Vincent F. Filak 
Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing 
Foundational Skills for a Digital Age

Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing: Foundational Skills for a Digital Age shows students how to approach their stories and think on their feet in the evolving media landscape. Recognizing that well-crafted stories are founded on sharp prose, author Vincent F. Filak covers more foundational elements of a newswriting textbook, like lead writing, structure, and storytelling, while also teaching students how to think critically and determine what matters most to their readers. The
Second Edition includes even more writing and grammar exercises, discussions of social media and digital media advancements, and additional career-related examples to help students succeed upon entering the field.   

Table of Content

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Chapter 1: Audience-Centric Journalism

Thinking Ahead: Understand Your Audience

Media and Media Users Today

Defining Your Audience

The Rise and Impact of the “Fake News” Phenomenon

What Do We Owe Our Audience?

What Attracts an Audience?

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 2: Critical Thinking

Thinking Ahead: How to Fully “Get” a Story

How Do We Think?

The Requirements of Critical Thought

How to Approach a Story as a Critical Thinker

How to Think Your Way Past Fake News

Critical Thought and the Value of Your Questions

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 3: Basics of Writing

Thinking Ahead: Writing for a Newsreader

A Quick Look at Types of Leads

Identifying Problematic Leads and Finding Potential Fixes

The Inverted Pyramid: Ordering Information After the Lead

Quotes: Letting Your Sources Tell the Story

Attributing Your Information

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 4: Expanded News Writing

Thinking Ahead: Learning to Break the Rules of Writing

Expanding the Inverted Pyramid

Writing With a Narrative Feel

Nonlinear Storytelling

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 5: Social Media

Thinking Ahead: Rethinking How to Reach Readers

What Is Social Media?

Value of Social Media

Social Media Tools for Your Toolbox

Blogging

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 6: Interviewing

Thinking Ahead: Avoiding the Awkwardness While Speaking to Others

Critically Thinking About Interviewing’s Purpose

Understanding the Interviewing Basics

Types of Interviews

Other Purposes for Interviews

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 7: Basic Reporting: News That Finds You

Thinking Ahead: Getting Ready to Hit the Field

Reporting Basics

Event Coverage

Basic Tips for All Event Stories

Stories Beyond Standard Events

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 8: Beyond Basic Reporting: News You Have to Find

Thinking Ahead: How to Find Bigger Stories That Matter

The News Feature: How to Find Stories in Everyday Life

Beat Reporting

Drone Journalism

Personality Profiles

Working as a Watchdog

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 9: Broadcast-Style Writing and Voicing

Thinking Ahead: Writing Scripts and Building Stories

Broadcast Style: Different, Yet the Same

Script Writing 101

The Basic Elements of Broadcast Structure

Story Types and Formats

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 10: Collecting Audio and Visuals in the Field

Thinking Ahead: How to Get Enough Material to Build a Good Story

Tools of the Trade

Types of Material You Gather

Capturing Vivid Visuals

Making Your Video Valuable

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 11: Editing Audio and Video

Thinking Ahead: Editing Your Raw Material Into a Polished Gem

Audio Bites Online

Video Bites Online

Pairing Script and Video

Building a Story From Start to Finish

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 12: Law and the Media

Thinking Ahead: The Law Is Your Friend

Understanding the First Amendment

Law Across Media Platforms: Levels of Protection

Reporter’s Privilege

Let the Sunshine In: Rules for Transparency and Access

Rules for Recording

The Basics of Libel

Defenses Against Libel

Invasion of Privacy

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Chapter 13: Ethics

Thinking Ahead: Just Because You Can, It Doesn’t Mean You Should

Why Ethics Matter

Basic Approaches to Ethics

Tenets of Journalistic Ethics

The Big Three

Best of the Blog

Appendix A: Using FOCII to Build Your Leads

Appendix B: Résumés, Cover Letters and More

Appendix C: A Deeper Dig Into FOIA and State Public Records Laws

Appendix D: Step-by-Step Editing Processes for Final Cut and Premiere

Appendix E: Freelancing 101 (and Beyond)

Glossary

Notes

Index

About the author

Vincent F. Filak, Ph.D., is an award-winning teacher and scholar who serves as a professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where he primarily teaches courses on media writing and reporting. Prior to his arrival at UWO, he served on the faculty at Ball State University and also taught courses at the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also previously worked for the Wisconsin State Journal and the Columbia Missourian newspapers. He was also unanimously voted and selected as the next editor of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.The Associated Collegiate Press honored him as part of the organization’s inaugural class of Pioneer Award Winners in 2022. The Scholastic Journalism Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication presented him with the Educator of the Year award in 2021, a year after he was honored by the National Society of Leadership and Success with an Excellence in Teaching award. In 2019, he received the Friend of KEMPA award for his work with high school journalism students through the Kettle Moraine Press Association. In addition, he has received awards from the College Media Association (CMA) and the National Scholastic Press Association for his work as a college media adviser and a mentor to high school journalists.As a scholar, Filak has received thirteen top conference paper awards, including those from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Broadcast Education Association, and the International Public Relations Society of America. He has published more than thirty scholarly, peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, including Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, the Newspaper Research Journal, the Atlantic Journal of Communication, Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, the Howard Journal of Communication, Educational Psychology, and the British Journal of Social Psychology. He is also the winner of CMA’s Nordin Research Award, which goes to the best research paper completed on a topic pertaining to media advisers within a given year.He has published several textbooks in the field of journalism, including Dynamics of Media Writing (SAGE), Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing (SAGE), Dynamics of Media Editing (SAGE), Convergent Journalism (Focal), and The Journalist’s Handbook to Online Editing (with Kenneth Rosenauer; Pearson). He also blogs about media-related topics at Dynamics Of Writing.com.xxiv He lives outside Auroraville, Wisconsin, with his wife, Amy, and their daughter, Zoe.