The Media School

Academic & former student publish book

5 October 2010

A Bournemouth University academic has joined forces with a former student to pen a unique media writing publication.

A Bournemouth University (BU) academic has collaborated with a former student to write a new book called ‘Media Writing: A Practical Introduction’.

Principal Lecturer in Screenwriting, Dr Craig Batty, teamed up with Sandra Cain, who graduated from BU with a BA (Hons) in Communication and Media in the late 90s. They wrote the book together over two years.

Craig said: “We felt that there was a definite gap in the market for a book that catered for such a wide range of media writing forms. There are lots of form-specific books for journalism, PR and so on and a few that bring two or three forms together, but none that cover the range that we do.”

He continued: “We wanted to really get the idea out there that media writing has some very universal forms and styles that can be used across a range of writing types. So for example, we can link journalism and PR with screenwriting. I guess we wanted to make people realise that there are a whole host of transferable skills involved in media writing, and that writers don’t have to be bound to the form they have studied or worked with.”

The book covers a wide range of writing styles, including print and broadcast journalism, public relations and media relations, advertising and copywriting and fictional and factual screenwriting.

Craig and Sandra give useful case studies and examine the importance of digital technology in media writing, making this a must-have book for undergraduates studying any kind of writing.

Craig adds: “It’s great that Media School students will be using a book that is written by both a current academic and an alumni student, and in the case of Communication and Media, an alumni for that actual course!”

Craig and Sandra launch ‘Media Writing: A Practical Introduction’ on 6 October at Blackwell's bookshop in Southampton. It’s published by Palgrave Macmillan and is available now.