Journalism: The Essentials of Writing and Reporting

How to write quickly and expertly for all contemporary major forms of journalistic writing

Whether producing a snappy headline or reporting a full-length news story, piecing together a "feature" or compiling a blog, this book will guide you through the pitfalls and inspire you to write better. Written by an experienced journalist, the book outlines the principles of journalistic writing, then illustrates these with examples of good—and not-so-good—practice from the real world, showing how you can hone your own writing skills for both print and online media. Packed with practical tips on structure, style, and editing, Journalism covers everything from how to write an active sentence to when (and when not) to use direct speech, the first person, and the present, rather than the past, tense. It also provides invaluable advice on how to make the most of your opportunities to get into journalism. This book is a must-read for all practicing and aspiring journalists and writers.

James Morrison is a writer, journalist, and academic. He is the former arts and media correspondent for the Independent on Sunday. Since 2003, he has worked as a lecturer on journalism.