Thursday 18 September 2014

Beginner’s Guide to Journalism by Paul David Pope

Of all aspects of writing, journalism is the most challenging. You are not only trying to explore new realms of literature, but also provide something interesting for readers to enjoy. Reading all those reports in your national daily might make you think it’s not that complicated, but it surely is. If you are just stepping into the field of journalism, author and philanthropist Paul David Pope helps you take baby steps that strengthen your foundation. 

Familiarise yourself with the writing styles

When you are working for or applying at a specific publication, make no mistakes. Read their works often and familiarise yourself with the kind of writing style they have. Journalistic writing is different when it comes to structure. For instance, sometimes newspapers want crisp sentences. But Paul David Pope suggests don’t patronise people by using only a specific style. Always experiment but carefully.

Who are your readers?

For someone who spent some 15 years researching for his first book, Paul David Pope is of the opinion that you should always know who you are writing for, only then can you reach them. There could be readers who can’t relate with what you are writing, so ensure that your works are balanced in nature. And don’t take the reader for granted and give every piece of information you can. Seamlessly blend in hard facts and make your reports interesting.

The alive, the better

The works of a journalist are called stories. This is to say that you have to make it as real as possible. And the best way of doing it is by including quotes from people in your story who are talking about their situations. Starting out with a pithy quote is always a good idea and finishing with an anecdote is a great way of doing it as well.

There’s nothing like journalism writing when you get a hang of it. Equip yourself with simple tools and take pride in your stories! Most importantly, be passionate about what you do. You have to put your heart into the paper.

To know some tips for amateur authors, read some tips from Paul David Pope - Useful Insights for Amateur Authors by Paul David Pope


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