It’s easy to forget about links in your writing. Once you’ve overcome the first major hurdle and actually made a start, there is a tendency to assume that the rest will just flow. Not necessarily. Good writers spend as much time thinking about how to keep people reading as they do about hooking them in
Category: Journalism
Top Tip – Feature Writing
This week’s top tip: Learn as much about your reader as you can and when you start to write, imagine they are sitting in the corner of the room with you. Look at our Feature Writing course to find out more.
Stokes story shows BBC needs to train presenters in privacy law
The Ben Stokes “news story” has revealed a gross lack of understanding of the privacy laws by the BBC Radio 4 presenter of the afternoon news program PM, Evan Davis. Her should really know better given the rising importance of this law. The BBC decided not to give the details splashed over the
You transmit over 4,000 messages every day.
Every day, you send out 4,000 messages, without once opening your mouth or tapping your keyboard. ‘Micro-messages’ are how humans actually communicate face-to-face, most of the time. Small actions or gestures, eye movements or glances, shifts in posture or body language; they all give a lot away – and much more than we think. We rely on them
Do I have to love the subject I’m writing about?
The question came up in a session I was doing with a group of writers last week. The answer, of course, is no. If you are very lucky you will be able to spend a lot of time writing about the things that interest you. Lots of us aren’t always that lucky. That’s why effective
Topping story from @lexitopping on Glasgow pub deaths
Great introduction sentence and structure to The Guardian article on the Glasgow pub story today on the paper edition on page 1. Can’t find it online, which is a pity. It was on the front page, written by Lexi Topping. It is a narrative intro: “Saverio Petri, one of the owners of the Clutha Vaults
17 gain PPA’s certificates through ContentETC
A total of 17 journalists graduated with the Professional Publisher’s Association (PPA) certificates run by ContentETC and UEL this week. The certificates are growing in popularity as a result of the association of ContentETC and the PPA. Special rate at UEL 13 were from the University of East London. The PPA has negotiated a special
Expert help with your writing, when you really need it
We all know what it’s like being trained. Especially if it’s a good course, with an inspiring tutor. You eagerly soak up the top tips and new ideas, and resolve to apply new lessons back at your desk. Then time passes, and while you are making every effort to control bad habits, and learn new,
Objectivity lost and AVE won in USC debate
We had two good debates this week between my University of Southern California students on two key aspects of journalism and PR. The journalism aspect was the importance of the content and practice of “objectivity”. The PR issue was the importance of Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE). AVE is where the PR company reports to its