Writing for the Mass Media

A clear and effective introduction to media writing

Writing for the Mass Media offers clear writing, simple organization, abundant exercises, and precise examples that give students information about media writing and opportunities to develop their skills as professional writers. With a focus on a converged style of media writing, and converting that style into real work, this ninth edition maintains its classic and effective text/workbook format while staying ahead of the curve and preparing students for their future careers.

MyCommunicationLab is an integral part of the Stovall program. MediaShare allows students to post speeches and share them with classmates and instructors. Interactive videos provide students with the opportunity to watch and evaluate sample speeches. Online self-assessments and pre- and post-tests help students assess their comfort level with public speaking and their knowledge of the material.

James Glen Stovall is Edward J. Meeman Distinguished Professor of Journalism at the University of Tennessee. Before coming to Tennessee, he was a visiting professor of mass communication at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. From 1978 to 2003 he taught journalism at the University of Alabama. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee and is a former reporter and editor for several newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune. Stovall has more than five years of public relations experience. He is the author of a number of textbooks, including “Web Journalism: Practice and Promise of a New Medium” (2004), “Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How” (2005) and “Infographics: A Journalist’s Guide” (1997), all published by Allyn and Bacon. He is also the author of “Seeing Suffrage: The Washington Suffrage Parade of 1913, Its Pictures and Its Effect on the American Political Landscape,” (2013) published by the University of Tennessee Press. His website, www.jprof.com, contains a wide variety of material for teaching journalism. Stovall is also the author of the mystery novel, “Kill the Quarterback.”

In This Section:

I)  Brief Table of Contents

II) Detailed Table of Contents

I) Brief Table of Contents

Chapter 1. What is Good Writing?

Chapter 2. Basic Tools of Writing 

Chapter 3. Style and the Stylebook 

Chapter 4. Writing in the Media Environment 

Chapter 5. Basic News Writing

Chapter 6. Writing for Print Journalism 

Chapter 7. Writing for the Web

Chapter 8. Writing for Broadcast Journalism

Chapter 9. Writing and Images 

Chapter 10. Writing Advertising Copy 

Chapter 11. Writing for Public Relations 

Chapter 12. The Writer and the Law 

Chapter 13. Getting a Job in the Mass Media 

II) Detailed Table of Contents

Chapter 1. What is Good Writing?

Basic Techniques

Writing for the Mass Media

The Changing Media Environment

And Finally …

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 2. Basic Tools of Writing 

Words, Words, Words

Grammar

Sentences

Parts of Speech

Common Grammar Problems

Punctuation

Spelling

Writing with Clarity

Sidebar 2.1: Glossary of Grammar Terms

Sidebar 2.2: Spelling Rules

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 3. Style and the Stylebook 

Accuracy

Clarity

Brevity

Journalistic Conventions

Journalistic Style

Stylebooks

The Associated Press Stylebook

Language Sensitivity

The Changing Language

Sidebar 3.1: Tips on AP Style: Abbreviations

Sidebar 3.2: Tips on AP Style: Capitalization

Sidebar 3.3: Tips on AP Style: Numbers

Sidebar 3.4: Tips on AP Style: Punctuation

Sidebar 3.5: Tips on AP Style: Names and Titles

Sidebar 3.6: Tips on AP Style: Time

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises

Chapter 4. Writing in the Media Environment 

Audience

The News Culture

Accuracy

Verification and Attribution

Information, Not Opinion

Simplicity

Clarity, Coherence and Context

Deadlines

Elements of News

Reporting

Skepticism

Ethical Behavior

Hardware and Software

Conclusion

Sidebar 4.1: Interviewing Tips

Sidebar 4.2: Writing by Example

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 5. Basic News Writing

The Inverted Pyramid

Developing the Story

Characteristics of News Stories

Headlines

Summaries

News Writing in the Near Future

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 6. Writing for Print Journalism 

Newspapers and Magazines Today

Types of News Stories

Writing Feature Stories

Long-Form and Literary Journalism

Editing and Rewriting

Books

The Challenge of  Writing

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 7. Writing for the Web

Characteristics of the web

Journalism Expanded and Accelerated

News Websites

Blogging (Web Logs)

Social Media

Mobile Journalism

Reporting for the Web

Writing for the Web

The Future

Points for Consideration and Discussion

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 8. Writing for Broadcast Journalism

Sound as a Reporting Tool

Writing to Be Heard

Techniques and Conventions

Story Structure

Writing the Audio/Video News Story

Recording Audio

Writing the Audio/Video News Story

Editing Audio

Ethics of Editing Audio

Television News

Selection of News

Telling the Story with Video

Shooting the Video

Editing Video

Broadcast Copy Preparation

Putting Together a Newscast

The Extended Interview, the Documentary and the Web

Conclusion

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 9. Writing and Images 

Basic Concepts of Photojournalism

The Threes of Photojournalism

Writing Cutlines

A Word About Accuracy

Photojournalism Ethics

The Audio Slideshow

Sidebar 9.1: Seven Steps to the Audio Slide Show

Reporting with Graphics

What a Good Graphic Contains

Building a Chart

Sidebar 9.2: A Primer on Math

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 10. Writing Advertising Copy 

A Love–Hate Relationship

The Field of Advertising

Beginning the Process: Needs and Appeals

The Product

The Audience

The Advertising Situation

Copy Platforms

Writing the Ad

Elements of a Print Ad

Writing Advertising for Broadcast

The Tools of Broadcast Advertising

Commercial Formats

Storyboards

Online  Advertising

Other Media

Conclusion

Points for Consideration and Discussion 

Websites

Exercises 

Chapter 11. Writing for Public Relations 

The Public Relations Process

An Organization’s “Publics”

The Work of the PR Practitioner

Characteristics of the PR Practitioner

Writing News Releases

Video News Releases

Letters

Emails

Company Publications

Websites and an Organization’s Online Presence

Oral Presentations

Conclusion

Sidebar 12.1: A News Release Checklist

Points for Consideration and Discussion

Web Sites

Exercises

Chapter 12. The Writer and the Law 

by Matthew Bunker  

The First Amendment

Defamation

The Plaintiff’s Case

Affirmative Defenses

Privacy

Copyright and Trademarks

Advertising

Broadcast Regulation

Conclusion

Further Reading

Websites

Chapter 13. Getting a Job in the Mass Media 

Personal Attributes

Building An Audience

Social Networks

Get Started

Sidebar 13.1 Join Up

Points for Consideration and Discussion

Websites

Appendix A Copy-Editing Symbols 

Appendix B Grammar and Diagnostic Exams 

Appendix C Problem Words and Phrases 

Appendix D Advertising Copy Sheets 

Glossary 

Index 

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