SOURCES OF MATERIAL:Commemorations, Science and Technology

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Feature and Column Writing MCM 514

LESSON 02

SOURCES OF MATERIAL

A good feature writer has at his disposal the major sources of observation, experience and printed word.

However, he can and must amply employ and utilise the sources for the newspapers and the magazines.

Owing to the reason that for feature-writing, the writer has numerous sources at his disposal, the features

have gained wide currency and popularity in comparison to the drab nature of news-story and column-

writing. Hence, a feature writer must exploit all avenues and sources for making his features interesting,

absorbing and informative. Besides, the usual sources of information, books can be and must be

consulted. Rather keeping books as one's best friends is the key to success.

Feature-writing can be derived and deduced from several sources; as by observation, experience and

printed material. As far as observation and experience is concerned, special talents must be there in the

personal character of the writer. Relevant sources should be handled immaculately.

Following sources must be utilised for feature writing

Personalities: Personalities of the past and present can be made the subject of personality-based features.

There are a large number of living epoch-making personalities, whose achievements and in certain cases,

failures, can be a subject. Some believe that the territorial limits are just meaningless, and any nationally

or internationally reputed personality approached for the feature, but one must need to consider why he is

choosing a particular personality for the feature. The writer must keep in his mind that he must be

bringing to focus the person, who is in more than one way either influencing his readers, or can become

so in the future. Fields of engineering, arts and craft, medicine, politics, economics, social welfare,

educational field, and world peace are the usual areas from where personalities are usually chosen.

However, there is an unending list of personalities, which can be extended to virtually every field and

walk of life. Succinctly, any reputed person who has contributed largely to the betterment of the human

beings can be an individual, who is a subject of one's feature. Moreover, personal interviews and

biographies of can serve as a light-house to the common persons.

Commemorations

These also come under the head of the divergent sources of feature-writing.

The sources of commemorative articles are numerous, including national and important international

events, fairs, exhibits, personalities, historical event, as Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid Mild-un-Nabi, Shab-

e-Barat and Shab-e-Meraj, Moharrum-ul-Haram, national heroes days like the Quaid-i-Azam, Allama

Iqbal and many others.

All commemorative features may comprise personalities connected and related to freedom, specially their

achievements. The commemorative features also consist of religious festivals.

Others may include days of armed forces of Pakistan other national and international events as First May,

Wars launched for the territorial integrity of Pakistan, struggle for ideological integrity and the forecasts

of the impending dangers etc.

Social and Cultural sources:

Social and cultural features are not only great in number and variety; they are also multi-coloured and

multi-purpose, as well as multi-dimensional. The social subjects may comprise reduction of family size,

structure and nature of families in the past and the present conditions, and the study of those factors

responsible for that state.

There have been drastic changes in the long and traditionally established institutions of families and

marriages. It implies the study of the underlying causes, factors to detect the ailments, effects and the

suggested remedial measures.

These features can bring out the salient features of the two social systems, that is, the East and the West,

by comparison and by contrast. The social and cultural features may be based on the national and the

foreign society, bringing into light the strange customs and traditions. These features have definite

objectives, by presenting them theoretically and projecting the different social and traditional evils and

malpractices, in order to allow and inspire the general masses to ponder over them. These are ushered in

Feature and Column Writing MCM 514

for the betterment of the social and cultural structure of the society. Among these social evils are included

the marriages on 'Watta Satta' arrangements, dowry and its long-ranging effects on the less fortunate

families and its merits and demerits.

The social and cultural features are of multi-purpose nature. Even in daily life features can be arranged on

the problems of daily life as the trends of modern life, hobbies, professions, places, scenes, entertainments

and weather etc.

Definite objectives, theoretically and projecting the different social and traditional evils and malpractices,

in order to allow and inspire the general masses to ponder over them, aiming at the betterment of the

social and cultural structure of the society.

Features are also written on the problems of daily life as the trends of modern life, hobbies, professions,

places, scenes, entertainments and weather etc.

Science and Technology

This is rightly called the age of phenomenal scientific and technological inventions and improvisations,

affecting all departments of life, which has not only changed the whole fabric of individual and social life,

but also introduced drastic alterations in the basic thought traditionally held. Science has introduced a

number of comforts and luxuries of life, never witnessed before.

It is quite in the fitness of things to write features on different phases of life as affected by scientific

developments subjects to enlighten the general readers.

A good feature writer can make use of any of the field of science and technology, with positive approach

in simple style, as to be fully intelligible to the general readers. There is no dearth for scientific and

technological sources of information and feature-writing.

These features may consist of the biographical notes and achievements of the famous scientists and

technologists their unique achievements, individual scientific inventions and their social and economic

effects including both positive and negative effects on human life.

Features can be composed on the role of science and technology to make deficiencies in food resources,

agricultural improvements and various allied mechanisation processes, search for sea foods and resources

and utilisation. These may comprise subjects to study the various alternatives for the sources of energy,

science's role in the improvement of medicine and health of humanity, lack of interest in scientific studies

in Pakistan as well as lagging far behind in these fields, even compared with numerous under-developed

countries. A good feature writer can ably undertake the study of the different aspects of our educational

set-up, which has been causing the general slackness of programme to include scientific and technological

curriculum. In short, there are countless sources of feature-writing in the main and major field of science

and technology.

Psychological Features

The new age of scientific and technological inventions and discoveries has drastically altered the very

style of life and living, followed traditionally and in a most conventional manner, resulting in social

problems of adjustment, mental and cultural gaps. These have collectively given rise to a number of

psychological illnesses and ailments. It has not been yet possible to bridge the so-called gaps in the social

fabric of life. There have been numerous psychological problems due to the constant stresses and strains

of modern life, and social sub-structure has been abruptly shaken rather shattered. Whereas the process of

adjustments has never been consistent with the drastic alterations.

There are psychological problems in the industrial units, individual and social problems, mental and

cultural complicities, individual and family problems and numerous allied complexities. There is a

growing class consciousness in the society, difference and wide gap between saying or confessing and

actions, increasing trends of exhibition, pomp and show, instability in the marital matters, a wide

difference between the income and expenditure and the relevantly frivolous efforts rather immoral acts to

reconcile the expenditure with the income. Factually, there is strictly speaking a strain existing between

the different classes of the society, which is ever on the increase, it is here that a good feature writer can

choose and select any psychological problem for the betterment of mental and moral health of the

individuals residing in the society.

Feature and Column Writing MCM 514

History

History can be described as one of the main and collectively a major source of features. History is the

record of life in all possible phases and aspects, concerning human beings all over the world. Historical

features may relate to a recent event, or to past events affecting the present.

History can be world history, or national history. There is the Islamic history, replete with great events

and greater personalities, with great feats and achievements their daring and courageous feats of

unparalleled bravery and numerous dashing events. Historical features assist in tracing out the link

between out past institutions and their transmission to the present and then to the coming generations.

History reminds us our cultural, social and economic ties with our social institutions; rather it regularises

and maintains our cordial linkage with our past institutions. It links us with the collective genius of our

ancestors, besides imparting lessons of love for the masses.

In quite cases, besides repeating historical event, both directly or indirectly, feature writers are expected

to be well-versed in historical events and personalities in order to make it as a good source.

Expositional and Instructional Feature

These are instructional and educational features, which can be called multi-purposes features, in which

people are given instruction and explication on those subjects, which needs further explanation rather

repeated lessons. These are the subjects, which are already under the knowledge of the general masses, as

civil defence, traffic rules and regulations or first aid, but are not aware of the detailed information.

These sources of features are generally in the nature, which are meant for the education and instruction of

the general people. Among the expositional and instructional features are included the social and cultural

theories and distinctions, folk songs, evolution of folk lore and literature, their social and cultural values

and inter-relationship, superstitions, latent social values and aspects.

An expositional feature undertakes to study and examine the origin, causes of its persistent existence, folk

and romantic stories traditionally existing for the past hundreds of years. It takes into examination the

nature, persistence, existence scope and structure of folk literature, besides its popularity, significance and

effects. In this category, there are countless sources and further sub-sources of the existence and belief

and faith in mysterious events, their influence and causes of permanent penetration and permeation in the

present social set-up.

Moreover the sources of feature in this category take into scrutiny and study of the social etiquette and

habits and the relevant contribution of different societies in that direction.

As such all those subjects and topics related to the social sub-structure fall in this category of exposition

and instruction.

Investigational Features

Under this category, there are many other features, which require investigation and research on detailed

scale. A good feature is usually based on research methods and investigation, taking the bare facts as tools

and implements and weaving a feature in interesting manner, so as to project it in a befitting manner to

the readers. The objective is to bring out all the possible aspects and angles of the subject concerned. In

fact, these features are closely related to the methods of investigation and research. As such countless

sources of features are invariably connected within the category of investigation and research; which

forms the basic tools and implements for collecting the bare facts and figures, statistics, confirmed events

in order to arrive at the solid conclusion. This process accelerates the speed to suggest and frame future

actions and policies.

Though these features are burdensome and onerous, responsible and weighty which require very hard

work, time-consuming, industriousness and heavy expenses.

In this connection, experimental feature-writing is rarely practised in Pakistan as in the western countries.

As such the relevant sources under this category should be handled immaculately.

The sources of information, instruction, guidance and especially the material and data are derived for the

feature-writing as well as the articles. After the description of the main and major sources, we may briefly

survey the other minor sources in their individuality and uniqueness.

Feature and Column Writing MCM 514

Electronic

Means of communication keep a great deal in picking up the central issues, points and ideals, which are

ideal for writing a feature. These means consist of the Internet, radio and television, where as large

number of programmes are telecast and broadcast, necessarily requires explication and feature-writing.

Fact-to-face include conversation, addresses, sermons, which is really very useful for gathering some

points of public interest on which a feature could be composed in order to instruct, give food for thought

for all.

Printed material may comprise newspapers periodicals, journals, magazines, publicity, advertising,

bulletins, catalogues, and many other forms of printed materials. Their perusal can result in detecting

some striking points and ideals for writing a feature.

Another source may be found in the form of institutions, broad-based as fairs, trades, business, industries,

museums, exhibition, and educational institutions

Social Subjects

Social subjects like conventions, traditions, customs, anniversary days, and holiday are another vast field

of sources for feature-writing, in which an observant feature-writer can find countless subjects for his

features.

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