AC 141 Feature Writing Assignment – Writing a Food/Health/Economy Feature Sto

AC 141 Feature Writing Assignment – Writing a Food/Health/Economy Feature Story
March is National Frozen Food Month ( yes really, I’m not making this up) and consumers will find more discounts and coupons than they can shake a string bean at. Good time to do a story letting them know what’s in store.
We’re going to focus on frozen veggies and fruits only, NOT entrees, desserts, pizza or other classifications. And the benefits are many. For example, within hours of being picked at the peak of ripeness, fresh produce is quick-frozen to prevent any deterioration of flavor, in quality, texture or nutrition. If used within four months of purchase, there’s virtually no chance of losses from spoilage and shrinking. Freezing is in fact, the best method of food preservation.
Here are some other advantages: frozen foods are economical, safe (less chance of contamination in the preparation process), offer longer storage than fresh and are high in nutrition, and steam-in bags make veggies easier and faster to prepare
What to Do – Researching
Go online and do research to get historical information about when, how and by whom frozen foods were invented. (Wikipedia is okay for this or type in Clarence Birdseye in the search field) Bear in mind this is not a cheerleading exercise. Get the facts. Then find out what are the advantages of buying frozen veggies over fresh foods. What should consumers know about getting the most out of frozen goods in terms of storage and cooking? Also, find out about price deals and specials for the month by going to supermarket websites.
Note: Do not include recipes in this feature. That’ isn’t what the focus of your story is about.
What to Do – Writing It
Construct an interesting feature lead that will capture the reader’s attention, but get to your topic quickly. Introduce the topic of frozen vegetables and fruits in a way that will interest and inform the reader. Do not go into detail in your lead though, since you will elaborate on the information in later paragraphs.
To give the story added interest, include one or two paragraphs high up in your story on who invented frozen foods. Keep this interesting but short.
Then return to the topic of frozen foods today as stated above. Wrap it up in a way that ties the whole story together.
Remember this is simply an informative article on your topic. It is NOT an advertisement. Do not hype or cheerlead to boost sales or tell the reader what to do. Give them useful information in an interesting and readable way. Remember to stick to frozen fruits and veggies only. Frozen entrees are more complicated.
Copy length, about 2 pages, double spaced. Do not exceed 2-1/2 and don’t forget to have a headline.
Due: next class
Keep the story in the third person throughout as you write it. Re-read your copy, revise it and tighten it so that it does not repeat information you’ve already given or have unnecessary words. The objective here is to give readers information, so don’t blather.