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Dynamics of Media Writing
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Dynamics of Media Writing
Adapt and Connect

Third Edition
August 2021 | 304 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
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Dynamics of Media Writing Third Edition gives students transferable skills that can be applied across all media platforms—from traditional mass media formats like news, public relations, and advertising to emerging digital media platforms. Whether issuing a press release or tweeting about a new app, today’s media writers need to adapt their message for each specific media format in order to successfully connect with their audience. Throughout this text, award-winning teacher and college media adviser Vincent F. Filak introduces fundamental writing skills that apply to all media, while also highlighting which writing tools and techniques are most effective for specific media formats and why. User-friendly and loaded with practical examples and tips from professionals across mass media, this is the perfect guide for any student wanting to launch a professional media writing career.
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
PART I. THE BASICS YOU NEED, REGARDLESS OF FIELD
 
Chapter 1. Know Your Audience
How to Define an Audience

 
Key Questions to Ask in Serving Your Readers

 
What Attracts an Audience?

 
What Audiences Need to Know and How to Make Them Care

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 2. Being Accurate, Relying on the Facts
Why Is Journalism Such a Picky Field?

 
Why Media Professionals Matter More Than Ever

 
Making Sure You Are Sure

 
Examining the Broader Issues

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 3. Grammar, Style and Language Basics
Why Do Grammar and Style Matter?

 
Sentence Structure

 
Sentence Length

 
Read Your Work Aloud

 
How to Keep Writing Tight and Right

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 4. Basic Media Writing
The “Killer Be’s” of Good Writing

 
The Inverted Pyramid

 
Leads: The Prominence of Importance

 
Types of Leads

 
Problematic Leads and Potential Fixes

 
How to Order the Rest of Your Pyramid

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 5. Interviewing
Interview Preparation

 
Places to Dig

 
Getting the Interview

 
Interacting With Your Source

 
Interviewing via Email or Text

 
Interviewing for Multiple Media

 
The Questions

 
Interview Flow

 
Silence as an Ally

 
The Nonverbal Approach: How to Ask a Question Without Asking

 
The End of the Interview (Almost)

 
Follow-Up Interviews

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 6. Writing for Websites and Blogs
Working on the Web

 
Blogging

 
Best Blogging Practices

 
How to Build a Quality Blog Post

 
Linking and Other Interactive Elements

 
Engaging Readers

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 7. Social Media
What Does Social Media Do?

 
Why Is Social Media Valuable?

 
Social Media Tools

 
How to Avoid #Fail

 
Building a Social Media Audience

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 8. Law and Ethics in Media Writing
The First Amendment

 
Libel

 
Legal Defenses Against Libel

 
Getting SLAPP-ed Anyway

 
Copyright

 
How to Avoid Copyright Infringement

 
Ethics and the Media

 
Ethical Concerns

 
How to Work Through Ethical Dilemmas

 
Determining Your Own Approach to Ethics

 
The Big Three

 
 
PART II. FOCUS ON NEWS MEDIA
 
Chapter 9. Reporting: The Basics and Beyond
Event Coverage

 
Preparing for the Event

 
How to Cover the Event

 
News Reporting Beyond the Event

 
Beats

 
Features

 
Profile Writing

 
Localizations

 
Obituaries

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 10. Writing for Traditional Print News Products
Nuances for Print Writing

 
Attributions

 
Expanding the Inverted Pyramid

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 11. Writing for Broadcast
Nuances for Broadcast Writing

 
Structure

 
Integrating Additional Elements

 
Types of Stories

 
Polishing Your Final Piece for Delivery

 
The Big Three

 
 
PART III. FOCUS ON MARKETING MEDIA
 
Chapter 12. Public Relations
Defining PR

 
Types of PR Writing

 
Keys to PR

 
Why the Media Matters

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 13. Advertising
Defining Advertising

 
The Creative Brief

 
Message Formation

 
Writing in Advertising

 
The Big Three

 
 
Chapter 14. Marketing
Brands and Branding

 
Campaigns Versus Brands

 
Useful Marketing Platforms and Tools

 
Copywriting for a Brand

 
Ways to Work With and for Your Readers

 
Writing Creatively for Marketing

 
The Big Three

 
 
Glossary
 
Index

I love that the textbook begins with teaching students about audience, and I love that it includes a chapter on foundational writing skills. The book flows at a good pace for my introductory-level students, and it is readable and interesting.

Dr Summer Anne Hill Vinson
School of Edu, University Of Mississippi - University
October 31, 2024
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I used the text this semester and it is fine. I chose it for the embrace of PR and bcast writing alongside journalistic. The social media chapter is quite weak, mostly explains what SM are, rather than strategies for using them professionally. The exercises seem useful at full glance but need more direction/guidance to work in my classrooms.

Dr Jennifer Rauch
Mass Communication Dept, Linfield University
November 18, 2022
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Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

  • Professional Thoughts features new interviews with working journalists who discuss recent changes in the industry.
  • New and updated information, including more instruction on writing for websites, blogs, press releases, and social media posts.
  • "Give It a Try" examples moved to the ends of the chapters to organize all in-class discussion prompts and activities in one easy-to-find place.
  • Updated photos and graphics illustrate the various elements of storytelling to make the information easier for students to apply.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Adapt boxes teach media writers how to get their message out across multiple media platforms, with an emphasis on adjusting to new digital formats.        
  • Connect features reinforce the central importance of tailoring messages to particular audience needs.    
  • Professional Thoughts interviews feature practical advice from professional journalists, PR executives, and advertisers. 
  • Write Now! exercises offer students the opportunity to hone their writing skills in every chapter.
  • The Big Three sections at the end of each chapter highlight the three most important concepts and skills students need to remember.
  • Visual examples and breakout boxes appear as needed to alert students to important topics in easy-to-consume ways.

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