The 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.

Table 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.

Review :
"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."