MediaWriting

Book excerpt: Accessible and engaging, this book is an invaluable resource for students planning to enter the dynamic and changing world of media writing. Drawing on a wealth of real-world examples and featuring helpful "How To" boxes throughout, MediaWriting explains the various styles of writing for print, broadcast, online, social media, public relations, and multimedia outlets. Expanded and updated throughout, this sixth edition features: A look at how journalists and PR practitioners use and write for social media platforms such as X and Facebook; Tips for better web writing, research, interviewing, and headline writing across multiple media platforms, including covering breaking news in the digital world; Coverage of public relations writing for digital media, publications, and other organizational media; Updates on current ethical issues faced by communicators; Information on spotting “fake news” and “deep fakes”; Strategies for integrating sound bites into broadcast scripts; New “It Happened to Me” anecdotes from the authors’ experiences as journalists and PR professionals; Updated discussion questions and writing exercises. Designed to meet the needs of students of digital, print, and broadcast media, public relations, or a wannabe jack-of-all trades in the online media environment, this reader-friendly primer will equip beginners with all the skills necessary to succeed in their chosen writing field. Online instructor and student support material is available for this book, including sample syllabi, quizzes and answer keys, chapter overviews, and links to further resources.