PNA Foundation’s Writing Coach

Specialized training available to PNA members looking to write at a winning level!

Weak ledes? Dull quotes? Clutter? Jargon? Russell Frank can help. Frank, a former reporter and editor who has been teaching journalism at Penn State for more than 20 years, is available for newsroom-wide presentations and/or one-on-one coaching sessions on how to sharpen your newswriting.

Whether you give him works in progress or already published stories, he will work with you on crafting punchier ledes, selecting pithier quotes, deciding what to include and what to leave out and how to organize it all. The best way to proceed would be to send him a packet of stories to edit before he talks with your newsroom, but other arrangements are possible.  For 2021, until further notice, these sessions will be held virtually to ensure the safety of all involved.


The only cost to you?  A donation to the PNA Foundation is requested for coaching services.

It’s simple and it’s inexpensive. Through the generous support of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University, Russell Frank will train your newsroom for a donation to the PNA Foundation. You must be a member in good standing of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Email Melinda Condon of the PNA Foundation, or phone her at 717-703-3002, to schedule your coaching session and to discuss your tax-deductible donation.  We will work with you and your budget to make this happen.

Russell Frank has published in The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers and magazines, and is the author of two books: “Among the Woo People: A Survival Guide for Living in a College Town” and “Newslore: Contemporary Folklore on the Internet.”  Review his full bio on the Penn State website.

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This is a joint project of the PNA Foundation and the Penn State Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

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What past participants are saying:

“… we are very grateful that Professor Franks took the time that he did in researching our work ahead of time, and then coming out to provide us with the instruction face to face at our location. It was very useful.  It doesn’t matter how long you have been a reporter, all of us can always learn more.”

“…much of what he passed onto us is stuff we have all probably heard before – however, we don’t hear it enough and we need to be reminded of it much more often or we fall back into bad habits and laziness.”

“Our staff said they found that Russell was not intimidating and shared common ground with them because of his past and current work.