Watch Your Words: The Rowman & Littlefield Language-Skills Handbook for Journalists

Marda Dunsky
Rowman & Littlefield Publisher (2007)
ISBN 9780742553910
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07)


“Watch Your Words” is a language-skills guidebook designed specifically for the journalist.  Marda Dunsky provides a manual that serves as a baseline for language skills knowledge for the journalist.  The handbook is also a compact, quick and accessible resource for the classroom or the newsroom. It is consistent with “The Associated Press Stylebook.”

Dunsky includes rules and guidelines for punctuation, and basic terms and concepts of grammar. She also introduces rules, guidelines, and tips for detecting common errors in word usage.  I found the exercises stimulating, helpful and entertaining. I received great satisfaction when I recognized terms, concepts and styles, and when I chose the right selection or answer on the self-test.  The exercises are designed to help the journalist to insure the words chosen, the grammar used and the punctuation are accurate, clear and consistent.

The “Associated Press Stylebook” study guide and self tests were especially helpful and add to the importance of the book as a resource for frequent future reference. The spelling helps with common homonyms and spelltraps are invaluable as an additional ready reference guide.

Marda Dunsky is well qualified to author this handbook.  She has been teaching editing and international journalism courses at Northwestern University for over ten years. Marda conducts editing seminars and presentations, has served as an editor at the Chicago Tribune, and as an Arab-affairs reporter for the Jerusalem Post.

“Watch Your Words” is a masterful language-skills handbook for the journalist.  This is a book that should be on the on the reference shelf of every serious journalist.  It should be included on the reading list of English, speech and communications classes at the college and university level -- an important resource tool.

Make comment on weblog