Wall Street Journal Formula

The Wall Street Journal Formula(WSJ) is the most commonly used method of writing feature stories. This method consists of four components:

• The story opens with an anecdotal, descriptive, or narrative lead
• The nut graf follows the lead and explains what the lead is about
• The body of the story is supporting information (quotes and facts)
• The ending includes another anecdotal or description of the person featured in the story
  
  

The story "Driver texting now an issue in backseat" from the New York Times is a good example of the use of the Wall Street Journal Formula of writing a feature story.
The story opens with a strong anecdotal lede about a couple who's marital problems surround the issue of text messaging, "After decades of marriage, Terry and Debbie Buchen learned to work through various marital issues. Then something new came between them — his
cellphone."
The nut graf goes on to explain why his cellphone is causing such an issue, "Mr. Buchen, 62, couldn’t put it down while driving. The first time he sent e-mail messages from behind the wheel, he drove his BMW S.U.V. into a ditch on a deserted stretch of road..."
The body of this story starting with the statement "For all the conversations about distracted driving playing out in statehouses and on talk shows, the most heated discussions, and the ones with the most lasting impact, may be happening between family members and friends," goes on to explain how texting becomes such an impact on others when they aren't necessarily doing the texting.
The ending of the story goes on to conclude with another short anecdote about Grace Andrews, a mother who is causing the issue by texting whilst behind the wheel. Concluding that, "I could never imagine that we would get to this stage — that this is the stuff we would fight about,” she said."

I believe this article does serve as a perfect example of the Wall Street Journal Formula for feature stories.