Overview

Offering a practical guide to all aspects of modern journalism, Essential Journalism is a key resource for anyone wishing to become a qualified journalist in the UK, and in particular, those studying for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Diploma. This second edition of Essential Journalism, written in collaboration with the NCTJ, covers everything you need to know about journalism today – its character, its ethical framework, and its practice across print, television, radio, online and social media. New and revised material includes the impact and application of AI, changing consumer habits, new working practices, safety and resilience for journalists, and developments in verification and the exposure of fake news. Rooted in the core principles that apply to journalists across all platforms, this book helps students develop an overall comprehension of the industry and understand the application and adaptation of traditional best practice to the demands of the digital age. This book is intended principally for journalism trainees and students but will also be a valuable resource for seasoned practitioners and lecturers.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jonathan Baker
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Edition:   2nd edition
Weight:   1.090kg
ISBN:  

9781032906737

ISBN 10:   1032906731
Pages:   484
Publication Date:   31 October 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sue Brooks Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Acknowledgements PART ONE JOURNALISM AND JOURNALISTS 1 The journalism landscape 2 The nature of journalism. The nature of news 3 You, the reporter 4 The ethical journalist 5 Regulation PART TWO STORYFINDING AND STORYTELLING 6 Storyfinding: the general reporter 7 Storyfinding: finding and developing stories 8 Storyfinding: interviewing 9 Storytelling: anatomy of a news story 10 Storytelling: writing a news story 11 Storytelling: language and style 12 Storytelling: reporting numbers and statistics PART THREE MULTI-PLATFORM JOURNALISM 13 The digital journalist: the digital scene and writing for the website 14 The digital journalist: social media, verification, artificial intelligence, your safety online 15 The radio journalist: the radio scene and writing for radio 16 The radio journalist: news summaries and radio reporting 17 The television journalist: the television scene and picture gathering 18 The television journalist: continuous news and television reporting 19 The print journalist 20 Remote working; the mobile journalist; the freelance journalist PART FOUR SPECIALIST PRACTICE 21 The feature writer 22 The court reporter 23 The political reporter 24 The specialist reporter This book summarised in two pages Further reading Index

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Author Information

Jonathan Baker is a former editor and executive for BBC News, and a former Professor of Journalism at the University of Essex. He is chair of the NCTJ’s Quality Assurance and Standards Committee.

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