(eBook PDF) Writing and Reporting for

the Media 12th Edition

Go to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-writing-and-reporting-for-the-media-12th-
edition/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

(eBook PDF) Writing and Reporting for the Media:

Workbook 12th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-writing-and-reporting-
for-the-media-workbook-12th-edition/

(Original PDF) Writing and Reporting for the Media 11th

Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/original-pdf-writing-and-
reporting-for-the-media-11th-edition/

(eBook PDF) News Reporting and Writing 12th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-news-reporting-and-
writing-12th-edition/

(eBook PDF) Writing for the Mass Media 9th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-writing-for-the-mass-
media-9th-edition/
News Reporting and Writing 13th Edition (eBook PDF)

http://ebooksecure.com/product/news-reporting-and-writing-13th-
edition-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) Writing for the Mass Media 9th Edition by

James G. Stovall, when

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-writing-for-the-mass-
media-9th-edition-by-james-g-stovall-when/

(eBook PDF) Public Relations Writing and Media

Techniques 8th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-public-relations-
writing-and-media-techniques-8th-edition/

(eBook PDF) Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching

Method 8th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-writing-and-reporting-
news-a-coaching-method-8th-edition/

(eBook PDF) News Writing and Reporting: An Introduction

to Skills and Theory

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-news-writing-and-
reporting-an-introduction-to-skills-and-theory/
CONTENTS

Preface xix

SECTION I THE TOOLS OF JOURNALISM 1

Chapter 1 Journalism Today 3

Technology and Journalism 3

Types of News 6
Evolution of the News Business 6
Journalism as a Profession 7
Journalism Competencies 8
The Modern Journalist 9
Journalism Style 10
AP Stylebook 10
Journalism Terms 11
Copy-Editing 11
Copy Format 11
THE WRITING COACH: The “N.E.R.D.” Factor in Getting a Job 13

Chapter 2 Selecting and Reporting the News 14

News Characteristics and News Elements 15

Timeliness 15
Impact or Magnitude 16
Prominence 16
Proximity 17
Unusualness 17
Conflict 18
Other Characteristics 18
The Nature of the Medium and the Community 18
Types of News 19
The Concept of Objectivity 20
What Is Not Newsworthy? 21
Offensive Details 21
vii
viii Contents

Sensationalism 21
Rumors 22
Sexual Assault 22
Names of Juveniles 22
Trade Names 22
The Importance of Accuracy 23
Accuracy in Facts 23
Accuracy in Names 24
Accuracy Is a Priority 24
GUEST COLUMNIST: Why I Stayed at a Small-Town Newspaper 25
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Accuracy 26
Review Exercises 27

Chapter 3 Newswriting Style 29

Simplify Words, Sentences and Paragraphs 29

Eliminate Unnecessary Words 32
Quiz 34
Remain Objective 34
Respecting Diversity 35
Racism 36
Sexism 36
Ageism 37
Avoid Stereotyping Other Groups 38
Additional Newswriting Considerations for Digital Media 38
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Newswriting Style 39
Review Exercises 40

Chapter 4 The Language of News 47

The Effectiveness of Words 47

Mastering Grammar 48
Nouns 49
Verbs 49
Independent and Dependent Clauses 50
Active and Passive Voice 52
Appositives 52
Common Grammatical Errors 53
Run-on Sentences 53
Comma Splices 53
Agreement Errors 53
“That”–“Which” Confusion 55
“Who”–“Whom” Confusion 55
Misplaced Modifiers 56
 CONTENTS ix

Dangling Modifiers 57
Personification 57
Parallelism 58
Syntax 58
Spelling 59
Punctuation 59
Writing Like a Pro 59
Diction 59
Precision 60
Use Strong Verbs 61
Problems to Avoid 62
Overuse of Adjectives and Adverbs 62
Clichés 63
Slang 64
Technical Language and Jargon 64
Euphemisms 65
Profanity 66
Stating the Obvious 66
First-Person References 67
Negative Constructions 67
Echo 68
Gush 68
Vague Time References 68
Use of the Present Tense 69
Excessive Punctuation 69
THE WRITING COACH: Become a Power Lifter When Picking Verbs 71
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to the Language of News 72
Review Exercises 73

SECTION II THE LAW AND ETHICS OF JOURNALISM 77

Chapter 5 Libel, Privacy and Newsgathering Issues 79

Libel 80
The Elements of a Libel Suit 81
Who Is a Public Official? Who Is a Public Figure? 85
Major Defenses to Libel Suits 87
Steps for Avoiding Libel Suits 89
Privacy 90
Intrusion 90
Giving Publicity to Private Facts 92
False Light 93
Appropriation 94
Newsgathering Issues 94
Access to Nonjudicial Events and Records 95
x Contents

Access to Judicial Proceedings 98

Confidentiality for Sources and Information 100
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Libel, Privacy and Newsgathering Issues 102
Review Exercises 104

Chapter 6 Ethics 106

Codes of Ethics 107

Ethical Decision Making 107
Who and How Many? (Two Questions) 108
What Is the Purpose of the Story? (Two Follow-Up Questions) 108
Can I Explain My Decision? (Six Questions) 109
The Potter Box 109
News Media Credibility Considerations 109
Ethics Issues Regarding Conduct 110
Plagiarizing and Fabricating Information: Never Acceptable 111
Finding Sources 111
Recording Interviews: Audio Recorders and Video Cameras 112
Eliminating Conflicts of Interest 113
Maintaining Objectivity 114
Interviewing Victims 115
Respecting Privacy of Sources 115
Avoiding Deceit: Posing and Misrepresentation 115
Witnessing Crimes and Disasters 116
Ethics Issues Regarding Content 117
Avoiding Speculation: Get the Facts and Provide Accurate Context 117
Using Visuals: Newsworthy or Sensational? 117
Altering Images 118
Deciding When to Name Names 118
Covering Killers 119
Reporting on Public Figures and Celebrities 119
Reporting Rumors and Speculation 120
Reporting on Terrorism 120
Publishing Ads 120
THE WRITING COACH: Journalists Should Understand: Victims Face Wall of Grief 121
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Ethics 122
Review Exercises 123

SECTION III THE BASIC SKILLS OF JOURNALISM 129

Chapter 7 Basic News Leads 131

Prewriting 131
Identifying the Central Point 131
Story Outlines 132
Planning the Digital Story 133
 CONTENTS xi

The Summary News Lead 135

Sentence Structure in Leads 138
Guidelines for Writing Effective Leads 138
Be Concise 138
Be Specific 139
Use Strong, Active Verbs 140
Emphasize the Magnitude of the Story 141
Stress the Unusual 141
Localize and Update 142
Be Objective and Attribute Opinions 143
Strive for Simplicity 144
Some Common Errors 144
Beginning with the Attribution 144
Minimizing the News 144
Using Agenda Leads 145
Using Label Leads 145
Listing Details 146
Stating the Obvious 146
Reporting the Negative 147
Exaggerating 147
Distorting the Story 147
Following All the Rules 147
Forgetting Your Audience 148
Using the First Draft 148
THE WRITING COACH: Oh Where, Oh Where Does the Time Element Go? 149
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Writing Leads 150
Review Exercises 151

Chapter 8 Alternative Leads 163

Criticisms 166
Types of Alternative Leads 167
“Buried” or “Delayed” Leads 167
Multiparagraph Leads 168
Quotation Leads 169
Question Leads 169
Suspenseful Leads 171
Descriptive Leads 171
Shockers: Leads with a Twist 172
Ironic Leads 173
Direct-Address Leads 173
Words Used in Unusual Ways 173
Other Unusual Leads 174
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Writing Alternative Leads 175
Review Exercises 176
xii Contents

Chapter 9 The Body of a News Story 180

The Inverted-Pyramid Style 180

Organizing the Information 181
Writing the Second Paragraph 183
Ending the Story 186
Complex Stories 187
The Hourglass Style 189
The Focus Style 191
The Narrative Style 192
Using Transitions 197
Explain the Unfamiliar 197
The Importance of Examples 199
The Use of Description 199
The Need to Be Fair 201
The Final Step: Edit Your Story 201
THE WRITING COACH: How to Find the Right Endings to Stories 202
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Writing News Stories 203
Review Exercises 204

Chapter 10 Quotations and Attribution 211

Quotations 212
When to Use Direct Quotations 212
When to Use Indirect Quotations 214
When to Use Partial Quotations 215
When Sources Seek Quote Approval 216
Blending Quotations and Narrative 217
Explaining Quotations 217
To Change or Not to Change Quotations 218
Deleting Profanities 220
Editorialization 220
Attribution 221
The Purpose of Attribution 221
Statements That Require Attribution 221
Guidelines for the Placement and Frequency of Attribution 222
Direct Quotations 223
Partial Quotations 223
Indirect Quotations 224
Word Choice in Attributing Statements 224
Identifying Sources 225
THE WRITING COACH: Do You Use Said Enough? 228
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Quotations and Attribution 228
Review Exercises 230
 CONTENTS xiii

Chapter 11 Interviewing 235

Preparing for the Interview 236

Selecting Interview Sources 237
Researching Sources and Topics 239
Preparing Questions for the Interview 239
Conducting the Interview 241
Selecting a Location 241
Organizing the Questions 242
Dealing with Reluctant Sources and Asking Tough Questions 244
Special Situations 246
Taking Notes 248
Recording Interviews 248
Final Thoughts 249
Writing the Interview Story 249
GUEST COLUMNIST: Interviewing Three People about a Deadly Accident 250
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Interviewing 251
Review Exercises 252

Chapter 12 Feature Stories 256

Finding Story Ideas and Gathering Information 256

Parts of Feature Stories 258
The Lead of a Feature Story 258
The Body of a Feature Story 258
The Ending of a Feature Story 260
Types of Feature Stories 261
Profiles or Personality Features 261
Historical Features 263
Adventure Features 264
Seasonal Features 264
Explanatory Features 265
How-to-Do-It Features 265
Occupation or Hobby Features 266
Behind-the-Scenes Features 266
Participatory Features 267
Other Types of Feature Stories 267
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Features 268
Review Exercises 269

Chapter 13 Writing for Broadcast News 274

The Broadcast News Story 274

Leads 276
The Hard Lead 277
xiv Contents

The Soft Lead 277

The Throwaway Lead 278
The Umbrella Lead 278
The Body of a Story 278
Updating Broadcast News Stories 280
Guidelines for Copy Preparation 281
Formatting Copy 281
Editing Copy 281
Timing Copy 281
Reviewing Copy 281
Story Length 282
Story Script 282
Using Audio 282
Using Video 284
Sources for Broadcast News 284
News Services 284
Newspapers, Online News and Broadcast News Sources 285
Public Relations News Releases 285
People 285
Broadcast Interviews 285
Writing the Broadcast Story 286
Writing for the Audience 286
Writing for Your Announcer 288
Being a Broadcast Journalist 290
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Broadcast News Writing Style 290
Review Exercises 291

Chapter 14 Visual Journalism 294

The Roots of Visual Journalism 294

Visual Journalism Today 297
Ethics of Visual Journalism 298
The Digital News Package 299
Capturing Photographs 299
Capturing Video 302
Creating Good Video 303
Capturing Audio 304
Required Technology 306
Digital Video Recorder 306
Digital Camera 306
Digital Audio Recorder 307
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Visual Journalism 307
Review Exercises 308
 CONTENTS xv

SECTION IV APPLYING THE SKILLS OF JOURNALISM 309

Chapter 15 Speeches and Meetings 311

Advance Stories 312

Covering the Speech of Meeting 313
Follow Stories 313
Organizing Speech or Meeting Stories 315
Writing Effective Leads 316
Writing Transitions 320
Remember Your Audience 321
Check Facts 321
Adding Color 322
Report What You Hear 322
Describe What You See 323
THE WRITING COACH: The Expectations of Public Officials
toward Journalists 324
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Reporting Speeches and Meetings 325
Review Exercises 326

Chapter 16 Brights, Follow-Ups, Roundups, Sidebars and Obituaries 337

Brights 337
Follow-Ups 339
Roundups 341
Sidebars 342
Obituaries 343
Writing the Biographical Obituary 344
Writing the Feature Obituary 346
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Writing Brights, Follow-Ups, Roundups,
Sidebars and Obituaries 348
Review Exercises 349

Chapter 17 Public Affairs Reporting 355

Crime and Accidents 356

Police Sources 357
Key Police Documents 357
Respecting Victims 359
Writing the Crime or Accident Story 361
Local Government 362
City and County Governments 363
School Districts 366
xvi Contents

Courts 369
General Information about the Court System 370
Criminal Cases 371
Civil Cases 373
GUEST COLUMNIST: Developing Sources on the Police Beat 375
GUEST COLUMNIST: Journalists Deliver the Information the Public Needs 376
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Public Affairs Reporting 377
Review Exercises 378

Chapter 18 Introduction to Investigative Reporting 391

What Is Investigative Reporting? 392

Whom and What to Investigate 393
Developing an Investigative Story 394
The Story Idea 394
Resources 399
Planning the Story 400
Gathering Documents 400
Developing Sources 402
The Investigative Interview 403
Writing the Investigative Story 404
Using Technology in Investigative Reporting 405
Using Computers to Get Answers 405
Using Social Media 406
Using Statistics 407
Ethical Issues in Investigative Reporting 408
GUEST COLUMNIST: Developing Investigative Story Ideas 411
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Investigative Reporting 412
Review Exercises 413

Chapter 19 Journalism and Public Relations 414

What Is PR? 414

PR Agencies 415
Corporate, Nonprofit and Government PR 416
Working with News Media 417
Advance Stories 418
Event Stories 418
Features 418
Discoveries and Results 419
Tips for Effective News Releases 420
List a Contact and a Follow-Up Person 420
Send the Release on Time 420
 CONTENTS xvii

Use Journalism’s Five W’s 420

Write Well 420
Localize Information 420
Provide Visuals 420
Provide Links 421
From the Journalist’s Perspective: Working with Press Releases 421
The No. 1 Problem: Lack of Newsworthiness 422
Limited Interest 422
Contrived Events 422
Rewriting for Newsworthiness 423
Rewriting for Wordiness 423
The No. 2 Problem: Lack of Objectivity 424
Advertisements 424
Eliminating Laudatory Adjectives and Puffery 424
Telling the Public What to Do 425
Other Problems with News Releases 425
Stating the Obvious 425
Absence of Solid Facts 426
One-Sided Stories 426
THE REPORTER’S GUIDE to Public Relations 427
Review Exercises 428

Appendix A City Directory 435

Appendix B Summary of AP Style 451

Appendix C Rules for Forming Possessives 469

Credits 473

Index 475
PREFACE

Y
ou might think the news business is in trouble if you look only at the
traditional measures of success: circulation and advertising revenue. The
New York Times’ daily circulation has dropped to about 570,000 printed
copies, and its advertising revenue from the print edition was $64 million for
the third quarter of 2017. But these numbers do not reflect the new realities
of U.S. journalism. While the Times has lost print subscribers, it has rapidly
gained digital subscribers. It now has 2.5 million people who pay to read the
newspaper online. The Times’ overall subscriber base has more than doubled
over the last four years. For the 2017 third quarter, digital subscription revenue
was $86 million. The transition from a print advertising revenue base to a digital
subscription revenue base has been a rocky one for the news business, and it is
not complete. But the Times and many other newspapers are profitable and are
looking to expand.
The readership and revenue numbers for the Times and for most other news
organizations reflect a changing industry. More and more Americans turn to
digital devices—computers, tablets, smartphones—for news. In the digital world,
however, advertisers depend less on traditional news and entertainment media
for access to the consumers they want to attract than they did in the print world.
As the news business has changed, so have the expectations for the men and
women starting careers in journalism. Journalism schools and departments are
rethinking their curriculums as they try to figure out what sets of skills will best
prepare their graduates for finding and holding jobs. At some schools, students
are learning how to write HTML code, tell stories visually, develop and manage
databases and even design video games. Other schools want students to become
proficient in multiple skills, such as shooting still and video images and creat-
ing webpages, as well as the more traditional journalistic skills. A few schools
have closed their journalism programs or merged them with other departments
and majors.
At the same time, news editors and producers who hire journalism graduates
want employees with solid skills in the core of writing, editing and researching.
They want reporters who can think critically to evaluate information and work in
teams to develop and present stories.
Just as the news business and journalism education have been changing, this
textbook has been changing. We have added material on such things as writing
xix
xx Preface  

for digital media and visual journalism. At the same time, we remain commit-
ted to emphasizing the basic skills of journalism, skills that will be demanded of
all reporters, no matter whether they are writing for a traditional newspaper, a
television station, an online news organization, a blog or a public relations orga-
nization. Every journalist must be able to write clearly and correctly and make
complicated issues understandable and interesting.
The function of journalism that sets it apart from other jobs and commu-
nication businesses is its role in providing citizens in a democracy with the
­information they need to govern their society. As James Madison said nearly
200 years ago, “Popular government without popular information, or the
means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or perhaps both.
­K nowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their
own governors must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives.”
Self-government in the 21st century requires citizens to confront such issues
as health care, global warming, criminal justice, economic stability, international
trade, war and diplomacy. The catalogue of issues is long and daunting. To make
sound decisions about these issues, people need reliable information. And most
will get the bulk of it from journalists. The reporters who are best able to provide
that information will be ones who have a broad understanding of how s­ ociety
works and the ability to explain the issues and how they affect citizens in an
­understandable and interesting manner.
The task of journalism is an important one, but much of the public doubts jour-
nalists and the news they provide. Complaints of bias and fakery are common.
Some people call news biased because it does not agree with their beliefs and
ideologies. Public officials often complain about unfairness or inaccuracies when
they are the target of critical coverage, even when the reports are accurate. But
journalists have contributed to the public’s distrust by making mistakes, f­ ailing to
put events into context and ignoring important points of view. In a few ­instances,
reporters have made up stories, quotations and sources. Although journalists
who do this are fired when they are discovered, their actions taint the entire
profession.
Dealing with public distrust is a challenge that young journalists will have
to confront. And the distrusts probably will linger for many years. No simple
solution exists. The best course is to concentrate on presenting the news as thor-
oughly, accurately and fairly as possible. Cultivating two traits can help journal-
ists achieve those goals:

1. Be engaged in the world around you.

2. Be articulate.

Being engaged in the world means reporters have a high degree of curiosity
about their beats and life in general and they feel empathy for the subjects of their
stories. Curiosity helps reporters see story ideas in almost everything around
them and develop the stories assigned to them:

●● Many communities have charter schools, which are supported with tax
money but exempt from some of the requirements placed on public schools.
 PREFACE xxi

Do students in charter schools perform as well as students in ordinary

public schools? Do charter schools enroll the same proportion of students
with disabilities or students whose native language is not English as public
schools?
●● Civil forfeiture laws allow states to confiscate money and property obtained
illegally, as through the sale of illegal drugs, and use the money to finance law
enforcement. What do state and local governments do with the money and
property they confiscate? Are the people whose property is confiscated always
convicted of crimes?
●● States offer tax incentives to lure businesses to provide more jobs for their citi-
zens. What businesses are getting these tax incentives? How much do they cost
and how many jobs do they create?

These are just a few examples of the kinds of questions and stories journalists can
generate if they are curious. Reporters must constantly ask about the details of
their beats, even when they have no expectation the answers will lead to stories.
No reporter can predict what tidbit of information may help unravel a great story.
Even the information that yields no story might help the journalist understand
and explain events to an audience.
Being engaged also means having empathy for the sources and subjects of
news stories. People in the news often confront highly emotional situations. They
may be victims of crime or the relatives of a victim; they may have lost loved
ones in a plane crash; they may be athletes who have just suffered a defeat; or
they may be community residents worried about how a proposed development
might affect their lives and their property. A story about a knife attack by a
male ­employee on a female supervisor is not just an antiseptic crime story or an
­exercise in ­deductive logic. It is a story about anger, frustration, betrayal, terror
and ­humiliation. A ­reporter who cannot empathize with the people involved
cannot truly u ­ nderstand their experiences or tell their stories.
The ability to empathize does not require reporters to abandon objectivity
and impartiality. Empathy differs from sympathy. Sympathy requires one to
have the same feelings as another or to achieve a mutual understanding with
another. Empathy involves projecting one’s personality into that of another to
­understand the other person better. Journalists who have empathy for others
can u ­ nderstand them without embracing or approving their emotions. E ­ mpathy
is consistent with objectivity; it also is indispensable for producing a truly
­objective and thorough story. If reporters cannot understand the emotional
states of the people they write about or assess the emotional changes events
­inflict on sources, they will fail to report the full story.
Curiosity and empathy enable reporters to get the who, what, when, where,
why and how of a story. Putting those elements into a coherent, interesting and
readable story requires that journalists be articulate, which combines at least two
skills. One is the ability to use words effectively, to select the appropriate words
and use them correctly and to arrange them in sentences that are grammatically
correct and properly punctuated. The other skill is the ability to organize the ele-
ments of the story—the facts, the quotations and the anecdotes—in a manner that
is captivating, informative and dramatic.
xxii Preface  

Reporters who understand grammar and diction can construct sentences that
are clear and precise. The following sentences contain the same words but mean
different things, simply because one word is in a different location:

She kissed only him on the lips.

She kissed him only on the lips.

A skillful writer understands that in the first sentence, “only” limits whom she
kissed, and in the second sentence, it limits where she kissed.
A skillful writer also knows that one of these sentences accuses the subject of
a crime:

Wanda sent her husband Bob to the store.

Wanda sent her husband, Bob, to the store.

The first sentence uses “Bob” as an essential modifier of “husband,” meaning

that Wanda has more than one husband and the one she sent to the store is
Bob. The sentence implies Wanda has committed bigamy. The second sentence,
­because it uses commas before and after “Bob,” makes it clear that Wanda has
only one husband, and his name is Bob.
The ability to construct clear, correct sentences is fundamental. But a news
story may contain nothing but clear, correct sentences and still be impossible to
understand because the writer has failed to organize the material. Readers, listen-
ers and viewers crave organization; if they do not find it, they give up. A story that
jumps from one topic to another and back to the first without any sense of direc-
tion will confuse people and drive them elsewhere for information. Reporters need
to know how to organize information so its significance and drama become clear.
All of the skills one needs to become a great reporter—curiosity, empathy,
knowledge of grammar and the ability to organize stories—are skills a student
can learn. Some students may learn them more easily than others, or some may
develop one set of skills more than the others. But anybody who can handle
­college-level course work can cultivate the skills a professional reporter needs.
The 12th edition of this textbook offers many features—some new to this ­edition—
to help students master the skills of news reporting.

New Features in the 12th Edition

As with the previous editions of this textbook, the 12th edition contains several
changes. It also adheres to the approach and practice Fred Fedler developed when
he created this textbook nearly 40 years ago. The co-authors, who have taken over
much of the responsibility for this book, hope longtime users will be comfortable
with it and new users will find it attractive.
Although the 12th edition contains many changes, some major ones are worth
noting:

●● Foremost is the addition of a workbook separate from the textbook. The textbook
still contains exercises for students, but the addition of the workbook has allowed
us to expand the number of exercises from which instructors may choose.
 PREFACE xxiii

●● For the past two editions, the book contained a separate chapter on the prac-
tice of digital journalism. Because all journalists now need skills in preparing
digital content, this information has been spread throughout the textbook.
The chapter on visual journalism, which was new with the last edition, has
been retained (Chapter 14).
●● The summary of Associated Press style has been returned to the textbook as
Appendix B. Students can now find and refer to the summary quickly and easily.
●● The book contains many visual elements, including full-color photographs
and colorful graphics. New visuals and expanded captions reflect more recent
events and correspond to and supplement the text.
●● Many of the sidebars from the previous edition have been reorganized into two
new boxes, “Hot Tip” and “From the News.” These boxes provide students with
important do’s and don’ts and examples from specific news stories, respectively.
●● The text includes many new examples on events that current and future stu-
dents will likely remember. These include the election of Donald J. Trump
as president, the controversy over the use of lethal force by police against
­minority citizens, and protests by athletes against such police killings.

Other Features of Interest

Appendices
This book provides three appendices: a city directory, a summary of Associated
Press style, and rules for forming possessives.

Reporter’s Guides
Nearly every chapter ends with a reporter’s guide (e.g., “Reporter’s Guide to
­Accuracy” in Chapter 2) that summarizes the major points covered in the chapter
and helps students organize their writing assignments and make sure they are
including all important information.

Flexibility
“Writing and Reporting for the Media” is flexible. Teachers can assign the chap-
ters in almost any order. Moreover, the book and workbook provide enough exer-
cises that instructors can assign their favorites and then assign extra exercises for
students who need more help. Some teachers use the book for two semesters: for
basic and advanced reporting classes. There are enough exercises for both terms.
The book can be used in general media writing classes and those specific to
newswriting and reporting. Still, those who prefer the book’s traditional empha-
sis on the print media can assign the chapters on public relations and writing for
broadcast media as optional readings.

Hundreds of Examples
The text contains hundreds of examples from the work of students and pro-
fessionals. Each new topic or discussion of errors typically includes examples.
­Students are also shown how to avoid or correct errors.
xxiv Preface  

Some examples have been written by prize-winning professionals, and stu-

dents can use their stories as models. For instance, examples from The Associ-
ated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and several other U.S.
newspapers, large and small, illustrate many of the concepts discussed in the text.

Realistic and Often Genuine Exercises

Many of the exercises in this book are from real events. Chapter 15 (“Speeches
and Meetings”) includes President Trump’s speech announcing the decision to
withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement. Chapter 17 includes exer-
cises based on real traffic accidents, crimes and fires. Exercises in other chapters,
although fictionalized, are drawn from real events.
To add to the realism, many of the exercises contain ethical problems: pro-
fanities, sexist comments, the names of rape victims, bloody details and other
material that many editors would be reluctant to publish. Students completing
those exercises will have to deal with the problems, and their decisions are likely
to provoke class discussion.

Instructor’s Manual
The authors provide a detailed Instructor’s Manual that includes ideas and recom-
mendations and discusses accuracy, grades, suggested policies and assignments.
These sections are followed by sample course outlines and lists of the exercises
that contain ethical dilemmas and sexist remarks. The manual also includes tests
covering AP style, vocabulary, attribution and spelling.

Practical Approach
Like previous editions, the 12th edition is concrete, not abstract or theoretical.
Its tone is practical and realistic. Its language is clear, concise, simple and direct.
Because of the book’s realism, students will encounter the types of problems and
assignments they are likely to find after they graduate and begin entry-level jobs
with the media.

Pro Challenge
A few exercises in the chapters about leads and the body of news stories have
been completed by professional journalists. With these exercises, students can
compare their work to that of the professionals.

A Note of Thanks
Journalists are wonderful people: enthusiastic, interesting and helpful. While
working on this book, we wrote to dozens of them. Reporters, photographers and
editors from Portland to Philadelphia, from Miami to New York, answered our
letters and provided advice and samples of their work.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
clergy cry out against me as a latitudinarian, and look upon me for so
doing, as the bigotted Jews did on Peter, for going unto the
uncircumcised Gentiles; though I say as he did, “Can any man forbid
me to converse with and communicate with those who have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we?” Are not these notorious matters of
fact? And how then can this author insinuate, that these itinerants tell
people, that they neither are, nor can be christians without adhering
to their discipline?

But further, how scornfully does he speak of these itinerants? He

stiles them a few young heads. And how unwarily has he thereby
shewed his ignorance of the lively oracles of God? For has he never
read what David saith, Psalms viii. 2. “Out of the mouths of babes
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine
enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and avenger?” Or that of
the Apostle, 1 Corinthians i. 27, 28. “But God hath chosen the
foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things which
are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea and things that are not, to bring to
nought things which are?” How presumptuously does he also tax
these few young heads in this same query, with acting “without any
colour of a divine commission?” For have not several of these young
heads received a commission from your Lordships? And does not
the success they have met with, as also their being strengthened to
stem and surmount such a torrent of opposition, afford some colour
at least, that they have acted by a divine commission indeed? For
how could a few young heads, my Lords, or any men whatsoever, do
such things, unless God was with them?

But our Author, it seems, looks upon what they call success, in a
different light, and therefore, in this 9th Query, further asks, “How it
can be reconciled to christian humility, prudence, or charity, to
indulge their own notions to such a degree, as to perplex, unhinge,
terrify, and distract the minds of multitudes of people, who have lived
from their infancy under a gospel ministry, and in the regular
exercise of a gospel worship; and all this, by persuading them, that
they have never yet heard the true gospel, nor been instructed in the
true way of salvation before.” To prove this particular part of the
Query, he refers to passages which my Lord of London was pleased
to extract out of my third Journal some years ago, such as, “I offered
Jesus Christ freely to them;—I think Wales is excellently well
prepared for the gospel of Christ;—Received news of the wonderful
progress of the gospel in Yorkshire, under the ministry of my dear
brother Ingham;—I was refreshed by a great packet of letters, giving
me an account of the success of the gospel;—A most comfortable
packet of letters, giving me an account of the success of the gospel.”
But how do all these passages, my Lords, put all together, afford the
least shadow of a proof of what this Author here lays to these
itinerants charge? Or how can offering Christ freely, and hearing
and writing of the success of the gospel, be interpreted as
perplexing, unhinging, terrifying, and distracting the minds of
multitudes of people, &c.? Is not this, my Lords, like the other proofs
he brings against these itinerants in some other respects? And may I
not venture to affirm now, whatever I did some years ago, that if the
Right Reverend the Bishops, and Reverend the Clergy, hold the
same principles with this anonymous Author, then the generality of
the poor people of England, however regular they may have been
from their infancy in the exercise of a gospel worship, never yet lived
under a gospel ministry, have never yet heard the true gospel, or
been instructed in the true way of salvation. For how can that be,
when the fundamental doctrine of the gospel, I mean justification by
faith alone in the sight of God, must be necessarily every where
preached down? Does not Luther call this, Articulus stantis aut
cadentis ecclesiæ? And is there any thing, my Lords, so very
irreconcilable to christian humility, prudence, or charity, for a few
young heads, who do hold this doctrine, (seeing those who seem
pillars, and are the aged heads of the church, are so much out of
order) to venture out and preach this doctrine to as great multitudes
of people as will give them the hearing? And supposing some of
these multitudes should be unhinged, terrified, distracted, or
disturbed a little, is it not better they should be thus unhinged from
off their false foundation here, than by building upon their own works,
and going about to establish a righteousness of their own, endanger
their eternal salvation hereafter?

The distracting people’s minds to such a degree as to occasion

sudden roarings, agonies, screamings, tremblings, dropping-down,
ravings, and such like, is by no means the great end proposed by
these itinerants preaching, much less was it ever urged by them as
an essential mark of the co-operation of the Spirit of God. And
therefore, my Lords, is not our Author very unfair in stating his 4th
Query, page 10, as he has done: “Whether a due and regular
attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by good men in a
serious and composed way, does not better answer the true ends of
devotion, and is not a better evidence of the co-operation of the Holy
Spirit, than those sudden agonies, roarings and screamings,
tremblings, droppings-down, ravings and madnesses, into which
their hearers have been cast; according to the relations given of
them in the Journals referred to?” Would not one imagine by this
Query, that these itinerants laid down such things as screamings,
tremblings, &c. as essential marks of the co-operations of the Holy
Spirit? But can any such thing be proved? Are they not looked upon
by these itinerants themselves, as extraordinary things, proceeding
generally from soul-distress, and sometimes it may be from the
agency of the evil spirit, who labours to drive poor souls into
despair? Does not this appear from the relation given of them in one
of the Journals referred to? Are there not many relations of the co-
operation of the Spirit in the same Journal, where no such bodily
effects are so much as hinted at? And does not this give ground to
suspect, that “the due and regular attendance on the public offices of
religion, paid by (what our Author calls) good men, in a serious and
composed way,” is little better than a dead formal attendance on
outward ordinances, which a man may continue in all his life-time,
and be all the while far from the kingdom of God? Did ever any one
before hear this urged as an evidence of the co-operation of the
Spirit? Or would any one think, that the Author of the observations
ever read the relations that are given of the conversion of several in
the holy scriptures? For may we not suppose, my Lords, that many
were cast into sudden agonies and screamings, Acts ii. 37. when
“they were pricked to the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of
the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?” Or
what would this Author think of the conversion of the Jailor, Acts x.
29, 30. “who sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before
Paul and Silas; and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do
to be saved?” Or what would he think of Paul, who trembling and
astonished, Acts ix. 6. said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
and was afterwards, verse 9, “three days without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink?” Is it not to be feared, that if this Author had been
seated upon the bench, and heard this Apostle give an account of
his own conversion, he would have joined with Festus in crying out
with a loud voice, “Paul, much learning hath made thee mad?” And
are not all these things, and whatever else is recorded in the book of
God, written for our learning? Is not God the same yesterday, to-
day, for ever? And may he not now, as well as formerly, reveal his
arm and display his power in bringing sinners home to himself as
suddenly and instantaneously as in the first planting of the gospel
church?

But it seems, by Query 7, page 10, that our Author doubts

whether there be any such thing as a sudden and instantaneous
change. For he there enquires, “Whether a gradual improvement in
grace and goodness, is not a better foundation of comfort, and of an
assurance of a gospel new birth, than that which is founded on the
doctrine of a sudden and instantaneous change; which, if there be
any such thing, is not easily distinguished from fancy and
imagination; the workings whereof we may well suppose to be more
strong and powerful, while the person considers himself in the state
of one who is admitted as a candidate for such a change, and is
taught in due time to expect it?” Here it is to be observed, that after
telling of a sudden and instantaneous change, he adds, “if there be
any such thing.” What, my Lords, does this Author profess himself an
advocate for the church of England, and yet say, “If there be any
such thing as a sudden instantaneous change?” Does he not hereby
lay an ax to the very root of the baptismal office? For if the child be
actually regenerated by the Holy Ghost, when the minister sprinkles
water upon him in the name of the blessed Trinity, does it not follow,
that if any change at all be wrought in the child at that time, it must
be sudden and instantaneous? And does he then say, “If there be
any such thing?” And do your Lordships assent thereto? With what
reason then are these itinerants upbraided for talking of a sudden,
instantaneous change, upon which the very essence of baptismal
regeneration, that D i a n a of the present clergy, entirely
depends?

Besides, with what confidence or rules of fair reasoning can he

here enquire, “Whether a gradual improvement in grace and
goodness, is not a better foundation of comfort, and of an assurance
of a gospel new-birth, than that which is founded on the doctrine of a
sudden and instantaneous change; which, if there be any such thing,
is not easily distinguished from fancy and imagination; the working
whereof we may well suppose to be more strong and powerful, while
the person considers himself in the state of one who is admitted as a
candidate for such a change, and is taught in due time to expect it?”

However unintelligible the latter part of this Query may be, does
not the former part of it seem to imply, that these itinerants found the
assurance of the gospel new-birth on this sudden and instantaneous
change wrought on their hearers under their sermons, exclusive of a
gradual improvement in grace and goodness afterwards! But is not
this mere slander? For however they may humbly hope, that
Sinners, when deeply impressed, may be suddenly and effectually
wrought upon, yet how can it be proved that they reckon them real
converts, till they see them bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, in doing
justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with their God? Or if this
was not the case, does not the author himself, if he holds baptismal
regeneration, found his comfort on the doctrine of a sudden and
instantaneous change? And do not the greatest part of the poor
souls now in England, go on secure that they shall be eternally
happy, and yet have no better foundation of comfort, and assurance
of a gospel new-birth, than that which is founded on the doctrine of a
sudden and instantaneous change wrought upon them in baptism?
 Is not our Author, my Lords, also in this Query, guilty of another
egregious mistake! For the foundation of comfort which these
itinerants lay and depend on is, the compleat and all-sufficient
righteousness of Jesus, and the new birth or change wrought in the
heart, is by them looked upon only as an evidence that the persons
thus changed, have indeed gotten a foundation on this rock of ages,
and consequently a sure and certain hope of a resurrection to
eternal life. And is not all this, my Lords, easily distinguished from
fancy and imagination? And does not our Author lead people to a
wrong foundation for comfort, by directing them to look for it from “a
gradual improvement in grace and goodness?” For, what says the
Apostle, 1 Corinthians iii. 11. “Other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Christ Jesus,”—“who (as he speaks in the first
chapter of the same epistle, verse 30.) is made unto us of God,
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption?”

This foundation, as well as this sudden and instantaneous

change, whether wrought in or after baptism, our Author, it is to be
feared, is too great a stranger to: at least, he gives too great
evidence, that he has made but little improvement in grace and
goodness; for he asks in his 11th Query, page 13, “Whether, the
frame of human nature fairly considered, the Author of the Whole
Duty of Man, did not do better service to religion, in laying down
rules to keep recreations of all kinds within the bounds of innocence,
than they who now censure him, and absolutely deny that
recreations of any kind, considered as such, are or can be
innocent?”

What rules the Author of the Whole Duty of Man may have laid
down to keep recreations of all kinds within the bounds of innocence,
it may be needless here to enquire. Is it not sufficient, my Lords, to
mention, that the holy scriptures (wherein the whole duty of man,
and that too in respect both to faith and practice, is fully and really
taught) lay down one golden universal rule for recreations and every
thing else, that “Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we
must do all to the glory of God?” Whatever recreations people take
to the glory of God, these itinerants, my Lords, think are quite
allowable: but if they are made use of meerly for self-pleasing, and
not to God’s glory, nor to fit us for his service, they do affirm, that all
such recreations neither are nor can be innocent. And if the Author
of the Whole Duty of Man, or any other Author whatsoever, hath set
any other bounds, or fixed any other rule, however fairly he may
have considered the frame of human nature, is it not evident, that he
has not fairly considered the frame and nature of true christianity?
For does not that, my Lords, turn our whole lives into one continued
sacrifice to God? And if we fairly consider the frame of human
nature, how weak and frail it is, and how easily diverted from
pursuing our one great end, are not those the greatest friends to
religion, who caution people against leading themselves into
temptations, or making use of any recreation that may put them out
of a spiritual frame, and unfit them for the service of God? Is this
going any further than the Apostle did, who so strictly cautions
christians “not to grieve the Spirit of God, whereby they are sealed
to the day of redemption?”

Our Author, under this head, has referred to a passage out of one
of my Journals, wherein I gave an account of my being in some
polite company at Maryland, who were disposed to cards; and also a
passage out of my letter from New-Brunswick, occasioned, if I
mistake not, by meeting a man who thought it allowable to play at
cards in the Christmas holidays, from the liberty given him by the
Author of the Whole Duty of Man. And will our Author allow playing
at cards to be a lawful recreation for a christian? Is this one of the
recreations of all kinds which may be kept within the bounds of
innocence? Is it not a kind of casting lots? Has it not the appearance
of evil? Will he not hear the church? And what says the 75th canon?
“No ecclesiastical person shall at any time, other than for their
honest necessities, resort to any taverns or alehouses, neither shall
they board or lodge in any such places. Furthermore, they shall not
give themselves to any base or servile labour, or to drinking or riot,
spending their time idly by day or by night, playing at dice, cards, or
tables, or any other unlawful game: but at all times convenient, they
shall hear or read somewhat of the holy scriptures, or shall occupy
themselves with some other honest study or exercise, always doing
the things which shall appertain to honesty, and endeavouring to
profit the church of God, having always in mind that they ought to
excel all others in purity of life, and should be examples to the
people to live well and christianly, under pain of ecclesiastical
censures to be inflicted with severity, according to the qualities of
their offences.” An excellent canon this! And may I not argue from it
thus? Either this canon is founded upon the word of God, or it is not:
if it be not, why is it not abrogated? if it be, why is it not put in
practice? Why do the clergy encourage frequenting of taverns,
alehouses, and gaming by their own example? Are not such
practices in this canon supposed to be quite contrary to the purity of
life and excellency of example which may be justly required from
them? And if such things are unseemly in a clergyman, are they not
in a degree equally unseemly in laymen, whose privilege as well as
duty it is, to be “holy in all manner of conversation and godliness,”
and who are universally commanded “to shine as lights in the world
amidst a crooked and perverse generation?”

My Lords, might it not reasonably have been hoped, that your

Lordships were too well acquainted with real and inward religion, to
think that a soul born of God, and made partaker of a divine nature,
can stoop so low, and act so unlike itself, as to seek for recreation in
gaming? Does not the glorious and plenteous redemption, that great,
inexpressibly great and present salvation, which the great High-
priest and Apostle of our profession has purchased for us by
shedding his dear heart’s blood, and whereby we are redeemed from
this present evil world, set us above such trifling things as these,
supposing they were not directly sinful? Are not christians “kings and
priests unto God?” And is it not as much beneath the dignity of their
heaven-born spirits, to stoop to so low an amusement as gaming of
any kind, as ever it was beneath the dignity of the Roman Emperor
to spend his time in the amusement of catching flies? Does not our
Author, therefore, my Lords, by writing thus, strike at the very vitals
of religion, and prove too plainly that he is a stranger to the power of
the dear Redeemer’s resurrection? Need we, therefore, wonder at
his 12th Query, page 12, wherein he enquires, “Whether the strong
expressions which are found in their printed Journals, of
extraordinary presences of God, directing and assisting them in a
more immediate manner, do not need some testimonies of a divine
mission, to clear them from the charge of enthusiasm?” Under this
query our Author has also mentioned several passages of my
Journals, extracted by my Lord of London, in his last pastoral letter
against lukewarmness and enthusiasm, and has also been at great
pains to extract many more out of my four last Journals, which have
been printed since, and which, according to our Author, are more full
of enthusiasm, if possible, than the three first? But does not this
Author forget, that I answered his Lordship’s letter, and proved, that
his Lordship was mistaken in his definition of enthusiasm; and that,
according to his definition, I was no enthusiast? Did I not also prove,
that the propositions on which his Lordship’s quotations were
founded were false? Has his Lordship, or any one for him, been
pleased to make any reply to that answer? Not as I have heard of.
And therefore, was it not incumbent upon this Author, my Lords, to
have disproved or invalidated my answer to his Lordship’s letter,
before he could honourably mention the passages referred to
therein, to prove me an enthusiast? But passing by this, with the
other many irregularities which are justly charged upon this
anonymous Author, if he asks “whether the strong expressions which
are found in their printed Journals (I suppose he would have said his
printed Journals, for I find under this Query no Journals referred to
but mine) of extraordinary presences of God directing and assisting
them in a more immediate manner, do not need some testimonies of
a divine mission, to clear them from the charge of enthusiasm?” I
would ask this Author again, “What testimonies he would have?” Can
he bring any proof against the matters of fact recorded in these
Journals? Or will he venture to affirm, that I did not feel the divine
presence in an extraordinary manner, that is, more at one time than
another? Or that I have not been directed in a more immediate
manner, at certain times, when waiting upon God? Were not such-
like queries put by the heathens to the primitive christians? And was
not their answer, Monstrare nequeo, sentio tantum? I would further
ask, what this Author means by a divine mission? Did not my Lord of
Gloucester (for I must again repeat it) give me an apostolical one,
when he said, “Receive thou the Holy Ghost by the imposition of our
hands?” And can it be enthusiasm, or is there any thing
extraordinary in saying, that I felt more of the influences of this Holy
Ghost, and was assisted in a more immediate manner in my
administrations at one time, than another? Or is it not more
extraordinary (only indeed that it has been a good while too too
common) that the Right Reverend the Bishops should take upon
them to confer the Holy Ghost, and the Reverend the Clergy profess
they are inwardly moved by it, and yet charge every expression they
meet with, wherein his blessed influences are spoken of as felt and
experienced, with being downright enthusiasm? But what shall we
say? “The natural man discerneth not the things of the Spirit: they
are foolishness unto him, neither can he understand them: because
they are spiritually discerned.” What if some of the expressions, my
Lords, in the Journals are strong? Does that prove them
enthusiastical? Or what if feeling the presence of God, and being
directed in a more immediate manner, be something extraordinary to
our Author, does it therefore follow that it is so to others? Or is this
Author like minded with the Right Reverend the Bishop and the
Reverend the Clergy of the diocese of Litchfield and Coventry, who
reckon the indwelling, and inward witnessing of, as also praying and
preaching by the Spirit, among the karismata, the miraculous gifts
conferred on the primitive church, and which have long since
ceased? If so, no wonder that the expressions referred to are strong
and extraordinary to him. But, my Lords, may I not beg leave to tell
this Author, that these itinerant preachers have not so learnt
Christ? No, they believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, to-day,
and for ever: and that he is faithful, who hath said to his Apostles,
and in them to all succeeding truly christian ministers, “Lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the world.” Consequently they believe
the Comforter will abide with them for ever, witnessing with their
spirits that they are children of God; leading them by a diligent
search of the holy scriptures into all truth; guiding them together with
the word, the voice of friends and Providence, in all circumstances
by his counsel; giving them utterance when called to speak to the
people from God, and helping their infirmities, and assisting them in
prayer when called to speak to God for the people. Inwardly moved
by this Spirit, and not by any hopes of human grandeur or
preferment, these itinerants, my Lords, first took on them the
administration of the church; and his blessed influences they have
from time to time happily experienced, as thousands whose eyes
have been opened to discern spiritual things, can testify. And being
without cause denied the use of their brethrens pulpits, and having
obtained help from God, they continue to this day, witnessing both to
small and great the grand doctrines of the Reformation, justification
by faith alone in the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, and
the necessity of the indwelling of the Spirit in order to be made meet
to be partakers of the heavenly inheritance, among all them that are
sanctified. In doing thus they know of no “wholesome rules, wisely
and piously established by the powers spiritual and temporal,” Query
9th, page 12. which they have violated: or should they be
commanded by the whole bench of Bishops to speak no more of this
doctrine,—they have an answer ready, “We cannot but speak the
things that we know.” We take this to be an ungodly admonition; and
therefore, “whether it be right in the sight of God, to obey man rather
than God, judge ye.” And though for so doing, they should be
mobbed, as they frequently have been, and though God be not the
author of confusion or tumult, as our Author would have it, page 12,
yet they know of one who was mobbed himself upon a like account,
and commanded Timothy to approve himself a minister of God in
tumults. Being sensible of the indolence and unorthodoxy of the
generality of the clergy, they think they are sufficiently warranted by
the example of the Prophets of the Old, and of Jesus Christ and his
Apostles in the New-Testament, (whatsoever our Author may say,
Query 8th page 11.) to bear a faithful testimony against them. And
being called by the Providence of God abroad, after their unworthy
labours had been blessed at home, they have judged it meet, right,
and their bounden duty, from time to time, to publish accounts of
what God had done for their own and other people’s souls: which,
though despised by some, and esteemed enthusiastical by others,
have been owned to the instruction and edification of thousands. But
whether this may be properly called “open and public boasting,
unbecoming the modesty and self-denial of a minister of the gospel,
especially one who would be thought to carry on his ministry under
the immediate guidance of the blessed Spirit,” (as our Author
intimates in his last Query of this 2d Part); or whether they were
written with a single eye to the Redeemer’s glory, they are willing to
leave to the determination of that God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires are known, and from whom no secrets are hid. I could
here enlarge; but having detained your Lordships too long already, I
am,

Your Lordships most obedient son and servant,

George Whitefield.
 S O ME

R E M A R KS
Upon a late

Charge against Enthusiasm,

Delivered by

The Right Reverend Father in God, Richard,

Lord Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, to the
Reverend the Clergy in the several parts of
the Diocess of Litchfield and Coventry, in a
Triennial Visitation of the same in 1741; and
published at their request in the present Year
1744.

In a LETTER to the Rev. the Clergy of

that Diocess.
Matthew xi. 25, 26. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank
thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because that thou hast
hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy
sight.
 TO

The Reverend the C l e r g y

Of the Diocess of

L i t c h f i e l d and C o v e n t r y.
On Board the Wilmington, Captain Darling,
September 20, 1744.

Reverend Brethren,

A S you profess to know the scriptures, I need not inform you, that
the character of young Elihu shines in the 32d chapter of the
book of Job with a superior lustre, above that of his other three
friends who came to converse with him. The humility and modesty
wherewith he first addresses himself to them is peculiarly amiable. “I
am young, says he, and ye are very old, wherefore I was afraid, and
durst not shew you my opinion. I said, Days should speak, and
multitude of years should teach wisdom.” But knowing by
experience, that “great men are not always wise, neither do the aged
understand judgment, he said, Hearken unto me, and I also will
shew my opinion.” And that they might not censure him for rashness
in speaking, he assures them, verses 11, and 12. that he had well
weighed the matter before he broke silence. “Behold, I waited for
your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst you searched out what
to say. Yea, I attended unto you; and behold there was none of you
that convinced Job, or that answered his words.” And that they might
not be offended at his plain speaking, or expect that he would be
over-awed from delivering his soul, by their superiority in age,
learning, or circumstances of life, in the two last verses of the
chapter, he boldly, but honestly tells them what they were to expect
from him. “Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither
let me give flattering titles unto man, for I know not to give flattering
titles: In so doing my Maker would soon take me away.” And it is very
remarkable, that though we are told this young man’s wrath was
kindled against Job and his three friends, verses 2 and 3. and
though (as it appears from the ensuing chapters) he spoke very
close and cutting things, yet at the end of the book, we find no blame
laid on him by the great heart-searching God; whereas the other
three are severely reproved, and commanded to apply to Job for the
benefit of his prayers.

Animated by, and willing to copy after so bright an example, I now

sit down to write you this letter; in which I would beg leave to make
some remarks on your Right Reverend Diocesan’s late charge
against enthusiasm. Had I continued in my native country, I should
have taken the freedom to have written to his Lordship himself; but
as I heard that he was very aged, and probably before this could
reach England, might be called to give up his account to the great
Shepherd and Bishop of souls, I thought it most advisable to direct
this letter to you, at whose request, as appears by the title-page, this
charge was printed.

It is not my design to enter upon a critical examination of every

paragraph. I would observe in general, that his Lordship’s main
design, from the beginning to the end of it, is, to prove “that the
indwelling and inward witnessing of the Spirit in believers hearts (if
there were ever any such things at all) as also praying and preaching
by the Spirit, are all the extraordinary gifts and operations of the Holy
Ghost, belonging only to the apostolical and primitive times, and
consequently all pretensions to such favours in these last days are
vain and enthusiastical.” In order to evince this, his Lordship selects
several passages of holy writ, which, in his opinion, are misapplied
by those whom his Lordship is pleased to stile modern enthusiasts,
and undertakes to shew, page 11th, “that they are to be interpreted
chiefly, if not only, of the state of the apostolical and primitive church,
and that they very little, if at all, relate to the present state of
christians.” Whether or not his Lordship hath succeeded in his
undertaking, will best appear by a candid and impartial review
thereof.
 The first attempt of this nature which we meet with in his
Lordship’s charge, is page the 12th. His words are these: “That I
may proceed in a regular manner, with regard to those passages of
scripture that I shall select on this occasion, I chuse to begin with the
original promise of the Spirit, as made by our Lord, a little before he
left the world. It occurs in the 14th and 16th chapters of St. John’s
gospel; in which he uses these words: ‘When the Spirit of truth is
come, (whom Christ had just before promised to send from the
Father, chapter 14th, verse 16th) he will guide you into all truth, and
he will shew you things to come.’ And again, ‘the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance
whatsoever I have said unto you.’ It is very clear (proceeds his
Lordship) from the bare recital of these words, that as they were
spoken to the apostles, so they peculiarly belong to the apostles
themselves, or to the inspired persons in the primitive church.”

But granting that these words do belong peculiarly to the

apostles, does it therefore follow, that they do not at all belong to
their successors, or in common to all believers upon whom the ends
of the world are come? Were not the apostles then representatives
of the whole church? And may not what was spoken to them, in a
proper degree be said to be spoken to us and to our children, and to
as many as the Lord our God shall call? Does not his Lordship
confess, page 13th, “that in one of these passages it is added, that
the Father will give you another comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever?” And does not his Lordship allow, page 14th, “that in
the largest sense in which this may be understood, it is synonymous
with Christ’s promise to his disciples at his ascension, that he
would be with them always, even to the end of the world;” that is, as
himself explains it, “by the perpetual presence of the Holy Spirit, as
the guardian of his church ’till the end of the world?” But how can
Christ be with his church by the perpetual presence of his Spirit, or
how can the Holy Spirit “be the guardian of his church ’till the end of
the world,” unless it is by opening and bringing all things to our
remembrance, whatsoever Jesus hath said to us in his revealed will,
guiding us thereby into all truth, and teaching us all things necessary
to eternal salvation?

This promise, it is true, as his Lordship observes, page the 15th,

“was fulfilled in a most solemn manner by the descent of the Holy
Spirit on the Apostles, and others with them, at the feast of
Pentecost, that is recorded so particularly in the second chapter of
the Acts of the Apostles.” And it is as true, (as his Lordship intimates
page 16th) “that St. Peter makes an application of the prophecy of
Joel, to the miraculous effusion of the Spirit on that memorable
occasion.

But does not his Lordship by intimating, that this promise of our
Lord was wholly compleated on the day of Pentecost, prove too
much? for does it not then follow, that no one after the day of
Pentecost was to expect the Holy Ghost to bring all things to their
remembrance, to teach them all things, and shew them things to
come? How then could this promise be fulfilled in the apostle Paul,
who was converted some time after? or how could this remain in the
primitive church in the inspired persons, or abide with the church for
ever to the end of the world? And supposing the apostle Peter does
make an application of the prophecy of Joel to the miraculous
effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Acts the 2d, verses
16th, 17th, &c. does it therefore follow, that this promise of our
Saviour extends no farther than that day? Does he any where
intimate any such thing through his whole discourse? Or is it any
new thing for prophecies to have several fulfilments? Is not that
prophecy, “Out of Egypt have I called my son,” which was originally
spoken concerning God’s Israel, applied by the evangelist Matthew,
chapter 2d. verse 15th, to the Son of God himself? And therefore
granting that this promise was in an extraordinary degree fulfilled in
the day of Pentecost, how does it follow, that it is not now, and will be
in an ordinary way, fulfilling to the end of the world? And
consequently, may not this promise of our Lord be pleaded by all his
disciples, for the indwelling of his blessed Spirit, and his inward
teaching, by the instrumentality of his revealed will, now as well as
formerly (especially since his Lordship, page 15th, clears us from
pretending to the operations of the miraculous kind) without being
censured for so doing as modern enthusiasts.

But this inward teaching and indwelling of the Spirit, his Lordship
will by no means allow even the primitive christians to have had in
common, and therefore, page 35th (which I come to next, for
method’s sake) he comments upon another remarkable scripture,
that, in his Lordship’s opinion, ‘has been misapplied to later ages,
and indeed to the present times, by several enthusiasts, but was
really peculiar to the times of the apostles.’ It occurs, says his
Lordship, page ibid. in the first epistle of St. John, chapter ii. verse
20th, 27th. “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth
in you: but as the same anointing teacheth you all things, and is
truth, and is no lie; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in
him.”

This unction from the Holy One, and this anointing, his Lordship,
in five or six pages, labours to prove was some extraordinary gift
residing in some particular inspired persons, and not in the believers
in general to whom the apostle wrote. But with what shadow of
argument does his Lordship reason thus? For though it be certain
(as his Lordship intimates page 37th) “that there were several such
inspired teachers among the first christians, who were endowed with
various gifts of the Spirit, and among them with the gift of prayer, and
preaching, and revelation of the true sense of the prophetical parts of
the Old Testament;” yet how does it appear, that these inspired
teachers are the particular persons referred to by the Apostle in this
passage? If that was the case, would not the epistle itself more
properly have been directed to them, as having the oversight of the
flock? Or is it not probable at least, that the Apostle would have had
something to say to them, as well as to the “little children, young
men, and fathers,” verses 12th, 13th, to whom he writes so
particularly? And is it not evident from the whole context, that this
unction from the Holy One was not an extraordinary gift residing in
any particular inspired person, but the indwelling of the Spirit,
believers in general, whereby they had an experimental proof, that
Jesus was indeed the Christ, and therefore needed not that any
man should teach them, that is, further teach them, for the Apostle
writes unto them as knowing persons, verse 12th, &c. Is not this
interpretation quite consistent with the whole scope of the Apostle in
this epistle, which was to comfort himself, and believers in general,
now so many antichrists were abroad, that (since Jesus Christ had
declared, Matthew xxiv. 24. that the elect could not be finally
deceived) they having a proof of their election by receiving this
unction from above, this indwelling of the Holy Ghost in their hearts,
were now enabled, in a way far superior to, though not entirely
exclusive of human teaching, to guard against the seducers of the
day? And consequently, may not the indwelling of the Spirit be
insisted upon now, as the privilege of all real christians, without their
being justly stiled for so doing, modern enthusiasts.

Again, is not his Lordship greatly mistaken in his explanation of

the 16th verse of the 8th of Romans, “The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” “This
passage, says his Lordship, page 18th, as it is connected with the
preceding one, relates to the general adoption of christians, or their
becoming the sons of God, instead of the Jews, who were then
rejected by God, and had lost that title. But what was the ground of
this preference that was given to christians? It was plainly the gifts of
the Spirit, which they had, and which the Jews had not. That Spirit
then, which by its gifts enabled the Apostles and other christians to
work miracles of various kinds, was a demonstration, that God was
in them of a truth, and that their religion was owned by him in
opposition to that of the Jews, whom he had deserted in a judicial
manner.” The conclusion his Lordship draws from these premises,
we have page the 20th. “That the fore-mentioned testimony of the
Spirit, attended with the testimony of our own spirit, i. e. the
consciousness of the sincerity and good lives of private christians,
was the public testimony of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which
God had conferred on the Apostles, and many of the first christians;
and which shewed that they and their brethren were the true church
of God, and not the Jews. And this was a plain criterion in the first
great controversy, namely, to which of those two churches men were