Synopses & Reviews
Reflecting the fast-changing world of print journalism, the Second Edition of the Newswriter's Handbook: An Introduction to Journalism is fully updated and expanded. Authors Stein, Paterno, and Burnett have refined this edition to more fully address contemporary issues. Coverage includes greater emphasis on recent legal trends involving journalism; the ethical scandals that in recent years have strained the credibility of news organizations large and small; a new section on obituary writing; and increased attention to opportunities on the World Wide Web. From spot or hard news to features, newsfeatures, editorials and opinions, the Newswriter's Handbook shows how to develop news judgment, how to write accurately and fairly, how to organize a story and write it clearly, how to handle the complexities of honesty and ethics in journalism, and how to cover traditional beats and prepare to specialize. Loaded with examples from the largest dailies to respected state capital city newspapers and campus publications, the Newswriter's Handbook, Second Edition teaches students the writing and reporting skills necessary in today's job market while exciting them about the possibilities of a career in the news business.
Review
"...an extensive, articulate guide....(The authors') combined wisdom and expertise show through, making Talk Straight, Listen Carefully a 'must' for anyone learning the craft of journalism." -Midwest Book review
Synopsis
Interviewing is a vital tool for journalists. In
Talk Straight, Listen Carefully, the authors and other seasoned journalists share their interviewing experience and explain how to successfully approach all types of people, extract information, and gain solid material.
Print and broadcast students and journalists will find far more than the standard interviewing tips, including:
- The qualitative differences between “hard news’ interviews and feature or profile story interviews
- Strategies for obtaining hard-to-get interviews
- Methods for managing unwilling, shy, hostile, and fearful sources
- Techniques for “interviewing on the run”
- Interview-related ethical questions and dilemmas
- Getting to sources beyond the initial interview
- Extracting color and human interest from an interview
Synopsis
M. L. "Mike" Stein has more than 30 years experience as a journalist author, and educator. He teaches feature article writing at the University of California, Irvine, Extension Division; is former chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at New York University and the Department of Journalism at California State University, Long Beach; and is former West Coast Editor of
Editor & Publisher.
Susan F. Paterno is associate professor of English and directs the journalism program at Chapman University in Southern California. A contributing writer to the American Journalism Review, she also has written for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and U.S. News and World Report, garnering many awards for writing and reporting.