Eric’s Diary to be launched next Tuesday
Two books, aimed at enhancing the writing skills of communication students and practitioners will be launched in Accra next Tuesday.
They are “Eric’s Diary: A Guide to Writing Feature Articles Using The 5ws And H + M, O/R” and “Eric’s Diary: Creatively writing with the 5Ws and H.”
Authored by Mr Eric Mensah-Ayettey, a seasoned journalist and public relations practitioner, the books are also useful for persons whose work involves writing in any form.
The Guide to Writing Feature Articles Using the 5ws And H + M, O/R is a 312 paged book which explains “Who, What, When, Why, Where and How as well as Motive, Opinion/ Recommendation” used in writing educative, entertaining informative and promotional feature articles.
The Creatively writing with the 5Ws and H is also a 136 paged book that guides readers through the imaginative process deployed to produce nine articles he had written.
Mr Mensah-Ayettey in a statement issued and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday said the book guarantee readers a firm grounding to “set off on this quest, leaving the bookworm with only a choice to proceed.”
He indicated that his decision to put articles he had written over the past years together in these books, was informed by his quest to help develop people’s writing skills.
“Throughout my 25 years of practising journalism, public relations and advertising, I have observed that most people have difficulty in writing simple official letters, press statements, policy briefs, fact sheets, talk less of position papers and speeches,” he explained.
“My real diagnosis is that many do not have a grasp of the rules of grammar. That’s mainly because they don’t read. Neither do they listen to good English,” he added.
Mr Mensah-Ayettey stressed the need for more work to be done at the primary and secondary school levels and urged teachers at these levels to evolve the right pedagogy methods to change this situation.
He said the concept of 5Ws and H (Who, What, Where, Why, When and How) used for news report writing “can be applied to speech writing, fact sheets and feature writing.”
The launch is expected to be attended by students of journalism, journalists, public relations practitioners, media owners, media regulators, Ministers of State as well as his friends and family.
Mr Mensah-Ayettey is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CIRE Communications Services.He is a Communications Consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the practice of Public Relations and Journalism.
He is also an editor at myjoyonline.com, a subsidiary of the Multimedia Group Limited.He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Public Affairs (University of Ghana), a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration), Diploma in Journalism and a Certificate in Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing (Ghana Institute of Journalism).
Mr Mensah-Ayettey is an affiliate member of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana (IPR) and a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). He is married with three children.
BY TIMES REPORTER
