Aim for the Heart
Write, Shoot, Report and Produce for TV and Multimedia
- Al Tompkins - The Poynter Institute
Al Tompkins teaches students about broadcast journalism using a disarmingly simple truth—if you aim for the heart with the copy you write and the sound and video you capture, you will compel your viewers to keep watching. With humor, honesty, and directness, award-winning journalist and author Al Tompkins bottles his years of experience and insight in a new Third Edition that offers students the fundamentals they need to master journalism in today’s constantly evolving media environment, with practical know-how they can immediately put to use in their careers. Aim for the Heart is as close as you can get to spending a week in one of Tompkins’s training sessions that he has delivered in newsrooms around the world, from which students:
• Learn how to build compelling characters who connect with the audience
• Write inviting leads
• Get memorable soundbites
• See how to light, crop, frame, and edit compelling videos
• Learn how to leverage social media to engage audiences
• Gain critical thinking skills that move your story from telling the “what” to telling the “why”
"For those of us in journalism, our world is quickly changing beneath our feet. Aim for the Heart will give you something solid to stand on, with insights on how to be a better storyteller and how to make the most of the newest technology.”
"In the midst of a changing industry, Aim for the Heart is more important than ever. It reminds journalists that no matter what the platform, the story is still key. Writing matters. Every manager should have this in their library; it is a great way to inspire newsrooms.”
“Aim for the Heart offers outstanding lessons for students at all levels. Tompkins’ approach is smart and engaging, bringing multimedia stories into focus through effective and ethical practices. His emphasis on improving technique in writing, shot composition and the marriage of the two moves students forward.”
"Knowing about ‘the next big thing' is meaningless without thinking carefully about how those 'big things' enhance the fundamentals of journalism—the fundamentals that give our audiences stories that are ethically sound, engaging and informative. Al Tompkins gets that connection, and he stands for journalism that matters. Anyone who has ever attended one of Al Tompkins’ workshops knows that he brings amazing insight, energy and passion into the classroom. What’s even more amazing is how he manages to convey that energy and passion in print. Aim for the Heart inspired ordinary journalists to do extraordinary work.”
"Aim for the Heart is the book I wish I could have read 20 years sooner. Al Tompkins reveals the secrets of compelling visual stories. As an award winning broadcast journalist, Al taught himself the ‘magic” years ago. His willingness to share and teach is his gift to the rest of us.”
