The path from theory to practice in the art of journalism is coming under scrutiny in a new book from Tony Harcup, senior lecturer at Trinity and All Saints university in Leeds.

Journalism: Principles and Practice combines practical advice with critical reflection and draws on Tony’s 20 years’ experience as a journalist.

It explains how to “do journalism”, how to be a journalist and how to relate all the well-intentioned theory about the profession to doing the real job in the real world.

Tony has been a journalist for more than 20 years, working in newspapers, magazines and other media. He now teaches vocational courses accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, and is also a member of the National Union of Journalists.

He says he is well aware of the gap of understanding that separates those who study media from those who produce media – and that is why his book has such an unusual layout.

Each page split into two sections – one for theory and one for practice. The left-hand side of each page relates Tony’s information to what happens at work, while the right-hand side offers a more academic approach to the training issues.

The author explains to trainees and anyone wishing to study journalism how the job is not a mere product but a process of communication, balanced between constraits and loyalties – and outside influences.

Inside chapters “What is News” and “Where Does News Come From”, he examines news sense and news sources, explaining how reporters evaluate both before deciding on their story. And he asks whether is it the job of the journalist or the sources themselves that dictate the news agenda.

He follows this up with advice on how to remain objective, and when journalists should take sides. Investigative journalism, how writers entertain their readers, the ins and outs of “dumbing down” and what it means to be a tabloid writer are covered in later chapters.

There is information on journalism techniques, such as interviewing, and the nuts-and-bolts work of doorstepping people, going on “death knocks”, how to deal with the information they give – and what “off the record” means.

Technical information on story writing and construction is included, as well as ways to make the news easily accessible to readers.

Backgrounders, opinion columns and features are also covered in a chapter of their own, and include devices such as first-person writing and where to get the information from.

Tony’s book provides a style guide and a copy of the National Union of Journalists’ Code of Conduct to help beginners on their way. It also features interviews with a range of journalists including Paul Foot, Martin Wainwright and Jane Merrick.

Journalism: Principles and Practice by Tony Harcup is published by Sage (0-7619-7499-7) and costs £18.99.

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