Author: W. Richard Whitaker, Janet E. Ramsey and Ronald D. Smith
Edition: Third revised
Publisher: Routledge
Pages: 440
Price: £36.99 and £29.99
ISBN: 9780805862959 and 203886700 (e-book)
MediaWriting offers a standardised presentation, including the heavy use of headings and extreme segmentation of text. Its 14 chapters focus on public relations writing, interviewing and reporting. The third edition prepares media students to write through a variety of platforms and genres.
It is a book best consumed in small bits where - stereotypically - academics conclude a lecture and ask students to read a chapter and answer questions at the end. Discussing media roles, gatekeeping and agenda setting, this book is best deployed in first-year courses developing writing skills for the media.
Who is it for? It has a place for first-year undergraduates in media studies, but is too basic for students beyond that level.
Presentation: It is comprehensively separated into topics, including questions and further reading.
Would you recommend it? It has limited applicability at higher levels.