Why Truth Matters in Feature Writing
Feature writing is not fiction. You are not making up a story. You are writing about real people and real events.
That means everything in your story must be true.
If you write something that is not true, you can hurt someone. You can damage their reputation — make people think badly of them, even if they did nothing wrong.
A good feature writer always checks the facts first.
In journalism, ethics means writing only what is true, being fair to everyone in your story, not making up quotes or details, and treating the people you write about with respect.
Check Your Facts
A fact is something that can be checked and proven. If you are not sure about a fact — check it. Ask a teacher. Ask the person in your story. Look at a reliable source. Never guess. Never assume.
Use Real Quotes
A quote is the exact words a person said, written inside quotation marks. Never change a quote. Never add words the person did not say. Never remove words that change the meaning.
"I worked on this project for three months," Hanna said. — Hanna's exact words.
Hanna said she worked on the project for about three months. — your own words describing what she said.
Be Fair
Fair writing means listening to different sides of a story, not adding your own opinions as facts, not leaving out important details to change how a story looks, and treating every person with respect.
- This is the writer's opinion — not a fact.
- Not fair to the students who played.
- A fact. Respectful.
- Tells the truth without adding judgment.
Ask Good Interview Questions
There are two types of questions. Open questions let the person answer in their own words and give you long, interesting answers — and the best quotes. Closed questions give you a yes or no answer — good for checking facts, but not much else.
Two Versions — Same Story
Topic: A student who started a school garden.
- "Best student," "genius" — opinions stated as facts.
- Not checked or confirmed. Not fair to other students.
- Real, specific, confirmed facts.
- A quote from a named source.
- Ends with John's own honest words.
✏️ Practice Time
Apply what you learned. Work through the activities below step by step.
Fact or Problem?Read each sentence. Decide if it's a fact you can use or a problem to fix.
Create Interview QuestionsWrite five questions for your story's main person.
📎 Sample Answer (to guide you)
🔍 Rubric — Check Your Questions
| What to Check | Yes ✅ | Try Again 🔄 |
|---|---|---|
| My questions are open — they can't be answered with just yes or no | ☐ | ☐ |
| My questions are about the person — not just the event | ☐ | ☐ |
| I have at least one question about feelings | ☐ | ☐ |
| I have a closing question worth ending with | ☐ | ☐ |
Answers for writing activities will be different for each student. Use the rubric to check your work or ask your teacher for help.
🧠 Rate the Writing Choice
Read each writing choice. Decide if it's honest and fair, or a problem.