The Word Weavers: Newshounds and Wordsmiths

by Jean Aitchison

• ISBN13: 9780521832458
• ISBN10: 0521832454
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-06-11
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Modern journalism is often the subject of criticism and opposition. Written by one of the foremost authorities on language and the media writing today, this engaging book suggests that view is unfair, and that journalists are in fact skilled 'word-weavers' whose output is cleverly worked into planned patterns. Drawing on a range of authentic news articles, it traces the development of journalism from its origins to the present day. Aitchison shows how contemporary news writers have inherited an age-old oral tradition, which over the centuries was incorporated into public notices, ballads and storybooks - eventually providing the basis of the journalism we see today. She argues that, while journalists have very different aims to literary writers, their work can in no way be regarded as inferior. Entertainingly written,The Word Weavers provides a fascinating insight into journalistic writing, and will be enjoyed by anybody wanting to know more about media language.

Author Biography

Jean Aitchison is Emeritus Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication, Worcester College, University of Oxford

Table of Contents

List of figures	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgements	p. xv
Weaving and worrying	p. 1
Journalism versus literature?
Singers of tales	p. 12
Oral narrative
The tongue of the hand	p. 32
Speech and writing
Hangings, histories, marvels, mysteries	p. 50
The birth of journalism
Calendars of roguery and woe	p. 72
Daily newspapers
Story-telling	p. 96
Narrating the news
Glimmering words	p. 119
Boiling down and polishing
Painting with words	p. 145
Imaginative creativity
Two ideas for one	p. 165
Exploring metaphor
The role of journalism	p. 187
Evaluating the views
Epilogue	p. 213
Notes	p. 215
References	p. 234
Index	p. 251
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