33 Ways Not to Screw Up Your Journalism by Chip Scanlan Book Review

Welcome to my review of 33 Ways Not to Screw Up Your Journalism by Chip Scanlan. As I’m not a journalist, this book clearly isn’t aimed at me but still provided an interesting read and I enjoy Chip’s writing style.

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

Do you want to dodge common mistakes made by novice and veteran reporters alike? Get advice from the trenches to cultivate critical skills and excel.

Losing sleep because you’re terrified of botching an important interview? Stumbling through assignments riddled with ethical landmines? Afraid you’ll misstep and add fuel to an explosive situation? Award-winning journalist Chip Scanlan has spent thirty years as a teacher and coach elevating the talent of newsroom stalwarts around the globe. Now he’s here to share how you can avoid career-derailing errors while writing groundbreaking stories with integrity.

33 Ways Not To Screw Up Your Journalism is a succinct and authoritative handbook packed with real-world wisdom. Using hard-hitting case studies, examples, and interviews ripped from the headlines, Scanlan helps you identify possible pitfalls and correct problems as you level up your craft to the highest degree. And as you master these concepts, whether you’re a wet-behind-the-ears grad or a seasoned pro, you’ll gain the confidence and know-how to thrive at the keyboard and in the field.

In 33 Ways Not To Screw Up Your Journalism, you’ll discover:

• Tactics for preventing common blunders so you can land promotions and skyrocket toward greatness
• How to approach strangers with sensitivity and poise that will lead you to accurate, powerful accounts
• Systems for double- and triple-checking facts and figures to help you build trust while winning the respect of your readers and colleagues
• Myriad methods for becoming an industry expert capable of overcoming any challenge
• Tried-and-true best practices, strategies for successful time management, and much, much more!

33 Ways Not To Screw Up Your Journalism is the essential guide for reporting news in a democratic society. If you like warm and encouraging instruction, vital but easy-to-digest information, and research-backed insight, then you’ll love Chip Scanlan’s indispensable resource.

About The Author

Christopher “Chip” Scanlan is the author of “33 Ways Not To Screw Up Your Journalism,” “Writers on Writing: Inside the Lives of 55 Distinguished Writers and Editors” and “Writers on Writing: The Journal.”

Chip is a writer, writing coach and an award-winning former journalist and former director of writing programs and the National Writers’ Workshops at The Poynter Institute, one of the world’s top schools for professional journalists. Since 1994, he has coached writers and editors around the globe.

A graduate of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, he returned to the school as a visiting professor in 2009-10. He has taught at conferences at Harvard University and Boston University and has lectured at Duke University, Smith College, Emerson College’s MFA Program and Washington and Lee University.

Chip has authored or edited a dozen books, including anthologies of prize-winning journalism, a novel, “The Holly Wreath Man” (co-written with Katharine Fair), and two journalism textbooks.

His nonfiction and short stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post Sunday Magazine, NPR, The American Scholar, Redbook, River Teeth, Mississippi Review Online, Elysian Fields Quarterly, among numerous other publications. Two of his essays were selected as “Notables” in the annual “Best American Essays” series. He is a regular contributor to Nieman Storyboard, a global website that celebrates the art and craft of nonfiction storytelling.

Chip is a stylophile who collects vintage fountain pens from the World War II era and traveling ink holders.

His writing advice newsletter, “Chip’s Writing Lessons,” can be found at chipscanlan.substack.com. He blogs @ chipswritinglessons.com.

He and Leo, his one-eyed Miniature Schnauzer, live in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

My Review

This was a great, fun and interesting book on journalism. It’s full of facts and ideas on how to be a better journalist and how to do a good job. How to be compassionate and careful of other people’s thoughts and feelings, especially at tragic times are covered well and interestingly. 

I enjoyed Chip Scanlan’s take on finding the truth and reporting the truth rather than sensationalising things to gain more likes. His attention to detail is good and he explains why yours should be as well for example, if you can’t even get someone’s name correct, how can you be expected to get the story correct?

Chip Scanlan delves into some of the trickier areas of journalism such as journalistic fear, managing being on both sides of the fence (which he calls ‘bothsideism”) and the dangers of lacking in confidence.

Overall, a really helpful guide for journalists and other writers who want to improve or for journalism students. I think this should also be a must-read for long-time journalists that could do with touching up their skills, especially compassion!

My previous reviews of Chip Scanlan’s work

Writers on Writing

Rated