Feature stories have different colors and flavors, but there are some fundamental questions we should keep in mind while planning and writing feature. Some of the questions are fundamental to a particular story, some are peripheral and some are not needed.
As I have recently finished a long feature about the background of German attacks, mu mind is too obsessed about them. I am using the current anti-refugee scenario of modern day Germany as examples below.
BACKGROUND QUESTIONS?
What is the history of issue or event? For instance anti-refugee violence in Germany?
Is German racism a recent phenomenon? or does it have roots in Nazi Germany?
Is the history central or peripheral to the story? History definitely has a role but it is not central as the refugee crises emerged recently and the right-wing leaders felt threatened by the Muslim culture.
Does the issue represent the continuation of its historical context or have changed from it?
Here we can say that continuation is not seen as Germans learned a lot after two World Wars.
SCOPE QUESTIONS?
How big is the issue? The hard news of ax attack may seem sensational but the issue might be small as compared to the homicide rate in Germany. Yet media usually exploits the sensationalism attached with the story.
How widespread is the impact of the issue such as national, international, provincial, or local?
Is the issue rising or falling? Looking at the crime statistics, the recent terror attacks in Germany seems negligible but their linkage with real or perceived terrorism made them news worthy.
How many different ways the issue manifest itself?
Are there any hotspots that epitomise it?
Does any other issue bear on the one you are writing about?
Does other issue heighten its importance or diminish?
WHY QUESTIONS
Economic: Is money involved? Can we follow the money trail? The migrant crises has economic aspects. though it is not central but statistics may be used to express the problem of population crises as billions have been spent on family subsidies to promote birth rate.
Legal: Are changes in law, taxes or regulation are affecting different parties? What? and How?
Political: whether politics plays a part? German refugee crises is purely political. Right wing parties are exploiting fears of people and politicizing a social issue.
Psychological: Are there any emotional or psychological forces? Psychological warfare is playing a pivotal role.
IMPACT QUESTIONS
Who is likely to be helped / hurt? The German society appears to be divided. Those pro-refugees see it a solution of population crises and consider refugees an asset to boost industrialization while the anti-refugee factions in the society consider them a cultural and economic threat.
What is the emotional response of helped or hurt people? Violence has erupted at several instances in demonstrations. Attacks on police, pro-refugee demonstrators and arson is common.
REACTION QUESTIONS
Who is screaming loudest? Anti-refugee right wing racist parties.
What are they saying or doing? demonstrations, attacks on refugee shelters, campaigning on social media against refugees and open-door migrant policy.
What is the impact of screaming? Merkel has restricted her open-door policy, her popularity sharply declined, refugees have been demonized and attacked, false flag operations have been carried out like Russian rape victim and Cologne rape scandal.
LOOKING AHEAD QUESTIONS
What is likely to happen in the future? Merkel may loose the coming elections, violence may increase, Right wing parties may drag Germany towards the past, Verbal and violent attacks against refugees will increase, God forbid a modern day holocaust.....
What people involved and observers are saying will happen in the future? Merkel's defeat is a widespread forecast by political pundits
As I have recently finished a long feature about the background of German attacks, mu mind is too obsessed about them. I am using the current anti-refugee scenario of modern day Germany as examples below.
BACKGROUND QUESTIONS?
What is the history of issue or event? For instance anti-refugee violence in Germany?
Is German racism a recent phenomenon? or does it have roots in Nazi Germany?
Is the history central or peripheral to the story? History definitely has a role but it is not central as the refugee crises emerged recently and the right-wing leaders felt threatened by the Muslim culture.
Does the issue represent the continuation of its historical context or have changed from it?
Here we can say that continuation is not seen as Germans learned a lot after two World Wars.
SCOPE QUESTIONS?
How big is the issue? The hard news of ax attack may seem sensational but the issue might be small as compared to the homicide rate in Germany. Yet media usually exploits the sensationalism attached with the story.
How widespread is the impact of the issue such as national, international, provincial, or local?
Is the issue rising or falling? Looking at the crime statistics, the recent terror attacks in Germany seems negligible but their linkage with real or perceived terrorism made them news worthy.
How many different ways the issue manifest itself?
Are there any hotspots that epitomise it?
Does any other issue bear on the one you are writing about?
Does other issue heighten its importance or diminish?
WHY QUESTIONS
Economic: Is money involved? Can we follow the money trail? The migrant crises has economic aspects. though it is not central but statistics may be used to express the problem of population crises as billions have been spent on family subsidies to promote birth rate.
Legal: Are changes in law, taxes or regulation are affecting different parties? What? and How?
Political: whether politics plays a part? German refugee crises is purely political. Right wing parties are exploiting fears of people and politicizing a social issue.
Psychological: Are there any emotional or psychological forces? Psychological warfare is playing a pivotal role.
IMPACT QUESTIONS
Who is likely to be helped / hurt? The German society appears to be divided. Those pro-refugees see it a solution of population crises and consider refugees an asset to boost industrialization while the anti-refugee factions in the society consider them a cultural and economic threat.
What is the emotional response of helped or hurt people? Violence has erupted at several instances in demonstrations. Attacks on police, pro-refugee demonstrators and arson is common.
REACTION QUESTIONS
Who is screaming loudest? Anti-refugee right wing racist parties.
What are they saying or doing? demonstrations, attacks on refugee shelters, campaigning on social media against refugees and open-door migrant policy.
What is the impact of screaming? Merkel has restricted her open-door policy, her popularity sharply declined, refugees have been demonized and attacked, false flag operations have been carried out like Russian rape victim and Cologne rape scandal.
LOOKING AHEAD QUESTIONS
What is likely to happen in the future? Merkel may loose the coming elections, violence may increase, Right wing parties may drag Germany towards the past, Verbal and violent attacks against refugees will increase, God forbid a modern day holocaust.....
What people involved and observers are saying will happen in the future? Merkel's defeat is a widespread forecast by political pundits
Extracted from Matthew Rickeston's Writing Feature Stories.
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