Week 3 Introduction

Professional writers need to learn what it is to write in the media environment. This “environment” is not just a place -- although it is often that, such as a television or newspaper newsroom or the writer’s pool of an advertising agency. But it is also a state of mind, an acculturation that the writer must undergo.

In this section we’ll discuss what it means to become acculturated as a media writer.

Purpose of media writing

The purpose of media writing is not self expression, although sometimes that is involved in your writing. The chief purpose of media writing is to inform the reader. It is to present information and ideas.

Two secondary purposes are persuasion and entertainment, but what lies behind almost all media writing is information.

How do we present information? That’s what we’re going to learn more about in this section of the course.

Readings

Read Chapters 4 and 5 of Writing for the Mass Media. Make sure you understand all of the concepts and practices discussed there.

You don’ wanna go there. The tragic tale of our intrepid hero Don Vito Scripto, notorious mobster, who orders a hit on one-time protege turned dirty rat Mugsy Cliché

E.O. Wilson: the University of Alabama’s most distinguished graduate. E. O. Wilson is the most distinguished graduate of the University of Alabama in the 20th century. He left the University in 1949 with a degree in biology, and he went on to become the world’s leading authority on ants. So why is he here? For a start, Wilson’s writings have won him two Pulitzer Prizes, journalism’s most prestigous award. Find out more about this remarkable man..



		*Week 3: Introduction • Lecture notes • Reading room* •**
	Writing in the media environment		Professional writers need to learn what it is to write in the media environment. This “environment” is not just a place -- although it is often that, such as a television or newspaper newsroom or the writer’s pool of an advertising agency. But it is also a state of mind, an acculturation that the writer must undergo. In this section we’ll discuss what it means to become acculturated as a media writer. Purpose of media writing The purpose of media writing is not self expression, although sometimes that is involved in your writing. The chief purpose of media writing is to inform the reader. It is to present information and ideas. Two secondary purposes are persuasion and entertainment, but what lies behind almost all media writing is information. How do we present information? That’s what we’re going to learn more about in this section of the course. Here are the main points of the lecture: The chief purpose of writing for the mass media is to convey information. The chief goal of the media writing is to convey that informaiton accurately. Many of the conventions and practices of media writing are intend to help achieve that purpose and goal. Media writers, in most instances, do not insert themselves or their feelings into their writing. what the writer believes or how the writer feels about the information being conveyed is not important. It is the information that is important. Certain conventions and practices of writing must be observed. One of the most important concepts of any writing is UNITY. How do you tie various pieces of information together into a unified whole? One of the important writing techniques for doing this is transitions. More lecture notes, etc. Readings Read Chapters 4 and 5 of Writing for the Mass Media. Make sure you understand all of the concepts and practices discussed there. Reading room You don’ wanna go there. The tragic tale of our intrepid hero Don Vito Scripto, notorious mobster, who orders a hit on one-time protege turned dirty rat Mugsy Cliché E.O. Wilson: the University of Alabama’s most distinguished graduate. E. O. Wilson is the most distinguished graduate of the University of Alabama in the 20th century. He left the University in 1949 with a degree in biology, and he went on to become the world’s leading authority on ants. So why is he here? For a start, Wilson’s writings have won him two Pulitzer Prizes, journalism’s most prestigous award. Find out more about this remarkable man..
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