Types of Journalistic Stories

There are multiple genres that
journalistic stories can fall into.

Let’s explore them...

News Stories

● These stories relay facts, information and events to readers

in a very straightforward, accurate and unbiased way

● They are more timely, and are often published immediately

after an event takes place

● The stories typically lack verbal embellishment

● They also usually lack the same amount of depth, and the

questioning approach, that investigative pieces contain

Examples of News Stories

Feature Stories

● Feature stories can be less timely than news stories
● The topics of these stories are usually more lighthearted or

casual than the topics of news stories
○ Examples of feature topics include: The interpretation

of trends, events, the expression of emotions and ideas,
a profile of a specific person, etc.

● These stories can be much more personal and often aim to

provide a previously unseen perspective on an event, issue
or person

Examples of Feature Stories

Opinion Stories

This category can be broken down into
three types of stories:

1. Columns
2. Editorials
3. Reviews

Columns

● Give the point of view of the author

● Attempt to persuade readers that the opinion held by the

author is correct

● Facts and evidence should be incorporated to strengthen

the author’s argument

● They focus on one particular perspective and share why

they think that perspective is right

Examples of Columns

Editorials

● Pieces that present the official voice of the publication

● They represent the general consensus of several people,

instead of only one person like a column

● One person usually assumes the role of writing the

editorial, even if they don’t necessarily agree with it

● They typically remain unsigned because they represent the

voice of the entire publication, not a specific person

Examples of Editorials

Reviews

● Reviews center around things that readers may eventually

want to try such as restaurants, activities, movies, books,
video games, etc.

● They are more of an evaluation instead of the writer taking

a stand on something

● They are often also categorized as/synonymous with Arts

and Entertainment stories

● They should give enough information, while also allowing

the reader to make some judgements for themselves

Examples of Reviews

Sports Stories

● Sports stories can take on a variety of formats:

○ Previewing a upcoming game/match/meet, coverage of

an actual game/meet/match, features on a particular
athlete or team

● If writing a game preview or recap, timeliness is key. If you

wait too long to write the story once the game ends, it’s no
longer relevant.

● Sports features often dive deeper into team trends,

outstanding plays, injuries, etc.

Examples of Sports Stories

In-Depth/Investigative Stories

● These stories aim to dig deeper or uncover the truth about

a specific person, subject, or event

● They typically weave together qualities of both news and

feature writing: Research, numerous interviews, anecdotal
evidence, etc.

● These stories often take a much longer time to produce

due to the amount of research, interviewing and writing
work that goes into them

Examples of In-Depth/Investigative Stories

*Story from Parkway West High School