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Reporting for the Media

Reporting for the Media
Authors: John R. Bender, Lucinda D. Davenport, Michael W. Drager, Fred Fedler
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book

List Price: $79.95
Buy New: $71.95
You Save: $8.00 (10%)



Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 7 reviews
Sales Rank: 169721

Media: Paperback
Edition: 9
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 688
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 10.5 x 8.2 x 1.2

ISBN: 0195337433
Dewey Decimal Number: 070.43
EAN: 9780195337433

Publication Date: March 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Now in its ninth edition, Reporting for the Media continues to be an essential resource for journalism students and instructors. A comprehensive introduction to newswriting and reporting, this classic text offers a straightforward guide to crafting effective journalism. Moreover, it grounds students firmly in the basics of reporting--how to become more curious about the world, generate provocative ideas, gather vital information and write incisive stories.
The authors provide students with the skills they need to produce engaging journalism by focusing on such central topics as grammar basics, newswriting style, traditional story structures and styles, interviewing techniques, reporting on speeches and meetings and common ethical dilemmas. The text also explores a variety of advanced topics including broadcast writing, law, ethics and public relations. In every chapter, students encounter vital tools for the creation of versatile journalism; these tools enable them to apply their knowledge to any type of journalism in any medium.
The ninth edition features a new introductory chapter, "Journalism Today," which discusses recent developments in the field, from technology and newsroom convergence to the proliferation of blogs. In addition, all chapters and examples have been updated throughout. The text's lively end-of-chapter exercises have also been updated and continue to encourage students to "learn by doing" through the practical application of skills. An updated list of Common Writing Errors is now featured on the inside back cover; along with a condensed version of the AP stylebook, this resource offers helpful grammar and style assistance to students as they interact with the material. As in previous editions, the book also integrates advice from professional journalists, discussion questions, suggested projects, four useful appendices and end-of-chapter checklists.
The leading text for newswriting and reporting courses, Reporting for the Media, Ninth Edition, offers outstanding and unparalleled training for dynamic journalists.



Customer Reviews:   Read 2 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars another awesome one, amazon   September 18, 2008
textbook perfect, and cheaper than my bookstore (only by a little, but oh well). Oh, and I got it earlier than I expected. Thanks for always doing an awesome job!!


2 out of 5 stars Boring   August 8, 2008
This book was a bit boring. I found that my professor had to add a lot of information beyond the book's description of styles of articles. I am not a journalism major, but rather took the course as part of an English minor.

The book tried to convince the reader that journalism was an important, noble profession. Anyone interested in journalism would already feel that way.



4 out of 5 stars Great read even after college   April 22, 2008
I've kept this book even after completing undergrad almost two years ago. For any media enthusiast I would recommend buying and keeping this book for years to come. You'll always have a reason to look back for an in depth understanding of the basics of journalism and the media as a whole.


4 out of 5 stars Great start!   October 9, 2007
Books gives an excellent beggining point for one who would like to begin writing for the newpaper. If one reads this book and reads news articles with it, one should be able to understan newspaper format.

I recomend this book for all who are interested in either writing in the future or in understanding the news article format. After taking a class with a college proffesor using this book I was able to get an article published in the college paper.



4 out of 5 stars Lacks bling, but good resource for writers.   March 1, 2006
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This book was required for my journalism 200 class.
Its many examples of excellent news writing, useful for journalists, could interest political science, marketing or creative writing majors or those with activist inclinations. Some of the featured writers also write fiction. The co-influence of the two genres are evident and that style is gaining popularity in new "info-tainment" venues. The text helps one understand how news is chosen and spun, as well as the down and dirty details of writing for a newspaper.
This book is brain food. Healthy, if not a favorite. By itself, the book is only for those in touch with their inner nerd. No shame, there. If you are reading it on your own, buy a used older edition (it should be cheap, as it will likely be missing the tear-out exercise pages) or just check it out from the library.
Assuming use as a class text, the style examples and facts of the book are interesting, but also contains a narcoleptic amount of tedious material, e.g. grammar, copy-editing, etc. If you are a student scope out your teacher and get a good one. The field stories he or she shares will make or break the class. If you are a professor, this book is a rock-solid resource, but you'll need to supplement it to keep your students awake.
I gave this book four stars because it absolutely does what it says it will, explains media reporting, but only if one defines "media" as traditional, old-school, print media. The lost star is because the book fails to address the fact that media is rapidly adjusting away from traditional print forms. This book should be volume one of two, with two being devoted to new forms of media and public relations--blogging, podcasting, undercover marketing, etc., many of which strive to entertain as they inform.

RELATED READING: For a historical view of traditional journalism, check out Tony Hillerman's autobiography, Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir. Hillerman worked in a variety of journalistic positions from 1948 to 1962 and later became famous as the best-selling author of the Joe Leaphorn (Navajo) mysteries. Either his Horatio Alger-like rise or his Catch-22 experiences in the military would be enough to make a good story, but don't just read the book. Hillerman's laconic narration is not to be missed.





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