Feature Writing JOUR 73104
Spring 2026
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 27, 2026
Last Day of Class: Tuesday May 19, 2029
No class: Tuesday February 17 and April 7 (spring break) and April 21, 2026
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:
- Learn 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 viable 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 27:
In-class: Learn what the class is about, get to know your professor and understand what makes a good story: We will discuss the article below 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 and 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 2/3: Read pitch for my story “America’s Hidden HIV Epidemic” and the final version of the article and this funny, newsy NYT feature: Come prepared with a few ideas for a newsy feature story — that will be 500 -700 words when you finish.
What’s due: The edited version of your news story essay. Put it in this google folder by the deadline, Wednesday January 28 @ 11:59 PM.
Week 2: February 3
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 2/10: “His wife was dying, his federal job crumbling. It tested his faith — in God and Trump,” The Washington Post. If you don’t subscribe to the Post (I’ve quit several times), try this link.
What’s due Friday 2/6 @ 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 2/10: come with an outline/reporting plan for your article.
Week 3: February 10
In-class: Discuss why the Washington Post piece “His wife was dying, his federal job crumbling…” is a good story. Talk about structure and reporting plans. Practice writing anecdotal ledes.
Shelby class visit
What’s due Sunday 2/15 @ 11:59 PM: First draft of your newsy feature, about 500- 700 words. Put it in this google folder.
What to read for 2/24: “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 17: NO CLASS
Week 4: February 24:
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.
We will also last-minute troubleshoot your first newsy features. Due date of final draft: Friday 2/27 @ 11:59 PM. This assignment will be graded.
Alyson Martin, editor, NYC News Service, class visit.
What to read for March 3: “Is Kamala Harris Black Enough,” Washington Post by Robin Givhan. Read background about the Proust Questionnaire — and choose five questions you like best. Select one, two or all of the following versions of the questionnaire to discuss in class: Zendaya , David Bowie , Jean Smart.
Due March 3 in class: bring ideas of someone you want to profile.
Week 5: March 3
In-class: Discuss the Kamala Harris profile and Proust Questionnaire — and talk about interview techniques. Photo tutorial. Pitch ideas for your profile subject
What to read for March 10: This recent NYT story on plunging birthrates and skim/read this NYT magazine piece about sharks on Cape Cod looking for all the ways the writer used evidence to prove how scary sharks are.
Up Next:
First draft of your 800 word profile (w/photo and a quote from someone about your subject) will be due Sunday March 15 @ 11:59. Goes in this folder.
Week 6: March 10:
Trouble shoot profile stories.
In class we will discuss articles that spring from stats (Cape Cod sharks and birth rates) and practice finding story ideas using the County Health Rankings, Elliman Real Estate Market reports, or Pew or a similar site.
Again, first draft of your profile due: Monday March 16 @ 11:59 PM & we will agree on a deadline for final version. Feel free to submit it earlier.
No class on Tuesday March 17, but fleshed out pitch for your #s story with sources for data will be due at the end of the day.
Choose time for speed advising on March 24.
Week 7: March 17
No formal class
Send fleshed out pitch for your #s story with sources for data. Goes in this folder by end of day Tuesday March 17.
Week 8: March 24
Speed advising. Everyone will get about 15 minutes of feedback.
What’s due Friday March 27 @ 11:59 PM: final draft of your profile with photo. Here’s the folder.
How to prepare for class on March 31: Bring topics you might want to write about for first-person piece.
Read: “I Love Hitler,” Politico’s exclusive story on young Republicans racist text and Teresa Wiltz’s follow up: “I Don’t Regret My Vote,” Also, skim/read my reported first-person story on life expectancy in Chicago (if you haven’t already read it).
Week 9: March 31
Last minute trouble shoot of #s story.
Numbers story reminders
How to write in first person and pitch your first person ideas
First version of numbers story due: Monday April 6 @ 11:59 PM. It goes here.
Teresa Wiltz class visit
What to read for April 14: student choice
Spring Break April 1-9. No class on Tuesday April 7
Work on your first person stories. No revision, pay attention to grammar rules — only possible grades: A, C, F
Due date: Sunday April 12. Goes in this folder.
WEEK 10: April 14
Read and discuss student story.
Last-minute trouble shoot of numbers story. Due Sunday April 19 @ 11:59 PM in this folder.
Review of everything you’ve learned in class so far.
Look ahead: For class on April 28: craft a pitch for your final newsy feature story, 1500 words, based on a trend.
What to read for April 28: Oyin Adedoyin’s Wall Street Journal articles TK.
NO CLASS on TUESDAY APRIL 21; CUNY follows Thursday schedule.
Week 11: April 28
Come with ideas for final story. You will present a pitch for a 1500-ish-word feature story based on a trend or something newsy.
Guest speaker: Oyin Adedoyin, Wall Street Journal personal finance reporter.
Week 12: Cinco de Mayo!!!!!
Trouble shoot final stories. Possible Jessica Lustig visit.
Week 13: May 12
Discuss and troubleshoot final articles based on your first drafts.
Where to pitch freelance stories and articles you wrote in this class.
Alternative possible date for Jessica Lustig visit.
Week 14: May 19
Last day of class. Attendance optional but I’ll be in the classroom from 10 AM – noon with homemade cookies.
Sunday May 24 @ 11:59 PM: Final draft of your final article due. Feel free to turn in earlier in this google doc to avoid ruining my long weekend!
CUNYJfeaturewriting 