Writing and Reporting the News

Writing and Reporting the News, Third Edition, is a comprehensive and accessible introductory text for journalism students. Jerry Lanson and Mitchell Stephens provide thorough instruction on writing and reporting, hundreds of examples of good and bad writing and extensive opportunities to apply their advice through practical exercises. Based on the authors' careers as journalists and journalism professors – and on the experience of dozens of other first-rate reporters – this unique textbook/workbook gives students a clear, logical introduction to the craft of journalism. The book is designed to accomplish three goals: to teach clear, concise and accurate writing to teach students how to find reliable information about newsworthy events and issues and how to set this information within an understandable and meaningful context to explain the workings of print, online and broadcast newsrooms and how the gathering and delivery of news are changing in today's increasingly digital and cross-media age Discussions and examples have been updated throughout for this new edition. A new section covers writing for the Internet, and the authors have also added boxed sections in which reporters offer tips on how to cover specific types of stories and beats.

Table of Contents:
Most chapters end with a Summary, Additional Reading and Exercises. List of Exercises Preface List of Newspapers and Wire Services Introduction WRITING Part I: The News 1. News Judgment Impact Weight Controversy Emotion The Unusual Prominence Proximity Timeliness Currency Usefulness Educational Value 2. Fairness Rooting Ignoring Agreeing Concluding Stereotyping Excluding 3. The Language of News Precision Clarity Conciseness Directness Part II: Leads 4. Traditional Leads Length Choosing the Lead The Five Ws Details Context The Lead's Lead Points Label Leads The Angle 5. Other Leads Zingers Anecdotes Scene Setters Quotations The Angle Appropriateness Dilly-Dallying Control Part III: Stories 6. Attribution When to Attribute Guidelines 7. Quotations Direct Quotes Partial Quotes Paraphrasing Form Length Choruses Dishonest Quotes Editing Quotes Responsibility for Quotes 8. Information Selection Selectivity Thoroughness 9. Organization Paragraphs The Inverted Pyramid Supporting the Lead Elaborating Secondary Themes Like Ideas Together Two or More Primary Themes Chronology Transitions Bullets After Soft Leads 10. Background and Context The Past Comparison Patterns The Future 11. Reporting in a Multimedia Age Writing for the Internet Using Graphics to Tell the Story Highlight Boxes Charts and Infographics Maps REPORTING Part IV: Techniques 12. Facts Checking Proof Interpretation 13. Story Origination Press Releases Tips Records Localizing Regionalizing Follow-Up Unannounced Stories 14. Research Figure Out a Search Strategy Find the Best Tools Computer-Assisted Reporting Records Reporters' Files 15. Sources Who Cultivating Avoiding Being Cultivated Ground Rules 16. Interviewing The Preinterview Interview Strategies Questions Note Taking Staying in Control Listening The End The Postinterview Part V: Coverage 17. Obituaries Form Getting the Information Enterprise 18. Meetings, Speeches and Press Conferences Meetings Speeches and Press Conferences 19. Government and Politics Sources Records and Documents Budgets Bids Campaigns Polls 20. Police Beat Checks Sources Crime Fires, Accidents and Disasters Enterprise 21. Courts Records Sources Criminal Court Civil Court Enterprise 22. Features Preparation Observation Building the Story Tone Types Part VI: Specialized Coverage 23. Municipal Services Sources Records Basic Stories Enterprise Story Approaches 24. Education Sources Documents Basic Stories Enterprise 25. Business and Labor Business Sources Labor Sources Documents Basic Stories Enterprise 26. Science, Medicine and the Environment Preparation Complexity and Uncertainty Whom Do You Trust? Sources Journals References Basic Stories Enterprise 27. Broadcast Journalism Broadcast Writing Radio Reporting Television Reporting THE BASICS Appendix A: Format Fundamentals Editing the Old-Fashioned Way Exercises Appendix B: Style Abbreviations Capitalization Names and Courtesy Titles Numbers Punctuation Spelling Sexism Appendix C: Spelling and Grammar Who, Which and That Verb Tense Agreement Misplaced Modifiers Parallel Construction Appendix D: Analogies, Metaphors and Clichés Analogies Mixed Metaphors Clichés Appendix E: Ethics Freebies Checkbook Journalism Conflict of Interest Misrepresentation Private Lives Appendix F: Law Libel Privacy Protecting Sources Access

About the Author :
Jerry Lanson is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism at Emerson College and served as its first chair. A former editor at the San Jose Mercury and an experienced writing coach, he is the coauthor of News in a New Century: Reporting in an Age of Converging Media (1999). Mitchell Stephens is Professor in the Department of Journalism at New York University. He is the author of A History of News (OUP, 2007), the rise of the image the fall of the word (OUP, 1998), and Broadcast News (2004).