Scott Reinardy – The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing (Second edition)

Автор: Scott Reinardy
Название книги: The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing (Second edition)
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Журналистика
Страницы: 421
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

In The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing, authors Scott Reinardy and Wayne Wanta employ their own professional experience as sports writers and editors to give students a useful and practical view of the sports writing profession. The text is divided into readily digestible sections, covering essential topics such as types of stories; background and preparation; interviewing; the beginning stages of writing; and conclusion writing.

Through real-life examples, readers learn the in-and-outs of writing columns, advances and follows, sidebars, profiles, and features, as well as the stylistic and ethical considerations that go into writing sports content.

Sports are a microcosm of life, and the sports section is the official historical
record of the daily occurrences. The other sections of the paper are
parsed out to specifically identify hero from villain, wealthy from poor,
living from dead. The sports section includes all that and more. It offers
an escape from the mundane 40-plus-hour workweek. It allows us to live
vicariously through our favorite teams or players. Sports scratch at our
ancestral being of association and achievement. When our teams win, we
win. There is no greater reward for the investment.
But escapism is not the only allure of sports. Athletic contests provide
a level playing field for all. Retribution for a foul act is swift and (usually)
fair. Where else can you receive just a two-minute penalty for assaulting
another person with a hockey stick? The playing surface has well-defined
boundaries, and the rules are clear and concise. On the field, court, pitch,
or rink, social status is measured in ability, not money, property ownership,
or lineage.
And the sports journalist has a front-row seat.
Sports journalism is rapidly changing. Traditional newspaper sports
writers face a new host of issues: producing more content for online;
reduced access to players and coaches; athletes breaking their own news
on social media; competition not only from TV and radio but sports teams,
local bloggers and other online media; and continuous online engagement
with fans. Sports journalists need to recognize different audiences (newspaper,
online, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and how to capture and maintain
the attention of each audience. Decisions about whether to partake in
local radio and television sports shows, and dealing with reduced staffing
and budgets, also need to be considered. Additionally, the readers have
changed. They have become more proactive. Readers are participants:
writing blogs, posting videos, and pontificating on sports talk shows.
Athletes have changed as well. They are surrounded by “posses” or
“people” who protect their interests. Coaches, athletes, and teams are
insulated by layers of public relations personnel and handlers, many of
whom believe sports writers should be cheerleaders for the athletes and teams. And then there are the relentless fans whose insatiable appetite for
information is never fulfilled.
The best way to learn sports writing is to do sports writing. But before
you jump into your new career, we would like to offer a few tips.
The second edition of The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing is
a nuts-and-bolts handbook for those starting out in sports journalism. As
with all journalism books, what is presented here is not gospel, but merely
our perspectives drawn from years of experience as sports journalists and
as journalism professors. We believe Essentials offers a different perspective
than other sports-writing books, one that is current and entertaining.
In the second edition, chapters have been updated with fresh examples
and additional “professional perspectives,” where working sports
journalists give their insiders’ guide to the work they do. Perspectives
in this edition were provided by ESPN.com’s Wright Thompson, New
York Yankees beat writer Chad Jennings, Denver Post columnist
Benjamin Hochman, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel,
FOXSportsWisconsin.com’s Jesse Temple, Las Vegas Sun’s Taylor Bern,
and Seattle Times Jayson Jenks, among others.
Essentials is divided into several easily digestible bites. Chapters
1 and 2 provide background and preparation advice in writing good
sports stories. Chapter 3 discusses stories types complete with examples;
Chapters 4–6 discuss the beginnings of writing the story, including
different types of lead writing. Chapters 7–10 examine the middle of
stories, which focus on story structure, interviewing, using quotes, and
handling play-by-play in game stories. Chapter 11 explains the art of
writing effective story conclusions.
Chapters 12 through 16 provide guidelines in writing specific types of
stories: sidebars, advances and follows, columns, features and profiles,
and sports news. Chapters 17 and 18 address some final points, including
stylistic issues and sports journalism ethics.
In this edition, two chapters have been added. Chapter 19 explains the
intricacies of covering international events. Chapter 20, titled “The Life,”
provides an honest view of what life as a sports journalist will entail. It
includes tips ranging from negotiating your first job offer to managing the
workload and family life.
We cannot guarantee you’ll become a great sports writer by reading
The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing, but we can guarantee you
won’t get any worse.