Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter1

Good Writing 1
Qualifications of Good Writers 1
Good Writing in the Workplace 4

Chapter2

Words, Sentences and Paragraphs 11
Use Simple Words 11
Remove Unneeded Words 13
Cut Cliches 15
Don't Editorialize 16
Keep Nouns and Verbs in Their Place 17
Use Active Verbs 17
When to Use Passive Voice 18
Avoid Sexist Phrasing 18
Write Short Sentences but Vary Sentence Length 19
Write Readable Paragraphs 20
Short Paragraphs Look Easy 20
Transitions between Paragraphs 21
Series of Paragraphs 22

Chapter3

Style 37
Why Style? 37
Using Style 38
Local Style 38
Specialized Style 39
Associated Press Style 40
Dictionaries 40

Chapter 4

Revising the First Draft 49
Determining the Problem 49
Goals of Revision 49
Double-Check Spelling 50
Beware of Tricky Word Distinctions 50
Verify the Facts 51
Provide Proper Emphasis 51
Correct Problem Sentences 52
Fix Misplaced Modifiers 54
Maintain Grammatical Agreement 55
Avoid Pitfalls of Pronoun Case 56
Eliminate Extra Words 57
Use Punctuation Properly 58
Reread for Meaning 58

Chapter 5

Business Letters 71
Business Letter Formats 72
Parts of Business Letters 72

Chapter 6

Reports 81
Parts of Reports 81
Making an Outline 82
Writing the First Draft 84
Revision 85
Handling the Facts 85

Chapter 7

Writing News Stories 91
Determining What to Report 91
Hard News and Features 96
Features 100
Types of Feature Leads 100
Attribution in Hard News and Features 103
Identifying People and Organizations 104
Summary 105

Chapter 8

Types of News Stories 113
Immediate Action Stories 113
Speeches and Meetings 115
Writing the Story 117
Writing the Follow-Up 119
Information Stories 121
Summary 129

Chapter 9

Interviewing 139
Preparing for and Arranging the Interview 139
Asking the Right Questions in the Right Way 141
Verifying the Information 143
Getting the Most from the Interview 145

Chapter 10

Writing for Broadcast Media 151
A Companion Medium 151
Use an Ear Catcher 152
Be Informal 152
Use Simple Sentences 153
Keep Paragraphs Short 154
Radio Needs Breathers 154
Attribution 155
Handling Quotations 155
Transitions 156
Using Figures 157
Which Abbreviations? 158
Tongue Tanglers 158
Phonetic Spelling 158

Chapter 11

Personal Columns 165
Types of Columns 165
Sources of Column Information 169
Column Format 170

Chapter 12

Illustrating the News 177
Uses of Illustrations 177
Nonphotographic Illustrations 177
Photographs 179
Qualities of a Good Picture 179
Improving Pictures 183
Planning Pictures 184
Picture Ethics 185
Photo Releases 186
Taking Pictures 187
Digital vs. Film 189
Conclusions 190

Chapter 13

Public Relations 195
The Public Relations Task 195
Characteristics of Public Relations 196
Public Relations Goals 196
Determining Audience 197
Relationship to Media 198
Selecting Media 198
Other Communications Media and Methods 199
Public Relations Campaigns 201
Evaluating Public Relations Efforts 202
Public Relations vs. Journalism 203

Appendix A

The Ohio State University's Ecological Paradigm 211

Appendix B

Copyediting and Proofreading Marks 213

Appendix C

Editing Reference Guide 215
Part I: The Eight Parts of Speech 215
Part II: Editing Glossary 216
Part III: Punctuation 221

Appendix D

Highlights of Agricultural Writing and Communications 223