January 9, 2012

 

 

STORYTELLING THE NEWS:
A Bookbag for Reporters and Editors
Suggested by Chip Scanlan, The Poynter Institute

 

Books

 

“Aim for the Heart: A Guide for TV Producers/Reporters,” by Al Tompkins. Bonus Books, 2002.

 

“The Art and Craft of Feature Writing: Based on the Wall Street Journal,” by William E. Blundell. New York, NY: New American Library, 1988.

 

“Becoming a Writer,” by Dorothea Brande. Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1981. (reprint of 1934 edition published by Harcourt Brace.)

 

“Best American Sports Writing series.” 2002 volume edited by Rick Reilly. Boston: Houghton Mifflin).

 

“Best American Sportswriting of the Century,” edited by David Halberstam (Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

 

“Best Newspaper Writing,” edited by Roy Peter Clark, Don Fry, Karen F. Brown, Christopher Scanlan, Keith Woods, Aly Col�n. St. Petersburg, FL: The Poynter Institute and Bonus Books, 1979-2004.

 

“Coaching Writers: Editors and Reporters Working Together Across Media Platforms,” second edition, by Roy Peter Clark and Don Fry. New York: Bedford, Freedman & Worth, 2003.

 

“The Complete Book of Feature Writing,” edited by Leonard Witt. Cincinnati, OH: Writer�s Digest Books, 1991.

 

“Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction” by James B. Stewart. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster, 1998.

 

“How I Wrote the Story,” edited by Christopher Scanlan. Providence, RI: The Providence Journal Co., 1989.

 

“Read to Write: A Writing Process Reader,” by Donald M. Murray. 3rd. ed. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1993.

 

“Reporting and Writing: Basics for the 21st Century,” by Christopher Scanlan. Oxford University Press, NY 2000.

 

“Speaking of Journalism: 12 Writers and Editors Talk About Their Work,” edited by William Zinsser. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1994.

 

“A Treasury of Great Reporting,” edited by Louis L. Snyder. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1949.

“The Art of Fact,” edited by Kevin Kerrane and Ben Yagoda.  New York, NY: Scribner, 1997.

 

“The Sound On The Page: Style and Voice in Writing,” by Ben Yagoda. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2004.

 

“Telling Stories, Taking Risks. Journalism Writing and the Century�s Edge,” edited by Alice Klement and Carolyn Matalene, Belmont, Calif. Wadsworth, 1998.

 

“A Writer�s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process, From Vision Through Revision,” by Kenneth Atchity. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1996.

“Writing Broadcast News–Shorter, Sharper, Stronger”, by Mervin Block. Bonus Books, 1997.

 

“Writing in Flow: Keys to Enchanced Creativity,” by Susan K. Perry.  Cincinnati, OH OH: Writer�s Digest Books, 1999.

 

“Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by a Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Winner,” by Jon Franklin. New York, NY: Plume, 1994.

 

“Writing for Your Readers: Notes on the Writer�s Craft from the Boston Globe,” by Donald M. Murray. Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1992.

 

“Writing to Deadline, “by Donald M. Murray. Portsmouth, NY: Heinemann, 2000.

“Writing Under Pressure: The Quick Writing Process,” by Sanford Kaye. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1989.

 

Articles

 

�Narrative Journalism:Reporting and Writing in a Different Voice.� Nieman Reports, Fall 2000. A collection of articles by Tom French, Laura Sessions Stepp, Roy Peter Clark, Gerald Boyd, Rick Bragg, Madeleine Blais, Mark Kramer and others.

 

�Storytelling on Deadline,� by Christopher Scanlan, Best Newspaper Writing 1995.  pp. 355-365.

 

�Tom Wolfe�s Revenge,� by Chris Harvey. American Journalism Review, October 1994, pp. 40-46.

 

�Return of the Narrative� by Roy Peter Clark and Don Fry. Quill, May 1994. pp. 10-12.

 

�The Art of Storytelling,� by Jack Hart, The Coaches� Corner, March 1992, p. 1,4,6.

 

�A Nonfiction Writer is a Storyteller,� by James Cross Giblin, The Writer, April 1988, p. 13-15, 46.

 

�A New Shape for the News,�  by Roy Peter Clark, Washington Journalism Review, March 1984, pp. 46-47.

Websites

Bob Baker’s Newsthinking

The Power of Words, writing lessons from the Providence Journal

Newsu.org

No Train, No Gain: Training for Newspaper Journalists

Writing Matters

 

 

 

Support high-integrity, independent journalism that serves democracy. Make a gift to Poynter today. The Poynter Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, and your gift helps us make good journalism better.
Donate
Christopher “Chip” Scanlan (@chipscanlan) is a writer and writing coach who formerly directed the writing programs and the National Writer’s Workshops at Poynter where he…
Chip Scanlan

More News

Back to News