The Bridge Feature Story

Feature stories share a number of characteristics. Defined in part by what they are not, it could be said that an absence of urgency is what sets them apart from breaking news. In June’s issue of The Bridge, there’s a feature story titled “Ambar Castillo: A Vivacious LaGuardia Student and a Fulbright Scholar”. This is a story that checks almost every box of the feature story characteristics list.
Right off the bat, after a soft lead, we are presented with an anecdote, a little story of how the interviewer met with the interviewee. There’s an abundance of details in the anecdote that falls in line with what’s typical of this type of story. “I was already inside the office waiting for her when I heard some knocks. Through the glass window of the door, I saw her beaming and enthusiastically waving at me—I opened it, and in an instant, she gave me a welcoming hug, all while carrying with her an enormous backpack that probably weighed more than she”.
There’s a clear sense of organization that permeates throughout the entire piece. After a very soft lead, there’s an anecdote (filled with details) that clearly convey Castillo’s personality, followed by a short chronological account of her personal history. We see here the different “chunks” that are assembled to create the story. Those pieces could have been arranged in a different way, and they could also be read independently.
From there, we move to other sources that provide an in-depth approach. Hersy Lazo-Varo, “a Recreation Therapy major and one of Ambar’s mentees”, Lorenzo Brea, a Political Science major, and Jonathan Custodio, a former editor in chief of The Bridge provide more details and information about the subject. It’s critical to develop a story based on the accounts of multiple sources. A story based on the account of multiple sources will provide a richer source of anecdotes and details, as well as lend credibility to the piece and the journalist that wrote it.
Moving on the subject of substance, we find that the “meat” of the story, if you will, is spread out through the piece. The wider time frame available to the writer helps the story spread in length and depth. A structure that is less based on urgency can develop a narrative path that is different from breaking news stories.


In the end, this is a peace that has a recognizable “people” orientation. We get to know the traits of the character through multiple sources and we surely see them in action thanks to an abundance of details present in the anecdotes spread around the piece.

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