Style and Writing for the mass media

The meaning of the term style and its use in writing for the media is something I really didn’t think about until I had an interesting discussion with my class mates and professor. The professor went around the room and asked each and every one us what was our particular style in respects to writing. Many said they like to express themselves through poems; some through essays; others through music lyrics. I myself wasn’t too sure of what to say and said my particular style of writing is the persuasive type.

Yes, we all have our own unique style of writing, which is perfectly fine and acceptable. However, even though all of us have our own style of writing or still developing our own unique style, after the discussion, one main point was embedded in my mind: when writing for the media there are certain styles and rules that are appropriate for different forms of writing. Who can say it better than James Glen Stovall, who teaches mass communication at Emory and Henry College who expressed and illustrated in his book, Writing for the Mass Media, that “in media writing, style is the general orientation a writer has toward his or her work. Style is the set of conventions and assumptions underlying the writing and the generally accepted rules of writing and usage for a particular medium.” So, there you have it, words from a professional. Its ok to have your own style of writing, but remember two things: when writing for a particular medium there are specific conventions and rules that must be followed; and, the three most important rules in writing for the mass media are; “accuracy, brevity, and clarity!”