What makes life worth living?
For me, it’s travel, food, wine and music. Not necessarily in that order. (But often at the same time.)
For others, life is about family. Or health, or sharing stories about people. We have so many choices.
That’s the joy of working with our team of reporters, editors and producers who cover features for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The myriad topics, including parenting, fashion, and culture, help to illuminate the ways that we all choose to live.
I like to call this the sweetness and light of journalism.
Features reporters cover the space between breaking news and investigations. Features stories are often about the things that most people can relate to, talk about and share on their timelines: “What will I eat tonight? How can I save money? Did you see that episode of “Scandal?”
From men growing moustaches for charity to our continued fascination with “Gone With the Wind,” we write the stories that shed light on what it means to be an Atlantan.
It makes sense that our features sections are called “Living,” Go Guide,” and Living & Arts. These sections have a mission of exploring the way we live and how we spend our time.
- Daily Living is up-to-the minute cultural news and lifestyle news content. Just this week we had an exclusive announcement on the 2015 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Then, on Saturday we met Santa Rick and Santa Pete, brothers who keep their role of St. Nick in their family.
- Go Guide (Fridays) helps you to plan your week through concerts, restaurants, exhibits and attractions. Recently, we have offered holiday guides for everything from the multiple Nutcrackers performances to ideas for places to take the kids over their winter break.
- Sunday Living & Arts gives you a deeper dive into a life through Personal Journeys, introduces you to Southern literature, but also takes you on a weekly excursion with its travel section. (Don't miss this week's visit to ski resorts that will help you navigate the backcountry.)
These sections have a mix of content to satisfy the diverse interests of our audience. Readers often tell me that having a lot to choose from makes the features sections their favorites of the entire paper.
The features team likes to hear that.
Still, features stories can be big news that lands on the front page. Atlanta’s cultural institutions, music, TV and film industries have broad impact on the state’s economy. And we think it is important to offer A1 stories about extraordinary people. Here are just a few highlights:
- Gracie Bonds Staples chronicled the efforts of 30 people who were sold into adoption in Ducktown, Ga., to reunite.
- Howard Pousner first identified the size of the orchestra (the complement) as the key issue in the recent Atlanta Symphony lockout.
- Bo Emerson introduced readers to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and explained how the institution carries Atlanta's story forward.
- Jill Vejnoska went to Plains to bring readers a story of President Jimmy Carter's 90th birthday celebration.
That’s just a snapshot of the work from the features team that you’ll find in the printed edition.
In the digital space, we like to have some fun.
We recognize that our digital readers may have different interests than our print subscribers. So our entertainment columnists, who cover music, shopping, celebrities, restaurants and radio and TV have blogs where they can more closely interact with readers.
Radio and TV writer Rodney Ho analyzes shows like the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" and "Dancing With the Stars." He recaps fan favorites including "American Idol" and "The Walking Dead." We enjoy it when readers weigh in with comments or share their thoughts on our social media platforms.
Our celebrities' reporter Jennifer Brett gives you the Atlanta Buzz, but also uses her vast social media presence to find sources on major national news, such as the protests in Ferguson, Mo.
Each year, chief dining writer John Kessler presents the 50 restaurants that define dining in Atlanta, but it is on his Atlanta Restaurants Scene blog that readers show us their food photos and tell us about their favorite spots for food and drinks.
Each of our columnists' blogs can be found on our entertainment website accessatlanta.com, which gives readers all the best things to do in Atlanta, so you can plan your schedules right from your computer or mobile devices.
For our loyal subscribers who love features stories, we offer a variety of digital extras. These subscriber perks include Sunday’s Just for Mom’s Extra which gives information about parenting. On Tuesdays, you’ll find the Travel Extra. And the Wednesday Food Extra for more recipe and meal ideas.
As you can see, we offer a variety. After all, it’s that variety that makes life worth living.
