- As a student using this textbook, I have found that Rich is clear and direct in her instructions and gives examples that are easy to understand and follow. This is a must-have for any novice in journalism or a student learning to write for print journalism.
Good information.. more than you can learn in a single class. Best to read ahead. I learned a lot from this book.
Showing posts with label Communication and Journalism Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication and Journalism Books. Show all posts
Monday, August 3, 2009
By Em Griffin
- I used an earlier edition while in graduate school and found it very helpful. Griffin has boiled down and concisely described about 30 or so communication theories. What's more, he does so in practical terms and concepts that college students can easily grasp and apply. While I believe that this text is more applicable to the undergrad than grad student, it is an excellent reference and text. As a professor of communication, I now use it in my undergrad courses on communication theory.
And by the way, what's all this [stuff] about liberals and communications??? I am a liberal (bleeding heart variety, and proud of it), I teach communication, and I think the book is valuable, candid, and balanced....
- Somebody complained that this text is overpriced. I like a low price as much as the next person, but this text is well worth the cost! My other communications texts literally put me to sleep trying to slog through them. Not so with this one! It is engaging, easy to read, and entertaining.
Griffin writes about the theories in ways that stick in your head so that you can keep things straight a little better. His writing style is clear and doesn't leave you re-reading sentences to make sure you know what they really said. He also incorporates cartoons and film lists that illustrate theory components.
But here's the funny thing: it's been a year since I've taken that class, and I can still remember the theorist, the theory, and sometimes I go around watching behavior and I'm able to call out the theory and some of the traits expressed in that theory. That's thanks to Em for making the text plain and sometimes simple. I highly recommend this text.
By Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin, and Bettina G. Fabos
- Reviews are somewhat superfluous in light of the fact that this is a textbook and thus you probably don't have any choice about buying it, as was the case with me. Nonetheless, as textbooks go, I'd have to say I enjoyed this one quite a bit more than most.
It's remarkably up-to-date, which is vital in media studies (there will undoubtedly be a 6th edition very soon), and it's a very fast and engaging read. The author doesn't always keep his liberal agenda well hidden, but that is perhaps forgivable in an age of increasingly conservative media. On the whole, this stands a better chance than most of being a textbook that you actually keep rather than trying to cash in as soon as the course is over. I kept mine.
By Stephen E. Lucas
- This is intended for a classroom setting (the teacher's edition comes with a lot of supplements to help enhance the learning experience for the students), those who want to learn about the mechanics and processes of public speaking on their own would not be ill served by using this text.
There is a strong coverage of ethics, to help students avoid the problems of plagiarism (intentional and inadvertent), as well as how to listen properly (without attaching personal agenda or false meaning to interpretation). The book is very visually interesting, with colourful pages, pictures, charts, and examples of things that might be used to make speeches more interesting. The text is written with the student in mind - it is not a book by experts for experts, and thus keeps the language at a basic level without sacrificing clarity.
The book is organised into broad sections: Speaking and Listening; Getting Started; Organising and Outlining; Speech Presentation; and finally Varieties of Public Speaking.
There are few things that inspire more fear in many people than the prospect of having to deliver a public speech - the first chapter deals with some of this anxiety issue, as well as helping the students to understand the role of the listener (a role that most of us assume far more often than we realise). The sections on Speech Preparation cover the range from selecting the idea, understanding the audience and doing research to organising the speech from beginning to end in a logical, meaningful, and interesting manner.
While the section on preparation might be consider by many to be the most important, the section on speech delivery is perhaps the most vital, for a good speech poorly delivered will likely not have much impact, whereas a poor speech delivered with great power can often have great influence. This section deals with issues of language, delivery, body language, personal presentation, as well as the use of visual aids (when they are and are not appropriate).
There are different types of speeches, and these are covered in the final section. Speeches can be used to inform (like lectures), to persuade (much of political speech is like this, as are sermons), or in special occasions such as introducing people, presenting awards, accepting honours, or speeches of commemoration and memorial. There is also a section on small-group speaking - most people don't attribute the idea of `giving a speech' to speaking in board rooms, committees, etc., but this requires a special kind of rhetorical skill.
Overall, this is an excellent text for coming to understand the art of public speaking from beginning to end.
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