Mass Media Writing

This innovative book is the first to identify and describe the systematic process that drives the day-to-day work of writers in the real world of print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. The key to creative problem solution for both simple and complex assignments in media work is engagingly detailed in this thought-provoking guide. Users of this book will learn how to fulfill assignments and write copy that meets an editor's or client's expectations, speaks to the intended audience, stands up to question, and remains in memory. The author skillfully blends tested processes from science and art to equip the student with the tools of self-management and the techniques of disciplined creativity that defend against erroneous judgment. Recognizing the role of problem solving in media and the primacy of critical thinking at all stages of the writing process -- from preparatory measures to final writing -- the author challenges the assumption that discipline and creativity are incompatible partners. That partnership is described in detail, then dramatized with absorbing examples and illustrations drawn from interviews with experienced practitioners in print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. Each chapter is a discovery of how this reliable partnership for solving writing problems in media applies to both anticipated and unexpected communication situations. Making known what media professionals have learned through trial and error on the job, here is a thinking and writing dynamic that students, new hires, and aspiring free-lancers can now acquire before entering the world of print or broadcast journalism, public relations or advertising.

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Contents: Preface. On Being a Mass Media Writer. Stating the Problem, Issue, or Question. Backgrounding and Researching the Problem. The Working Statement. Evaluating the Research: General Materials. Evaluating the Research: Scientific Reports. Designing the Interview Plan: It's in Your Collected Data. Designing The Interview Plan: The Secret Is in the Asking. Conducting the Interview. Organizing and Coding the Data: Getting Ready for Analysis. Analyzing the Data: Making Sense of it All. Presenting and Writing the Copy: Putting it All Together. Epilogue: Looking Back. Appendices: Some Do's About Writing and Editing. Writing the Technical/Instructional Video Script. The Free-Lance Project. Career Backgrounds of Interviewed Media Professionals.