Writing for Agriculture: A New Approach Using Tested Ideas

PREFACE   

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS   

CHAPTER 1
Good Writing  
Qualifications of Good Writers  
Good Writing in the Workplace 

CHAPTER 2
Words, Sentences and Paragraphs  
Use Simple Words 
Remove Unneeded Words  
Cut Clichés 
Don't Editorialize 
Keep Nouns and Verbs in Their Place 
Use Active Verbs 
When to Use Passive Voice 
Avoid Sexist Phrasing 
Write Short Sentences but Vary Sentence Length 
Write Readable Paragraphs 
Short Paragraphs Look Easy 
Transitions between Paragraphs 
Series of Paragraphs 

CHAPTER 3
Style 
Why Style? 
Using Style 
Local Style 
Specialized Style 
Associated Press Style 
Dictionaries 

CHAPTER 4Revising the First Draft 
Determining the Problem 
Goals of Revision 
Double-Check Spelling 
Beware of Tricky Word Distinctions 
Verify the Facts 
Provide Proper Emphasis 
Correct Problem Sentences 
Fix Misplaced Modifiers 
Maintain Grammatical Agreement 
Avoid Pitfalls of Pronoun Case 
Eliminate Extra Words 
Use Punctuation Properly 
Reread for Meaning 

CHAPTER 5
Business Letters 
Business Letter Formats 
Parts of Business Letters 

CHAPTER 6
Reports 
Parts of Reports 
Making an Outline 
Writing the First Draft 
Revision  
Handling the Facts 

CHAPTER 7Writing News Stories 
Determining What to Report 
Hard News and Features 
Features 
Types of Feature Leads 
Attribution in Hard News and Features 
Identifying People and Organizations 
Summary 

CHAPTER 8Types of News Stories 
Immediate Action Stories 
Speeches and Meetings 
Writing the Story 
Writing the Follow-Up 
Information Stories 
Summary 

CHAPTER 9Interviewing 
Preparing for and Arranging the Interview 
Asking the Right Questions in the Right Way 
Verifying the Information 
Getting the Most from the Interview 

CHAPTER 10
Writing for Broadcast Media 
A Companion Medium 
Use an Ear Catcher 
Be Informal 
Use Simple Sentences 
Keep Paragraphs Short 
Radio Needs Breathers 
Attribution 
Handling Quotations 
Transitions 
Using Figures 
Which Abbreviations? 
Tongue Tanglers 
Phonetic Spelling 

CHAPTER 11Personal Columns 
Types of Columns 
Sources of Column Information 
Column Format 

CHAPTER 12Illustrating the News 
Uses of Illustrations 
Nonphotographic Illustrations 
Photographs 
Qualities of a Good Picture 
Improving Pictures 
Planning Pictures 
Picture Ethics 
Photo Releases 
Taking Pictures 
Digital vs. Film 
Conclusions 

CHAPTER 13Public Relations 
The Public Relations Task 
Characteristics of Public Relations 
Public Relations Goals 
Determining Audience 
Relationship to Media 
Selecting Media 
Other Communications Media and Methods 
Public Relations Campaigns 
Evaluating Public Relations Efforts 
Public Relations vs. Journalism 

APPENDIX A