sportswriting

January 19, 2018 | Author: Anonymous | Category: Science, Health Science, Sports Medicine
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SPORTSWRITING Or

How to write like Phil Musick Who?

How to break most of the rules you’ve just learned. ► Be

objective, but….root for the home team. ► Be descriptive. Use colorful language. ► Be very aware of everything. Or it’s really not important who wins the game. ► Be opinionated. They really want to know.

Do’s and Don’ts of Slanguage ► Do

use original, colorful words and phrases. ► Do distinguish between legitimate slang and jargon (birdie, eagle, strike out) and sports clichés. (split the uprights, local gridiron) ► Do use the actual explanatory word or phrase as much as possible: Homerun, not cleared the bases; wrestlers, not grapplers. ► Don’t use forty different verbs for lost or won.

Know your stuff! Immerse yourself in the sport • • • •

Go to the games Watch TV coverage Listen to radio play by play Talk sports with friends

Sports coverage Cover every sport ► Girls’

sports as well as boys’ ► Lacrosse as well as football ► Losing teams as well as winning teams. ► In-house sports as well as WPIAL. ► Recreational sports as well as school sports

So many sports; so little space! Or How to cover it all.

► Sports

shorts---brief articles that capture relevant information; provide record of events. ► Boxes: report scoring records (wins and losses) ► Highlights only

Understanding Sports ► Learn

the rules ► Learn the strategies ► Learn the reasons behind the rules and the strategies. ► Get to know coaches and players. ► inside information ► interviews

Sports features Articles that highlight the personal side of sports (personality profiles, human interest, ► Examples: Bowler who grew up in the “allies” ► Son of basketball coach—pressures, perks ► Girl playing football ► Trainer-types of injuries, most serious etc. ► Oldest alumni football, baseball star ► Coach who played for the school ► What is lacrosse, rugby, ultimate frisbee? ► What

Sportswriting: The good 

Can be more partisan (for the hometeam)



Can interpret more than news reporters



Can explain the tension, color, excitement



Can include writer’s perspective



Can use more colorful language

Sportswriting: The Bad ► Must

avoid slanguage (jargon, cliches specific to sports) P. 285 ► Must know and understand the sport ► Must

cover all teams ► Must cover all records

Pregame Stories ► Gather

information on opposing teams ► What was last year’s score? ► What is the condition of the athletes? ► Who are the key athletes/who is on starting lineup? ► Comments on style of play ► Importance of event to the school

Game Story ►

Take detailed, accurate notes ► Watch for turning points ► Develop easy to read note taking system ► Analyze the story ► May write in a partisan or biased fashion; cannot be cheerleader. ► May be less more specific in details of game; must include important details (score)

Post Game stories ► Also

called sideline story ► Offers chance to untangle confusing events—call by ref; what happened to a player; any injuries ► Tone and lead—more feature, can start with a story or a quote ► Should be colorful and vivid like pre-game and game stories

What about quotations? ► Should

be pertinent to the game or contest ► Should not highlight only star players

►Must

include quote from coaches

How to gather information for sports articles ► Scores:

http://www.msasportsnetwork.com/ ► Letters sent to coaches of opposing teams or editors of opposing school’s newspapers ► Ask : how many returning varsity players ► how many starters lost from team ► size, weight, position and year in school of players ► strengths and weaknesses

Photos ►Action,

action we want

Action

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