Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(25 customer reviews) 32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Not just for Journalists,
November 23, 2002 Anthony M. Frasca (East Setauket, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Associated Press Guide to Newswriting (Study Aids/On-the-Job Reference) (Paperback)
This book is a must reference for journalists. It is small enough to be read and re-read many times. Every journalist should be forced to read this book, and be quizzed on it, every six months. It would save the rest of us from having to read the awful writing in the manistream press. Even a non-journalist would enjoy this book. It will give you some insight into how news stories are written. Also, if you catch a journalist breaking these simple "how to" rules, you can move on to another more well written story.
Personally, I would rather read a well written story about a topic in which I have no interest, than a poorly written story about something for which I am passionate.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Concise, readable, and informative,
December 7, 2001 CT (Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Associated Press Guide to Newswriting (Study Aids/On-the-Job Reference) (Paperback)
I wish I had had this book when I started writing.Now that I copy edit, I've made our editor-in-chief buy it for all of the writers.In a completely readable way, it demonstrates how to write clean, effective copy.If you're vaguely dissastisfied with your writing, or if have any desire to write for publication, then get this book. It will improve your writing at least 100 per cent.
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
How to avoid an attack of The Elongated Yellow Fruit,
May 26, 2004 Celia Redmore "Celia Redmore" - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Associated Press Guide to News Writing (Paperback)
"The Associated Press Guide to News Writing" makes more points in 136 pages than do most writing books four times the size. One would expect no less from a master news editor like Rene Chappon. The formula Cappon follows is to write a very brief explanation of a problem; an example of the problem; a sentence dissecting the example; a rewriting of the problem sentence; and a summary of the topic. The result is almost always memorable. Consider this typical section on The Elegant Variation (capitalized words below are italicized in the original):***
Writers who believe that the repetition of plain words within shouting distance of each other is crude take off on synonym safaris.... It's all the more grotesque as there are few true synonyms and the author may introduce misfits:"The mayor's task force was asked to meet with the owners of the STRUCTURES, discuss whether they wanted their BUILDINGS preserved, and recommend ways to adapt older EDIFICES to new use."STRUCTURES...Read more
