Feature Writing JOUR 73104
Spring 2025
Tuesday 9:30 AM –12:20 PM
Room 442
Linda Villarosa linda.villarosa53@journalism.cuny.edu
Shelby Boamah, teaching associate, shelby.boamah@journalism.cuny.edu
Class website: CUNYJfeaturewriting.com
Office Hours: I’m around on Tuesday after class until about 5 PM – or make an appointment by email to talk by phone or on Zoom with Shelby or me.
First Day of Class: Tuesday January 28, 2025
Last Day of Class: Tuesday May 20, 2025
No class: Tuesday February 18 and April 15, 2025
Course Overview
This course is designed to examine the creative possibilities that journalism holds. We will explore a variety of genres including short newsy features, profiles, trend stories, opinion articles, first-person essays and long-form articles. You will learn to sharpen your instincts for discovering ideas and transforming them into compelling pitches — and refine the research, reporting and especially interviewing skills essential to feature writing, while striving to find and shape compelling narratives. Classes are heavy on discussion and feedback and even heavier on the most important skill that many writers resist: structuring, revising and polishing your work. You will be required to read a variety of feature stories, because the more you read and analyze high-quality journalism, the better writer you’ll be.
Course Outcomes
In this course you will:
- Teach the difference between news and feature writing.
- Use advanced interviewing and reporting techniques to produce the in-depth work required for publication-worthy feature writing
- Develop a diverse range of sources and topics and engage in newsgathering in communities
- Respond to edits to produce rewrites and revisions
- Build on reporting, data collection and research skills to prove and verify work
- Experiment with social-media tools and community engagement techniques to connect with sources and groups
- Become more adept at finding, developing and pitching story ideas
- Hone story structure and writing skills and improve grammar, writing form and style and confidence
(Note: The week-by-week content of our syllabus will shift and evolve as we go but what’s here should give you an idea about how the class will flow.)
Readings
Plan to set aside time every week to do assigned readings. Most will be feature articles – some of them quite long – in a particular genre. I’ll send out the links or PDFs a week in advance to keep the stress managed. And as the course progresses, you will be responsible choosing and presenting high-quality feature stories to the class.
Class Assignments
You will pitch, report and write five different kinds of feature stories.
Short, newsy feature: 500 – 700 words
Profile w/a photograph: 700 – 800 words
Trend story: 800 — 1000 words
Opinion piece: Between 800 words
Final workshopped story: 1200 – 1500 words
Statement on Anti-Bias, Diversity and Respect
It should go without saying, but I pledge to foster an environment of inclusion, fairness and respect. I will also strive to include diverse and underrepresented viewpoints in assignments and discussions throughout the semester.
Grading
Attendance and class participation: 10 percent
Writing Assignments:
Newsy Feature: 10 percent
Profile: 15 percent
Trend Story: 15 percent
Opinion article: 20 percent
Final Workshopped Story: 30 percent
Each assignment will comprise: Pitch, First Draft, Final Revision. As evaluators of your work, Shelby and I are big on grammar, reporting rigor, story structure, creativity, accuracy, and, most of all, effort.
Assignment Format/Deadlines
Send in your writing assignments as google docs, shared with me, via my email address: linda.villarosa53@journalism.cuny.edu, copying Shelby. Make sure you choose “can edit” so I can do my magic. No PDFs and please and put your name and title of assignment in subject line.
Name your file this way: YourLastName Assignment. Like this:
VillarosaProfilePitch
Deadlines are crucial, obviously. In case you run into challenges, please reach out by email (before the deadline) and be honest with me about what’s going on. Same goes for attendance: If you have to miss class, let me know by email before Tuesday. I am a human person and understand that stuff happens, especially in today’s world. Otherwise, late assignments will be reduced by one grade level.
Don’t be sloppy. Make sure to double-check every draft for errors in accuracy, grammar, spelling and punctuation. At bare minimum, spellcheck.
Finally, you’re in a journalism master’s program – don’t plagiarize or falsify information. Please refer to our college’s Code of Ethics if you have questions or concerns or talk to me about it.
Week 1: Tuesday January 28:
In-class: Learn what the class is about, get to know your professor and understand what makes a good story: We will discuss this article in class. Think about form, structure, writing style, reporting and visuals:
The Alienation of Jaime Cachua by Eli Saslow in the NYT.
We will review grammar rules also do a self edit of your news event writing sample. Bring it to class on paper or in a digital form.
What to read for 2/4: Read pitch for my story “America’s Hidden HIV Epidemic” and the final version of the article and this newsy NYT feature: Come prepared with a few ideas for a newsy feature story — that will be 500 -700 words when you finish.
Week 2: February 4
In-class: Discuss finding story ideas and moving from idea to pitch, using my HIV pitch and final story for groundwork. How to expand a news story into a feature and review feature story format with this well-formatted (funny) article in mind: They Fled for Greener Pastures and There Are Weeds. Come prepared with three ideas for your first assignment. You will pitch verbally and choose one to work on.
What to read for 2/11: Bitter Rivals, Beloved Friends, Survivors by Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post.
What’s due Friday 2/7 @ 11:59 PM: your final feature pitch, about 100 to 200 words. Please put it in this google doc and make it shareable to Shelby and me so we can get back to you with comments and suggestions.
What’s due in class on 2/11: come with an outline/reporting plan for your article.
Week 3: February 11
In-class: Discuss why Chris Evert/Martina Navratilova piece in the Washington Post is a good story. Talk about structure and reporting plans. Practice writing anecdotal ledes. Put your airbnb writing exercise in this google folder by Wednesday 2/12 at the end of the day.
What’s due Friday 2/21 @ 11:59 PM: First draft of your newsy feature, about 700 words. Put it in this google folder.
What to read for 2/25: “How to Flourish in Your Writing” by Natalie Goldberg (optional) and “The Radical Woman Behind ‘Goodnight Moon” Margaret Wise Brown constantly pushed boundaries in her work and life by Anna Holmes, The New Yorker Magazine
February 18: NO CLASS (CUNY is running on a Monday schedule)
Week 4: February 25:
In class, we will discuss the Margaret Wise Brown story. We will also review editing essentials, including self-editing, trouble shoot your stories, and review common mistakes. We will go over what makes a good profile — a story about a person that’s also about something else.
Guest lecture: Oyin Adedoyin, Wall Street Journal reporter
What’s due Sunday March 2 @ 11:59 PM: final draft of your newsy feature article. Place in google doc.
What’s due in class on March 4: profile subjects. Must be someone you can interview in person and take a photograph of.
What to read for March 4: The World According to Bad Bunny, NYT Magazine. Read carefully and thoughtfully as we will discuss in depth.
Week 5: March 4
In-class: Discuss the Bad Bunny story and talk about interview techniques. Photo tutorial. Pitch ideas for your profile subject
Up Next:
Teresa Wiltz, a deputy editor at Politico Magazine, will join our class on March 11 in the second half. To prepare, read this story she edited and is proud of: We Volunteered at a Gaza hospital. What we saw was unspeakable.
What else to read for March 11: Skim/read these two bread and butter NYT feature stories: “Kids? A Growing Number of Adults Say ‘No Thanks‘” and “Concert Tickets Are Soaring, and Busting Gen Z’s Budgets.” The first story is based on a study and the second piece has lots of stats. As you read, identify the statistic/s and notice how writers offered evidence to prove their points.
First draft of your profile (w/photo and a quote from someone about your subject) will be due Friday March 14 @ 11:59 PM. It goes in this google folder.
Week 6: March 11:
Last minute trouble shoot profile stories.
In class we will discuss stories about people choosing not to have kids and expensive concert tickets — articles that spring from stats. We will also practice finding story ideas using the County Health Rankings, Elliman Real Estate Market reports, Furman Center State of NYC Neighborhoods site and Pew.
Teresa Wiltz of Politico will visit class to discuss her story on Gaza doctors.
Again, first draft of your profile due: Friday March 14 @ 11:59 PM in this folder & we will agree on a deadline for final version.
What’s due in class on March 18: come with a fleshed out verbal pitch for your #s story with sources for data.
What to read or listen to for class on March 18: The Trans Americans Turning to Guns for Protection, Washington Post (chosen by Ella)
Week 7: March 18
Ella will lead discussion of Trans Americans Turning to Guns for Protection
Pitch numbers article. Written version due March 19 @ 11:59 PM in this folder.
Review structure for a feature based on numbers and how to use statistics as evidence without being boring.
Choose time for speed advising.
Class visit: Erica Edwards, Newmark/CUNY J class of 2014, Solutions Journalism LEDE fellow.
Week 8: March 25:
Speed advising. Everyone will get about 10 minutes of feedback.
What’s due Wednesday March 26 @ 11:59 PM: final draft of your profile with photo. Here’s the folder.
What’s due on Monday March 31 @ 11:59 PM: first draft of #s article. It should go in this folder.
What to read for April 1: Aurora selected this story from the Houston Chronicle about the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
Week 9: April 1
Shelby class visit — meet the teaching associate and Newmark grad who gives your stories first reads!
Last minute trouble shoot of #s story.
Numbers story reminders
Final version of numbers story due: Tuesday April 15 @ 11:59 PM
Reading for Tuesday April 8: Frances will choose, plus: The Holocaust Story I Said I Wouldn’t Write
What’s else to bring to class on April 8: topics you might want to write about for first-person piece.
Week 10: April 8
Last chance to troubleshoot #s stories. Due date: Tuesday April 15 @ 11:59 PM
Writing in first person
What to read for Tuesday April 22: “She Is in Love with ChatGPT”
Spring Break April 12-20. No class on Tuesday April 15 (do your taxes!)
Week 11: April 22
Trouble shoot first-person stories — which are due Wednesday April 23 @ 11:59 PM
Come with ideas for final story: 1500-ish-word feature story based on a trend or something newsy; pitch due: Sunday April 27 @ 11:59 PM
For April 29: Masha Gessen is our guest speaker. Please read and be prepared to discuss their NYT story, The Hidden Motive Behind Trump’s Attacks on Transpeople. And Gretchen will choose a favorite feature and lead the discussion.
Week 12: April 29
Review everything we’ve learned so far and trouble shoot final stories.
Gretchen chose what to read: How My Trip to Quit Sugar Became a Journey to Hell
Guest speaker: Masha Gessen — they will discuss their work and their piece The Hidden Motive Behind Trump’s Attacks on Transpeople
Reading for class on May 6, Niti chose this story about Katy Perry in Pitchfork.
For Jessica Lustig’s class visit, please read these two articles: My story about chemical hair relaxers and They Saw the Horrific Aftermath of a Mass Shooting. Should We?
Week 13: May 6
Discuss and trouble shoot final stories. Reminder that first draft is due on Sunday May 11; it goes in this folder by 11:59 PM.
Niti will lead a discussion about the Pitchfork story she chose.
Guest lecture: Jessica Lustig, deputy editor, NYT Magazine (aka my editor!) She will discuss my story about chemical hair relaxers and They Saw the Horrific Aftermath of a Mass Shooting. Should We?
What to read for class on May 13: story selected by Courtney: “She Had Thoughts of Harming Her Baby. To Treat Her, Doctors Kept Them Together”
Week 14: May 13
Discuss and troubleshoot final articles based on your first drafts.
Courtney will take us through the article she chose for us to read: “She Had Thoughts of Harming Her Baby. To Treat Her, Doctors Kept Them Together”
What to know if you’d plan to/dream of writing a book or book proposal!
Where to pitch freelance stories and articles you wrote in this class. Special guest: Alyson Martin of the NYC News Service
Week 15: May 20
Last day of class. Attendance optional but I’ll be in the classroom from 10 AM – noon with cookies.
Friday May 23 @ 11:59 PM: Final draft of your final article due. Feel free to turn in earlier in this google doc.
Tuesday May 27 end of day: Final grades due
CUNYJfeaturewriting 