Writing for Journalists

Thoroughly revised and updated, the fourth edition of Writing for Journalists focuses on the craft of journalistic writing, offering invaluable insight on how to hook readers and keep them to the end of your article. The book offers a systematic approach to news and feature writing that starts with the basics and builds to more complex and longer pieces. The authors give the reader the tools they need to deliver engaging and authoritative writing that works across print and digital. Drawing on professional insight from writers across the industry, the book guides readers through the essential elements needed to write powerful and effective news stories, from hard news pieces to features on business, science, travel and entertainment reviews. New to this edition are hands-on writing exercises accompanying each chapter to help reinforce key points; chapters on how to build a professional profile, pitch stories and get commissioned; and a section on online writing, SEO, analytics and writing for social media. This is an essential guide for all journalism students and early-career journalists. It also has much to offer established journalists looking to develop their writing and lead editorial teams.

1. How to read like a journalist How purposeful reading can develop your journalistic instinct and sharpen your writing 2. The news intro Understand news values and learn how to construct a compelling opening paragraph 3. The first three paragraphs A fail-safe formula to write the opening three paragraphs to any news story 4. News structure and style How to structure longer news pieces and deal with more complex stories in style 5. Writing for the web How to write for online; understand analytics and SEO and make social media work for you Gavin Allen 6. Developing feature ideas Understand your readers and learn how to develop news-driven feature ideas they will want to read 7. Starting your feature Why ‘Showing, Telling and Quoting’ are a writer’s building blocks and the key to dynamic intros 8. Structure and quotes How to use quotes and understand the three interviewee types essential to your writing 9. Storytelling and travel writing Discover what storytelling does to your brain and how to use that in any piece of writing 10. Interview features Professional writers explain how to research, structure and write the perfect interview 11. Writing reviews How to write reviews on anything from literature and the arts to bicycles and fast cars Harriett Gilbert 12. Making complex ideas accessible Business and science journalists explain how to make complex stories accessible to all Matt Swaine, Aiden O'Donnell and Nigel Stephenson 13. Boxouts, design and multimedia How to write boxouts and plan multimedia content to deliver strong feature packages 14.The professional writer Build your professional profile, hit deadlines, edit your work and develop a unique voice Glossary Key terms you may come across in the world of journalism Recommended reading Books on journalism, politics, business, science and the environment and Twitter lists to follow Suggested answers Appendix with answers to exercises in chapters 2, 3 and 5 Index

Matt Swaine is the Course Director for the MA in International Journalism at Cardiff University, where he teaches multimedia news and long-form feature writing. As a journalist he edited BBC Wildlife and Trail magazines and launched websites and magazines such as Trail Running and Outdoor Fitness. He spent two years as Lonely Planet’s Editorial and Product Development Director, and has written for titles as diverse as Mother and Baby, Sunday Times Travel, Guitarist, The Telegraph and Cycling Plus. @MattSwaine Harriett Gilbert is a broadcaster, journalist and novelist. She was literary editor of the New Statesman and has reviewed the arts for, among others, Time Out, the Listener, the Independent and the BBC. She presents A Good Read on BBC Radio 4 and World Book Club on BBC World Service Radio. She was for many years a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism at City University London. @HarriettSG Gavin Allen is a Digital Journalism Lecturer at Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture. He has been a journalist for 20 years, latterly as Associate Editor of Mirror.co.uk, having previously worked at MailOnline, MSN and WalesOnline. @Gavinallen