Writing for Electronic Media

Reviewed by Katherine Allred, Adjunct, Pittsburg State University on 12/19/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the news field or needs a refresher, this is a good Open Educational Resource to use. It is simple but detailed.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content is accurate, but there was an issue. In the producing chapter written by another author, the number of blocks utilized in a newscast is a good breakdown. Include an example of the rundown to show how three blocks would work. The visual element will eliminate any confusion. However, when both weather and sports are included in a show, clarify that not every market only has three blocks. In a 30-35 minute newscast with three blocks and two breaks, anchors could be potentially on-air for 15 to 20 minutes straight. This is good for ratings, but it may not be the best practice when keeping viewers in mind.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Very relevant and up-to-date with incorporating various social media platforms and using backpacks for live shots.

Clarity rating: 5

One element to keep reminding readers is every newsroom is different in how they operate. For example, in the section on Ethics in Chapter 15, instructors need to refer to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. However, make it clear every market is different.

Consistency rating: 5

The information in this book is very unified.

Modularity rating: 5

Very easy to incorporate into a classroom setting.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization flows very well together.

Interface rating: 3

In the section on PKGs, video examples did not play, and the links were broken. This chapter had several interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No offensive language or visuals were used.

Comments

This book gives an excellent overview of the news field. As someone with 10 years of professional news experience, this text hits all of the boxes. It would be a great source for someone new to teaching news and who has never worked in the field. It would even provide a nice refresher, reinforcing what I already teach my students.

Reviewed by Tom Hansen, Sr. Lecturer Communicating Arts Department, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 9/20/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

COMPREHESIVENESS:

This textbook is a thorough overview of a television broadcast newsroom and daily operations with a section on radio included. The first-hand accounts that worked for the broadcast journalist author throughout the book are a bonus and provides great insight into the topics. The guest authors also provided relevant information to the industry.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Accuracy:
The textbook was a very accurate look inside the newsroom and the position descriptions, duties, expectations and challenges of each.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Relevance:
The book covers the day to day operations of the newsroom. The main author explains that news gathering technology will constantly be changing and realizes updates will need to be made as time moves on, with changes in social media being one of those.

Clarity rating: 5

Clarity:
The topics and chapters are easy to understand and comprehensive. The author shares production tips that have worked in the past for him and could save newsroom newcomers from possible obstacles in the future.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistency:
Industry terms and references are accurate and consistent. Small market TV stations often have reporters doing many of these duties each day all in one shift and the author recognizes that different market sizes will have an impact on duties and specialty skills performed.

Modularity rating: 5

Modularity:
The chapters are understandable, readable and not too detailed. The 16 chapters cover the major items inside a newsroom and especially chapter 12 Working with Photographers as a team is spot on. The final chapter on the job market and how to enter or get started is information that is very accurate. At least at smaller newsroom operations, the internship allows the student to see what they may like to pursue in the future while at the same time showcasing their own talents. Gaining experience is important and an internship opportunity does just that.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Organization:
The textbook does a good job outlining the chapters and positions behind the scenes that others outside the industry might not know about. Good flow to the information in the textbook and reviews important industry topics.

Interface rating: 5

Interface:
The textbook images and video examples all looked good and showed no distortions. The video examples were an added bonus and additional video and audio segments would have been welcomed and could enhance the textbook even more and provide even greater insight to the topics being addressed.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Grammatical:
The textbook contains no grammatical errors. The author and editors did a fine job with that.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Culture: Overall the text was very inclusive. A couple reporter references in chapter 10 live shots could have been more gender neutral in the live shot and IFB sections.

Comments

The textbook would be a very good tool to use for a broadcast journalism class. While it does have only one chapter about radio it is very accurate as well. Market size plays a large part in these newsroom positions and the smaller the station and market the more you will be doing each of these duties every day inside a newsroom and on social media. The first-person accounts and real-life stories by the author add an additional element that a starting journalist could and would appreciate. The ethics section is very important topic of course. I was glad to see the author reference the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics in this textbook. The video examples were a bonus but if the textbook had additional videos or radio/audio/podcast examples it would enhance even more this accurate look into television and radio newsroom operations.

Reviewed by Greg Cunningham, Adjunct Professor - Communication, Bridgewater State University on 6/1/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text covers a full range of topics on writing for television, but spends only one chapter on radio and does not address the use of cross-over mediums such as podcasts or websites. The authors are all working in the industry, and provide behind the scene terminology and anecdotes, which students will find both useful and entertaining. A glossary is provided and key terms are defined as necessary in each chapter.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The main author continues to work in the industry and is a trusted and reliable source of information. Contributors are also industry workers and provide detail and perspective in specific chapters.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The author spends considerable time providing information for a "typical" news broadcast, but provides only a few paragraphs detailing breaking news and how to write or load breaking news into the stack. There is also little information concerning the cross connection between social media and mainstream platforms, a rapidly growing aspect for a news-seeking audience.

Clarity rating: 5

As a person who has worked his way up in the industry, the author is able to clearly provide information, explain jargon, and show the process behind creating and producing news content. At times, the writing is a bit too simplistic for a college text, and the book reads much like a narrative story combined with a technical manual rather than a higher education text.

Consistency rating: 5

The book makes use of industry jargon and uses each term and phrase appropriately throughout the text. Once or twice, industry terms were introduced without explanation, and were covered in subsequent chapters.

Modularity rating: 4

Most chapters are able to stand alone when reading, and each chapter builds upon the previous. There are a few times when an industry term is mentioned, but not fully explained until later, which could confuse students in an introductory course. Most chapters are short and well divided, although multiple examples of the same issue was sometimes slightly tedious.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The text, with few exceptions, builds upon information provided previously. There is a logical flow to the information provided, from an overview at the start, to chronologically organized chapters about building a news story. Side remarks may be slightly distracting to some readers, as the book is conversational and prone to feel more like storytelling.

Interface rating: 5

Images and videos help to exemplify the information being provided. They are timely and work within the text itself, rather than having to follow a link to an outside source. This was extremely helpful and allowed for contiguous reading of each chapter.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were found in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is inclusive, and although refers to photographers as male, this is an industry reality addressed by the text.

Comments

The text would be useful for an introduction to television journalism course. While it is very narrative at times, and unlike a typical higher education textbook, it provides insight about the television news industry. I would have liked to have seen more concrete information about news writing, and while news writing structure and tips are discussed, a bit more focus on this topic would have been helpful. The text provides no exercises or study questions to supplement chapters.