Full Description
As new-media news organizations continue to proliferate and traditional news media organizations ramp up their World Wide Web visibility, the ability to write news for online news products is fast becoming a requisite skill for both practicing journalists and journalists in training. Online Newswriting serves as a guide to help prepare practitioners for the brave new world of converging media and web page/Internet journalism. Students learn the basic mechanics, flow, style, tone, methods and techniques of online newswriting through numerous examples and models. Style tests let users easily assess how well they are mastering concepts and skills. Online Newswriting illustrates how to write online news stories incorporating pictures, graphics, audio, and video and describes how to blend the best of writing for print and electronic media into a new way of writing news for mass consumption. Coverage is extensive and includes explanatory, descriptive material; numerous examples and models; style tests; exercises; simulated news copy; and ethical/legal issues/concerns. With an ample supply of simulated wire copy, news releases and fact sheets, Online Newswriting can be used effectively as a practice-rich, main or supplemental text in a variety of journalism courses.
Contents
Introduction. About Midcity.
Acknowledgments..
Section One: Theories, Philosophy, Style, Methods and techniques.
Chatting Up readers.
Keep It Short and Sweet.
Be an Original.
Developing and Evolving News.
Do the Math.
Make It Interesting.
5Ws and the H.
Links to More Information.
Verbs.
Names.
Titles.
Ages.
Addresses.
Contractions.
Attribution.
Quotes.
Profanity, Factual Errors, Slang and Poor Grammar.
Numbers.
Abbreviations.
Measurements and Amounts.
Symbols.
Time of Day.
Time Elements.
Punctuation.
Building a Story..
Section Two: Pictures, Graphics, Audio and Video.
Writing for Pictures.
Writing for Maps and Charts.
Setting Up Audio and Video Cuts from Newsmakers.
Setting Up Audio and Video Packages from Reporters.
Writing for Video..
Section Three: Making Good Online Newswriting Better.
Correct Usage..
Section Four: Legal and Ethical Concerns.
Libel.
Invasion of Privacy.
Copyright Infringement.
Plagiarism.
Fabrication.
Sensationalism.
Conflicts of Interest.
Codes o Ethics..
Section Five: Style Tests and Writing Exercises.
Style Tests.
New Briefs.
Captions.
Audio Cuts.
Video Packages.
Video Scripts.
News Stories.
