College Composition and Communication Jun 2019

Redefining Writing for the Responsive Workplace

Claire Lauer ; Eva Brumberger

Abstract

In this article we argue that mobile, design, content, and social media technologies have fundamentally redefined the role of the writer in the workplace. Rather than the originator of content, the writer is becoming a sort of multimodal editor who revises, redesigns, remediates, and upcycles content into new forms, for new audiences, purposes, and media. This article discusses data gathered from over one hundred hours of embedded workplace research shadowing nine different professional communicators. The data demonstrate the iterative, detailed, product-focused types of work happening within a range of workplace constraints and, in turn, emphasize the need for writers and teachers of writing to recognize the importance of developing a broad skillset to prepare for this kind of work.

Journal
College Composition and Communication
Published
2019-06-01
DOI
10.58680/ccc201930182
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality social media

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Lambrecht et al. (2026)
    Building narrative layers in virtual reality via multimodal user experience
    Computers and Composition
  2. Richter (2024)
    Communicating Democracy: Opportunities for Election Knowledge Communication and…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Sarraf (2022)
    Representations of Creativity by Posters in Freelance Writing Internet Forums
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Marotta (2021)
    Regulated and Nonregulated Writing: A Qualitative Study of University Custodian…
    Research in the Teaching of English
  5. Bahl (2021)
    Creating intelligent content with lightweight DITA
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 6 →
  1. Brumberger et al. (2020)
    A Day in the Life: Personas of Professional Communicators at Work
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (14)

  1. Mays (2017)
    Writing Complexity, One Stability at a Time: Teaching Writing as a Complex System
    College Composition and Communication
  2. Dush (2015)
    When Writing Becomes Content
    College Composition and Communication
  3. Blythe et al. (2014)
    Professional and Technical Communication in a Web 2.0 World
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Pigg (2014)
    Coordinating Constant Invention: Social Media's Role in Distributed Work
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Wardle (2009)
    “Mutt Genres” and the Goal of FYC: Can We Help Students Write the Genres of the…
    College Composition and Communication
Show all 14 →
  1. Amidon et al. (2008)
    Wrestling With Proteus
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Pullman et al. (2007)
    Guest Editors' Introduction: Rationalizing and Rhetoricizing Content Management
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Bisaillon (2007)
    Professional Editing Strategies Used by Six Editors
    Written Communication
  4. Spinuzzi (2007)
    Guest Editor's Introduction: Technical Communication in the Age of Distributed Work
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Shipka (2005)
    A Multimodal Task-Based Framework for Composing
    College Composition and Communication
  6. Brandt (2005)
    Writing for a Living
    Written Communication
  7. Kain et al. (2005)
    Building Context: Using Activity Theory to Teach About Genre in Multi-Major Pro…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  8. Krohn (2004)
    A Generational Approach to Using Emoticons as Nonverbal Communication
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  9. Spinuzzi (1996)
    Pseudotransactionality, Activity Theory, and Professional Writing Instruction
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Also cites 2 works outside this index ↓
  1. Grove (1994)
    “When the Basics Aren’t Enough: Finding a Comprehensive Editor.”
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication  ↗
  2. Spinuzzi (2003)
    10.7551/mitpress/6875.001.0001
    Tracing Genres through Organizations: A Sociocultural Approach to Information Design  ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 11 View in citation network →

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