Book Review: Working the Story: A Guide to Reporting and News Writing for Journalists and Public Relations Professionals, by Douglas Perret Starr and Deborah Williams Dunsford

Abstract

Douglas Perret Starr and Deborah Williams Dunsford Working the Story: A Guide to Reporting and News Writing for Journalists and Public Relations Professionals. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 298 pp.Working the Story distinguishes itself from other news writing textbooks by targeting a broader range of writers, from reporters to publicists, and from columnists to corporate ghostwriters. The scope perfectly mirrors the authors' extensive professional experiences: Douglas Perret Starr worked as a veteran journalist and a ghostwriter, and Deborah Williams Dunsford had more than twenty years of experience in public relations and media writing.To say that the range of the book's topics is wide would be an understatement. It is almost all-inclusive. Topics are divided first by the identity of the writer (journalist and publicist) and then by a number of parameters, such as the nature of the story (e.g., general news, crime, politics, corporate speech, etc.), medium (e.g., radio, television, blog, etc.) and career (e.g., freelancing, job hunting, etc.). Readers would almost always be able to find chapters that they squarely fit in.The succinct style of the book also differs itself from similar books in the market. Most of the chapters imbue with tip-sheet style summaries of working knowledge. For example, on covering crime, courts, and trials, the book offers a fifteen-bullet-point list of Constitutional protection of U.S. citizens and non-citizens. The process of planning a convention, for another example, is simplified into twelve steps, along with a more elaborate section introducing a comprehensive list of components of a convention, from budget and speakers to coffee breaks and entertainers.As quickly accessible as it is, the book, however, should not be seen as a mere compilation of quick tips. In fact, the authors have made great efforts to cover background knowledge that unquestionably makes their advice more relevant and effective for practitioners. The beginning of the book is devoted to the importance of the press and Constitutional rights, all of which are revisited when they are needed to either advance information collection or defend journalistic integrity. Similarly, the authors discuss typical phases of crime and law enforcement before directing reporters to proper sources in various stages.More than offering the contexts for their advice, the book also provides suggestions on internalizing working knowledge and developing solid writing and research skills. For instance, keen observation and a sharp memory are essential to news reporters. A wide array of exercises, including reading two books of different genres and describing their details later, or recollecting nuanced details of a scene, aim to develop the capacity to recreate fieldwork without resorting to written notes.The comprehensiveness, context, and practicality of the book make it a great reference guide for both novice students and seasoned professionals. …