Writing Aspects in Mass Media

There are different forms of writing when it comes to the different publications of mass media. In newspapers there are at least three different writing techniques. In magazines, the writing styles are particular to each columnist. For radio scripts, it's just what the writers or the host wants to say and they read reports sent to them from various entities. Press releases and reports are probably the most properly written because they are broadcast to the entire country and read around the world. They can't afford to have mistakes in them or the writers would be greatly criticized and that could be bad press.

Emails are another part of the mass media. They might not be sent to massive amounts of the public, but they can be sent to hundreds of employees, a large family, used in trials and prosecutions, and they can be ways to communicate information for publications and releases.

Besides emails, there are other forms of communications for inter-departmental communication and communication between partnerships or other companies. Examples of a few are memos (memorandums), letters, and reports and proposals. Memos are informal and contain specific information. These are used completely “in-house.” In-house is a term that means that it’s for inter-departmental members only. Letters are more formal. They are mailed out to anyone outside the company who needs information or has information the organization is in need of. Reports and proposals can be inter-departmental or fellow companies. They are formal as well and usually are used to propose something or express and idea or change.
News Releases are probably one of the most popular ways to get news out to the public and “co-workers.” They contain new information and new developments of largely popular stories. News releases are not always a positive thing. They can bring about more controversy and aspects of stories instead of putting them to rest.

What's a story if there are no characters?

An excellently written script with an intriguing plot can easily turn into a flop in production or a box office if the acting doesn't fit how the characters are to be portrayed. That's why characters are typically written for a specific actor/actress. However, if the script is not based on the abilities of the desired actor or actress, the directors and writers hold auditions. During an audition, they can view anywhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 people. Now, some auditions are closed and you must be invited or asked to come read for the decision makers but sometimes they are open to anyone and everyone. These are called open auditions and they're increasingly difficult to find.

Some of the best romantic comedies have the wackiest characters! Take one of my favorites, Fever Pitch. Man oh man, Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon make a GREAT team in this comedy about a corporate workaholic and her love interest a school teacher who is obsessed, and i mean obsessed as in completely infatuated, with the Boston Red Sox. At first it appears cute and attractive to Barrymore's character Lindsey that Ben (Fallon) is dedicated and committed to something-it says something about what kind of guy he is. She realizes that post-season Ben and in-season Ben are almost complete opposites. He's funny, sweet, spontaneous, and up for almost anything in the post season but during the season, he won't miss a game, and if he does he cannot hear the score or see a clip because he tapes all of the games. When he misses a game to be Lindsey's date to a friends birthday party, he misses the best game of the season. The Sox were down 7-0 in the bottom of the 9th and came back to win it 8-7. Although he had a fantastic evening, he can't see past the game of a lifetime that he inadvertantly missed "because of Lindsey." He does not realize how badly he hurts and upsets her until after he's been a few days without her. He decides to sell his season tickets to one of Lindsey's friend's husbands and when Lindsey finds out, she races to the game and runs across the field to stop him from making the mistake. Boston goes on to win the World Series and Lindsey and Ben live happily ever after.

Pearson Education

Pearson Education is a leading global media company. They publish college course materials from introductory levels to advanced, professional, reference publications, and monographs levels as well. As you can tell they are a diverse company.

The aspect of Pearson that really caught my attention when I first heard of their company was the fact that they have a Pearson Student Advisory Board. College students around the country can apply for a position on the board for a year-long term in their Higher Education department.

The application consists of a cover letter that feature the applicants qualifications, a recent resume, two letter of recommendation from a university faculty member or employer, and a current transcript of courses and grades (official or unofficial). The applicants are supposed to be in their second or third year at a four-year institution, if the students come from a two-year institution, they must have successfully achieved at least a year of course work by the time the internship is to begin. The time commitment for the internship is approximately 5 hours a week.

There are quite a few perks hooked into the internship that are quite appealing to many a college-faring student. If an applicant lands a spot on the board there is $1,000 stipend off of text book costs and complimentary copies of Pearson textbooks. There are stimulating, all-expense paid trips and summits with the senior Pearson executives; there is also traveling on a needed basis to complete specific tasks the board may assign to the student members. The two that really caught my eye were that it is a HUGE resume-building experience and you get real working-world acquaintance before we graduate and the opportunity to collude with other smart and ambitious individuals from around the nation.