Basics of Media Writing - A Strategic Approach

The Basics of Media Writing: A Strategic Approach helps readers develop the essential writing skills and professional habits needed to succeed in 21st-century media careers. 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. Authors Scott A. Kuehn and Andrew Lingwall have created two comprehensive writing models to help students overcome their problems in finding and developing story topics by giving them starting points to begin writing. The Professional Strategy Triangle model shows students how to think critically about the audience, the situation, and the message before starting a news story or persuasive piece and the FAJA four-point model asks students a series of 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, no matter the format.

List of contents

PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
SECTION I: MEDIA WRITING FOUNDATIONS
CHAPTER 1: YOU AS A WRITER
Welcome to Media Writing!
Media Consumption and Production, All at Once
Media Responsibilities and Challenges
The Role of Skilled Writing
Understanding Yourself as a Writer
The Media Writer's Self-Perception (MWSP) Scale
The Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation (GSP) Test
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 2: MEDIA WRITING PROFESSIONS AND STRATEGIES
21st-Century Media: A Rapidly Changing Landscape
Overview of the Major Media Professions
Professional Media Writing Strategy
Using the FAJA Points in Your Writing
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 3: MEDIA WRITING STYLE AND LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS
Style: Your Audiences Are Counting on It
Media Writing Style Conventions
The Connection Between Thinking and Writing
Style Guides
Selected Points of AP Style
Additional Language Rules
Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
SECTION II: NEWS SETTINGS
CHAPTER 4: REPORTING AND INTERVIEWING
Journalism: A Higher Calling
The First Amendment Guarantee
Professional News Writing Standards
The Converged Media Environment
Applying the Professional Strategy Triangle to Reporting
News Reporting
Interviewing
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 5: HARD NEWS AND FEATURE WRITING
Versatility Is the Key
The Multiplatform Story
Writing the Hard News Story
Using Quotations
Writing the Feature Story
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 6: ELECTRONIC NEWS WRITING: RADIO AND TELEVISION
The Electronic Media Professions
What Do Broadcast Journalists Do?
The Professional Strategy Triangle for Broadcast News
Actualities and Sound Bites: Sound on Tape
Television News Copy
Promotional and Housekeeping Copy
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 7: COPYEDITING
Copy Editors: The Critical Link
Overview of the Copyediting Profession
Copyediting in News and Public Relations Settings
Copyediting in the Digital Environment
Copyediting Techniques
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 8: MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS
Media Law and Ethics Work Together
The Fundamental Freedoms of the First Amendment
Libel: Damage to Reputation Through False Content
Privacy Law
Copyright and the Law of Intellectual Property
Access to Government Information and Government Meetings
Ethics in the Media
Special Considerations for Public Relations and Advertising
Other Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
SECTION III: DIGITAL SETTINGS
CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
It's Both Personal and Professional
The Media Industry and Social Media
Planning Social Media Campaigns
Social Media Copywriting
Key Style Elements for Social Media Copy
Social Media Copywriting: Length Matters
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 10: WEB COPYWRITING
The Omnipresent World Wide Web
Web Copywriting
Middle-Form Web Copy: Style
Long-Form Web Copy: Blogs
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
SECTION IV: PERSUASIVE SETTINGS
CHAPTER 11: BASIC PERSUASIVE WRITING
Persuasion: A Timeless Skill
Key Persuasion Theories
Persuasion, Ethics, and Professionalism
Using the FAJA Points for Persuasion
Example 1: Using Judgment for Public Relations Writing
Example 2: Using Action for Advertising Writing
Putting Persuasion Topic Points to Work
Moving Audiences to Action With Motive Appeals
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 12: PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations Is Everywhere
The Three Types of Media: Paid, Earned, and Owned
Uncontrolled and Controlled Media
Professional Media Writing Strategy
Public Relations Writing Tools
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 13: ADVERTISING
Advertising: A Timeless Enterprise
The Advertising Profession
The Art and Science of Copywriting
Writing the Print Advertisement
Writing the Online Advertisement
Writing the Radio Commercial
Writing the Television Commercial
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
CHAPTER 14: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business Communication: Anything but Boring!
The Corporate Communication Profession
Business Communication Flows Four Ways
Using the Professional Strategy Triangle for Business Communication
Summary
Key Terms
Discussion Questions
Chapter Exercises
Additional Resources
APPENDIX: MEDIA WRITER'S SELF-PERCEPTION SCALE
NOTES
INDEX

About the author

Scott Kuehn, Ph.D. - is Professor of Communication at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Speech Communication at the Pennsylvania State University in 1987. Scott teaches courses in mass communication research, communication law, new media effects, social media for media professions, mass media criticism, and photography. His research focuses on the perceptions of communication skills and communication competence, has been published in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator and Communication Education. He currently serves as advisor for WCUC 91.7 FM, Clarion University′s 3800 watt radio station. Scott is an amatuer photographer with expertise in medium and large format film photography. Scott is also a part time musician who records jingles and other radio, television, and cinematic music.

Andrew Lingwall, Ed.D. is a Professor of Communication at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned his doctorate in Education from the University of Washington in 2002. Lingwall teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, public relations, and strategic communication. He has more than 25 years of professional media experience as a journalist at daily newspapers and as a public relations practitioner in agency and higher education settings. From 1993 to 2002, Lingwall worked as a freelance features writer with The News Tribune and as a public relations specialist with Tacoma Community College, both in Tacoma, Washington. He previously taught at the University of Washington Tacoma and Weber State University.

 
Lingwall’s research agenda focuses on strategic communication and writing skills of millennial students in programs of journalism and mass communication. His research has been published in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Journal of Public Relations Education, and Journal of Advertising Education. Lingwall serves as a subject matter expert in public relations for a range of textbook publishers. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and serves on PRSA-Pittsburgh’s Board of Directors.

Summary

With two comprehensive writing models, Scott A Kuehn and Andrew Lingwall help readers to develop the essential writing skills and professional habits needed to succeed in 21st-century media careers.

Report

I really love the layout and design of the text I have found a lot of the content is what I currently use in Writing for Media, but have to seek out and find on my own I think the opening chapter sets the tone. I found it to be warm, positive and encouraging. I love the approach of this textbook and would find it a valuable resource not only for the students, but for me as an instructor.
William Adams

Product details

• Authors: Scott A. Kuehn, Scott A. A. Kuehn, Scott A. A. Lingwall Kuehn, Scott A. Lingwall Kuehn, Kuehn Scott A., Andrew Lingwall, James Andrew Lingwall, James Andrew Andrew Lingwall, Lingwall James Andrew
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 02.03.2017
• EAN: 9781506308104
• ISBN: 978-1-5063-0810-4
• No. of pages: 568
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Journalism; Englisch, Medien-, Unterhaltungs-, Informations- und Kommunikationsindustrie, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Journalism, English, Schreiben, Technical Writing, Styleguides, Public Relations, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Public Relations, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Media & Communications, Press & journalism, Journalistic style guides, Writing and editing guides, News media and journalism, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Writing / General