The Basics of Media Writing: A Strategic Approach

Scott A. Kuehn · Andrew Lingwall

Dec 2016 · CQ Press

About this ebook

The Basics of Media Writing: A Strategic Approach helps readers develop the essential writing skills and professional habits needed to succeed in 21st-century media careers. This research-driven, strategy-based media writing textbook digs deeply into how media professionals think and write in journalism, public relations, advertising, and other forms of strategic communication. Authors Scott A. Kuehn and Andrew Lingwall have created two comprehensive writing models to help students overcome their problems in finding and developing story topics by giving them "starting points" to begin writing. The Professional Strategy Triangle model shows students how to think critically about the audience, the situation, and the message before starting a news story or persuasive piece and the FAJA four-point model asks students a series of questions about their story type (Fact, Analysis, Judgment, or Action) to guide them to the right angle or organizational structure for their message. Rooted in classical rhetorical methods, this step-by-step technique enables readers to strategically approach each writing task, no matter the format.

About the author

Scott Kuehn, Ph.D. - is Professor of Communication at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Ph.D. in Speech Communication at the Pennsylvania State University in 1987. Scott teaches courses in mass communication research, communication law, new media effects, social media for media professions, mass media criticism, and photography. His research focuses on the perceptions of communication skills and communication competence, has been published in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator and Communication Education. He currently serves as advisor for WCUC 91.7 FM, Clarion University′s 3800 watt radio station. Scott is an amatuer photographer with expertise in medium and large format film photography. Scott is also a part time musician who records jingles and other radio, television, and cinematic music.

Andrew Lingwall, Ed.D. is a Professor of Communication at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned his doctorate in Education from the University of Washington in 2002. Lingwall teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, public relations, and strategic communication. He has more than 25 years of professional media experience as a journalist at daily newspapers and as a public relations practitioner in agency and higher education settings. From 1993 to 2002, Lingwall worked as a freelance features writer with The News Tribune and as a public relations specialist with Tacoma Community College, both in Tacoma, Washington. He previously taught at the University of Washington Tacoma and Weber State University. Lingwall’s research agenda focuses on strategic communication and writing skills of millennial students in programs of journalism and mass communication. His research has been published in Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Journal of Public Relations Education, and Journal of Advertising Education. Lingwall serves as a subject matter expert in public relations for a range of textbook publishers. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and serves on PRSA-Pittsburgh’s Board of Directors.