Writing for Journalists

Matt Swaine is the Course Director for the MA in International Journalism at Cardiff University, where he teaches multimedia news and long-form feature writing. As a journalist he edited BBC Wildlife and Trail magazines and launched websites and magazines such as Trail Running and Outdoor Fitness. He spent two years as Lonely Planet’s Editorial and Product Development Director, and has written for titles as diverse as Mother and Baby, Sunday Times Travel, Guitarist, The Telegraph and Cycling Plus. @MattSwaineHarriett Gilbert is a broadcaster, journalist and novelist. She was literary editor of the New Statesman and has reviewed the arts for, among others, Time Out, the Listener, the Independent and the BBC. She presents A Good Read on BBC Radio 4 and World Book Club on BBC World Service Radio. She was for many years a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism at City University London. @HarriettSGGavin Allen is a Digital Journalism Lecturer at Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture. He has been a journalist for 20 years, latterly as Associate Editor of Mirror.co.uk, having previously worked at MailOnline, MSN and WalesOnline. @Gavinallen

"This is an outstanding practical introduction to writing for journalists of all kinds - news, features, print, online. Starting with first principles, it buildsability through exercises at each stage and a structured progression to more complex issues like interviews, data, science and business. With contributions from leading journalism teachers and professional journalists it is a timely update of previous introductions taking full account of the digital transition in newsrooms and the expectations from employers of multimedia competence. At a time when journalists are under scrutiny for their professionalism and high standards are at a premium it offers an excellent introduction to key skills for those entering the business." Richard Sambrook, Professor of Journalism and Director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff Univeristy, formerly Director of Global News at the BBC"In the summer of 2018, when we, a group of mainly print and TV journalists at The Telegraph India and other brands of India’s top media group ABP were struggling to adjust to a native digital newsroom, Matt came to our rescue. His clear vision of how to approach a multimedia story was immensely beneficial. This book is an extension of those practical tips. A much needed book for both journalists and journalism educators. I have used many of Matt’s tips like how to approach a feature, decide on multimedia content among others in my class and my students found them interesting. The real-life examples and exercises through out the book adds much value to it. It also covers a wide spectrum of journalistic writing which sets the principles of journalism straight." Sambit Pal, Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Mass Communications, formerly journalist at The Telegraph India"Early in my career I would have loved to be able to draw on the diverse, rigorous advice you’ll find in these pages, and even now I found so much in here to challenge and encourage." Peter Grunert, Group Editor, Magazines for Lonely Planet

• 1. How to read like a journalistHow purposeful reading can develop your journalistic instinct and sharpen your writing2. The news introUnderstand news values and learn how to construct a compelling opening paragraph3. The first three paragraphsA fail-safe formula to write the opening three paragraphs to any news story4. News structure and styleHow to structure longer news pieces and deal with more complex stories in style5. Writing for the webHow to write for online; understand analytics and SEO and make social media work for youGavin Allen6. Developing feature ideas Understand your readers and learn how to develop news-driven feature ideas they will want to read7. Starting your featureWhy ‘Showing, Telling and Quoting’ are a writer’s building blocks and the key to dynamic intros 8. Structure and quotes How to use quotes and understand the three interviewee types essential to your writing9. Storytelling and travel writingDiscover what storytelling does to your brain and how to use that in any piece of writing10. Interview features Professional writers explain how to research, structure and write the perfect interview 11. Writing reviewsHow to write reviews on anything from literature and the arts to bicycles and fast carsHarriett Gilbert12. Making complex ideas accessible Business and science journalists explain how to make complex stories accessible to allMatt Swaine, Aiden O'Donnell and Nigel Stephenson13. Boxouts, design and multimedia How to write boxouts and plan multimedia content to deliver strong feature packages14. The professional writerBuild your professional profile, hit deadlines, edit your work and develop a unique voiceGlossaryKey terms you may come across in the world of journalismRecommended readingBooks on journalism, politics, business, science and the environment and Twitter lists to followSuggested answersAppendix with answers to exercises in chapters 2, 3 and 5Index