhlongo | UCT News View original
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- Feature stories in sports delve beyond game recaps and statistics to capture the human element of athletics
- Explore themes of perseverance, triumph over adversity, or unique personal journeys of athletes, coaches, or other sports figures
- Timely topics related to current events or social issues in sports provide foundation for impactful features (athlete activism, mental health awareness)
- Unusual aspects of popular sports or stories about niche sports offer fresh perspectives (curling strategy, quidditch world championships)
- Historical milestones, anniversaries, or comparisons between past and present yield intriguing narratives (100th anniversary of first World Series)
Behind-the-Scenes and Intersectional Stories
- Reveal fascinating narratives not typically visible to the public through behind-the-scenes looks at sports organizations, facilities, or events
- Explore the intersection of sports with other fields to present compelling angles (sports technology, sports medicine advancements)
- Analyze the ripple effects of major sports events or decisions on individuals or communities (economic impact of Olympics on host cities)
- Seek out voices and perspectives underrepresented in mainstream sports coverage (adaptive sports athletes, women in coaching)
Finding Unique Angles
Research and Source Diversification
- Conduct thorough background research on potential subjects to uncover lesser-known facts or experiences
- Utilize diverse sources beyond official team or league channels (local communities, fan groups, social media)
- Identify unexpected or counterintuitive elements within familiar sports narratives to challenge reader assumptions
- Explore personal lives, motivations, and challenges of sports figures beyond their public personas
- Childhood influences on professional athletes
- Off-season pursuits of coaches or players
Broader Context and Connections
- Look for connections between sports narratives and broader societal trends or issues
- Impact of climate change on winter sports
- Role of sports in diplomatic relations between countries
- Analyze how sports events or decisions affect individuals or communities indirectly
- Local businesses benefiting from new stadium construction
- Educational opportunities created by sports scholarships
- Investigate the intersection of sports with cultural phenomena
- Influence of hip-hop culture on basketball fashion
- Traditional rituals in indigenous sports
Strong Feature Story Pitch
Core Elements of the Pitch
- Craft a concise and attention-grabbing headline encapsulating the essence of the proposed story
- Provide clear statement of the central narrative or argument, highlighting its uniqueness and relevance
- Identify key sources, including primary and supporting research materials
- Outline the story structure, including potential sections or key scenes driving the narrative
- Explain why the story is timely or relevant to current sports discourse or broader social conversations
Enhancing the Pitch
- Propose multimedia elements to enhance the story's presentation (photographs, videos, infographics)
- Include brief assessment of the story's potential impact or audience appeal
- Highlight any exclusive or groundbreaking aspects of the story
- Suggest potential follow-up stories or series possibilities stemming from the main feature
- Outline any challenges in reporting the story and strategies to overcome them (access to sources, travel requirements)
Targeting Audience for Features
Audience Analysis and Content Tailoring
- Analyze demographic data to define primary target audience (age, gender, location, interests)
- Consider level of sports knowledge and engagement of intended audience
- Adjust depth and complexity of content accordingly
- Provide necessary background for casual fans while offering insights for diehards
- Assess preferred media consumption habits of target audience
- Determine most effective format and platform for the story (long-form article, video feature, podcast series)
- Identify specific interests, concerns, or values of target audience to address in the feature story
Audience Engagement Strategies
- Evaluate how story idea aligns with or challenges existing perceptions and expectations of target audience
- Consider potential secondary audiences and adapt story to appeal to broader readership
- Analyze successful feature stories that have resonated with similar target audiences
- Inform approach and style of proposed story
- Identify elements that made previous stories engaging (narrative structure, multimedia integration)
- Incorporate interactive elements to enhance audience engagement (polls, quizzes, user-generated content opportunities)
Key Terms to Review (17)
Archival research: Archival research is the process of locating and analyzing primary sources from archives, libraries, and other repositories to gather historical data and context for storytelling. This method often uncovers unique narratives and insights that can enrich feature stories by providing depth and authenticity to the subject matter.
Backstory: Backstory refers to the background information and events that shape a character's present circumstances and motivations within a narrative. It plays a crucial role in storytelling by providing context, depth, and richness to the characters and their experiences, making the audience more invested in their journeys.
Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a creative problem-solving technique that encourages the generation of a wide range of ideas and solutions through open and unfiltered discussion. It promotes collaboration and the free flow of thoughts, allowing participants to build on each other's ideas without judgment, which is essential for uncovering unique feature story angles and themes.
Character Development: Character development is the process of creating a believable, relatable, and evolving persona within a narrative, allowing audiences to connect emotionally with the subject. This aspect is crucial in storytelling, particularly in sports narratives, as it enhances engagement and drives the emotional arcs of the story.
Conclusion: A conclusion is the final part of a narrative that brings closure to the story, encapsulating its main themes and leaving a lasting impression on the audience. It serves to tie together the key elements of the profile or feature story, offering insights or reflections that resonate with the reader. A strong conclusion often evokes emotions or provokes thought, making it an essential component in both storytelling formats.
Conflict: Conflict in storytelling refers to the struggle between opposing forces, which can create tension and drive the narrative forward. This tension is essential for engaging readers and can manifest in various forms, such as character vs. character, character vs. self, or character vs. society. Understanding conflict helps shape narratives, hooks readers from the start, and influences how stories are tailored to fit different genres.
Descriptive writing: Descriptive writing is a style of writing that aims to create a vivid picture in the reader's mind by using detailed observations and sensory language. It helps convey emotions, settings, and characters more effectively, making the narrative engaging and immersive. This technique is crucial for crafting compelling profiles and developing feature stories, as it allows writers to transport readers into the world they are describing.
Emotional connection: An emotional connection refers to the bond that forms between individuals or between an audience and a narrative, characterized by shared feelings, experiences, and understanding. In sports storytelling, this connection is crucial as it enhances the relatability and impact of the narrative, drawing in audiences by invoking empathy, passion, and personal investment in the stories being told.
George Plimpton: George Plimpton was an American author, journalist, and sportsman known for his unique approach to sports writing that often blended literary narrative with immersive experiences. He famously participated in various sports as an amateur to gain firsthand insights, which allowed him to create engaging feature stories that captured the essence of athletes and their endeavors.
Hook: A hook is a compelling opening statement or device designed to grab the reader's attention and encourage them to read further. It serves as the initial line or lead that engages the audience, often incorporating a surprising fact, a question, or an evocative image that resonates with the overall narrative.
Human interest story: A human interest story is a type of journalism that focuses on the personal, emotional, and often inspiring aspects of a subject, typically highlighting individual experiences or challenges in a way that resonates with readers. These stories aim to connect on an emotional level, revealing the humanity behind events and issues in sports. They can shine a light on athletes' personal journeys, struggles, triumphs, and the broader impact of sports on individuals and communities.
Immersive narrative: An immersive narrative is a storytelling technique designed to engage the audience deeply, making them feel like they are part of the story. This method often employs vivid descriptions, relatable characters, and emotional experiences to transport the audience into the world of the narrative, enhancing their connection with the story being told.
Interviews: Interviews are structured conversations where a journalist asks questions to gather information from an interviewee, often to create content for stories. This technique is vital for collecting firsthand insights, experiences, and perspectives that enrich narratives and engage audiences. Through interviews, storytellers can uncover unique angles and humanize their stories, making them relatable and compelling.
Narrative arc: A narrative arc is the chronological construction of plot in a story, outlining the progression of events that lead to a climax and resolution. It helps shape the overall structure of a sports story, ensuring that it captivates the audience by building tension and delivering impactful moments, often reflecting an athlete's journey or a team's season.
Pitching: Pitching is the process of presenting story ideas or articles to editors, publishers, or media outlets with the goal of gaining approval for publication. It involves crafting a compelling narrative that showcases the unique angle and significance of the story, as well as understanding the preferences and needs of the audience and the publication. Successfully pitching a story can establish a writer's credibility and lead to valuable relationships within the media industry.
Profile piece: A profile piece is a type of feature story that provides an in-depth look at a person, often exploring their background, achievements, and personal experiences. These stories focus on revealing the character and personality of the subject, connecting readers to the individual's journey, motivations, and impact within a specific context. Profile pieces require extensive research and interviews, allowing the storyteller to craft a narrative that is both informative and engaging.
Wright Thompson: Wright Thompson is a prominent American sports journalist known for his compelling narrative style and in-depth feature stories. His work often delves into the human side of sports, capturing the emotions, struggles, and triumphs of athletes and their journeys. Through his unique approach, he showcases the intersection of sports and culture, making his stories resonate on a deeper level with readers.