Anna Thackray is on a mission to introduce the world to the stories and legends of the Gulf region
books25 minutes ago
WALKING THE TALK: Outlook editor in chief Krishna Prasad, a book-lover at heart, believes you are what you read.
KP, who has been hailed as one of India’s finest young journalists, is today at the top of his game as editor in chief of Outlook, the weekly newsmagazine founded by his mentor, Vinod Mehta.
I am particularly pleased to have made KP’s acquaintance because, like me, he also believes you are what you read. And he is also clear on the point that reading is a vital factor in the success of a media professional.
Many years ago, KP came to Commits for an interactive session with our students. (He has also been a speaker at the college’s annual seminar.) Afterwards, for our students’ benefit, he graciously handed over to me his recommended reading list, which, in the interests of serving a wider audience, I have reproduced below (the comments introducing each category are by KP) with his consent.
I have had to trim the original list for reasons of space, as well as to add some books which I have found to be especially useful and some books which became available only recently. My choices are marked by the prefix “RP”. If you would like to go through the list KP gave me, here’s the link: bit.ly/WhatToReadRR.
Here then, in a two-part feature, are the books you must read — especially if you want to understand the media.
FICTION
Like the movie Citizen Kane (which is the fictionalised account of the life and times of the publisher William Randolph Hearst), one of the all-time great novels is also built on journalism: Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop. But here are a few other works of fiction centered around journalism:
1. Psmith Journalist, by P.G. Wodehouse
2. Fourth Estate, by Jeffrey Archer (a veiled story of Rupert Murdoch)
3. Pelican Brief, by John Grisham
4. (RP) Towards the End of the Morning, by Michael Frayn
5. (RP) Broken News, Amrita Tripathi
6. (RP) The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman
7. (RP) Bunker 13, by Aniruddha Bahal
STYLE AND WRITING GUIDES
For those who love words and the use of language, there can be nothing more gripping than reading “style sheets”: these are the in-house guides and manuals that newspapers and magazines use to achieve uniformity and standardisation. The Economist Style Guide is universally regarded as the best and most entertaining, but there are a few others that you might like to read.
(RP) It is impossible to overestimate the importance of learning how to write well by following the tips and advice of those who have been there, done that. And since grammar and punctuation have a vital role to play in good writing, you should read books that will help you on that front, too.
1. The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White
2. The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
3. On Writing Well, by William Zinsser
4. (RP) How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times, by Roy Peter Clark
5. (RP) The English Language: A User’s Guide, by Jack Lynch
6. (RP) Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark
7. (RP) The Art and Craft of Feature Writing: Based on The Wall Street Journal Guide, by William E. Blundell
8. (RP) 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, by Gary Provost
9. (RP) The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark
10. (RP) On Writing, by Stephen King
THINK ABOUT IT: “Why did you become a journalist?”
“Better than working for a living.”
Leslie Cockburn, Baghdad Solitaire
In the next installment of “Media Matters”: The second and final part of “The books you must read if you want to understand the media” “Media Matters” welcomes questions from readers who would like to know more about careers in journalism. Please send in your queries to education@khaleejtimes.com. |
Anna Thackray is on a mission to introduce the world to the stories and legends of the Gulf region
books25 minutes ago
They will remain on display at the museum until at least April 2025
arts26 minutes ago
President of US-UAE Business Council President opened up about the priorities of the visit during an exclusive interview to
uae26 minutes ago
Participants faced a range of challenges, including wall climbing, crawling under nets, rolling on snow, and even swimming in cold water
sports29 minutes ago
Fame king Sheeraz Hasan says IIFA 2024 will reach over 1 billion fans around the world
lifestyle29 minutes ago
The AfD is one of several far-right groups in Europe capitalising on worries over an economic slowdown, immigration and the Ukraine war
europe31 minutes ago
Indian official email shows many business issues being looked at, but Netflix says not aware of any such investigation
asia33 minutes ago
Democrats see abortion rights as a popular issue for Harris to use against Trump
americas37 minutes ago