Includes index.

Kershner's The Elements of News Writing is a concise handbook that presents the essential rules of journalism, while offering in-depth analysis of the evolving industry. With comprehensive coverage from history to how-to, and discussions of new media, online journalism, blogging, and social networking, this text covers news writing from a 360 degree view.

PART ONE: The Basics. 1. What is News? --- 2. History of Journalism in the United States --- 3. The Role of the News Media in American Society --- 4. Kershner's Five Rules of Journalism --- 5. Basics of Good Journalism --- 6. A Stylebook Primer --- 7. How to Read a Newspaper ---- PART TWO: Grammar and Usage. 8. Commonly Misused Words --- 9. Punctuation --- 10. Punctuating Quotations --- 11. Active and Passive Voice --- 12. Spell Checkers ---- PART THREE: Writing News Stories. 13. How to Write a News Story in 15 Steps --- 14. How to Write a Strong Lead --- 15. How to Structure a News Story --- 16. How to Conduct an Interview ---- PART FOUR: Covering Beats. 17. How to Cover Meetings and Speeches --- 18. How to Cover the Police and Courts --- 19. How to Cover Disasters and Tragedies --- 20. How to Write Obituaries ---- PART FIVE: Specialized Writing. 21. How to Write Reviews and Criticism --- 22. How to Write Editorials and Columns --- 23. How to Write Feature Stories --- 24. How to Write Profiles --- 25. How to Market Feature Stories ---- PART SIX: Editing Newspapers. 26. How Newspapers Are Organized --- 27. How to Plan a Newspaper --- 28. How to Lay Out a Page --- 29. How to Write Headlines --- 30. How to Write Cutlines --- 31. How to Use Photos and Graphics --- 32. How to Edit Stories ---- PART SEVEN: Advanced Topics. 33. Legal Considerations in Journalism --- 34. Ethical Considerations in Journalism --- 35. The Future of the Mass Media --- 36. Tips From the Best.