Associated Press Guide to News Writing: The Resource for Professional Journalists

Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great and Essential Read for New Writers
Comment: I love this book! As a working journalist for some national newspapers the sentiment here reminded me of what my editors told me when I started out. I also work as a writing professor and started using this as mandatory reading for my newspaper and magazine writing class. The basic premise of the book is to write tightly, clearly and to rid one's work of irritating nonsense and twaddle. It's the only way to get published so the advice is best followed. The examples of news writing that the author offers are also very helpful.

Customer Rating:
Summary: excellent refresher--but have your dictionary handy
Comment: A superb refresher for veteran journalists--and light-hearted. Cappon is as much a humorist as an editor and instructor. Besides its wealth of ideas and corrections, the guide is a fun read. But be within arm's reach of your dictionary as you proceed. Cappon assumes such terms as "rococo," "fatuous," "tautology" and "pedagogue" are in your casual vocabulary. And of course you know what "bowwow language" is. (Are you certain?)

Daniel Elton Harmon
www.danieleltonharmon.com

Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Comment: This is one of the few writing books that I return to again and again. It emphasizes creating clean, concise, active and engaging copy. It's filled with examples of what not to do from news stories (with corrected versions, too) and is thin enough to read in just a few hours.

Any journalist will find this book a powerful tool to help improve their own news writing.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Needs a Re-write!
Comment: I couldn't believe my eyes! Wouldn't you expect this writing guide to be grammatically correct, at the very least? It isn't. Something else it isn't is quickly accessible. You have to read through the sarcasm, and then see a "corrected" version of a poorly written example. Unfortunately, that version needs work, too. Usually, I keep every book I buy, or give them to friends or charities, but this one went into the trash. Yikes!

Customer Rating:
Summary: This author is the epitome of witty
Comment: Even if you're not interested in journalism - if all that you're looking for is a fun read - then pick up this book. He takes examples of good work and explains why it's good, as well as poor work and points out the deficiencies in a way this is both entertaining and enlightening. I don't agree with all of his opinions, but I very much enjoyed the book nonetheless.