Advances in information technology over the past decades have had a profound effect upon the way in which journalists work and also upon their output. This handy volume reflects all these changes and is concerned with both traditional printed newspapers and magazines and broadcasting. Its appearance is particularly timely as the profession has itself been the centre of media attention with high-profile court cases.
The work is firmly described as a dictionary, offering definitions for over 1,300 entries with signposts to a further 150. To this end, the first sentence contains the gist of the definition in every case. However, the work goes far beyond basic definitions and provides full and informative descriptions for a large number of entries. Starring of terms within entries directs the reader to additional material and is a useful space-saving device, where necessary cross-references are given but these are employed sparingly.
The alphabetical arrangement is straightforward covering an extremely broad range of subjects. Where a term is not specific to journalism the definition focuses on its journalistic relevance rather than its general meanings. Journalism is broadly interpreted and definitions on subjects like Byline or Tabloideze sit comfortably alongside the terminology of information technology and social media including terms such as Pixilation and Usie. The inclusion of Orwell’s Six Rules of Writing is a useful reminder that the correct use of language is still vital.
Despite its firm commitment to be a dictionary, this is much more than that. Its carefully selected entries on major newspapers and magazines, events and organizations turn it into an encyclopedic reference tool. Inevitably, given the compact size of this dictionary, there is little foreign material, and the work is strongly biased toward English language publications and organizations. Nonetheless, Loaded and Hello take their place alongside the Washington Post, Le Monde, The Scotsman, and the Daily Mirror. Electronic and social media publications, such as the Huffington Post, Al Jazeera and the Drudge Report, exemplify social media sources. Predictably, all the major media organizations appear, like News Corp and Reuters but local ones such as Archant and the Dunfermline Press Group also are included.
A particularly welcome feature is the treatment of significant events in recent press history. The clear, impartial accounts of complicated events such as Watergate, Little Jimmy, Hackgate and the Warrington Messenger dispute are exemplary. A policy decision excluded key personalities but a few of them are listed in a short appendix. The other appendix is an extensive chronology which covers significant events from Caxton to the present day.
This is an excellent work which deserves to appear on the shelves of most libraries. At £12.99 it represents excellent value for money. It is authoritative, readable and packed with relevant information. Besides serving as a reference tool, it is also a handy companion to modern journalism for the general reader.
