The Elements of News Writing Book

Preface     vii
Acknowledgments     viii
About the Author     viii
The Basics
What Is News?     1
History of Journalism in the United States     6
The Role of News Media in American Society     12
Kershner's Five Rules of Journalism     18
Basics of Good Journalism     22
A Stylebook Primer     27
How to Read a Newspaper     30
Grammar and Usage
Commonly Misused Words     34
Commas, Colons, and Semicolons     38
Punctuating Quotations     44
Active and Passive Voice     48
Spell Checkers     52
Writing News Stories
How to Write a News Story in 15 Steps     54
How to Write a Strong Lead     60
How to Structure a News Story     65
How to Conduct an Interview     71
Covering Beats
How to Cover Meetings and Speeches     78
How to Cover Police and Courts     84
How to Cover Disasters and Tragedies     89
How to Write Obituaries     94
Specialized Writing
How to Write Reviews and Criticism     97
How to Write Editorials and Columns     102
How to Write Profiles     106
How to Write Feature Stories     109
How to Market Feature Stories     113
Editing Newspapers
How Newspapers Are Organized     118
How to Plan a Newspaper     123
How to Lay Out Pages     129
How to Write Headlines     133
How to Write Cutlines     136
How to Use Photos and Graphics     139
How to Edit Stories     142
Advanced Topics
Legal Considerations in Journalism     145
Ethical Considerations in Journalism     149
The Future of the Mass Media     155
Tips from the Best     160
Index     163