Faith Bible College buried the lede by focusing on its own player's 70-point performance.
If you want a reminder on the difference between journalism and public relations, check out this story on Grinnell’s Jack Taylor setting the NCAA record by scoring an astounding 138 points. This is the classic buried lede. Sports journalists should not be homers, rooting for local teams or colleges they attend. That’s not the case with sports media relations specialists, whose mission is to promote their programs. Despite that, how could anyone not open with Taylor’s record-setting performance? Faith Bible College’s sports information department could have written a sidebar or inserted a complementary video interview to go along with the main story. Let this also be a reminder to sportswriters to act as journalists by interviewing players and coaches on both sides in order to present the best story, regardless one’s primary audience.
I just revised syllabi (below) for both my sports writing and sports and media courses here at Eastern Illinois University. As always, I want to address far more than is possible in a 16-week semester. I know many disbelieve that sports has relevance, but that’s simply not the case. While writing about games is not nearly as important as revealing environmental disasters or disclosing how a university spends it funds, sports are relevant politically, internationally, economically, and socially. Sports are an intrinsic part of our culture. That’s why I’d like to develop courses in sports literature and sports and media history. But that’s not a likely scenario right now, so I have condensed a great deal into my single semester. Should be fun and illuminating.
Continue reading Sports journalism syllabi, grade sheets →
Sports designers can learn a great deal by looking at newspaper front pages related to the election held yesterday. Design should be bold and have a focal point, as anybody named Mario Garcia or Tim Harrower will tell you.
But that’s not how many college sports sections are designed. At the national college journalism conference, I saw pages that relied on way too many visual elements and way too little focus. On one page, the designer had plunked about six different photos on a page to go along with about six similarly sized headlines, which left me frustrated in that I did not know where to head first. In these instances, readers like myself will just flip the page.
Let’s consider a few basic rules for any terrific design.
Continue reading Sports designers can learn from election →
So what are college staffs, professional sports journalists and athletes saying about today’s election? Not a clue. But I will find out. Check out this Storify article (storticle?) that will be updated throughout the day. I’m testing how effective this newer media works. My suspicion – this is a terrific way to curate (or compile or round-up) coverage of major sports events, such as National Signing Day or a conference championship or an NHL regular season game. One can also assemble thoughts on breaking sports news or issues, such as BCS voting or whether the NYC Marathon should have been run.
Let me know if your news organization is also storifyin’. In the meantime, I’ll be checking out sports coverage today that, hopefully, does not rely on election day references.
Despite USA Today’s gaudy sports cover (on right), the newspaper typically offers terrific analysis, interesting features, and solid reporting. I do not frequently read the print edition, but I read the online daily by using an app on my iPhone. After turning the front page and readjusting my eyes, I learned a great deal about confrontational NHL negotiations that have left the season in peril.
For instance, Kevin Allen explains: “Owners are offended that players made them wait for negotiating sessions. Players are offended that owners rejected their three proposals in 10 minutes without analyzing them.” In addition, players gave up a great deal during negotiations in 2004-05 and now the owners have asked for more concessions, such as accepting a revenue split of 50-50. Allen mixes commonsense commentary with facts, revealing why he’s one of the best NHL writers in the country.
Continue reading Ryan, Allen deliver terrific analysis →
Calkins
To those who believe columnists need to bloviate, spew bile, or self-flagellate, check out this column by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal’s Geoff Calkins, which won an APSE award this year. If this story does not evoke an emotional response, check your pulse.
SF Gate's Henry Schulman used several terrific quotes to bolster his World Series coverage.
Few tasks are more daunting than the post-game interview, especially when it takes place late at night. Sports journalists are already nearly overwhelmed doing the following on deadline – filing an initial story online, racing downstairs to post-game conferences and/or dugouts to get comments from players and coaches, plugging these quotes into a second draft, developing a separate notes and quotes package, and then possibly writing a fully revised game story. Based upon post-game interviews, writers often rewrite leads, revise passages, and reorganize many portions of their initial stories.
Continue reading Blame dull quotes on bland questions →
AnnArbor.com offered a running blog in its coverage of the Big Ten basketball media day.
Getting ready to cover media day for your local team or conference? You might consider producing a non-traditional story that reads more like a mix between a first-person narrative and a notebook, which is how the News-Gazette in Champaign, Ill., covered the Big Ten basketball media day on Thursday.
Or you can interview your local coach to get reactions and updates about the team, which can serve as a mini preseason primer.
It never hurts to include some video from the press conferences to supplement your coverage, as the Indianapolis Star did.
Continue reading Covering conference media days →
Jim Mora knows more than a little about post-game rants, as chronicled by ESPN.
The local volleyball coach refuses to speak to you after a loss. The football coach talks excitedly after a victory, but offers monosyllabic responses following a defeat. The basketball coach stares directly at you following a loss, daring you to ask a question.
Maybe the coach slams his headset to the ground, stomps his feet, or utters obscenities at the opposing team – or maybe even at you. Hopefully, you won’t have to watch one coach bite the ear off another, as this coach did after a sixth-grade boys basketball title game.
Continue reading Dealing with coaches after a loss →
I suggested several approaches to covering teams that are performing very poorly on the field or court at my Twitter feed at @joegisondi. Or you can type either #suckyteams or #sportswriting to find and read these tweeted tips.
David Waldstein revealed stories behind the key moments in last night's baseball game.
So how do you write a game story for those who have already watched a sports event – or who at least have viewed countless highlights? By focusing more on key moments and less on play by play.
Play by play should can be more heavily used for prep and youth games that few people have watched either in person or on television. In most instances, cite key plays when they directly affect the outcome of the game or when they help display a trend (a pitcher’s ineffectiveness on 2-0 counts or a team’s success in scoring inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line, otherwise referred to as the Red Zone.) Otherwise, report and tell stories that illuminate decisions and actions made on fields and courts.
Continue reading Lure sports fans who already know the score →
The Daily Bruin's Jacob Ruffman reveals the challenges that Brett Hundley overcame to become UCLA's starting quarterback.
Like always, college newspapers across the country are focusing on football, game stories and columns. Games certainly drive sports coverage. But fans also appreciate a feature that reveals insights into an athlete, or coach, both on and off the field, along with breaking news. Here are some of the more compelling stories by college staffs from the past few days.
The Daily Bruin published a terrific feature on UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley. Jacob Ruffman focuses on a key moment in the lead, offering internal monologue, dialogue, and specific details in this poignant opening scene. It’s not easy for people to admit their frailties, as Hundley does by telling Ruffman he broke down in tears upon hearing that he would be the starter.
Continue reading Stories worth reading from college staffs →
The Michigan Daily publishes, promotes coverage on Facebook. Do the same for your own student news media.
A few thoughts as college sports journalists enter a new semester on campuses across the country. Some staffs have already been working for a few weeks, while some others won’t begin until after Labor Day. Either way, here are some things to consider as you prepare coverage for the year:
1. Hit social media hard. Break all news on Twitter, which has become the first level of reporting. Whether someone gets named the starting quarterback, or gets hurt in practice, post the initial information on Twitter. You can then develop these stories on your websites and blogs as you get them, updating them through the day. In addition, promote features, columns and other sports news on both Twitter and Facebook pages devoted to either the newspaper or, ideally, to sports news from your newspaper, radio or TV station. You’ll have to post regularly, though, or people won’t join, or like or register for your sports feeds.
Continue reading Tips for campus sports coverage →
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 
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