Key questions that need to be answered in a newspaper feature

Feature stories have different colors and flavors, but there are some fundamental questions we should keep in mind while planning and writing  feature. Some of the questions are fundamental to a particular story, some are peripheral and some are not needed.

BACKGROUND QUESTIONS?
What is the history of issue or event?
Is the history central or peripheral to the story?
Does the issue represent  the continuation of its historical context or have changed from it?

SCOPE QUESTIONS?
How big is the issue?
How widespread is the impact of the issue such as national, international, provincial, or local?
Is the issue rising or falling?
How many different ways the issue manifest itself?
Are there any hotspots that epitomise it?
Does any other issue bear on the one you are writing about?
Does other issue heighten its importance or diminish?

WHY QUESTIONS
Economic: Is money involved? Can we follow the money trail?
Legal: Are changes in law, taxes or regulation are affecting different parties? What? and How?
Political: whether politics plays a part?
Psychological: Are there any emotional or psychological forces?

IMPACT QUESTIONS
Who is likely to be helped / hurt?
What is the emotional response of helped or hurt people?


REACTION QUESTIONS
Who is screaming loudest?
What are they saying or doing?
What is the impact of screaming ?

LOOKING AHEAD QUESTIONS
What is likely to happen in the future?
What people involved and observers are saying will happen in the future?

Extracted from Matthew Rickeston's Writing Feature Stories.