Journalism, Media Studies & Communications Textbooks

Open Technical Writing: An Open-Access Text for Instruction in Technical and Professional Writing

Contributor: Pope

Publisher: University of Arkansas

License: CC BY-NC-SA

This book presents technical writing as an approach to researching and carrying out writing that centers on technical subject matter. Each and every chapter is devoted to helping students understand that good technical writing is situationally-aware and context-driven. Technical writing doesn’t work off knowing the one true right way of doing things—there is no magic report template out there that will always work. Instead, the focus is on offering students a series of approaches they can use to map out their situations and do research accordingly.

(3 reviews)

Tools for Podcasting

Contributor: Olmsted

Publisher: American University

License: CC BY-NC

Welcome! If you’re interested in learning about the growing universe of podcasting, how it works and finding tools and inspiration to create your own podcast, this online resource is for you. My focus is on audio podcasting and this practical guide will help you navigate the technology and best practices in an easy-to-understand handbook.

(12 reviews)

Writing for Electronic Media

Contributor: Champagne

Publisher: Rebus Community

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Welcome to Writing for Electronic Media, an OER textbook. OER stands for Open Educational Resource, which means it’s free for all who access. Since it is electronic, I will do what I can to keep it updated with the changing media. People’s viewing habits are changing as they migrate to mobile sources, social media, and kitten videos.Television News is still a dominant #1 source, and radio is still the safest way to stay informed in your car. Hopefully, you already have some journalism background. This book does not teach the who, what, when, where, why, and how of reporting; its goal is to teach how to present the journalism you already know via electronic media, primarily television.

(3 reviews)

Digital Foundations: Introduction to Media Design with the Adobe Creative Cloud - Revised Edition

Contributors: burrough and Mandiberg

Publisher: Open Oregon Educational Resources

License: CC BY-NC-SA

Digital Foundations uses formal exercises of the Bauhaus to teach the Adobe Creative Suite. All students of digital design and production—whether learning in a classroom or on their own—need to understand the basic principles of design in order to implement them using current software. Far too often design is left out of books that teach software for the trade and academic markets. Consequently, the design software training exercise is often a lost opportunity for visual learning. This revised edition updates the original text for use with Adobe Creative Cloud 2017 software.

(13 reviews)

Management Communication

Contributors: Thomas, Haupt, and Spackman

Publisher: The Marriott School at Brigham Young University

License: CC BY-SA

Communication is the heart of business. Short emails, complex reports, private chats, impassioned pitches, formal presentations, and team meetings move information and ideas around an organization, define strategy, and drive decisions. Business communication is concise, direct, clear, and compelling.

(6 reviews)

OER: A Field Guide for Academic Librarians

Contributors: Wesolek, Lashley, and Langley

Publisher: Pacific University Press

License: CC BY

We intend this book to act as a guide writ large for would-be champions of OER, that anyone—called to action by the example set by our chapter authors—might serve as guides themselves. The following chapters tap into the deep experience of practitioners who represent a meaningful cross section of higher education institutions in North America. It is our hope that the examples and discussions presented by our authors will facilitate connections among practitioners, foster the development of best practices for OER adoption and creation, and more importantly, lay a foundation for novel, educational excellence.

(3 reviews)

The Data Journalism Handbook

Contributors: Bounegru, Chambers, and Gray

Publisher: European Journalism Centre

License: CC BY-SA

When you combine the sheer scale and range of digital information now available with a journalist’s "nose for news" and her ability to tell a compelling story, a new world of possibility opens up. With The Data Journalism Handbook, you’ll explore the potential, limits, and applied uses of this new and fascinating field.

(5 reviews)

Media, Society, Culture and You

Contributor: Poepsel

Publisher: Rebus Community

License: CC BY

Media, Society, Culture, and You is an approachable introductory Mass Communication text that covers major mass communication terms and concepts including "digital culture." It discusses various media platforms and how they are evolving as Information and Communication Technologies change.

(11 reviews)

Message Processing: The Science of Creating Understanding

Contributor: Gasiorek

Publisher: University of Hawaii Manoa

License: CC BY

The text provides an upper-level undergraduate introduction and explanation of the social and cognitive processes involved in human communication, focusing on how people create understanding.

(5 reviews)

Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Contributors: Ferrier and Mays

Publisher: Rebus Community

License: CC BY

This is the first edition of a modular open textbook designed for entrepreneurial journalism, media innovation, and related courses. This book has been undergoing student and faculty testing and open review in fall 2017. Feedback has been implemented in Version 1.0 and will continue to be implemented in Version 2.0 (ETA spring 2018). An accompanying handbook will include additional activities, ancillary materials and faculty resources on media innovation for instructors.

(8 reviews)