Writing Right for Broadcast and Internet News

Rating:
Summary: Inside Info
Review: I was intrigued by the idea a book written by Ms. Attkisson and other current on-air professionals. I was not disappointed. It teaches writing while providing thought-provoking anecdotes and examples taken from the authors' real experiences.

I found "Writing Right for Broadcast and Internet News" very helpful in explaining how TV writing is translated to online writing. I was also impressed by how current it was, including examples from the September 11 attacks.

I especially liked the added bonus information on salaries, and career advice from professionals like Kerry Sanders, who's been all over TV reporting from Iraq for NBC.

In my TV writing class, we used the AP Broadcast News Handbook, which, as the title implies, is almost entirely a "Style Guide". We also used the Prentice-Hall Handbook for Writers, which is old and had nothing to do with the specifics of TV writing. "Writing Right" has a basic broadcast Style Guide, but the one in the AP Book is much more comprehensive.

"Writing Right" is more about the basics of finding and writing great news stories. For that, I heartily recommend it to anyone considering a career that requires writing news copy.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but . . .
Review: This is a fine book. I appreciate the concision and depth, certainly an asset of the authors' experience. This could be the best book on broadcast writing, but the price is too steep. This is a good $30 book, but to ask $50 is too much for students going into the lowest paid position requiring a college degree.