Game stories continue to evolve.
Unlike 20 years ago, sports journalists are no longer compelled to offer the score in the lead. Most fans today already know the result before they read the game story. In fact, fans who watch a game are more likely to read game stories than those who had not.
To learn more about structuring and reporting games, you can download PDF critiques of four recent basketball and wrestling stories cited below.
- Here’s a quick look at some story basics in an AP basketball game report, one that would be sent right after the final buzzer or used in a basketball roundup.
- This story is more traditional, focusing on a key element of this Big Ten basketball game.
- This writer from the Daily Oklahoman uses several creative approaches in telling the story of a player who proved an unlikely hero for Oklahoma State.
- Covering large wrestling tournaments can be a challenge. But this writer at the Des Moines register did a terrific job telling a story and localizing the angle.
How best to turn yourself from sports fan to professional sports journalist? Quickly moving beyond general guidance about sports writing, Joe Gisondi focuses on the nitty-gritty, with hands-on, practical advice on covering 20 specific sports. From auto racing to wrestling, you’ll find tips on the seemingly straightforward—where to stand on the sideline and how to identify a key player—along with the more specialized—figuring out shot selection in lacrosse and understanding a coxswain’s call for a harder stroke in rowing. Preparing you for just about any game, match, meet, race, regatta or tournament you’re likely to cover, Field Guide to Covering Sports is the ideal go-to resource to have on hand as you master the beat. You can 