1. What are the differences between newswriting and features?

2. News Story Vs. Feature Story
When you write a story, your objective is to get the right message to your target audience. If you understand what type of story you’re writing, it will improve your writing and help you reach the readers you want to connect with. There are many kinds of stories. The most common ones are a news story and a feature story. Even experienced writers often confuse the two.
While both types of stories are equally important, they’re used in different circumstances.

3. Here are three critical differences between a feature story and a news story.
1.Timing.
The major difference between a news story and a feature story is that a news story is time- sensitive. Media outlets want to publish news stories as quickly as possible after an event occurs. Feature stories, however, are not as time-dependent and contain no urgent content. You can write one anytime after an event occurs.
Style.
The writing styles of a news story and a feature are different. In a news story, the emphasis is on content rather than form. News stories go straight to the point, using simple and effective words to deliver the facts quickly. They usually average between words.
Feature stories are often more wordy and they have a creative structure. Feature stories can be more than 2000 words.

4. Differences between a feature story and a news story.
Beginning and ending.
A news story and a feature story have different types of beginnings and endings. News stories tell what the news is upfront and then give the most important details in the first paragraph or two. The beginning – or lead – of a feature story, on the other hand, doesn’t give the news straightaway. Instead, it hooks readers and keeps them reading until the end.
A news story can end anywhere after you’ve described the most important facts, whereas a feature story ends with readers feeling satisfied that they gained some value from reading the story.

5. Examples:
Before journalists start to write, they ask themselves a series of questions known as the 5Ws & H. Who? - Who are the person or persons involved in the story?
What? - What happened?
When? - When did it happen?
Where? - Where did it happen?
Why? - Why did it happen?
How? - How did it happen?

6. Good Leads
The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a bill legalizing same sex marriage in Britain, indicating that the bill is assure of passage as it moves through further legislative stages.” New York Times February 8th, 2013
“Two more Marines face criminal charges over a 2011 YouTube video showing members of a scout sniper platoon urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.” Daily Hampshire Gazette
“A heavy police presence sectioned off a block of homes in a quiet Southern California suburb Sunday, as residents adjusted to life at the centre of a sprawling manhunt for a fugitive whose police and military background and vitriolic online manifesto has put the region on high-alert.” Daily Hampshire Gazette  officers

7. Bad leads
Alleged arsonist and murderer Anthony Baye got some good news today, but in the end it could turn out to be the worst news of his life.” Northampton Media baye-arson-investigation/
This is an example of a bad lead because it offers very little information as to what the article is going to be about. While the lead starts strong with a clear subject it looses clarity toward the end leaving the reader confused.
“A high school hobby has become a full-time job for Noah Rockland.” The Daily Collegian February 6th, 2013
While this lead had a clear subject the reader is left with very little information as to what the article is about. We only know the “who” with no mention of “when” or “what”.