Dynamics of Media Writing

Vincent F. Filak, Ph.D., is an award-winning teacher and scholar who serves as a professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where he primarily teaches courses on media writing and reporting. Prior to his arrival at UWO, he served on the faculty at Ball State University and also taught courses at the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also previously worked for the Wisconsin State Journal and the Columbia Missourian newspapers. He was also unanimously voted and selected as the next editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The Associated Collegiate Press honored him as part of the organizations inaugural class of Pioneer Award Winners in 2022. The Scholastic Journalism Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication presented him with the Educator of the Year award in 2021, a year after he was honored by the National Society of Leadership and Success with an Excellence in Teaching award. In 2019, he received the Friend of KEMPA award for his work with high school journalism students through the Kettle Moraine Press Association. In addition, he has received awards from the College Media Association (CMA) and the National Scholastic Press Association for his work as a college media adviser and a mentor to high school journalists. As a scholar, Filak has received thirteen top conference paper awards, including those from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Broadcast Education Association, and the International Public Relations Society of America. He has published more than thirty scholarly, peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, including Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, the Newspaper Research Journal, the Atlantic Journal of Communication, Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, the Howard Journal of Communication, Educational Psychology, and the British Journal of Social Psychology. He is also the winner of CMAs Nordin Research Award, which goes to the best research paper completed on a topic pertaining to media advisers within a given year. He has published several textbooks in the field of journalism, including Dynamics of Media Writing (SAGE), Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing (SAGE), Dynamics of Media Editing (SAGE), Convergent Journalism (Focal), and The Journalists Handbook to Online Editing (with Kenneth Rosenauer; Pearson). He also blogs about media-related topics at DynamicsOfWriting.com. xxiv He lives outside Auroraville, Wisconsin, with his wife, Amy, and their daughter, Zoe.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Part I: The Basics you Need, Regardless of Field Chapter 1: Know Your Audience How to Define an Audience Key Questions to Improve Your Connection With Your Audience What Attracts an Audience? How to Make Your Audience Care About Your Content Notes Chapter 2: Artificial Intelligence The Basics of Artificial Intelligence How AI Can Help You as a Media Writer The Limitations of Generative AI in Media Writing Best Practices for Using AI Effectively in Media Writing Notes Chapter 3: Why is Journalism such a Picky Field? The Fight Against Misinformation Using a Basic Fact Check to Make Sure You Are Sure Where to Find Your Facts Examining the Broader Issues Notes Chapter 4: Grammar, Style and Language Basics Why Do Grammar and Style Matter? Sentence Structure Sentence Length Read Your Work Aloud How to Keep Writing Tight and Right Note Chapter 5: Basic Media Writing The "Killer Bes" of Good Writing The Inverted Pyramid Leads: The Prominence of Importance Types of Leads Problematic Leads and Potential Fixes How to Order the Rest of Your Pyramid Note Chapter 6: Interviewing Interview Preparation Getting the Interview The Pros and Cons of Digital Interviewing Developing Your Interviewing Strategy Additional Techniques to Get More Information Note Chapter 7: Writing for Websites and Blogs Working on the Web Blogging Best Blogging Practices How to Build a Quality Blog Post Axios "Smart Brevity" Approach to Content Linking and Other Interactive Elements Engaging Readers Notes Chapter 8: Social Media What Does Social Media Do? Why Is Social Media Valuable? Social Media Tools How to Avoid #Fail Building a Social Media Audience Notes Chapter 9: Law and Ethics in Media Writing The First Amendment Misconceptions Regarding the Amendment Libel Legal Defenses Against Libel Copyright Ethics and the Media How to Work Through Ethical Dilemmas Determining Your Own Approach to Ethics Notes Part II: Focus on News Media Chapter 10: Reporting: The Basics and Beyond Event Coverage Preparing for the Event How to Cover the Event Beats Reporting Across Other Story Forms Note Chapter 11: Writing for Traditional Print News Products Nuances for Print Writing Quotes Attributions Expanding the Inverted Pyramid Notes Chapter 12: Writing for Broadcast Nuances for Broadcast Writing Structure Script Basics Integrating Additional Elements Types of Stories Notes Part III: Focus on Marketing Media Chapter 13: Public Relations Defining PR Types of PR Writing Keys to PR Why the Media Matters Notes Chapter 14: Advertising and Marketing Defining Advertising Brands and Campaigns The Creative Brief Message Formation Writing in Advertising Notes Glossary

The perfect book for classes that focus on media writing in a broader sense. While many texts do a good job explaining journalistic writing, Dynamics of Media Writing takes it a step further, showing how good writing applies across multiple media careers, including broadcasting, public relations and social media marketing. Author Vince Filak practices what he preaches, writing this book in journalistic fashion-filled with anecdotes from professionals, grounded in sound research and engaging for the reader.

Joe Dennis

Piedmont University

Ive been using Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing for the last several years in my digital media writing class. The textbook is very user-friendly and engaging for students. The layout, visuals and write now exercises make it very interactive. Filaks blog is an additional way to add content to lectures by staying current on the latest in journalism. My class last year was fortunate to have Filak join us via Zoom for a discussion which was really impactful for students to actually talk to the author of their textbook!

Tracy Hemmingway

Lewis University