Blog#2: "Good writing is good writing."

The author says, “Good writing is good writing,” no matter what form it’s in. I believe the author is making a statement that there are universal rules, styles, and ideas when it comes to writing well. If a writer follows the guidelines then it is considered good writing. Of course there are certain guidelines when it comes to grammar and spelling. I believe good writing does require the ability to spell well and complete sentences with correct grammar. But I do believe there are more components that cannot be universally defined. I believe there are multiple definitions of good writing. Two people may look at the same piece of writing and have two different opinions.

I do not agree with the statement, “Good writing is good writing,” no matter what form it’s in. First of all, I think the statement is too general to agree with. The statement does not distinguish a specific type of writing. If the focus is on media writing, I would agree good writing is good writing, no matter what form it is in. There are three important concepts of media writing. The concepts are accuracy, brevity, and clarity. There are different stylebooks all firms in the media follow. Stylebooks promote consistency, usage, and precision. Therefore, in media writing, if stylebook concepts are applied to writing and followed consistently, the statement good writing is good writing, no matter what form it is in is true.

Good writing is not necessarily good reading because everyone has a different concept of good reading. Depending on the topic, good writing is not always good reading if it the topic does not captivate the reader’s interest.

Blog #1: Describe your academic background, future plans, and how this course fits into those things.

I graduated from Wethersfield High School in 2005. I am currently a senior entering my last semester at Mahattanville College. I plan to graduate with a major in Communications and a minor in Management. Over the past four years I have enrolled in a range of different courses. I have taken courses in areas such as art, communications, business, history, philosophy, psychology, religion and writing.

During my junior year I studied abroad in Australia. Living, working, and attending school in a different country was a great learning experience. It allowed me to view myself and the world in a new perspective. My study abroad experience and the previous courses I have taken at Manhattanville College have helped me discover the things I am passionate about.

Currently, I am interested in a career in film, music, or photography. My ideal job would be to work for a company that pays me to travel the world and take photos or create videos. I would also like to continue my education and earn a masters degree at some point.

The Writing for the Media course offered at Manhattanville fits into my academic background and future plans because I am a communications major. I have previous experience with press releases because I took a Public Relations course last semester. I will most likely look for a job in the media after graduation, therefore, it will be helpful to learn different formats of writing. Print, electronic and broadcasting media all consist of a combination of visuals and writing.