How best to turn yourself from sports fan to professional sports journalist? Quickly moving beyond general guidance about sports writing, Joe Gisondi focuses on the nitty-gritty, with hands-on, practical advice on covering 20 specific sports. From auto racing to wrestling, you'll find tips on the seemingly straightforward-where to stand on the sideline and how to identify a key player-along with the more specialized-figuring out shot selection in lacrosse and understanding a coxswain's call for a harder stroke in rowing. The new edition adds a new section on sports reporting across multimedia platforms with new chapters on social media, mobile media, visual storytelling, writing for television, and writing for radio, along with a new chapter on sabermetrics. Fully revised with new examples and updated information to prepare you for just about any game, match, meet, race, regatta or tournament you're likely to cover, Field Guide to Covering Sports, Second Edition is the ideal go-to resource to have on hand as you master the beat.
This research-driven, strategy-based media writing textbook digs deeply into how media professionals think and write in journalism, public relations, advertising and other forms of strategic communication. The Professional Strategy Triangle model shows students how to think critically about the audience, the situation and the message before starting a new persuasive piece, and the FAJA four-point model asks students a series questions about their story type (Fact, Analysis, Judgment, or Action) to guide them to the right angle or organizational structure for their message. Rooted in classical rhetorical methods, this step-by-step technique enables readers to strategically approach each writing task for any format.
This book helps writers cultivate their nonfiction storytelling skills by exploring the hard choices writers confront when crafting any kind of factual narrative. Rather than isolating various forms of narrative nonfiction into categories or genres, Sue Hertz focuses on examining the common challenges that are unique to the nonfiction writing process. Integrating not only her own insights and experience as a journalist, nonfiction book author, and writing instructor, but also those of other established writers and editors representing all nonfiction styles of writing, Hertz aims to guide writers through key decisions in order to tell the best story possible. Blending how-to instruction with illuminating examples and writers' commentaries drawn from original interviews, Write Choices is a valuable resource for writers at any stage of their career seeking to understand the art and craft of factual narrative.
"Deserves to be on every journalism student's reading list and every tutor's book shelf. It is clear, straightforward and scholarly in a very accessible way... bursting with good advice and insight which should benefit all who all read it." - Kate Jenner, School of Journalism and Digital Communication, University of Central Lancashire "A first-class no-nonsense guide to news writing... Anna McKane's wealth of experience both as a journalist and a lecturer in journalism gives News Writing the edge over similar tomes." - Kate Shanahan, Lecturer in Journalism, School of Media, Dublin Institute of Technology The ability to hone and craft an eye-catching news story is fundamental to good journalism. It is an essential skill that the young journalist of today must carry with them. The growth of online journalism and the use of social media has meant that the skills required in news writing are evolving, opening up fresh challenges and exciting new possibilities. Anna McKane's News Writing takes you step-by-step through the key aspects of writing news on both print and online platforms, equipping you with all that you need to become an articulate, accurate and engaging journalist. Crucially, the book will show you how to: * create an attention-grabbing intro or first paragraph * structure the content of your story effectively * use the appropriate language. Fully updated to account for the role of online journalism, this second edition guides you through the essentials of website presentation, from headlines and standfirsts to the use of smartphone images and links. An all-new chapter shows you how to use Twitter and online blogs to piece together a winning story, and up-to-date examples and exercises throughout encourage you to pick apart and analyse the techniques used in a variety of recent news stories across a range of platforms. This is the essential workbook to take you through your studies in Journalism and News Writing.
Launch yourself into the new news economy. The digital revolution that provides so many options for news consumers also means massive opportunity for journalists. The trick: see the disruption as an opening you can attack. Entrepreneurial Journalism will inspire you with what's possible and show you the mechanics behind building a business. Working through eight clear and concise stages, you'll explore the secrets of successful news startups (including how they're making money) and learn how to be an upstart yourself, building an innovative and sustainable news business from scratch. Each chapter starts with a real entrepreneur's experience, teasing out how savvy and opportunistic journalists found their way to success. Mark Briggs then helps you size up the market, harness technology, turn your idea into a product or service, explore revenue streams, estimate costs, and launch. "Build Your Business" action items at the end of each chapter get you thinking through each step of your business plan. Discover how traditional news organizations are evolving and innovating, where the jobs are today and where the new jobs will be tomorrow. Learn from the pioneers, and become one.
Now in its fourth edition, this classic textbook has grown up alongside the newspaper industry. Today, as ever, it provides students of newspaper journalism with a toolkit for gathering news and filling ever-increasing space with first-rate copy for print and online. Detailed and down-to-earth, this book delivers: * Guidance on news gathering, from government and business to sport and religion * Guidance on news writing, drawing on over 300 examples that have appeared in print, discussing why they work or how they could have been better * Guidance on feature writing, including profiles, comment, leading articles, obituaries and reviews * Specific chapters on ethical reporting and the possibilities and pitfalls of investigative journalism * A review of the new financial realities that the internet is imposing on the media. Informed by over half a century's professional experience and fully revised to give a nuanced account of the skills required in an online environment, this book is an essential companion for your journalism degree and beyond.
Now in its fourth edition, this classic textbook has grown up alongside the newspaper industry. Today, as ever, it provides students of newspaper journalism with a toolkit for gathering news and filling ever-increasing space with first-rate copy for print and online. Detailed and down-to-earth, this book delivers: * Guidance on news gathering, from government and business to sport and religion * Guidance on news writing, drawing on over 300 examples that have appeared in print, discussing why they work or how they could have been better * Guidance on feature writing, including profiles, comment, leading articles, obituaries and reviews * Specific chapters on ethical reporting and the possibilities and pitfalls of investigative journalism * A review of the new financial realities that the internet is imposing on the media. Informed by over half a century's professional experience and fully revised to give a nuanced account of the skills required in an online environment, this book is an essential companion for your journalism degree and beyond.
This book provides a practical and richly informative introduction to feature writing and the broader context in which features journalists operate. As well as covering the key elements and distinctive features that constitute good feature writing, the book also offers a rich resource of real life examples, case studies and exercises. The authors have drawn on their considerable shared experience to provide a solid and engaging grounding in the principles and practice of feature writing. The textbook will explore the possibilities of feature writing, including essential basics, such as: Why journalists become feature writers The difference between news stories and features What features need to contain How to write features The different types of features The text is intended for both those who are studying the media at degree level and those who are wishing to embark on a career in the print industry. It will be invaluable for trainee feature writers.
