Reporting for the Media

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!!

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.

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.

I bought this book for my JOUR 201 class and it is very good as an introduction to journalism. It is a bit dry, but overall a good tool for the early journalist.

The seventh edition of Reporting for the Media is a useful tool for those just starting to learn to write a news story. It provides the basic underlying elements of a news story. With the formula provided, the reader learns the do's and don't's of the world of reporting news. From being accurate and concise to using correct style, the book provides a good tips for beginning news writers interested in expanding their knowledge. I recommend this book to professors needing a textbook for their classroom, or reporters who simply want to improve their newswriting.