Editing : A Handbook For Journalists

This book is designed for students and others entering journalism and for those already in the profession and keen to improve their technical skills. It will also be helpful for those employed in the public relations profession either in consultancies or as in-house practitioners – in fact, for all those earning their living by their writing skills. It deals with the printed word: for messages to be properly communicated and understood and stresses the importance of clarity and style. While readers will benefit from reading this book from cover to cover, some will doubtless wish to dip into individual chapters as needs dictate. Editing skills in all their aspects are discussed thoroughly and explains what editors should look for in new stories, how to change it into a well-written news story, and how best to present it to the reader of the newspaper or magazine. The technicalities of presentation are covered in detail. Also covered are the essential requirements for handling headlines and captions, as well as the basics of journalistic writing, or journalese, and the need for concise language coupled with the readability of the printed word. The chapters will provide practitioners with a useful reference source for their day-to-day work. Efforts have been made to ensure that the latest information on the subject has been provided. Thus, teachers of journalism will also find this book ost useful.