COOKING UP A SPORTS FEATURE STORY - MOspace Home

COOKINGUPASPORTSFEATURESTORY

Dissectingthewriter-editordecisionsandoperationsthatleadtosportsfeaturesmakingittopublication

byMARKSELIGMaster’sCandidate,MissouriSchoolofJournalism

DECEMBER2015

JacquiBanaszynski,CommitteeChair

GregBowersJoyMayer

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Acknowledgments

There’snowayI’mgoingtogetthisdone.

Therewasamomentthisyear—latewinterorearlyspring,beforeIevendecidedwhatmyfinalprojectwouldbe—whenIwalkedintoastairwellatworkandstaredoutawindowindesperation.I’mtypicallyeven-keeled,stoic,assuredI’llfinishwhatIstart.Butforthefirsttimeinalongtime,Ihaddoubts.

Nothingontheothersideofthewindowprovidedanswers.Myproject,chair,JacquiBanaszynski,did.

Strugglingtofindatopictoresearchorapracticalprojecttopropose,IemailedJacquiandsetupameetingthatweek.BythetimeIleftheroffice,Iwasbacktomyoldself.Icandothis.Nosweat.

ThankyouJacquiforallofyourguidanceandsuggestions,andforreadingcrappyfirstdraftsthatturnedintobetterfinalproductspost-edit.YouarethesmartestpersonIknow,andknowingthatthesmartestpersonIknowisonmyteamgavemeconfidenceeverythingwouldturnoutallright.

ThankyouGregBowersforchallengingmetodobetter,whetheryouwereinspectingmyblogoreditingmyarticles.Iwouldn’tbeknownworldwideas“award-winningcolumnistMarkSelig”withoutyourhelp.Inallseriousness,I’veabsorbedalotofjournalismandlifelessonsfromyouoverthepasttwoyears.TheywillservemewellasImoveforward.

ThankyouJoyMayerforsettingupyourstudentstosucceed,nomatterwhattheywanttodonext.Istillthink“ParticipatoryJournalism”isthewrongnameforyourclass,butIalsothinkI’llgetajobdoingsomethingdigitallybecauseofit.

Otherthanksgotothosewhoimpactedmefromafar.ThanksDadforalwayssupportingmydecisions,evenifthey’vetakenmefartherandfartherawayfromthefamily.ThanksDaveforprovidingagreatexampleofhowtosucceedinthisficklebusiness.

Beforethisuncharacteristicallysappynotecloses,Ihavetoshoutoutmyboo,LeeAnne.ThankyouformakingmydecisiontocometoMissourimybestdecisionyet.Frompancakestopudding,everyhourofeverydaywithyouisexcitingandfulfilling.Iloveyou.

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TableofContents

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………ii

CHAPTER

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………1

2. FieldNotes…………………………………………………………………………4

3. PersonalEvaluation………………………………………………………….31

4. PhysicalEvidence……………………………………………………………..34

5. Analysis……………………………………………………………………………138

APPENDIX

OriginalProjectProposal…………………………………………………………….163

LiteratureReview……………………………………………………………………….174

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………….190

AppendixtoOriginalProposal……………………………………………………..195

ChangestoOriginalProposal……………………………………………………….198

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Chapter1:Introduction

Whenaguestspeakercalledintoclass,itwasthebest75minutesofthe

week.MyfirstsemesterattheUniversityofMissouriIenrolledinGregBowers’

sportsjournalismcourse.Thediscussion-basedclassoftenfeaturedguestspeakers,

andthesevisitors(orSkypers)representedawho’swhointoday’snarrative

journalismlandscape.

SportsIllustrated’sThomasLaketalkedaboutboilingdownhisarticlestoa

singleword.Andabouthowthebesttimetowriteastoryisoftenayearafteritis

newsworthy,oncethedusthassettled.ESPNtheMagazine’sWrightThompson

describedhispre-reportingprocessanddetailedhisexperiencescoveringMichael

Jordanpost-retirement.FreelancerJustinHeckertsharedadviceonrecreatinga

scenethroughinterviewing.Healsodisplayedhisunusualaptitudeofremembering

ledes—everybody’sledes.Ineverwantedtheseconversationstoend;therealways

seemedtobemoretoexplore.

ThesearethetypesofconversationsIhopetohaveaspartofmynextjob.

AftergraduationIwilltrytobecomeasportseditorforanewspaperorweb-only

publication.Narrativefeaturewritingisaninterestandskillofmine,andI’dliketo

helpotherwriters’featuressing.

Whatinterestsmemost—andwhatstillmakesnewspapersrelevanttome

—isthewriting.Asanadvisortoundergraduatereporters,I’vebeenforcedtothink

aboutandarticulatewhatmakeswritingsuccessful.Priortomyenrollmentat

Missouri,IservedfouryearsasasportsreporterfortheDailyNews-Recordin

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Harrisonburg,Virginia.I’mproudofmyworkthere.Iproducedaward-winning

storiesanddominatedabeat.Butsometimesthedailygrindleftlittleroomfor

reflection.Mystrategieshadbecomemoreinstinctivethancalculated.

Throughchallengingcoursesand20-plushoursperweekservingasthe

assistantsportseditorattheColumbiaMissourian,I’vebroadenedmyoutlookon

journalism.Whilenosingleclasshasgivenmeexpertiseinaparticulararea,each

hasshownmewhatispossible—andhasprovidedthebasicfoundational

knowledgetoexplorefurther.Workinginthenewsroominamanagerialposition

hastaughtmeadifferentlevelofresponsibilityjugglingandpersonality

management.It’salsogivenmededicationtoaproductbiggerthanmyown.Myrole

asaneditorattheMissourianhasbeenrefreshinginthatIcanrevisitthebuilding

blockseverysemesterwhenweinheritanewstaffwithvaryingskilllevels.AsI

preparedforsimilarjobswithverydifferentstaffs,Iwantedtopickthebrainsof

moreexperiencedwritersandeditors.

Myprojectwastwo-fold.FortheprofessionalelementofmyprojectIcreated

abloginwhichIhighlightedmeaningfulsportsjournalismanddiscussedcraft—

whatmakesastoryfunandengagingtoread?—withthereportersandeditors

responsible.Formyprofessionalanalysis,Ifocusedontheprocessofdeveloping

storyideas,andtheconsiderationswritersandeditorsmakebeforedecidingto

devotesignificantresourcestoasportsfeaturestory.

ItalkedtowritersI’dbeenreadingsinceIfirstlearnedwhatanewspaper

was.BostonGlobecolumnistBobRyanisthefirstpersonIremembercallingmy

favoritejournalist.Inrecentyears,myfavoritehasbeenLeeJenkins.Inthelast

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severalmonths,Imighthavefoundanewone—JohnBranch.Ichattedwitheachof

thesewritersabouttheirstorytellingstrategies.Thisislikeayoungbasketball

playeraskingLeBronJamesabouthispost-upgame.

Butthisprojectwasn’taboutheroworship;itwasaboutlearningtricksofthe

tradeIcouldpassontoothers.Idevelopedasmallcommunityofjournalistswho

appreciatedthatIdidthisandkeptaskingformore.Thatwasthemostgratifying

part—knowingIwasnotonlylearningbutalsoteaching.Hearingthestories

behindthestoriesallowedmetoanalyze,critiqueandbemoreconsciousabout

readinglikeawriter—habitsthatwillservemewellasaneditor.Italsohelpedme

createcontactsintheindustryasInetworkedwithwell-knownjournalists.

Andspeakingtowritersandeditorsfortheanalysisportionoftheproject

allowedmeabetterviewofhowthesestoryideasactuallycomeabout.IfIplanto

workasasportseditor,Ineedtoknowthetypesofconversationseditorshavewith

theirwritersbeforegreen-lightingamajorfeaturestory.Ineedtobeawareofall

theconsiderationsjournalistsmake:Whatareyourmainsourcesfor

brainstorming?Whatmakesastoryinteresting?Howdoesaudiencereception

influencetheworkyoudo?Findinganswerstothesequestionswillhelpmefroman

operationalstandpointasIreentertheindustry.Theycanhelpmebeamore

informededitorwho’scognizantofthethoughtprocessesofbothwritersand

editors.

Thisprojectisthefinalstepinearningmymaster’sdegreeinjournalism

fromtheUniversityofMissouri.Iwillnowrejointheworkforceasamore

thoughtful,experienced,skilledandconnectedjournalist.

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Chapter2:FieldNotesWeek1(June1-7)WHATIDID

• IinterviewedESPN’sLeonCarterforanhour.WhileCarterhasworkedatheNewYorkDailyNewsandrecentlytookajobatthestill-to-launchblackculturesite,TheUndefeated,IaskedhimtoremarkonhistimeatESPNNewYork,whereheservedastheVPandexecutiveeditorsince2010.

• FromCarter,IreceivedcontactinfoforESPNNYcolumnist/featurewriterIanO’Connor.CarterandIspecificallydiscussedoneofO’Connor’sstories.IamsubstitutingthisduoforESPN’sMaryByrneandColeyHarvey(becauseMary’snewjob—sherecentlymovedfromUSATODAY—isnotexactlywhatIanticipated).

• O’ConnoragreedtospeakwithmeWednesday,June10.

• SentemailinvitetoJoeSullivanoftheBostonGlobe.Heagreedtoan

interviewandsaidhe’dknowofabettertimenextweek

• SentemailinvitetoMikeSvetitzoftheRichmondTimesDispatch.

• Icreatedaspreadsheetwitheachofmytargets,theiremailaddresses,phonenumbersandphysicaladdresses(forthankyounotes),aswellasmyprogressincontacting/interviewingthem.

WHATILEARNED

• Can’tsaythereweremanysurprisesfrommyconversationwithCarter,butIhaveabetterunderstandingofhisoveralljobanditsdemands.

• Interestingnugget:WhenCarterlivedinNewYorkheusedtoaskcabdriverswhattheythoughtofhisstories/website.Hewouldn’ttellthedriverswhohewas(forfearthatthey’daskfortickets)buthelikedtheirraw,honestopinions.

WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK

• SendingIanO’ConnoranemailreminderTuesdayandtheninterviewinghimWednesday.Willimmersemyselfinmoreofhisworkbeforethisinterview.

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• ReconnectingwithJoeSullivanfromtheBostonGlobetomakesurehehasn’tforgottenaboutme.

Week2(June8-14)WHATIDID

• SortedthroughwebsitehostingoptionsandsettledonWordPress.com.

• SpokewithColumbiaMissourianexecutiveeditorTomWarhoveraboutadditionalfundingfortheblog(inordertobuyadomainname,apremiumWordPresstemplateandstoragespace).Ihavea$500budget.

• CreatedBackstorysports.comandloadedmypersonalworktoit.

• InterviewedKnoxvilleNewsSentinelSportsEditorPhilKaplanonJune8.In

additiontousingthisinterviewformyresearchpaper,Iwilltakeablurbfromourdiscussionandcraftablogpostaboutitnextweek.

• WroteanintroductionpieceonMondayandthenmyfirstfullblogpost

TuesdayaboutNBAwritersandtheirstoriesafterGame2oftheNBAFinals.

• InterviewedIanO’ConnorforresearchportionofprojectandreservedtimefordiscussionofhisrecentBelmontStakescoverage.

• TurnedBelmontconversationwithO’Connorintoanotherblogpost.

• InterviewedKnoxvilleNewsSentinel’sDustinDopirakforresearch.

• ScheduledinterviewwithSportsIllustrated’sLeeJenkinsforJune26.This,I

hope,willbemyfirst“podcast.”I’dliketouseaMarantztaperecorderandrunourentireconversation,ifallgoeswell.

WHATILEARNED

• Bloggingisfun!

• Aretweetfromawell-connectedsourcecangoalongway.MyNBApostreceivedmorethan250pageviewsbecauseHowardBeck(oneofthewritersImentioned)retweeteditouttohis111Kfollowers.

• It’ssillythatthisneverdawnedonmebefore,butIcaneasilyturnmyresearchconversationsintoblogposts.

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• BloggingabouttheKnoxvilleNewsSentinel’suseofrecordsrequestsinreporting.

• ContactingBleacherReport’sBillEichenbergerandJasonKing(orLarsAnderson)totrytosetupaninterview.

• InterviewingBostonGlobe’sJoeSullivanonTuesday,June16andgoingthroughhimtosetupaninterviewwithoneofhisreporters.

• ContactingvariouswinnersofAPSEawardstoseeifthey’dbewillingto

spendtimewithmeduringthefollowingweek’sconvention.Ihopetousetheseconversationsforblogposts.

• Transcribinganotherbatchofmyinterviews.ThoughweagreedthatIdon’t

needtotranscribeeverything,I’mconvertingmynotesintomorereadable,organizednotes.Soforthat,I’llusetheterm“transcribing.”

Week3(June15-21)WHATIDID

• BloggedaboutKnoxvilleNews-Sentinel’spropensitytorequestopenrecords.

• InterviewedBostonGlobesportseditorJoeSullivanformyresearch.

• Wroteablogpostanalyzingthesportsfrontpagesofthewinning/losingteamsofboththeNBAFinalsandStanleyCup.

• InterviewedNewYorkTimesreporterJohnBranchabouthismostrecent

take-outfeatureandbloggedtheaudiofromourconversation.

• SetupinterviewswithBleacherReport’sBillEichenbergerandLarsAndersonfornextweek.

WHATILEARNED

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• Myownnewspaper,andmanyothers,doesn’trequestenoughrecords.Therearecountlessstoriestobedoneafterobtainingcertainrecords,whichwecanacquireforapublicschoollikeMissouri.

• Ilearnedtheday-to-dayoperationsofasportseditoratabigpapersuchas

theBostonGlobe.Itwasnothingunexpected,butstillprettyneattohearwhatJoeSullivandoeshourtohour.

• Evenoneofthemostrespectedwritersintheworld(JohnBranch)doesn’t

alwaysoutlinehisstories.Hedidn’tforLostBrotherinYosemite.Week4(June22-28)WHATIDID

• InterviewededitorBillEichenbergerandwriterLarsAndersonfromBleacherReport’sLongformdivision.

• InterviewedSportsIllustratedseniorwriterLeeJenkinsaboutsomeofhis

recentstoriesandbloggedourconversation.

• InterviewedlegendaryBostonGlobecolumnistBobRyanandbloggedourconversation.

• TouchedbasewithSanDiegoUnion-TribunesportseditorToddAdams

aboutdoingaresearchinterviewoverthephonenextweek.

• AttendedAPSEConference,whichincludedaparticularsectionaboutcontentpromotionthroughFacebookthatIfoundveryusefulforthepurposesofmyblog(nottomentiontheMissourian).

• Networkedwithmorethan75sportswritersandeditorsattheAPSE

convention.MadecontactswithpeoplewhomImightinterviewdownthelinefortheblog.

• Madealistofpossiblepeopletointerviewformyblog.

WHATILEARNED

• Toomuchtolisthere.TheAPSEawardswerevaluablebothforthesessionsofferedandtheabilitytochatwithveteransacrossthecountry.SparknotesversionofwhatIlearned:

o HowtousePeriscope

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o Howtocreateeasydigitalcontentthatdepartsfromtraditionalstoryforms

o Whatmakesgoodcolumns(agreatideaandconciseexecution).o Therearen’tmanyshortcutsintheindustry.Thesavviest,hardest

workingpeoplearetheoneswhoseemtosucceed.WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK

• HopefullyinterviewingSanDiego’sToddAdamsandoneofhiswriters.• ContactingBenjaminHochmanfromtheDenverPostabouthis“9innings”

seriesaboutcommunitybaseballseries.

• Combingthroughmylistofpotentialinterviewsubjectsanddivisingaplanonwhotocontactfirst.

• ReachingouttoShiraSpringeroftheBostonGlobe.ShewillbemyGlobe

writingrepresentativefortheresearchportion.Week5(June29-July5)WHATIDID

• Wrotefourblogpostso Amonthlycompilationofmyfavoritestories

o AreviewofhowBleacherReportislegitimizingit’sdamaged

reputationwithaLongformsection.

o Abehind-the-scenespostaboutacompellingstorythatappearedonSBNation.

o ApodcastwithDenverPost’sBenjaminHochman.

• InterviewedBostonGlobe’sShiraSpringerformyresearchportion.

WHATILEARNED

• InowbetterknowtheinsandoutsofhowashoplikeBleacherReportisrun.ThecompanyhasmoremoneythanGod,andintermsoflongformwriters,itisonlylookingtohirepeoplewhoabsolutelyblowthemaway.

• Howasportswritersuccessfullyusessocialmediatogeneratestoryideas.

BenjaminHochmancrowdsourcestofindsourcestotalkto.Ifhewantsto

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writeaboutpeoplewhousebaseballtokeepincontactwiththeirparents,hehasseveraloptionsafterafewkeystrokesonTwitter.

• IneverknewofSBNation’sreachuntilIsawallthetrafficthesitedirectedto

myblog.Theeditor,GlennStout,linkedtomybloginthecommentssectionofapopularstory,andoverthenexttwoweeks,SBNationgavememorethan500referrals.Idon’twanttopandertopageviews,butitwasnicetoseethattypeofbump.

Week6(July6-12)WHATIDID

• InterviewededitorToddAdamsandreporterMichaelGehlkinoftheSanDiegoUnion-Tribunefortheresearchpaper.

• InterviewedGrantland’sRobertMays,alsoforresearch.

• InterviewedWashingtonPost’sSteveGoff,whojustreturnedtothecountryfromcoveringtheWorldCup.Ibloggedaboutwhatinterestedmefromourconversation.

• InterviewedESPNproducerKrisSchwartzaboutafascinatingTVstoryIsaw

overtheweekend.Highlightsfromourtalkareontheblog.WHATILEARNED

• ReportersarethemainsourcesofstoryideasattheSanDiegoU-T.EditorToddAdamstrustshisbeatpeopletohaveabettergraspofwhat’sgoingonthanhewouldfromtheoffice.

• OneofAdams’bestwaysofthinkingofbiggerfeaturestoriesistoreadmagazinessuchasSportsIllustratedandESPN.Hetriestofindaninterestingnuggetofastoryandlookdeeperintothataspect.

• MostoftheU-Tbeatwritersspendlittletimeintheoffice,butthey

consistentlycommunicatewitheditors.

• LifeofanNFLbeatwriterishellish.Gehlkinfeelslikehe’sontheclock24/7.

• RobertMaysismovingtoChicago.HewasGrantland’sonlywriterbasedinL.A.,andnowtheyhavenone.

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• TurningsomeofthematerialfrommyresearchinterviewwithMichaelGehlkinintoablogaboutfindingstoriestocover.

• RevampingmyapproachabitafterGregnotedthatI’mnotshowingenoughmasteryinmyposts.

• TakingiteasyforabitasItraveltoBostontoseefamily.


• TurnedsomeofthematerialfrommyresearchinterviewwithMichaelGehlkinintoablogaboutfindingstoriestocover.

• Steppedawayfromresearchandtheblogforafewdays.

• Continuedreadingmagazines/websitesonthelookoutforpotentialstoriestofeatureontheblog.

• SetupaninterviewwithSeanFennessey,aneditoratGrantland.

WHATILEARNED

• Lookingbackonsomeofmyworkthusfar,IcouldbemoreauthoritativeonsomepostsandmoreexplicitaboutwhyIbelievecertainstorieswork.Likemostgoodwriting,themoredescriptive,thebetter.


• Conductingmyfinalresearchinterview

• TryingtoreachSportsIllustrated’sJonWertheimforapostabouthisrecentmagazinestoryonWimbledon.

• Emailingseveralwriterstosetuppossibleinterviewstouseontheblog.


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• InterviewedSportsIllustrated’sJonWertheimandpostedabouthowthewriteruseshisnotebooktodraftstories.

• InterviewedGrantland’sSeanFennesseyfortheresearchportionofmyproject.

• BeganresearchforablogpostI’mwritingaboutbaseballHallofFame

coverage.ReadalloftheBostonGlobe’sHOFcoverageandspoketoeditorMattPepinaboutit.

o SetupinterviewsfornextweekwithArizonaRepublic’sMarkFaller,

AtlantaJournalConstitution’sRayCoxandHoustonChronicle’sReidLaymance.

WHATILEARNED

• Wertheimwritesallofhisstoriesbyhandinanotebook,eachpageahomeforeachparagraph.Ithoughtthiswasafascinatingwaytoconstructastory,andoneI’mtemptedtotry(thoughI’mcompletelydependentonwordprocessors.)

o Thewriterbarelyusesquotesanymore,whichwasnicetosee,becauseI,toohavetakenalikingtotheminimizationofquotesinstories.

• Theblogreceived452viewsonthedayIpostedaboutWertheim.That’sthe

mostofanydaysofar.ItseemspeopleloveSI’swriters(mypriorLeeJenkinspostwasalsoabighit).

o Agoodretweetortwo(inthiscaseBobKravitzfromIndianapolis)cangoalongwayinspreadingalink.

• Grantland,asanentireoperation,isdonemoreremotelythanIthought.The

editorsbegintheirworkdaysfromhomeandtheneventuallytrickleintotheofficeforanafternoonmeeting.

o Thesiteisstrategicallyverybasketball-centricbecausethat’swhattheeditorsenjoytalkingaboutwhenthey’reshootingtheshitintheoffice.Theyfigureifit’sinterestingtothem,itwillbeinterestingtoreaders,too.

o Oneofthesitesgoals,accordingtoFennessey,isto“takeanincrediblyseriouslookatthingsthatareusuallyfrivolousandafrivolouslookatthingsthatareserious.”


• InterviewingReidLaymance,RayCoxandMarkFallerforabaseballHallof

Fameblogpost.

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o Ianticipatethatfittingfourseparateinterviewsintoasinglepostwillbedifficult,butI’lltrytokeepitasfocusedaspossible.

• InterviewingWashingtonPost’sKentBabbforablogpostabouthisrecent

storyonChipKelly.I’dliketofindouthowBabbreportedsuchintimatedetailsaboutsuchaprivatefigure.

• TryingtosetupatimetointerviewBuffaloNews’TimGrahamaboutawell-

receivedfeaturestoryaboutaformerBuffaloBill’splayerwhoretiredearlyandnowpaintsforaliving.

Week9(July27-August2)WHATIDID

• InterviewedthreemoresportseditorsabouttheirHallofFamecoverage.IncludedthosewithmyinterviewofBostonGlobeeditorMattPepintowritethispostonhowsportsdepartmentscoveredlocalstarsenteringtheHall.

• InterviewedWashingtonPostsportsfeatureswriterKentBabbabouthisstoryonEaglescoachChipKelly.Wroteapostaboutcoveringabigfigurewithoutaccess,andwatchedmyreadershipnumbersskyrockettothetuneofnearly13,000views(moreonthisinthe“WhatILearned”section).

• InterviewedTimGrahamfromtheBuffaloNewsaboutarecentfeaturestory

hewrote.IwillwriteapostabouthowGrahamobsessesoverstoryanglesfortheupcomingweek.

• Continuedtoread15-20articlesadayfrommydailyreadingwebsites.I’m

findingI’mbeingmoreandmoreselectiveaboutthetypesofarticlestoshowcaseontheblogs(I’mlookingforaspecifictopictowriteabout).

• Beganwritinga“BestofJuly”compilationpostthatIhopetohavefinished

andpostedbyMondayafternoon.

• EmailedGrantland’sJordanConnandSportsIllustrated’sAlexanderAbnosaboutpotentialpostsforthefuture.

WHATILEARNED

• Themorefocusedapost,themoresuccessfulitis.Pointingoutanaspectofsomebody’sreportageismoreeducationalthanintroducingthestorybroadly.

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• Twitter,notFacebookhasbeenmyprimarydriveroftraffic.Andneverhasit

resultedinmorevisitorstomysitethanaftertheBabbpiece.IincludedBabb’sTwitterhandleinatweetpromotingthepost,Babbretweetedit,andthenNFLreporterIanRapoportdidthesame.Rapoport,whohas746,000followers,helpedmypostgeneratenearly13,000views.Themorepeoplewhosawit,themoreitwasshared.AblogcalledtheBigLeadlinkedtoit.BleacherReportlinkedtoit.AsportseditorfromTennesseelinkedtoitonFacebook.EverytimeIlooked,theposthadathousandmoreviews.Evenonidledays,it’spickedupafewhundredextraviews.

• ManyofRapoport’sfollowersareNFLfanswholackacertainnuanceintheir

thinking.SoonceIwasthrustintohisworld,IreceivedalotoffeedbackfromfanswhowantedtocomplainaboutBabb’sreportingbutdidn’twanttohaveanactualconversationaboutit.Itriedtostartaconversationwithonedissenter,butquicklyrealizedthatwouldn’tbepossiblewitheverybody.“WelcometotheNFLcoverageparty,”Babbtweetedtome.

• I’dberemissnottomentionwhatIactuallylearnedfrommyconversation

withBabb:Thereareplentyofwaystocoverasubjectwhenyoudon’thaveaccesstohim/her.BabbhasdoneitnowwithKelly,withHillaryClintonandwithAllenIverson.Hesaidit’smoredifficult,butoftenmorerewarding.Thereportermustbewillingtothinksmartlyaboutwhocanbehis/hersourcesandasktherightquestionstogetthemtalking.ForhisbookonIverson,BabbspokewiththeformerNBAplayer’sfavoritewaiterandtattooartists.BabbsaidheneverwouldhavethoughttotalktothemifhegotmoreaccesstoIverson.


• NeedtocirclebackwithConnandAbnosabouttheaforementionedposts.Connsaidhe’dbeonboardbutdidnotanswerafollow-upemailwhenIaskedwhatday/time.Abnoswasalsogame,butinordertodoapostonthestoryheworkedon,I’dreallyliketogetaholdofthetwowriterswhowereresponsibleforit.

• FinishingmypostaboutthebeststoriesofJuly.

• WritingapostonTimGrahamandhisfeatureonAaronMaybin(interviewalreadycomplete).

• KeepreadingtheInternetforinterestingcontentthatwouldbegoodtodissect.

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• Ididn’tdoanythingtangibleontheacademicresearchsideofthings,butIdidthinkthroughsomestrategiesforputtingtogethermypaper.I’dliketocontinuethatprocessthisweekandhopefullystartanoutline.

Week10(August3-August9)WHATIDID

• PublishedapostwithsomeofmyfavoritecontentfromJuly,alongwithexplanationsofwhyIthoughtthestoriesworked.

• PublishedapostdetailingthestrategiesofBuffaloNewsenterprisereporter

TimGraham,whoexplained“ProductiveProcrastination,”amongotherthings,tome.

• GottheblogontotheAPSEsiteafteranotherphonecallwithpastpresident

MikeSherman.

• InterviewedGrantland’sJordanConnandpostedabouthowonerisesfromafreelancertoastaffwriteratapublicationlikehis.Wealsodiscussedoneofhisrecentstories,andhowhemanagedallthemovingpiecesforadramaticmurdermystery.

• InterviewedBrianStrausandAlexanderAbnosfromSportsIllustratedfora

postabouttheirMajorLeagueSocceroralhistory.StrauswasoneoftworeportersandAbnoscompiledit.IalsosetupaninterviewwitheditorAdamDuerson,soIcanpossiblypulloffan“Oralhistoryoftheoralhistory.”

• EmailedSt.LouisPost-DispatchbaseballwriterDerrickGooldaboutpossible

postoncoveringanMLBteam.Gooldwasagreeabletoaninterviewbutdidnotrespondtoafollow-upmessageseekingadefinitivetime.IwillcontacthimagainMonday(hisoffday).

• EmailedTaiwanesemediagroupaboutaseriesofcomicalvideosithas

published,butIhavenotheardbackfromthem.WHATILEARNED

• I’velongwonderedhowthefreelanceunderworldworks,andmyconversationwithConnhelpedmeunderstanditbetter.Itseemshereallyhadtobusthisasstogethisfootinthedoor,butoncethatdoorisajar,opportunitiescomemucheasier.BeingafreelancewriterwithnoguaranteeofincomeisnotasituationI’dfeelcomfortableliving,thoughtherewardscanbefruitful.

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• Compilinganoralhistorysoundsmuchmoredifficultthanreportingone.Thereportingprocess,accordingtoStrausissimilartoanynormalstoryhe’ddo.Butthenthecompiler,inthiscaseAbnos,hadtosortthroughhundredsofpagesoftranscriptionstofindthebestmaterial.Hehadtoreadthetranscriptscarefullybecausehewassoafraidofscanningoverapotentiallygoldenquote.

• Persistencepaysoffsometimes.MylatestphonecalltoMikeShermanfinally

servedasthecatalysttogetmyblogontheAPSEsite.Hesaidthereasonhedraggedhisfeetearlierisbecausehedidn’twanttooverstephisbounds,nowthathe’soutofoffice.ButinamessagewiththirdVPToddAdamsthatMikeCC’dmeon,Adamssaidhehadnoproblempostingmystuff.I’mlikelygoingtoemailbothShermanandAdamsfromnowon,becausemylastpostlastweekseemedtobeignored.

• OutofcuriosityIbeganresearchingSBNation,whichisputtingout

increasinglygoodworkintheirlongformsection.It’sadepartmentI’dlovetoworkfor.GlenStout,who’sinchargeofit,hasapoetrybackgroundandisskilledwithnarrativewriting.It’srefreshingtoreadhisviewsonlongjournalism—thetypethatpeoplewillwanttoreadmorethanoncebecauseofit’squality.I’mhopefultherecontinuestobeaplaceforthistypeofwork,whichismoreappealingtomethanthereport-every-breathaspectofhigh-profilebeatwriting.


• Asmentionedearlier,IplantointerviewAdamDuersonandwriteapostonSI’soralhistory.

• IalsoplantointerviewDerrickGooldandpostabouthishecticlifecoveringa

162-gameseasonthatannuallyspillsintotheplayoffs.

• ThelistforTheBestAmericanSportsWritingbookcameoutlastweek,andthebookreleasesinOctober.I’dliketotalktoserieseditorGlennStoutandwriteapostabouthowheselectsthesestories.I’malsoconsideringrequestingaGalleyproof,readingeachofthestoriesandinterviewingeachauthorforpoststhroughoutthefall.ItcouldbeaspecialserieswhereIdooneperweek.


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• InterviewedSportsIllustratededitorAdamDuersonandwrotepostaboutSI’sMLSoralhistory.Thethemeofthepostishowonepreparesanoralhistory.

• InterviewedRickPaulas,afreelancerwhowroteastoryaboutdoctoredsoftballbatsforSBNation.Thethemeofmypostiswhen“nocomments”letyouknowyou’reontosomething.

• InterviewedGreggDoyel,acolumnistoftheIndianapolisStar.Greggisa

talker,andaninterestingoneatthat,soIturnedmyinterviewintoapodcast.Still,Iincludedaflushedoutwrittencomponenttogoalongwiththepodcast.ThethemesofthatpostareGreggDoyel’stransitionfromprovocateurtofeaturecolumnist,andhowtofindstoriesandapproachstrangerswithcuriosity.

• InterviewedSt.LouisPostDispatch’sDerrickGoold,butheldoffonwritinga

postonhimbecausesomuchothercontentemergedforthisweek.OurtalkwasaboutcoveringtheMLBingeneral,soit’ssortofevergreenanyway.

WHATILEARNED

• Writinganoralhistoryisindeedquitedifficult,asItriedtodowithjustthreepeople.Mytopicwasn’taswide-rangingasmost,andIhadsofewparticipants,buteventryingtodoitwiththreevoiceswastoughtoorganize.There’satemptationtoletquotesrunlong,buttheshorteronesmakethepiecepopabitmore.Organizinganoralhistoryintodefinitesections(andorganizingyourinterviewsthatway,too)isquitehelpful.

• Oftentimesreportersaretooeasilydissuadedbyafewpeoplerefusingtocomment.Butmaybethat’sagoodthingwhenpeoplewon’ttalk;itmeansyou’reontherighttrackforastorywithsomeconflict.RickPaulaswasnotstonewalledbyafewnocomments.HegotcreativewithmessagesonCraigslistandmessageboards,andeventuallygottheanswershewanted,albeitfromsourcesthatchosetoremainanonymousforthestory.

• Recreatingscenesyouweren’tthereforisalwaysatrickytask.Doyel’sadvice

seemslikeitcouldwork(andIcantwaittotryitnext).Hesimplysaystopeople“ObviouslyIwasn’ttherethatday.IfIwas,whatwouldIhaveseen?”Sure,Doyelhastodosomediggingtogetthemostvividdetails,buthesaidthatstartingpointalwaysworksforhim.

• Iknewlifeasabaseballreporterwasnonstop,butmaybeIdidn’tgraspto

whatdegreeuntilItalkedtoDerrickGoold.Hewakesupbefore6:30a.m.,goestosleepafter1a.m.,andisprettymuchworkingduringeveryhourhe’sawake.

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• IwillinterviewBenShpigeloftheNewYorkTimes,inreferencetohisarticleonIKEnemkpali—theformerJetslinebackerwhopunchedGenoSmithinthefacelastweek.Shpigelproducedaprettywell-roundedprofileontheguySaturday,andIwanttooaskthewriterabouthismethodsforacquiringthoseinterviews.

• IwillwriteandpostfrommyconversationonDerrickGoold.

• IwanttocallToddAdamsofAPSEtoseeifhecanpostmymaterialtotheirwebsite.Afterputtinguponepost,MikeShermanhasagaingonemissing.Hereturnedoneofmythreeemails,butfailedtoputanythingup.

• WillpossiblycontactGlennStout(seelastweek’snotes)aboutfeaturinghis

BestAmericanSportsWritingstories.Week12(August17-August23)WHATIDID

• BloggedonBenShpigels’NYTstoryaboutIKEnemkpali—theformerNewYorkJetwhopunchedGenoSmith.

• BloggedaboutSt.LouisPost-DispatchwriterDerrickGoold’slifecoveringtheCardinals.ThiswasaninterviewIhadcompletedinthepreviousweek.

• InterviewedandbloggedaboutKansasCityStarreportAndyMcCulloughand

hisstrategiesforwritinggamestories.WHATILEARNED

• Don’tfeelguiltyaboutinterviewingpeopleandnotusingtheirvoiceinastory.AsShpigelsaid,we’rereporters,notquoters.Everyinterviewhelpsinformourviewpointonacertainsubject.Itisnotourresponsibilitytouseeveryinterviewontheexterior.It’sespeciallyclunkytojaminquotesforthesakeofit.

• Thebaseballbeat—nowmorethanever—isan15-hour/dayjob,attheveryleast.Gooldconstantlydoingsomethingwork-related,evenwhenhe’snotonassignmentorattheballpark.Ithastobearealdreamtoputupwiththeconstraintsofthejob.

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• MytalkwithMcCulloughongamestoriesdidn’tteachmeasmuchasI

thoughtitmight.ThisisnoknockonMcCullough;IchosehimforthisconversationbecauseIthinkhe’soneofthebestgamestorywritersoutthere.Buthedidn’toffermanysecretsortipstothetradethatIwasn’talreadyawareof.PerhapsthisisbecauseI’vecloselystudiedthebestwaystowritegamers.…AlotofwhatMcCulloughdoesisbyfeel,hesaid.Hehadtodevelopastylethatworkedforhim—strongverbsandimagery.Asidefromhavingagoodperspectiveandanabilitytocontextualizewhathappensinagame,McCulloughisn’treinventingthewheel.Hedoesn’tleavethepressboxorgoanywhereotherreportersdon’t.


• AfterreceivingresponsesfromapreviousemailcorrespondencewithMilwaukeeJournalSentinelreporterTomHaudricourt,IbloggedaQ&Aaboutthewriter’sstoryonopenlygaybaseballplayerDavidDenton.

• InterviewedfreelancewriterJessicaLutherandbloggedaboutherstoryonBaylorfootballanditshandlingofasexualassaulter.Thiswasoneofmyfavorites,notonlybecauseIfinallyfeaturedawomanontheblog,butalsobecauseofthetangibleimpactLuther’sstorymade(theBig12changedarulebecauseofthisstoryanditsresponse).

• InterviewedthesportseditorandareporterfromtheWilliamsportSun-

Gazette,asmallnewspaperthatcoversabigeventeachsummer:theLittleLeagueWorldSeries.Ilaterbloggedaboutmyconversationswiththem.

• EmailedWashingtonPostcolumnistJerryBrewerforafutureblog.

• MessagedRobertKlemkoaboutwhatIfoundtobeaninterestingtweethe

postedaboutastoryhedidn’ttellbecauseofrestrictedaccess.Klemkowasnotwillingtotalktomejustyet,butImightwriteapostanyway.

• MadealistofreporterswhocovereachSECfootballteam,foundtheemail

addressforeachandsentthemallapersonalizedmessageaskingifthey’dparticipateinasurveyImadediscussingaccessattheprogramstheycovered.Thusfar,I’vereceivedninesurveysandhavefollowedupwiththefiveparticipantswhohavenotresponded.

WHATILEARNED

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• I’veresistedemailingquestionstopeopletothispoint—Ipreferamore

free-flowingchatwithroomforfollow-upquestions—buttheformatworkedfairlywellwithHaudricourt,whopreferredtoanswerthequestionsthatway.Tobehonest,Ididn’tlovethereporter’sstory,andthoughthecouldhavedonemorewithit.Hadwespokenonthephone,Imaybecouldhavedugdeeperintothoseareas,butevenhisemailresponseallowedmetotakeacriticallookathowheapproachedit.Hedidn’ttalktothegayplayer’steammatesbecausehetrustedthemanagertospeakforthemoodintheclubhouse.Idisagreedwiththatpoint,consideringtherelationshipspeershavewithoneanothertobemoreimportantthanthatofamanagertoaplayer.

• AsIwroteintheblog,perhapscollegefootballreportersacrossthecountrygettoocaughtupwithdepthchartsandsoundbitestoinvestigatecriticaltopics.Fans’demandsforeverybitofminutiaeontheirfavoriteteamrequirereporterstostretchthemselvessothintheycanmissthebiggeststory.IttookamonthlymagazinetofullyexposegrossmalfeasanceatBaylor

• MybiggestcuriosityaboutcoveringtheLittleLeagueWorldSeriesishowthenewspaperhandledkidsmakingmistakes.Afterall,plentyofpapersfacethisissuewithhighschoolcoverage,wheretheathletesareolderstill.SportseditorBenBrigandi’smottois“reportbutdon’tbelabor.”It’sthepaper’sresponsibilitytosaywhathappened,butthere’snouseinkicking12-year-oldswhilethey’redown.The“reportbutdon’tbelabor”mottoisoneI’dinheritifIranastaffthatcoveredhighschoolsports.

• Nosurprise,butcoveringaneventliketheLLWSwhenyournewspaperhasa

tinystaffrequiresplentyofplanning.TheSunGazettedidn’tsomuchplanoutwhatreporterswouldwriteaboutattheevent,buteditorsmadesurealloftheotherelementsoftheirsportssection(mainlyH.S.football)werecoveredwellinadvance.


• InterviewingBrewerforwhatIplantobeablogaboutwhatit’sliketomovetoanewlocationandimmediatelywritewithconviction.BrewerpreviouslyworkedattheSeattleTimes,andnowhe’sinthecauldronthatisD.C.sports.

• Postingmymonthly(Bestof___August)includingroughly10storiesandwhyIlikedthemsomuch.Mostofthestoriesarealreadyselected.

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• ContinuingtoworkonmySECaccessstory.ThatinvolvesgatheringalltheinformationI’vereceived(whichcouldreach10,000wordsofresponses)anddistillingitintosomethingsensible,informativeandinteresting.

• Possiblywritingapostaboutaccess,basedonKlemko’saforementionedtweet.

Week14(August31-September6)WHATIDID

• InterviewedJerryBreweraboutwhatit’sliketomovetoanewlocationasacolumnist.BrewerusedtobeattheSeattleTimesandisnowattheWashingtonPost—abigjumpgeographicallyandexposure-wise.Here’smypostaboutJerry’smoveandthechallengeshefaced.

• PostedmybestofAugustcolumn,featuring11storiesIlikedfromthepastmonthandwhyIthoughttheyworked.Inmytwopreviousiterationsofthismonthlypost,Ididn’ttalktoanyofthewriters,butforthisone,IincludedsometextfromaninterviewexchangeIhadwithEvaHolland.IthoughtitworkedwellandI’lltrytodomoreofthatnextmonth.

• GatheredmoresourcesformySECaccessstory.MyKentuckyreporterhadn’t

responded,soIcontactedanother(andcoincidentally,theythenbothansweredmyquestionsonthesameday).IfoundanewreporterforTexasA&MandOleMissbecausemyfirstattemptsneverresponded.Bothofthenewpeoplesaidthey’reonboard,buttheyhaven’tgottenmemyresponsesyet,evenafterafollow-upemail.

WHATILEARNED

• Itdoesn’thurttobeapest.WhenIfirstemailedJerryBrewer,hedidn’trespond.Afewdayslater,Isenthimapolitefollow-upaskingagainifhewasfree.Herespondedquicklythistime,andsaidheneversawthefirstmessage.IfigureI’mastrangertomostofthesepeopleanyway,soI’veputasidesomeofmypre-existingsqueamishnessaboutpossiblybeingpushy.Itresultedinagreatinterviewthistime.

• Breweradmittedhehadadifficulttimegoingfrombigfishinsmallpondtoviceversa.IwascurioustoknowhowheadjustedtobeingtheguyinSeattlefor8-plusyears,andthenhavingtorelearnanentirelynewsportsscene.Hesaidhehadtoadmitwhathedidn’tknow.Don’tcomeintryingtoproveyou’reuptospeedtowriters,hesaid.Betransparentandtrytolearnquickly.

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Week15(September7-September13)WHATIDID

• InterviewedESPNinvestigativereporterSteveFainaruabouthisstoryon49erslinebackerChrisBorland,whoretiredfromtheNFLafterhisrookieseason.BloggedabouthowFainaruorganizedfivemonthsworthofnotesandwroteaboutamanhefollowedsoclosely.

• InterviewedSportsIllustratedreporterJoanNiesenandturnedourconversationintoapodcast.AlsobloggedaboutNiesen’suseofvoiceinstories.

• ReadESPN’s11,000-wordOutsidetheLinesinvestigationabouttheNFL’s

handlingoftwoPatriotsscandals,andwonderedhowthereportersgatheredtheinformationtheydid.SoIsetupinterviewswithDonVanNattaJr.andSethWickersham,andwroteablogdetailingthetricksofhigh-levelinvestigativework.

• Interviewedrecentlylaid-offsportsreporterPatrickStevens.Iplantoturn

myconversationwithhimintoablogpostnextweek.

• SentoutreminderstothelastthreeparticipantsI’mwaitingtohearfromformySECaccesspoll.Oneofthethreerespondedwithanswers.

WHATILEARNED

• I’velongwonderedwhatreporters’note-takingpolicyiswhenspendingentiredayswithasource.Dotheytakeataperecorder?Furiouslyscribblenotes?Justwritedownthegoodstuff?SteveFainarubringsanotebookandarecorder,becausehelikeslongquoteswhenthey’recompelling(andwantstocapturethemaccurately).Hesaidwheneverhemotionedtowardhisnotebook,hissourcereacted—ittookthesourceawhiletogetusedtothis.

• AftertalkingtoNiesenandreadingherworkmoreclosely,Ithinkvoiceandexperiencegohandinhand.Byexperience,Imeanexperiencingacertainevent,placeorstory.Niesen’sstoriespopwhenshe’susingvoice,andshe’susingvoicewhenshewritesaboutNewOrleans,acityshe’sspentmuchtime

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in.Sheknowstheprovincialritualsandcanwriteaboutthemlikeanexpertratherthanatourist.

• Onekeytoinvestigativereportingistonotbediscouragedwhensources

rebuffyou.VanNattaandWickershamwhiffedon100sourcesapieceandeventuallyspoketo90combined.

• TheESPNstoryreinforcedthatmeetingwithsourcesinpersontypically

leadstobetterresultsthanasimplephoner.

• Oftenmediamembersmisslookingforinformationinobviousplacesbecausethey’retoobusylookingelsewhere.Evenifastoryhasrepeatedlybeenreportedtodeath,theremaybemoreoutthere.

• NFLfansarewackos.IlearnedthisafterapostlastmonthaboutChipKelly,

anditwasreaffirmedaftermypostlastmonthaboutthePatriots/RogerGoodell.CommentersfloodedmyTwitterandblog’scommentsection.Unsurprisingly,mostwerePatriotsfanswhoignoredthenuanceofthestoryandgotsuperdefensiveaboutaccusationsabouttheirteam.


• I’mmakingWednesdayadrop-deaddatetohearbackfrommySECrespondents.Afterthat,IwillbegintoorganizewhateverinformationIhaveintoaposttohopefullyrunthefollowingweek.

• Asmentionedabove,IplantowriteablogpostaboutPatrickStevensandhowjournalistscannavigatealifethatincludespossiblelayoffs.

• IplantoemailJustinHeckertaboutastoryhewroteinthelastissueofESPN

TheMagazine.Heckertwroteitcompletelyinsecond-personpointofview——effectively,Ithink—andI’mcurioustolearnthestrategiesheusedtopullthatoff.

• PaulKix,theeditorofWrightThompson’sgiganticNewOrleansstory,told

metotouchbasewithhimthisweek,afterIemailedhimlastmonth.Nowthathe’sbackfromvacation,Iwilltryhimagain.Iwanttoknowhowaneditorapproachesamammothstorylikethat,andhowhedealswithawriterlikeThompson.

• IwillemailMattStanmyre,aprepsreporterfromnj.com.HewroteastoryI

reallyenjoyedaboutan8thgraderwhosealreadybeinggroomedforaprofessionalcareer.

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Week16(September14-20)WHATIDID

• FinallywrotemypieceonSECaccess.Itwasworththewaitandalltheheadachesputtingittogether.Thearticlewasabighit,bothinnumberofreads(nearly3,400)andinthefeedbackreceivedfromreaders.

• BloggedaboutPatrickStevensandhowhe’srespondedtothreelayoffsinhiscareer.

• InterviewedPaulKix,theeditorresponsibleforWrightThompson’sbigNewOrleanspiecethattookoverthemagazineacoupleweeksago.

• TriedtosetupaninterviewwithMatthewStanmyreaboutastoryhewrote

thismonth,butmymessageswentunanswered.

• SetupaninterviewwithJustinHeckert.Wewillchatthisweekaboutusingsecond-personPOV,ashedidforhisstoryonparalyzedformerRutgersfootballplayerEricLeGrand.

WHATILEARNED

• Employedornot,you’vegottokeepworking.Beingidledoeslittleforyourcareer,soit’ssmartertoworkwithoutapaycheckandremainonpeople’sradars.PatrickStevensdoesn’tsoundoptimisticabouthisfutureinjournalism—hetoldmeofftherecordhe’slookingtoswitchovertoworkforauniversitydirectly—buthisworkethicshouldhelphimfindajob,whereveritbe.

• Sometimeswhat’sobvioustoawriterisn’tsomuchtoreaders.Ioftendownplaymyownknowledgeanddon’trealizewhenIknowmorethanothersaboutatopic.IsaythisinreferencetomySECaccessblog.Ithoughtitprovidedanice,accuratepictureofthetypeofhoopsreportersmustgothroughtoconductinterviewswithplayersandcoaches,butIdidn’tthinktherewasatonintherethatwasrevelatory.Myreaders,though,seemedtolearnalot.IgotdozensofTwittercommentsabouthowinterestingthearticlewas,andhowpeopledidn’trealizehowbadSECmediamembershadit.WorkingattheMissourian,wherewecoveranSECfootballteam,Iseethisdaily.Mostpeopledon’t.

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• IwillpostaboutKix,andtheprocessofeditinga25,000-wordmega-story.

• IwillinterviewHeckertandpostthat,too.

• IplantocallGlennStoutofSBNation.IwanttotalktohimabouttheBestAmericanSportsWritingbookseriesheedits,aswellashisworkwithSBNationLongform.

• It’sbeenawhilesinceIworkedontheresearchportionofmyproject,soI’d

liketorevisitthat.Ineedtoorganizemynotesintocategoriesandsub-categories

• ReadGregBishop’sSIcoverstoryandemailhimabouthisnotebook.Oneof

myprevioussources,AdamDuerson,sentmeaphotoofBishop’snotebook—shadesofABeautifulMind—andI’mcurioushowBishopoutlinesstories.

Week16(September21-27)WHATIDID

• InterviewedJustinHeckertabouthisESPNstoryonformerRutgersfootballplayerEricLeGrand.

• PublishedablogaboutPaulKix,anESPNeditorwhohandlesWrightThompson’smagazine-longstoryonNewOrleans.

• InterviewedandbloggedaboutSportsIllustrated’sGregBishop,who

discussedhisoutliningprocess.

• SpoketoEdSherman,asportsmediacolumnistwhowantstofeaturemyworkonhiswebsite,TheShermanReport.Weagreedontermssothatcanhappen.

• InterviewedGlennStout,theeditoratSBNationLongform,andtheseries

editoroftheBestAmericanSportsWritingbooks.

• Revisitedtheresearchportionofmyproject.Ilistenedtomy12interviewsagainandtookmoredetailednotesthantheonesIscribbledduringtheinterviews.

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• Separatedmyresearchnotesintosevenworddocuments,basedoncategory.

Someofthesecategoriescanbeconsolidated,butthisisgenerallyhowIbelieveIwillbreakupmyresearchanalysis.

WHATILEARNED

• Topulloffsecond-personPOVinafeaturestory,thewriterneedstobeintimatelyfamiliarwiththesubjecthe/sheiscovering.JustinHeckertwasabletowriteaboutEricLeGrandinthiswaybecausetheyspentfourwholedaystogether.ThatallowedHeckerttheconfidencetoknowwhathewaswritingwashowLeGrandfelt.

• Editinglongformjournalismtakeslongerthanonemightthink.Tosimplyreadthroughastoryseveraltimeseatsuphours.

• Writingmagazine-lengthfeaturestorieswithoutanoutlineoftenleadsto

storieswithoutanarrativearcorrealpurpose.GregBishop’sformofoutlining—separatingthemesintocategories—actuallyhelpedmewriteapreliminaryoutlinefortheanalysisportionofmyresearch.

• ThisjobI’mdoing—writingaboutthewritingprocess—makeslittlemoney.That’satleastwhatEdShermantoldme,eventhoughhiswebsitegetsoverathousandvisitorsaday.

• Takingnotesonpreviousinterviewsissomucheasiertodowhenyouknow

exactlywhatyou’relookingforandwhereyou’regoingtoputit.Myoutliningprovedhugeinacceleratingthisprocess,andIhopethewritingprocessaswell.


• PostaboutHeckertandhisuseofsecond-person.

• PostaboutStoutandhisphilosophiesonediting.

• Setupinterviewswithtwomorewriters(TBD)forthefollowingweek.

• Continuetheanalysisportionofmyresearchassignment.Mygoalistofinishafirstdraftofitthisweek.

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Week17(September28-October4)WHATIDID

• Finishedthefirstdraftofmyprojectanalysis,whichanswersthequestion:“Howdosportswritersandeditorsidentifyandselectnewsitemsworthdevelopingintofeaturestories?”Theanalysisiscurrently3,700words.

• PublishedablogpostaboutJustinHeckertandhisuseofsecond-person

pointofviewforastoryonaformerRutgersfootballplayerwho’snowparalyzed.

• Postedmonth-endcolumnfeaturingmyfavoritesportsjournalismfrom

September.WHATILEARNED

• Fromgoingthroughmyinterviewnotesandputtingtogetherananalysis,Ilearnedthatwritersandeditorsstillrelyheavilyoninstincts,eventhoughsomesaythey’remindfulofaudienceanalytics.

• Conversations—varyinginformality—arestillusuallytheseedsofstoryideas.Someeditorsgooutoftheirwaytostartconversationswithstrangers.Staffmeetingsdon’talwaysincludebotheditorsandwriters,butmosteditorsvaluewhatevertimetheydogettochatwithwritersaboutstoryideas.

• Writersandeditorssaytheyvaluetheiraudience’sopinions,buttheydovery

littletoincludeaudiencemembersonstoryselection—theprocessjournalistsconsiderthemostimportant.


• WriteapostaboutGlennStout,hisBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesandhisphilosophiesonediting.

• WriteashortpostoffapairofphotosaneditorsentmefromGayTalese’soutlineof“FrankSinatrahadaCold.”

• WriteapostaboutaNewYorkTimesinteractivepiecepublishedlastmonth.

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• Setupinterviewswithtwowriters—possiblyPatFordeandJeffPearlman—fornextweek.

• Continuetoworkontheresearchportionofmyprofessionalproject.

Week18(October5-October11)WHATIDID

• WroteapostaboutGlennStout,hisBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesandhisphilosophiesonediting.

• WroteaboutGayTalese’soutlineof“FrankSinatrahadaCold.”

• ReceivededitsfromJacquiforthefirstdraftofmyprojectanalysisandperformedsurgeryonfivesectionsofthereport:Intro,Generatingideas,Whatmakesastoryinteresting,Pitchingvs.AssigningandthePowerofAnalytics.

WHATILEARNED

• Ineffortstobothbeconciseandgetasmanyvoicesintomyanalysisaspossible,Ifailedtobethoroughorcompletelycoherentinmyfirstdraft.ThedraftwasstrongestinplaceswhereIoffereddetailedexamples.Obviouslythattakessomespacetoexplain,butit’sspacewell-used.

• SomeofthesourcesIspoketocontradictedthemselvesduringmyinterviews—specificallywhentalkingabouttheiruseofanalyticsvs.instincts.Insteadofrunningfromthispoint,Ithinkit’sinterestingtoinclude.Itshowshowsomepeopletakehalf-measurestosatisfyboththenumbersandtheirgut.

• Asroughasmyroughdraftwas,itwaseffectiveinthatitorganizedmanyof

myideasandcalledattentionto(thankstoJacqui’sediting)whereIhadsomegapsinmythinking.Itypicallypouratonoftimeintoinitialdraftsandhopethatthey’renearready.Thisonewasn’t,andIsortofknewthat,butitgotmeontherighttracktowhereIbelievethefinalproductwillbesolid.


• Ineedtoreworktwomoresectionsandwriteconclusion.MyaimistogetallthatdoneandhaveitbacktoJacquibytheendoftheweek.

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• IwillputthebloginthebackgroundinordertofocusontheanalysisandothercomponentsIneedtofinishinordertogetthisprojectthrough.

o IdostillhaveonepostlinedupaboutaNewYorkTimesdigital

projectIfoundeffective.o IwillalsotryagaintocontactYahoo!’sPatFordeaboutcovering

collegeathleticswiththebreadththathedoes.Week19(October12-October18)WHATIDID

• WroteapostaboutaninteractivevideostorytheNewYorkTimespublishedduringthesummer.

• InterviewedYahoo!baseballwriterJeffPassanabouthiscolumnonChicagoCubshomerunballsandwroteapostaboutPassan’sstrategyandexecutionofthestory.

• FinishedaseconddraftofmyprojectanalysisandsentittoJacqui.Also

workedonanauthor’safterwards

• DocumentedallthechangesImadefrommyproposal(mainlytheinterviewsubjectsIchoseformyanalysis).

• Copiedeachofmyblogpostsinaseparatewordfileforthe“Physical

Evidence”portionofmyproject.WHATILEARNED

• Tappingintostarathletes’pasts—beforetheywerefamous—isaverycompellingwaytotellanewstory.TheNewYorkTimeswentasdeepaspossibleintovarioustennis’players’athleticpastsforasometimesjarringstory.

• Iapplaudwhenreportersleavethepressboxandlookforstorieselsewhereinastadium,butthereasonwedon’tseeitveryoften,Ilearned,isbecausestadiumushersaretypicallyveryprotectiveoftheirsections.PassansaidhewassurprisedhowwelcomingtheusherswerewhenhewentintotheWrigleyFieldbleachers;apparentlyhe’striessuchthingsinthepastandfacedresistancefromushers.

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• I’veproducednearly30,000wordsworthofblogsthusfar,andthewebsitehasgeneratednearly38,000views.


• ContactingYahoo!’sPatFordeagain(severalattemptstointerviewhimhasfailed,butFordeaskedGregaboutmelastweek,soI’monhisradar).I’dliketowriteablogabouthow,asanationalcollegefootball/basketballreporter,hemaintainssomanyprofessionalrelationshipsandresearchessomanystorylinesthroughoutthecountry.

• WhileIwaitforfeedbackontheseconddraftofmyanalysis,Iwillknockoutsomeofthesmallerelementsofthewrittenprojectandfigureouttheproperwaytoformattheentirething.

Week20(October19-October25)WHATIDID

• WroteacolumnaboutaMississippinewspaperthatdecidedtostopcoveringitshometowncollegefootballteambecauseofalackofaccess.IexplainedwhyIdisagreewiththemove—becauseIseeotherwaysthenewspapercouldhavecontinuedcoveragewithoutspeakingtoplayers.

• InterviewedYahoo!Sports’PatFordeaboutcoveringcollegeathletics

nationallyandhowthatcomparestobeatwriting.WHATILEARNED

• Theproblemsnewsmediahaswithbig-timecollegeathleticsrestrictingaccessisnowtricklingdowntosmallschoolsaswell.ThenewspaperIwroteaboutstoppedcoverageofJacksonState—notexactlyawell-knownfootballschool.IspokewithmyoldbossinHarrisonburg,Virginia,andevenJamesMadisonUniversityhasbecomestingywithplayeravailability.LearningtoovercomeaccessobstaclesatMissouriwilllikelyprovetobeabighelpformemovingforward.

• CoveringnationalsportslikePatForderequiresalevelofsourcemaintenancethatI’mpersonallyuncomfortabledoing.It’snotinmynaturetosendout-of-the-bluetextstosources(letalonemyfriends),butit’showFordestayspluggedintoeverythinggoingonincollegesports.Ifthat’severajobIpursued,I’dhavetochangemywaysinordertobesuccessfulatit.

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WHATI’MDOINGTHISWEEK

• PublishapostfrommyconversationwithForde,andthennotawholelotmore.IamheadedtoupstateNewYorktovisitmylovelygirlfriendLeeAnnethisweek,andIwillputmostprojectstuffonthebackburner.Thatsaid,Imightfindopportunitiesintransittotacklemoreofmyanalysis.

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Chapter3:PersonalEvaluation

Icameintothisprojectwithfourmaingoals.I’llgothrougheachoneand

assessmyperformanceateach.

Learnmoreabouttheoperationsandstrategiesofsuccessful

professionals,andpassalongthatknowledgetoothers:Bothmyblogand

analysisallowedmetofulfillthis.Ispoketo58journalistsincludingworkonthe

blogandresearch.Ipickedalotofbrains.AndIwrotealotaboutwhatIfoundout.

ButoccasionallyIfeltliketherewasn’tanoverttakeawayorlessonfrommy

conversations.I’mnotsureifthiswasafailingofmyinterviewingskills,orifIwas

simplyhopingforsomethingthatwasn’tthere.Sometimes,afteranhour-long

conversationthatfeltlikeitwentverywell,Ihadtotakeastepbackandaskmyself,

“WhatdidIactuallylearnhere?”IfImissedthemarkattimes,Iatleastlearnedtobe

morecognizantaboutthat.Thereneedstobeatakeaway,whetheroneiswriting

editoriallyorforresearch.

Createfresh,compellingcontentthat’senjoyabletoread:Thisgoalis

quitesubjective,andI’mabiasedpartywhobelievesmyblogwascompelling,

enjoyabletoread,andfilledanuntappedniche.Fortunately,severaljournalists

messagedmethroughemailorTwittertofortifythatbelief.Oneyoungwritersaid

mypostaboutaSportsIllustratedoralhistoryhelpedguidehimthroughasimilar

storystructure.Otherssuggestedmyblogtotheironlinecommunities.Hereare

someofthecommentspeoplemadeonTwitter,presentedinaback-of-the-book

lovefestkindofway:

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- “IenjoyreadingthisblogbyMark.Somegreattipsandwonderful

behind-the-sceneslookatwhatwedo.”

- “Forthoseinterestedinsportswriting,the‘Backstory’blogby

@MarkRSeliglooks[like]aterrificresource.”

- “Ilearnedalotfromthisarticleandyouwilltoo.Wortharead.”

- “Heyj-schoolstudents…Readandlearn.”

(Therewerealsodozensofpeople—Patriotsfans—whothinkI’manidiot

becauseofmypostaboutSethWickershamandDonVanNattaunspoolingtheNew

EnglandPatriots’recentissueswiththeNFL).

Learntheworldsofbloggingandaudiencebuilding:I’velongreadblogs

andusedsocialmedia,butI’venevertriedtopromotemyownblog,whichIhadto

doforthisproject.Creatingvaluablepostsisjustonestepoftheprocess;ifnobody

looksatthem,theylosevalue.I’mpleasedmy55postsinfivemonthshave

generated38,573pageviewsand30,598uniquevisitors.WordPress,thesiteIused

tohostmyblog,providesdataforeachpost.Thatallowedmetoassesswhatwas

workingandwhatwasn’t.Unsurprisingly,mostofmytrafficcamefromreferrals

(about52percentcamefromTwitter).Twitterhelpedgenerateaboutninetimesthe

trafficasFacebook,whereIcreatedaprofessionalpagetohelppromotethecontent.

AFacebookemployeewhomImetattheAssociatedPressSportsEditors’summer

conferenceinJunehelpedmemigrateallofmypersonalfriendstothisprofessional

page,andverifiedthepageforme.Still,thecontentneverseemedtobeshared

muchonFacebook.ItwassharedmoreonTwitter,whereitwaseasiertotagthe

peopleIwroteabout.Manytimes,thesepeople,whohavebigfollowings,retweeted

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mycontent.Ikeptacloseeyeonstatisticsofeachpost,madesuretopromoteeach,

andnowhaveabetterunderstandingofhowcontenttakesoff.Oneletdownforme

wasthattheAPSEwebsitedidn’tshowcasemywork,asaformerpresident

promiseditwoulddo.Ipushedthisseveraltimesbeforedecidingitwasnotworth

myeffortstokeeptrying.Fortunately,though,theAPSE’sTwitteraccount,which

has13,000-plusfollowers—mostofwhomareintheindustry—retweetedeachof

myposts.Thatgavethepostsaniceboost.

Setmyselfupforfutureemployment:ThereasonIwantedtolearn

everythingI’vediscussedisbecauseIwanttobequalifiedforajobatabig

newspaperordot.com.Iwastransparentaboutthisgoal,evenmentioningonthe

“AboutMe”sectionofmyblogthatI’d’beavailableforhirecome2016.Thejuryis

stilloutonthis—Idon’thaveajoblinedupasofmid-November—butI’msureI’ve

becomeamoreknownquantityintheindustry.Oneexample:Aformerprofessor

frommyundergradyearsdroppedmynametoaWashingtonPosteditorwhowas

seekingsomeonefornightdeskposition.IintroducedmyselfandtoldthePost

editoraboutmyblog,withwhichhewasalreadyfamiliar.Duringmyresearch

interviewwithBillEichenbergerofBleacherReport,ourconversationturnedto

morepersonalmatters,andEichenbergerrepeatedlysaidI’dbeagreatfitathis

company.Whenapplyingforjobs,IwillmakeBackstoryakeyelementofmy

personalpitch.

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Chapter4:PhysicalEvidence

InthefirstclassofmyfirstsemesterofgraduateschoolattheUniversityofMissouriSchoolofJournalism,wereadtherenowned1949deadlinestory“DeathofaRacehorse”byW.C.Heinz.Thelesson,asprofessorGregBowerstoldit,isthatthebeststoriesareusuallywhereotherreportersaren’t.Getoutofthepressbox—likeHeinzdidtoreportthesceneonthetrackwhenadoctorputdownthehorseAirLift—andyoucantellamorevividstoryfromabetterperspective.

FastforwardayearandahalfandthatlessonwaspresentedseveralmoretimesasIinterviewedcontemporaryreportersforablogonthecraftofsportswriting.ESPNNewYork’sIanO’ConnorpulledaHeinztocaptureAmericanPharoah’sTripleCrowncoronationinJune,andJeffPassanleftthepressboxtotellacompellingstoryaboutChicagoCubsfans,ratherthanjustthehomerunstheirfavoriteplayershitonanOctoberplayoffnight.

Ispoketomorethan50journalistsoverthesummerformyfinalproject.AsIleavegradschool,herearesomeofthetakeawaysIlearnedandcanpasson:

• Captureasmanyscenesaspossible.ThatwasLeeJenkins’strategywhenhecoveredtheGoldenStateWarriors’NBAchampionshipcelebrationforSportsIllustrated.Celebrationstoriesareunconventionalassignments,butwhenJenkinswritesprofiles,healsolooksfor(andasksabout)anythingthatcatcheshiseyes.

• Howtorecreateascene:Thejournalistoftenisn’tpresentforthekeymomentheorshewantstodrawoutinafeaturestory.Butthatkeymomentcanbedescribedaftergoodinterviewing.Trythisgo-tolinefromIndianapolisStarcolumnistGreggDoyel:“ObviouslyIwasn’tthere,butifIwas,tellmewhatIwouldhaveseen.”

• Noaccess?Findanotherway:Often,journalistsdon’tgettheaccessthey

wanttoaperson;that’snoreasontosquashastory.TheWashingtonPost’sKentBabwroteanentirebookaboutAllenIverson,whomBabbneverinterviewed.Instead,hetalkedtopeoplewhocouldsharestoriesaboutIverson,suchastheformerNBAstar’sbarber.Babbsuspectsheneverwouldhaveuncoveredsomeoftheanecdoteshedid,hadhenotbeenforcedtosearchfortangentialsources.

• Bethankfulfortheaccessyoudohave:Isurveyedabeatwriterfromeach

SECfootballprogramanddocumentedthedrasticchangesinaccessfromthe1980s,whenArkansasDemocratGazette’sBobHoltusedtoattendeveryRazorbackspracticeandtalkedtowhomeverhewantedafterward.Now,accessisshallowacrosstheboard.JamesCrepea,whocoversAuburnfortheAlabamaMediaGroup,describedhisrelationshipwithteamsports

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informationdirectorsas“Strained.Concurrentlymiserable.Attimes,contentious.”

• Crowdsourcingworks:BenjaminHochmanprovedinhisnine-partbaseball

seriesfortheDenverPostthatsomeofthebestsourcesarethosefoundonTwitter.Hochman(who’snowwiththeSt.LouisPostDispatch),effectivelycrowdsourcedtofindstorysubjects,suchaspeoplewhostayintouchwiththeirparentsthroughbaseballandtextmessaging.“It’seasyaccessto20,000Coloradosportsfans,”HochmansaidofaskinghisTwitterfollowersforhelpfindingsubjects.

• Don’tquoteeverysource:Whattodowiththematerialwegleanfrom

thesesources?BenShpigeloftheNewYorkTimessaidheusedtofeelobligatedtoquoteeverysourcehespoketo—inawaytoprovetothesourcethataninterviewwasworthhisorhertime.“OvertheyearsI’verelaxedmyviewonthatbecausewe’rereporters,we’renotquoters,”Shpigelnowsays.Aninterviewcanbevaluablemerelyforbackgroundinformationortobetterunderstandasubject.

• Heck,doawaywithquotesaltogether:L.JonWertheimofSports

Illustratedtoldmehe’ssickofusingquotes.“Itisastrategyofminetolimitquotes.I’vehaditwithquotes,”hesaidwhenaskedaboutaSerenaWilliamsfeaturethatincludedlessthan100wordsinquotemarks.“…Toooftentheydon’treallyaddmuch;youfeelcompelledtousethemtoooftenbecausethey’reprovided.”Hisstoryisvibrantbecauseit’snotboggeddownwithplatitudes.

• Howtopulloffanoralhistory(thestorycomposedexclusivelyof

quotes):OK,sometimesquoteswork,likeinSportsIllustrated’soralhistoryreminiscingthefirstfewyearsofMajorLeagueSoccer.Puttingtogetheranoralhistorycanbeabear.Here’sBrianStraus’wayofthinkingaboutit:“Youwanttoimaginethatthese40peoplearesittingaroundareallybigroom,eatingpizzaandtalkingshitabout1996andlaughingtheirheadsoff,”theSIreportersaid.

• Reportbutdon’tbelabor:Everyyear,BenBrigandicovers12-year-oldkids

gettingtheir15-minutesoffame.TheWilliamsportSun-Gazette’sbiggeststoryistheannualLittleLeagueWorldSeries.AndBrigandi,theGazette’ssportseditorneedsaphilosophyonhowtowriteaboutthemistakesthenot-quite-teensmakeonthefield:“Reportbutdon’tbelabor,”hesaid.Andreally,thatshouldbeamottoforallcoverage,fromLittleLeaguetohighschoolsportstocollegeandpros.

• Writewithvoice:Storieswithvoicemakeareaderfeelengaged.Butvoiceis

anintangibledifficulttodescribeorexecute.Howdoesoneeffectivelywrite

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withvoice?JoanNiesenofSportsIllustratedsaiditsOKtohaveanintimatefamiliaritywithasubject.Often,thatcanhelpbreedvoice.Shepackedastoryaboutthe10-yearanniversaryofHurricaneKatrinawithexpressivephrasesthatrevealsomethingaboutthecityofNewOrleans.Shewasabletodothisbecauseofherfamiliaritywiththecity,wheresomeofherrelativeslive.Forthosewriterswhodon’thaveapersonalconnection,it’sincumbenttolearnasituationinsideouttobeabletowritewithconviction.

• Filerecordrequests:Especiallyincollegesports,wheremanyuniversities

arepublic,openrecordscanbetreasuresfullofstoryideas.KnoxvilleNews-SentinelsportseditorPhilKaplansays“you’renotdoingyourjobrightifyou’recoveringacollegeandnotfilingthesereports.”Hisdepartmentfilesthemregularly,andservesasawatchdogtoUniversityofTennesseeathletics.

• Sweatthesmallstuff:WhenGlennStouteditspiecesforhisSBNation

Longformsection,hisfinalandfavoritestepistoconsidertheshapeandsoundofeachindividualword.Forinstance,a2013featureonlateautoracerDickTricklehadtoconsistofonlywordstheblunt,beer-drinkingTricklemightsay.Keepingthereaderintherightplaceandfeelofastoryiswhatcan“turnitintosomethingthat’smemorable,”Stoutsaid.

• Outlineyourstories(ordon’t):SportsIllustrated’sGregBishopscribbles

pre-storyoutlinesthatfillanentirenotebookpagewithinterconnectingwordsandbubbles.Hecallsit“themostimportantthingIdo,”becauseitprovidesastructureandformulaforwriting.Meanwhile,NewYorkTimesreporterJohnBranchoftenstartswritingandletshisstoriesflowfromthere.AndBranchisaPulitzerPrizewinner.Sodowhateverworksforyou—butplayaroundwithmultiplemethodstofindout.

• Workhard;thinksmart:Aboveallelse,Ilearnedtherearenoshortcuts.

Thepeoplewhosucceedinthisbusinessarethemostdevoted,investedandcreativeminded.Sportsjournalismiscompetitiveandsaturatedandever-evolving.It’salsosignificant.Sixdecadeslater,writersstilltalkaboutstorieslikeDeathofaRacehorse.Thatgiveswritersreasontocontinuetakingchancesandstrivingforvirtuosity.

Here’seachofmy55blogposts,inchronologicalorder:

June8,2015—Thisis‘Backstory’

ThanksforvisitingBackstory—asiteIhopecaneducateandentertainjournalistsaswellasoureverydayreaders.Let'sdiscusscriticaltopicsintheindustryasIspotlightnotable,contemporaryworkinsportsjournalism.

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Myname'sMarkSelig,andI'mvyingforamaster'sdegreeattheUniversityofMissouri.Thiswebsiteismyprofessionalproject—apracticalthesisofsortsbeforeIreturnfull-timetotherealworld,whereI'vebrokenasweatasacollegebasketballreporterandcurrentlyinstructyoung,eageramateursastheassistantsportseditorattheColumbiaMissourian.

Asyoubegintoseethissitetakeshape,pleaseletmeknowwhatothertypesofcontentyou'dliketoconsumefromit.Ibelieveinservicejournalismandaimtoprovidesomethingdistinct.

Enjoytheblog!

-Mark

June9,2015—NBAFinalsreporterscomingthroughintheclutch

Whiletheworld'sbestbasketballplayersviefortheNBAtitle,there'sanintriguing,ifinformal,competitionbetweenthesport'sbestwriters.

TheNBAdishedout1,800credentialsfortheFinals,accordingtoSportsIllustratedmediacolumnistRichardDeitsch.Becauseofthemediasaturation,reporters—onthisstagemorethanever—mustexecutecreativereportingandwritingtodifferentiatetheircontent.

Sunday'sthrillingGame2providedplentytowriteabout.Thebesttakescamefromthosewhodidn'trelyonthepost-gamepressconference.

ROBMAHONEY

Everybodylovesovertime.Exceptfordeadlinewriters.ButSI'sRobMahoneychurnedoutthisthoughtfulpieceincrunchtime.Anexcerpt:

TheexecutioninGame2wasfarfrompristine.Thenagain,beautifulbasketballistheluxuryofahealthier,moretalentedteam.Thecurrent,injuredCavscanonlyscrape.They’reattheirbestwhenturningidyllicbasketballtopulp—gummingitup

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andgrindingitdownuntilitsformisbarelyrecognizable.ItwasthatlevelofcontrolthatgaveClevelandanychanceatalltowinonSunday.

HOWARDBECK

AreportercoveringtheFinalscouldskippost-gamepressconferencesaltogetherandnotmissathing.Novelreportingisimpracticalinastuffedmediaroom,andthehelpfulASAPserviceprovidestranscriptionsofallquotes,anyway.ButBleacherReport'sHowardBeckspottedLeBronJamesbeforetheCavsstarenteredClichéville,andprovidedreaderswithascenetheycouldn'tviewonTV.Hislead:

ThedistancebetweenthelockerroomandthepostgamepodiumatOracleArenaisabout40yards,aspaceLeBronJamescouldprobablycoverinfiveseconds,ifproperlymotivated.ButJameswasinnoshapetosprintoreventojogorambleorsaunterlateSundayaftertheClevelandCavaliers'95-93overtimewininGame2oftheNBAFinalsovertheGoldenStateWarriors.

Hejustsortofwobbledfromsidetosidedownthecorridor,steppinggingerly—left,right,left,right—untilhefinallyreachedthestageandploppedhiswearysoulbehindthemicrophone.

For50minutesand20seconds,throughfourquartersandanovertime,Jameshadpushedandprodded,flexedandbellowed,channelinghisfuryintoaboxscorefortheagesandavictoryfortherecordbooks.

ZACHLOWE

NBAdiehardsturntoGrantand'sZachLoweforthebestnationalanalysisinprint(orweb).AfterGame2,Loweprovidedfreshanecdotesbygoingwhereothersweren't.InsteadofrelyingonLeBronandStephenCurryquotes,LoweinsteadtalkedtoWarriorswash-upDavidLeeforanviewpointyouwon'tseeinotherstories.Healso"cornered"forwardDraymondGreen,whohelddownLeBrononacrucialjumpball—aplaythatreceivedlittleattentionelsewherebecauseotherbigmomentsbetterfitintotraditionalnarratives.Lowespillshisnotebookandalwayseducates.

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TheFinalsresumestonightinCleveland.I'mrootingforsomemoregrippingdramaonthecourtandanotherbatchofmust-readstoriesavailableearlyWednesdaymorning.

June10,2015—O’ConnoroncoveringAmericanPharoah

ThewayIanO'Connorseesit,Yahoo!'sPatFordeandSportsIllustrated'sTimLaydenarethefrontrunnersofnationalhorseracingcoverage.Thetwoinsidershave"contextandcontacts"thatO'Connor—afootball,basketball,baseballandgolfguyforESPN.com—lacks.

SowhentheNewYork-basedO'ConnorwastaskedtocoverAmericanPharoah'sultimatelysuccessfulbidtocapturetheTripleCrownlastweekend,heneededastrategytokeepupwithmoreequine-expertisedreporters.

O'Connor'sstoryfromtheBelmont,"LatestTripleCrownhistoryisaboutthehorse,nothumans,"capturedthesceneinthewinner'scircle—asequenceofeventsO'Connorcoulddocumentthankstohispersistenceandpursuitforacovetedgreenbib.

HearO'ConnordescribetoBackstoryhowheusedhisnearlythreedecadesofreportingexperiencetogetwhereothersweren'tandfindsourcesothersoverlooked.

O'Connoraudio

TheauthorofTheCaptainandArnie&Jack,O'Connorisin"thefirsthours"ofwritingabookaboutNewEnglandPatriotscoachBillBelichick—theNFL’smostintriguingcharacter,intheauthor'sopinion.

“Forstarters,he’shadmoresuccessthananybody,andIthinkhe’ssurpassedVinceLombardiforthegreatestcoachofalltime,"O'Connorsaid."Becausehedoesn’tletanyoneinpublicly,Ithinkthatmakeshimnotjustmysterious,butfascinating.Ithinkalotofpeoplewanttoknowalotmoreabouthimasaperson...

“Iguesswe’llfindoutbyhowmanybooksIsell.”

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June15,2015—Chicken’nrecordsrequests

TheTennesseefootballteamspent$1,386.45fordinneratBojangles.Andlastmonth,theKnoxvilleNewsSentinelreportedallthejuicynuggets.

Ok,sotheSentineldidn'tfindoutwhetherquarterbackJoshDobbsorderedsweettea,butthenewspaperdiddetaileverydollartheVolunteersspentrelatedtotheTaxSlayerBowl.Thefinalbill,includingthoseBojanglesbucks,cameoutto$1.25million,asfootballbeatwriterDustinDopirakdocumented.

Obviously,bigexpenses—suchas$300,000forahoteltohouseandfeedtheguests—ateupabigchunkofthesum.TheVolsdidn'tmakeextravagantpurchases(relativetoothercollegefootballprograms).

Butthestorywasinteresting,nonetheless.Especiallywhenyougetdowntothosesmallercoststhatbegintoaddup.

LikeBojangles.Likecoachesusingthecopymachineintheteamhotelforaweek($1,350).Liketwobowl-goers,includingoneplayer,forgettingtheirluggageatthehotelandneedingitshippedhome($607).

ThesefactsarepublicbecauseKnoxvilleNewsSentinelsportseditorPhilKaplanemphasizeswatchdogjournalism.He'softenfilingrecordsrequestsorpressinghisreporterstodosothemselves.

Hispaper,whichhasacirculationinthelow-60,000softengeneratesstoriesbasedontheserecords.Thestaffkeepsaneyeonthesmallersports,too.

"You'renotdoingyourjobrightifyou'recoveringacollegeandnotfilingthesereports,"Kaplansaid,"becausethingslikethatwillnevergetcoveredifyoudonotfilethesethings."

ListentoKaplantalkaboutthereportingprocessforbowlfinancesstory(withDopirakspeakingfrom1:54to2:29)...

Kaplan-Dopirakaudio

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June17,2015—Titletownsseeseasonsend

Coveringachampionshipseriesmeanslongdays,latenightsandtightdeadlinesfornewspapers.

ThefinishedproductcouldendupframedinsportsbarsacrossthecityoraswrappingpaperforanyonewhobuysceramicsthisweekatMichaels.

TheStanleyCupandNBAFinalsendedonback-to-backnights,bothinGame6.

Here'showtheChicagoTribune,TampaBayTimes,OaklandTribuneandClevelandPlainDealerplayedtheseason-endingwinsandlosses:

DavidHaughcapturesthescenewiththisdescriptivelead:

WithpatiencewearingthineverywhereelseMondaynightinChicagoduetoascorelesstieattheUnitedCenter,BlackhawksstarPatrickKanewaitedneartheblueline.

Andwaited.ThenKanewaitedsomemore.

TheHawkshadwaitedtwoyearsforanotherchancetowinaStanleyCup.Whatwasanotherfewseconds?EspeciallywithHawksdefensemanDuncanKeithrushingdowntheicetomakethewaitworthwhile.

KeithskatedintotheHawks'offensivezone,andKanesetuphistirelessteammatewiththeperfectpassbetweentwoLightningdefenders.FiringarocketthatbouncedofftheleftpadofgoalieBenBishop,KeithfollowedupbyknockingthereboundpastBishop'sgloveatthe17-minute,13-secondmarkofthesecondperiod.

Thehornblared,thecrowdof22,424exhaledloudlyand"ChelseaDagger"playedafterKeith'sgoalthatservedas,well,thedagger.Itseemedonlyfittingthatthegame-winnerinalegacy-defining2-0victoryovertheLightningcamefromKeith,whoplayshockeythewayteenagersuseiPhones—withoutworryingabouttheminutesthataccumulate.ThebestplayerfortheHawksthispostseasonshouldbetheonerememberedmostforwinningthebiggesthockeygameinthecitysince1938.

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TomJoneswritesaboutthememorableLightningseasonthatcouldn'tquitestrikeatitle:

OnedaytherewillbetimefortheLightningtoperformtheautopsyonthe2015StanleyCupfinal.Onthatday,theLightningcandissectwhatwentwrong,howtheserieswaslost,everythingitmighthavedonedifferently.

Butnowisnotthattime.

Todayissimplyaboutdisappointment.It'sabouttheheartbreakofcomingsoclosetoalifelongdreamandhavingitrippedfromitshandsatthefinalmoment.It'saboutangerandgriefandalltherottenstagesoflettingachampionshipthatwassocloseslipaway.

TheLightningseason—oneofthebestinfranchisehistoryandoneofthemostmemorableinthehistoryofTampaBaysports—isover.

TimKawakamigetsbiblicalafter40yearsofwanderingbytheGoldenStateWarriors:

The40-yeardroughtendedwithsomanysplashesthattheWarriorsjustaboutfloodedQuickenLoansArenaonTuesday.

Turneditintoamightyriver,renewingandelevatingeverythingaboutthisfranchise.

StephenCurryandhisteammatesoverflowedwithpent-upenergyinGame6,theygushered,theywereageyserofrevelation,reliefandutterelation.

Itwasabiblicaltorrent—adeepbluedownpourofjoyandperfectjumpshots–toconcludetheWarriors’longchampionshipjourney,fromtheirlasttitlein1975throughyearsofhorrorstothisnight.

AnditendedinheavyspraysofchampagneandshoutsofpurestsportingelationintheWarriorslockerroom.“It’srainingoutthere,”coachSteveKerrsaidwhenhecametohisnewsconferenceinadrenchedshirtandgiganticsmile.

Thatwasafloodthatwipedawaygenerationsoffailureandsorrow.

Itwasthelastgameandthelasttimethisfranchisewilleverhavetothinkortalkaboutachampionshipcurse.

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TerryPlutolooksattheCavaliers'seasoninanencouraginglight:

FortheCavaliers,theNBAseasonendednotwithtearsbutwithhope.

ItendedatQuickenLoansArena,GoldenStatedefeatingtheCavaliers,105-97,inGame6ofthe2015NBAFinals.

ItendedwiththeWarriorswinningtheirfirstNBAtitlesince1975,anditendedwiththeCavsstilllookingforthefirstNBAtitleinthe45-yearhistoryofthefranchise.

ButitalsoendedwiththeCavsbeingclosertothetitle--thanever.That'swhatIkeptthinkingwhilewatchingtheCavsinthelastfewgames.

UPDATE:ApparentlythePlainDealerreceivedbacklashforits"NotEnoughGrit"headline.EditorGeorgeRodrigueadmitsthesyntaxwasabitoffforwhathisnewspapertriedtoconvey.

Iwishwehadsaid,"Gritwasnotenough".That'swhattheeditorwhowrotetheheadlinemeanttosay.Hewasthinkingthatgritwasn'tenoughtomakeupfortheinjuriesthatsidelinedsomeplayers,andthefatiguethatdrainedothers.Hedidn'trealize,untilhesawhiswordsinprint,thathehadsentaverydifferentmessage

June18,2015—JohnBranchon‘LostBrotherofYosemite’

TheauthorofSnowfallagainhastheInternettalkingaboutanoutdoorsystory.NewYorkTimesfeaturewriterJohnBranch'slatestdeepdivedelvesintoBASEjumpingandaniconicfigurewhodieddoingit.LostBrotherinYosemiteisnotjustatragedybutaculturestorycoveringagrowingbutillegalactivity.BranchspoketoBackstoryaboutthestory,hisreportingprocessandhowhegotintojournalismafteracareeratCostco.

JohnBranchaudio

June22,2015—LeeJenkinsoncoveringtheNBA

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Wheneverydaypeoplesucceedintheirjobs,theydon'tspraychampagneontheircolleaguesordrunkenlysing"WearetheChampions."Fewadultsexperiencetheunbridledjoyofanathletewinningatitle.

Butwouldn'titbecooltositinonsuchaparty?

SportsIllustrated'sLeeJenkinshungwiththeGoldenStateWarriorsinaClevelandhotelaftertheteamwonitsfirstNBAchampionshipin40years.Daysearlier,JenkinspublishedarevealingprofileonWarriorscoachSteveKerr.Thisweek,JenkinswillwrapuptheWarriors'runinanotherbigSIfeature.

Momentsaftergettingthatpiecefact-checked,JenkinschattedwithBackstoryabouthislifeasanNBAwriter.

Wediscuss:

§ Jenkins'fly-on-the-wallreportingoftheWarriors’championshipcelebration§ Hisin-depthprofileonGoldenStatecoachSteveKerr§ Howhefindsdetailsthatmakehisstoriesmemorable§ HisadmirationofandfascinationwithLeBronJames’lifestory(Jenkinswrote

LeBron's"I'mComingBackToCleveland"letterandthe2012SISportsmanoftheYearprofileonhim)

§ TheNBAreportinglandscapeandJenkins'favoritebasketballwriter§ Thedifferencesbetweenbasketballandcollegebaseball,inlightofJenkins'

VanderbiltCommodoresplayingintheCollegeWorldSeries

LeeJenkinsaudio

June26,2015—Clean-shavenBobRyandiscussesaward-winningcareer

SANDIEGO—BobRyanisdonewiththemustache.Forever.

ThelegendaryBostonGlobereporterandcolumnistsportedsomefacialhairfrom1971-1997,asseeninthe1992phototoyourright(he'stheHall-of-FamewriterinthemiddleoftwoHall-of-Fameballers).

ButevenLarryandMagiccan'tcoaxhimintosproutingwhiskersagain.

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"Nevercomingback,"Ryansaid."I'veturnedagainstfacialhair.Nooffense....Ijustnolongerfinditappealing.AndI'mparticularlyamusedwithbaldguyswithgoateesandbeards—asifthey'resaying,'Icangrowhairsomewhere!'"

Sillinessaside,RyanisinSanDiegotocollectthe2015RedSmithAwardforhiscontributionstosportsjournalism.It'saprestigioushonorthatputshiminthecompanyofShirleyPovich,JimMurray,DickSchaap,FrankDefordandRedSmith—theinitialrecipientin1981.

Ryan'scareerwiththeGlobehaslastedmorethan40yearsandcounting.He's"retired"butstillwritesafewcolumnseachmonth.

OnThursday,RyanwilladdresstheAssociatedPressSportsEditorsatalunchattheWestgateHotelindowntownSanDiego.BillWaltonwillprovidetheintroduction.

Ontheeveofhisspeech,RyansatdownwithBackstorytodiscusshiscareer,howhe'dapproachbeatwritingtodayandyes,hislong-gonemustache.

BobRyanaudio

June30,2015—Mark’spicks

Rememberthoserelicscalledvideostores?

BeforeRedboxandNetflix,brick-and-mortarbusinessesnotonlyrentedoutfilmsbutalsoprovidedinputfrompimply-facedteenagerswhospenttoomuchtimeontheircoucheswithbowlsofpopcorn.

Ashelfwouldread“[Blank]’sPicks.”

Andmaybethatstranger’spredilectionswayedyoutoselectSe7eninsteadofApollo13...

WelcometoMark’sPicks,amonthlypostinwhichI’llhighlightsomeofthejournalisticworkI’veenjoyedfromthepast30orsodays(inthismetaphor,I’mthepimply-facedteenager).

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Bynomeansisthisanexhaustivelistofallthegoodjournalismofthelastmonth.Admittedly,it’sabitheavywithcontentfromcertainindustryleaders.Tohelpdiversifythislistinthefuture,letmeknowwhenyoufindsomethinginterestinginJuly.

TheOutsideTriangle,byNicholasDawidoff(Adventure)

Thestoryseemedtobeawriter’squestofsortsbutveeredintoamoreinterestingdirection—aprofileontriple-postoffensemavenTexWinter.Plus,DawidoffgaveusthiswonderfulquotefromMikeKrzyzewksi:“Thetriangledidn’twincrap.”

Pride.Regret.Hope,byAllisonGlock(Drama)

HopeSolo'sdomesticviolenceissuesarecomplex.Sowasherupbringing.Thisfeaturekeepsthereaderoffbalancewhiletryingtounderstandapolarizingfigure.

TheBestMovieBaseballPlayerEver,byDanWorthington(Action)

ThisEmoji-illustratedtournamentstruckanostalgicchordwiththischildofthe90s,andI'mabitsurprisedithasn'tgoneviral(thehypotehticalmatchupsaregeneratingfewerthan3,000votesapiece).Don'tworry,Worthington—Iabsolutelylovethis!

Baseballmoviesreignedinthe90s,andcharacterslikeRick"WildThing"VaughnandBenny"TheJet"Rodriguezmadethemsparkle.ThismaynottouchWorthington'sbrilliantNCAATourmamentEmojis,butit'sstillabigwinner.

No-NoRegrets,byPhilTaylor(Drama)

Often,thebesttimetocoverastoryisafterthedusthassettled.Armedwithperspectiveandtimeforreflection,thecentralcharacterscanbetterarticulatewhat

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happenedandhowitaffectedthem.TaylorwaitedthreeyearstowriteaboutthenightthatchangedJohanSantana'slife.Santana'scomposuregivesthisbaseballtragedyahappierending.

SirBartonEasilyWinsBelmont(Epic)

InhonorofAmericanPharoah'sTripleCrown,Idugupthisstory,coveringthefirst-everhorsetowintheKentuckyDerby,PreaknessandBelmontStakes(nobodycalledthetrifecta"TripleCrown"in1919).

"Vociferouswerethegreetingswhichwelcomedthenewthree-year-oldchampionashereturnedtothestandwhereCommanderRosswaswaiting,bubblingoverwithjoy,toshakethehandofLoftusandplayfullypathispeerlessthoroughbred."

Eaton,Colorado,LivesandDieswithBaseball,byBenjaminHochman(Adventure)

Hochman'snine-partseriesonbaseballinColoradohasbeenwonderful.Inningthreeismy(andHochman's)favoritethusfar.IttakesustothetinytownofEaton,whereahighschoolbaseballpowerhousepossessesbigskillsandstorybooktraditions.

LeBronJames'UnfathomableWorkload,byTomHaberstroh(ScienceFiction)

AnybodywatchingtheplayoffswonderedifLeBronJamesisreallyacyborgsentfromspacetodestructbasketballteams48minutesatatimewithoutrest.Evenscientistscouldn'tgrasphisphysicalachievements,consideringthecircumstances.

AttheWomen'sWorldCup,aMementoPlayersareStuckWithandStuckTo,byJulietMacur(Action)

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Seeminglysoinnocuous,rubberpelletsinfieldturfserveastheprotagonistofthisdrollcolumn.Frompersonalexperience,evenreporterswhohavecoveredgamesorpracticesonthisturffindtheirshoeslitteredwithblackbeads.

Pandamonium(Comedy)

Ifyouwanttolaughyourselfsenselessthinkingofhowyou'ddescribethisstorytoyourgrandmotherorsomebodystuckin1996,readaboutPabloSandoval'sInstagram-fueledbenching.So...anoverweightbaseballplayernicknamed"Kung-FuPanda"gotintroublefor"liking"aphotoofanattractivewomanwhilehesatonthetoilet,phoneinhandduringaballgame?

Inotheramusingnewsthismonth,Sean"Diddy"CombsusedakettlebellasaweaponinaUCLAworkoutroom.LosAngelesTimesreporterZachHelfandsummedupeveryone'sincredulity.

LostBrotherinYosemite,byJohnBranch;

SteveKerr:TheWarriorsRingmaster,byLeeJenkins

Wecoveredtheseearlierthismonthindetailedpodcastswiththewriters.ThankstoJohnandLeeforparticipating.

July1,2015—BleacherCreatures

BillEichenbergertotteredwithhisiPhoneashetriedtosendatextatbreakfast.

Untilrecently,heusedaflipphone.He'sadmittedlybehindthetechnologycurve.

"It’safascinatingmarriage—meandBleacherReport,"Eichenberger,thecompany'sspecialprojectseditor,said.

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WhenyouseeBleacherReporteditoryouprobablythinkofa20-somethingcomputerwhizchasingthenextpageview.TheSanFrancisco-basedcompanyisknownforgamingtheSEOsystemand"dumbingdowntheweb"withclick-bait.

Butinthelasttwoyears,B/Rhasimproveditsjournalisticcurbappeal.IthiredformerNewYorkTimeswriterHowardBeckandothercrediblereportersin2013.AnditbeganitsLongformsection,headedbyEichenberger,61,arespectedveteranprintguywhospentnineyearsatNewsday.

Eichenberger,basedinNewYork,sayshehastheresourcestomakewritinghires,butanyonethecompanybringsinneedstobesomeonewho"blowsusaway"withtheirtalent.

Fornow,thelonefull-timeLongformwriterisLarsAnderson.Hespent20yearsatSportsIllustrated,workedhiswayupthemastheadfrominterntoseniorwriterandthentookabuyoutbeforejoiningBleacherReport.

“TwentyyearsatoneplaceisalongtimeandIwantedtowritedifferentkindofstories,”saidAnderson,whomostlycoveredcollegefootballandNASCARforSI.

Thenewdigsallowhimtowrite4-5,000-wordstorieshebelieveshecouldn’thavedoneatSIbecausethere’ssomuchcompetitiontogetintothemagazine.

Italsogiveshimaplatformtoreachanup-and-comingaudience.

AndersonteachesasportswritingclassatAlabama,andwhenheaskedhisstudentswheretheyacquirenews,“theoverwhelmingmajorityofthemsaidBleacherReport.”

“It’sanexcitingplacetobebecauseyoucanreachsomanyeyeballs,”hesaid.

Thissection'sworkisundeniablyquality,thoughstillgearedtowardanarrow18-24demographic.Eichenbergersaidhegreenlightsjust10percentofwriters'storypitches.Storiesmustappealtoayoungcrowd.NFL,NBAandcollegefootball—inthatorder—attractthetargetaudience.

It'sanaudienceknownforitsimpatienceandfast-changinghabitsforconsumingmedia.

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It'sEichenberger'stasktogivethese"millenials"contentthat'ssogoodtheycan'tputitdown.

THELAWRENCEPHILLIPSSTORY

Andersonlikesstoriesthat“shatterperceptions.”

Hismostrecentarticle,onNFLflameoutLawrencePhillips,doesjustthat.ItoffersasympatheticviewofPhillips,whoisthesuspectedkillerofhisprisoncellmate.

AndersonisfromLincoln,NebraskaandcoveredPhillips’celebratedcollegecareer.

WhenAndersonheardnewsofPhillips'prisonincidentinApril,hedidn’timmediatelyknowhe’dwriteanythingaboutit.Butwhenhemadeaphonecalltotheprison,hefoundthesituationhadbeenunderreported.

Nobodyhadcalledtheprison.FewknewitwasjustPhillipsandDamionSoward,thevictim,inthatcell.MorereportingmadeitostensiblethatPhillipsactedinself-defense.

Andersoncouldn’tlandajailhouseinterviewwithPhillipsbutstillwantedtobringinhispastwiththeplayer.Hesaidusedfirst-personspeechtoaccomplishthat.

“Ithinkitgivesyoumoreflexibilityasawriter,aslongasyoudon’tovercookitandoverwriteitandyouhavereportedoutopinionsandanalysis,"Andersonsaid."Ifyouestablishyourcredentialsonthesubject,Ithinkit’sausefulliterarytechnique.”

WhenAndersonfiledthestory,hethoughtitwasjustaverage.

Accordingtothewebsite,it’sgarneredmorethan985,000reads.

July2,2015—DetailingtheLongWalk

WilliamBrowningwalkstwomilestoworkeverydaybutneverhikes.

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Hewandereddeepintothatworldforhislatestfeature,ALongWalk’sEnd.ThestoryfocusesonJamesT.Hammes,wholivedsixyearsontheAppalachianTrailasafriendlyhikernamed“Bismarck”beforetheFBIarrestedhiminMayforlarge-scaleembezzlement.

DramaunfoldsasBrowningprobeshowawantedmancanbecomeinconspicuousinthe“don’task,don’ttell”cultureofhiking.

Thestorychecksinatnearly10,000wordsonSBNation’sLongformsection(headedbyGlennStout,whoeditstheannual“TheBestAmericanSportsWriting”books).

Browning,themanagingeditorfortheCommercialDispatchinColumbus,Mississippi,stumbledintothestorywhenahikerfromhistownbecamekeyinfindingHammes.BrowningwroteaboutthishikerforhisnewspaperbutwantedtofurtherpursueHammes’complexlife.

Hedidn’tseeitasasportsstory,butStoutgreen-lithimtowriteitforSBNation.

Browninginterviewedroughly30people—allbyphoneoremail,asidefromtheinitialhikerfromhistown.Hespentamonthreportingandwriting,hesaid,allwhilecontinuingtogettoworkat5a.m.forhisdayjob.Hesaidhegotofftheclockbetween3:30and4andthenbeganpoundingthephonelines.

“Alotoflatenights,”BrowningsaidfromhisofficeThursdayafternoon.

What’simpressive,givenBrowning’sremotereporting,istheamountofdetailhepacksintothenarrative;weknowexactlywhatoutfitHammes'deceasedwifeworeonthecouple’sfirstdate.

“Justalittlebitofadetailcanaddapersonaltouchandmakeitrealtoreaders,”Browningsaid.

Thewriter’soneregretisneverreachingHammes’mostrecentgirlfriend.Hesaidothersinthehikingcommunityrefusedtopassalonghercontactinformationbecausetheywantedtoprotecther.

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Browning’sfirstphonecallwenttoalittleinninalittleVirginiatown.Andthat’swherethestorybegins.

OnaSaturdaymorninginMay,2015,agroupoflawenforcementagents,theFBIamongthem,knockedonthefrontdooroftheMontgomeryHomesteadInninDamascus,Virginia.Theproprietor,aretiredkindergartenteacherwholivesacrossEastLaurelAve.fromtheinn,happenedtobethereatthetime.Shedoesnotknowforsurehowmanyagentswereontheinn’sporch.Sheguessesthreeorfour,thoughherhusbandtoldherlateranothermanwaspositionedatthebackdoor.

ReadtherestofBrowning’sstory,ALongWalk'sEnd

July3,2015—Mid-inninginterviewwithBenjaminHochman

BenHochmanistakingbaseballfansthroughthestateofColorado,oneinningatatime.

He'snowfourpartsintohisseries,"NineInnings,"whichisenliveningTheDenverPostwhilethecity'sbaseballteampredictablylanguishesinlastplace.

Thefirstinningisabouthowablindcoupleenjoysbaseball.ThesecondinningfeaturesaNigerian13-year-oldwhorepresentsasmalldemographicinthesport.Thethirdinning—ahomerun—divesintoEaton,Colorado,asmall-townpowerhouse.

Inningfour,publishedafterourconversation,detailsthelifeofan81-year-oldbaseballplayerandiswritteninthestyleoftheOldManandtheSea.

OnthepodcastHochmanandIdiscuss...

§ HowHochmanusessocialmediatofindsources§ Whattypesofstorieshe'stryingtotellforthisseries§ Improvandstandupcomedy(Hochmanevenhumorsmewithalivestandup

bit)§ Morefacialhairtalk(shoutouttoBobRyan)§ AhiddengemburgerjointinCharlotte

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Apologiesiftheaudioissoftinspots.Hochman'spersonalitystillmakesthisworthalisten.

BenHochmanaudio

July8,2015—AWorldCupveteran

TheWorldCuplastsamonth,soStevenGoffpacksforaweek.

Don'tworry,TheWashingtonPostsoccerwriterknowswhathe'sdoing:hejustreturnedhomefromhis10thWorldCup,datingbacktothe1994men'seventinAmerica.

Limitinghimselftoabigsuitcase,asmallerbagandacomputerbaghelpshimstaymobile.WorldCupsarespreadacrossentirecounties,unlikethe17-dayOlympics,whicharetypicallyconfinedtoacityorregion.Goffmakesthemostofhisclothing,laundersthemifneeded.“Thebluejeansgetalotofwearandtear,”hesaid.

CoveringaWorldCupisallaboutlogistics.

ThislastoneinCanadawasabiteasierthanmost.Nomassivetimechange.Nolanguagebarrier.

Butaccesstoplayersandcoachescausedmorelogisticalplanning.

Goffestimatesroughly25peopleformedthecorereportinggroupthatcoveredtheU.S.women'steamthroughout.TheUnitedStatesSoccerFederationmadecoachJillEllisavailabletothemediaafewtimesperweekandgaveaccesstoacoupleplayersaftereachpractice,Goffsaid.Lockerroomsareclosedtothemedia.Writerstendtowriteaboutthesameplayers,becausethat'swhosequotestheypossess.

Andthenthere'sthe"mixedzone,"apost-gameavailabilityareawhichGoffdescribedas"warfare."

Playerswalkthroughadesignatedareawithmediamembersstandingbehindabarrier.Reportersaskplayerstostop,andplayerscanchooseiftheywanttoornot(HopeSolowasaperpetual"no").

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"Sometimesyou'retalkingtooneplayerandotherplayerswillpassthroughandyou'llmissthem,"Goffsaid."It'sascramble.It'swarfareinthemixedzone.You'rejockeyingforpositiontotalktosomeone,you'retryingtofigureoutthebestspottolineupagainsttherailingtograbsomeone.It'sachallenge;it'sanadrenalinerushgoingintoamixzone.Yousweatalot."

Here'sapairofstoriesGoffproducedfromhismonthattheWorldCup,alongwithhiscommentsonthem.

ProfileonU.S.coachJillEllis

Goffaudio#1

GamestoryfromthechampionshipagainstJapan

Goffaudio#2

July10,2015—7marathons,7continents,7days,lotsofClifBars

Amanransevenmarathonsinsevencontinentsinsevendays.

KrisSchwartzwastheretodocumentmostofit.

SchwartzproducedESPN’s“SCFeatured”storythatairedSunday.It’saboutabombasticEnglishmannamedTedJacksonwhohasanoperavoice,adadbodandatongueforjunkfood.Heneglectsphysicaltrainingbutstillpledgestorunmorethan180milesinoneweek.

Thestorybordersonabsurd.Atonepoint(whentheprotagonistcurls5-poundweightswithadevioussmileandthencallshimself“woefullyunprepared”),thisviewerwonderedifitwasaSiddFinch-esquehoax.

“Icaneasilyseethat,thewayitcameacross.”Schwartzsaid,beforeassuringmeitwasreal.Eventually,weseeamoredeterminedsideofJacksonashetriestocompletetheWorldMarathonChallengealongsideadozenmoreseriousrunners.

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LastNovember,ESPNreceivedanemailfromcharityorganizationprofilingJackson,aninterestingcharacterattemptinganinterestingexercise.ESPNspentfourdaysatthemanorwherehelives—renownedreporterJeremySchaapjoiningonthethirddayforinterviews.

SchaapguidesviewersthroughJackson’sambitiousfeatfromAntarcticatoChiletoFloridatoSpaintoMoroccotoDubaitoAustralia.

JacksonappearstobebreakingdownphysicallyandmentallybetweenmarathonsNo.4and5.ESPNinvestedagoodchunkofmoneytotellthisstory.Woulditbesquashediftheprotagonistfailedtofinish?

“Therewerediscussions—ifTeddoesn’tmakeit,whatdowedo?”Schwartzsaid.“Sayhestopsafterthethirdorfourthone—dowefollowsomeoneelse?”

Schwartzlearnedcompellingstoriesfromothercompetitorsandthoughtaboutincludingtheminthepiece.

ButSchwartzwasconfidentinJacksonfinishingallsevenmarathons,especiallyafterhearingJackson'smindset:“Hewouldenvisionachildwhoneedshelpandifyoudon’tgettohim,he’lldie,”Schwartzsaid.

ESPNjoinedupwithJacksonduringthethirdofsevenmarathons.Itskippedthefirsttwolegstosavemoney,andinsteadusedfootagefromJackson’sGoPro,aswellasfilmfromanothercameramanwhotapedtheentirecircuitforotheroutlets.Attheendoftherun,alocalcrewshotvideoforESPNinAustralia.

Schwartz,themostconsistentpresenceforESPN,wasthereforfivedaysinfivecontinents,constantlytrackingJackson’sprogress.

AnESPNveteranof17years,Schwartzsaidthiswasn’tthemostgruelingstoryhe’severworkedon;he’sfacedmorepressurizededitingsituations.Itdidrequirenon-stopmovinganddecision-makingtogethimselfandhiscrewintherightspotsalongeachrace.

Hesaidheslept15hoursandsubsistedonadietofClifBars,bananas,Gatoradeandairplanefood.

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“Wedidn’thaveamealuntilwesatdowninAustralia—wedidn’thaveamealatatable,”Schwartzsaid.“Thatwasagoodrealizationofwhatwehaddoneinthosecoupledays.”

Watchthestoryhere

July13,2015—Research,‘mesearch,’andguitarlicks

mesearch|noun|carefulstudythatisdonetofindandreportnewknowledgeaboutsomethingthatinterestsyou

AlessonfromaUCDaviscommunicationsclasshasstuckwithMichaelGehlkinashetriestogenerateinterestingstoriesonhisbeat.

"Research=Mesearch"

Ifsomethinginterestsyou,lookintoit.There'sagoodchanceitwillinterestothers,too.

Gehlkin,the28-year-oldChargersbeatwriterfortheSanDiegoUnion-Tribune,foundfascinationduringaroutineinterviewwithoffensivelinemanJoeBarksdale.ItresultedinthismelodiousfeatureaboutBarksdale'sguitarchops.

GehlkindeftlytogglesbetweenBarksdale'sfledglingguitarskillsandhisdevelopingNFLcareer.Thestorypacksinformation,descriptionandasuspensethatkeepsthereaderwantingmore.

ChasingJimiHendrixbeganwitha$90acousticguitar,notahowitzerbuthey,stillaguninJoeBarksdale'shand.Heabsorbedthebasicsofmaintenanceandtuning,E-A-D-G-B-E.Helearnedaboutmarkerdots,frets,scalesandbarchords."SevenNationArmy,"asimpleWhiteStripesriff,wasthefirstsongheplayed.

Barksdalenolongerownstheacoustic.

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Eventually,Gehlkintransitionsfromguitartofootballbydrawingadefinitiveconnectionbetweenthetwo:"Barksdaleisaquicklearner.TheChargersknowitnow."

WhenthewriterchattedwiththeChargers'linemanlastmonth,thetwotalkedmostlyaboutBarksdale'stransitiontoanewschemewithanewteam.Barksdalementionedhishobby,andhisquicklyimprovingproficiencyatit,andGehlkinsawaconnection—fastlearnerbothonthefieldandwiththestrings.

Gehlkinknewhewasontosomething.BecauseifGehlkinwasareader,he'denjoyastoryaboutamillionaireathletecominghomefrompracticeeverydayandtryingtoshredlikeHendrix.

Aftertheinterview,Gehlkinimmediatelyphonedhiseditor,ToddAdams,andcalledanaudibleonapreviouslyplannedfeature.

Hearhimtalkabouthisphilosophyonstoryselection:

Gehlkinaudio

TheBarksdalestory,tome,isfarmoreinterestinganddigestiblethanaschematicbreakdownoftheplayer'son-fieldrole.

Itshowspersonality.Itsmemorable.It'llmakemethink,"Hey,that'stheguywiththeguitar,"wheneverIhearBarksdale'snameduringaChargersgamethisseason.

Andthewritingiscrispandtopical.

Usingsonglyricsinstoriescanoftencomeacrosscheesyorforced.ButGehlkin—playingoffBarksdale'sfirstname—pulleditoffwithasubtletouch.

BarksdalecametoSanDiegotoearnastartingjob,andhe'sputinthehours.Offtheclock,hesitsinahotelroom,practicingaloneorreceivingguitarlessonsonSkype,chasingtheghostofaguitaristwho,twodecadesbeforehisbirth,calledhisname.

Hey,Joe.

Whereyougoin'withthatguitarinyourhand?

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Thetakeaway:explorestoriesthatinterestyou.Lookformeaningfulconnectionsbetweenathletes'hobbiesandthesportstheyplay.Andifa300-poundlinemanistrainingtoplaylikeHendrix,bagyourpreviousfeatureideaandgodosomemesearch.

July24,2015—SportsIllustratedwriterreliesonnotes,notquotes

Serenaisnoteverybody’scupofEarlGrey.

Thatlinedidn’tfindahomeinL.JonWertheim’smostrecentSportsIllustratedmagazinepieceonWimbledonwinnerSerenaWilliams.Infact,Wertheimisabitsheepishtoseeitscribbledinhisnotebook.

Butthatnotebook—filledwithinterviews,observationsandwordplay—isthekeytoWertheim’swritingprocess.

ThenotebookgoeseverywherewithWertheim.Andwhenit’stimetowrite,thenotebook—ratherthanawordprocessor—storesthereporter’sentirefirstdraft.

Everyparagraphisitsownpage.

Thestorybecomesatangiblepuzzlereadyforreordering.

“BythetimeIturnonmylaptop,it’sbasicallyatypingexercise,”Wertheimsaid.

It’saprocessthatbestallowsWertheim,hardlyaludditeatage44,toorganizehisthoughtsfordeep,texturedstoriesliketheWimbledonreview(notyetonlinebutavailableinlastweek’sSportsIllustrated).

Becausethemagazineoftencomesoutthreeorfourdaysafterabigevent,SI’sstoriesmustbepackedwithintriguinganecdotes,analysisandturnsofphrase.

TheEarlGreylinemighthavelackedbite,buthowaboutthisone?

“SerenablitzedSharapovayetagain,pushinghercareerrecordinmajorsemifinalstoaridiculous25-3.Anditpushedherhead-to-headrecord(foot-to-backsiderecord?)againstSharapovato18-2.”

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That'swordplaythatworks,andaddscharactertowhat'sotherwiseaparagraphfullofstatistics.

Wertheim’sstrategyistosimplyreportasmuchaspossible—tofillthatnotebookwithenoughdetailsthatanunexpectedresultwon’tsubmarinehisstory.

So,atonepointduringtheweek,hedecidedhe’dtalktoSerena’ssister.NotVenus,butlittle-knownIshaPrice.ThatconversationwithPriceunearthedananecdotethathelpedWertheimdevelopthethemeofhisstory.

PricementionedSerenawantedtowatchthePixarmovieInsideOut,whichWertheimactuallysawwithhischildrenthedaybeforeleavingNewYorkforWimbledon.ThewriterwasabletoconnecttheplotofthemovietoSerena’saccomplishmentofhandlingherrangeofemotionstowinanothertitle.

Asthemagazine’sleadtenniswriter,WertheimhascoveredjustabouteverySerenaangle.Butthiswasanewone.

AllthequotesWertheimusedinthestoryareshortandpunchy.Ofthetotal2,500orsowords,only93werepartofquotes(andjust33quotedwordsfromSerena).

That’snotbyaccident.Itkeepsthestorycomingatafastpace.Anditsparesthereaderofplatitudes.

It’dbetooironictoquoteWertheimexplaininghisdisdainforquotes,sohere’stheaudiofromourconversationonthetopic.

JonWertheimaudio

That’sgoodadvicetowriterswholeantooheavilyonsoundbites:reportforinformation,notquotes.

IaskedWertheimforotheradviceforyoungwriters.Heinstructedthemtotakeriskstodifferentiatethemselves.Andhesaidonecanneverdotoomuchreporting.

That’swhyjournalistscarrythosenotebooks,afterall.

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July28,2015—BostonGlobe’sHall-of-Famecoveragestandsoutforitsvariety,exclusivity

LikeavintagePedropitchingperformance,theBostonGlobewhippedoutitsentirearsenaltocovericonicRedSoxstarterPedroMartinez’sHallofFameinduction.

Thisarrayofcontentservedthereaderswellfortworeasons:

§ Itexperimentedwithalternativestoryforms(interactivegraphics,animationsandvideos)togoalongwithdeepfeaturestoriesandnostalgiccommentaries.

§ Considerablelong-termplanningresultedinexclusiveandinterestingcontent.

Aprojectofthisscopewouldnotbepossibleifwhippedtogetheraweekorevenamonthinadvance.SotheGlobebeganayearago.

Martinezwasagoodbettomakethe2015class,andtheGlobe'seditorsknewtheyhadtoprovidesubstantialcoverageonsuchabelovedfigure.Sotheybeganplanningnotlongafterlastsummer’sHallofFameinduction,accordingtosportseditorMattPepin.

RedSoxbeatwriterPeteAbraham,nationalbaseballwriterNickCafardo,columnistDanShaughnessyandseveraleditorsmettospitballideas.Becausetheybeganthegame-planningsoearly,therewasnoneedtofinalizeanydecisionsbeforedigestingandrefiningthoseideas.

TheGloberolledoutsomecontentinNovember,whenballotsrevealedMartinezaspartofthefour-manclass,andthenabunchmoreinthespringandsummer.

Twooftheirstandoutpiecescomeinuntraditionalstoryforms.

§ TheGlobedetailedthestep-by-stepprocessoffoundry-workerscreatingPedro’splaque.Hearingthesculptordescribeherstrategyandseeingfactoryworkerspour2,000-degreebronzecreatesmemorablemomentsandapass-alongfactorforreaders.Thepaperreceivedexclusiveaccesstothisprocess,withtheplaque-makingcompanyevenadjusteditsproductionscheduletoaccommodateit.PepincoordinatedallofthisinMarch.Again,planning.

§ ThisinteractiveofPedro’spitchesisjustplaincool.TheillustrationswerecreatedfromphotosandvideosofPedrogrippingaballandpitching,whichmakesthemquiteaccurate.Alltheinformation—fromtheillustrationtothegraphs—issimpleenoughtodigest.

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PepinsaidtheGlobewantedtoavoidduplicatinganystories,butwasn’tafraidoffatiguingitsaudiencewithcontent.

“Idon’tthinkwecouldoverplaythisstorybyanystretch,”Pepinsaid,notingPedro’spopularity.

AsfarasthisBoston-bornfanofthePedroeraisconcerned,theyplayeditjustright.

CraigBiggiocoverage,HoustonChronicle

Biggio,unlikePedro,neededthreetriestoreachtheHallofFame.ButhisinductionwasequallybiginHouston,whichneverbeforesawaplayerwearanAstroshattoCooperstown.

ThehometownHoustonChroniclesucceededintacklingalltheanglesthatmadeBiggiomemorable—his3,000-plushits,hispositionswitch,hispinetar,hisrelationshipwithJeffBagwellandmore.

SportseditorReidLaymancesaidthatcooperationwiththeadvertisingandproductionstaffshelpedtheirspecialsectionactuallymakemoney.

Ifthere’sonedrawback,theChronicle’sdigitalofferingsweren’tasrobustastheGlobe’s.Laymance(aformerGlobestaffer)admitted“thatwassomethingweshouldhavedonebetteron.”

Whydidn'tthatpartpanout?

Forone,Biggioisn’tasdynamicaplayerorpersonasPedro(quietlystrokingdoubles,Laymancenoted,doesn'thavethesameappealasaPedrostrikeout).Also,BiggioneveragreedtositdownforavideowiththeChronicle.

Still,everythingtheChronicledidforprintlookssharpontheweb,andit’sorganizedinaneasy-to-navigatesection.

RandyJohnsoncoverage,ArizonaRepublic

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TheArizonaRepublic’sstrategydifferedabitfromthehometownpapersoftheotherHallofFamers.Sure,AZCentralprovidedplentyofcontentonRandyJohnson(thefirst-everDiamondbackelected),butthesection'sbigfeaturestorywaspartofabiggersummerseries.

SportseditorMarkFallersaidheandhisstaffdecidedtorunfourdeep-divefeaturesthissummer—theslowestpartoftheirsportscalendar—ongoliathsportsfiguresinArizona:Johnson,formerGM/ownerJerryColangelo,CardinalscoachBruceAriansandCardinalswidereceiverLarryFitzgerald.

Theprojectwashatchedattheendofthefootballseasonandapprovedbytheendofwinter.ThatgaveD-BacksbeatwriterNickPiecoroenoughtimetoreportoutthisthorough“BigUnit”featurewithouthavingtoeverleavehisbeattomeetwithsources.

JohnSmoltzcoverage,AtlantaJournal-Constitution

Coveringthe2015HallofFameceremony,withJohnSmoltzjoiningbaseball’scoolkids’club,wasquitesimplefortheAJC—atleastrelativeto2014.

Considerthis:lastyear’sHallofFameclassincludedTomGlavine,GregMadduxandBobbyCox,allenteringthehallasBraves.ItincludedJoeTorre,whoplayedandmanagedtheBraves,andTonyLaRussa,whoplayedforthem,too.ItalsoincludedFrankThomas,whogrewupinGeorgia.

“Itwaseasierforusthisyear,insomerespects,”AJCsportseditorRayCoxsaid.

OnelessonCoxlearnedfromlastyearistogetstartedoncoverageassoonasyoucan.WithSmoltzanobviouschoice,theAJCbeganplanningroughlyayearago.MuchofitscontentwaspracticallyfinishedbyMarch.

Coxsawsuccesslastyearwithfirst-personpiecesthattappedintonotablefigures’memoriesoftheHallofFamers.SotheAJCbroughttheideabackforthiswell-donepiece,whichgathersrecollectionsfromteammates,coaches,opponentsandfriends.

CirclingbacktowhatmadetheBostonGlobe’scoveragesocompelling,thisstoryworksbecause:

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§ It’spresentedinthemostlogicalwaypossible—insteadofstuffingalltheseanecdotesintoatraditionalnarrative,itgiveskeyfigurestheirspacetospeak.

§ Plentyofplanningwentintomakingsureitwasreadywhenitneededtobe.

July29,2015—Reportingwithoutaccess:HowKentBabbfoundoutaboutChipKelly’swife

Whenafamousfootballcoachlivesastrangelyprivatelife,andwhenpublicrecordsreveallittlemore,findingChipKelly'sex-wifebecomesyour"whitewhale."

That'showWashingtonPostsportsfeaturewriterKentBabbexplainedhisquesttouncoverfresh,revealingdetailsaboutKelly,thePhiladelphiaEagles'boldbutsecretiveheadcoach.

[Spoileralert:UnlikeinMobyDick,Babbsucceededandlivestotellaboutit.ReadhisarticleonKellyhere]

Babb'saccountisoneofpersistenceandindustriousness.Itshowsthatthereareotherwaystogetastorywhenthemainsourceandhisoldfriendswon'ttalktoyou.

Itstartedwitharumor.

Babbbeganreportingafootball-centricstoryonKelly.Thecoach'smysteriouspersonalityquicklybecamemorecompelling.WhensomeonementionedthatKellymighthaveoncebeenmarried(afactthatfliescountertopreviouslybelieved/reportedinformation),Babbwentdigging.

"MySpideysensewasgoingoffthathemustbehidingsomething,"thewritersaid.

Thisisthepartwherewehashoutwhetheritmattersifafootballcoacheverhadawife.

Itdid,Babbreasoned,becauseofwhatthatrevealedaboutthecoach,whosepersonaisofapigskin-madbosstoofocusedonXsandOstocommunicateproperlywithhisplayersorthemedia.Itdid,Babbreasoned,becauseKelly'sconcealingofthatinformationtoldussomethingabouthim.Plus,ifBabbcouldspeaktoapotentialex-wife,hecouldlearnevenmoreaboutwhatmakesthecoachtick.

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First,hehadtofindoutiftherereallywasanex-wife.

FriendsofKellyrefusedtotalktoBabb.

BabbcalledaspokesmanatOregon,whereKellyusedtocoach.Nohelp.

BabbtriedtoacquireamarriagerecordfromNewHampshire,whereKellyalsocoached.Thestate,accordingtoBabb,doesn'tmakerecordsavailabletojournalistsunlessthere'sa"compellingreason."AfeaturestoryonChipKellydidn'tqualify.

Almostreadytogiveup,BabbcheckedabioofKellyinanoldNewHampshireWildcatsmediaguide.

A-ha.

Thereitmentionedhisthen-wife,Jennifer,whoeventuallybecamethekeycomponentofBabb'sWashingtonPostfeature.

OnceBabbfoundoutabouther,itwaseasyforhimtofindhercontactinformationthroughapublicrecordssearch.Andaftersomeexpectedskepticism,sheagreedtotalk.

JenniferJenkins'storiesarewhatbindsBabb'sfeature.SheoffersinsightsaboutKellythatwouldbetoughtoacquireelsewhere:Hewasshyasa25-year-old.Hereadself-helpbooks.Hishyper-focusonfootballWASN'Tthereasontheygotdivorced.

"Thisstorycouldnotbea'Gotcha,he'smarried,'andthat'sthewholestory,"Babbsaid."Becausebeingmarriedisn'tthatbigofadeal."

OnetrickypartformetoreconcileisthatnobodyeveraskedKellypoint-blankwhetherhewasevermarried.(Thefactthatitwasn'taskedweakenstheargumentthatKellyisactuallyconcealingsomething.)

Babb'sresponsetothatconcernisthatKellyneveranswerspersonalquestions,andifheaskedKellyonthefirstdayoftrainingcamp,itwouldturnintothetypeofTMZ"Gotcha"momentheaimedtoavoid.Babbwasfairenoughtosubmitmultiple

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interviewrequeststhroughtheEaglesandindicatewhatinformationhefound.TheEaglesnevergrantedhimaninterview.

Thisisn'tnewforBabbtowriteaboutsomeonehedoesn'tgetachancetointerview.LastmonthheprofiledHillaryClintonandreleasedabookwithuncooperativeformerbasketballstarAllenIverson.

ThatIversonbookmadeBabbabetterresearcherandorganizer.Anditvalidatedforhimthat"justbecauseyoudon'thavecooperationdoesn'tmeanyoudon'thaveastory."(ListentoBabbdiscussthebenefitsofreportingwithoutaccess)

KentBabbaudio

DuringhisconversationwithJenkins,Babbknewhefoundhisleadorendingwhentheex-wifementionedinpassingthatshetraveledtoKelly'sfirstgameasanNFLcoach.Babbwasawareenoughinthatmomenttopivotandbegindrillingdownondetailsofthisaccount.

That'showgoodreportersareabletogeneratedescription-packedleadslikethis:

OnaMondayafternoonnearlytwoyearsago,awomaninhermid-fortiessettledintoalongMetroride,DupontCircletoLandover,boundeventuallyforFedExField.¶JenniferJenkinshadn’tbeentoanNFLgamesinceshewasalittlegirl,footballmakingsomuchnoiseduringonepartofherlifethatforalongtimeshetuneditout.ButthisdayinSeptember2013wasdifferent:ChipKellywascoachinghisfirstNFLgame,hisPhiladelphiaEaglesplayingtheWashingtonRedskins.¶Kelly,51,coachesfootballinawaythatcallsattentiontohimself,buthekeepsmuchofhislifeoff-limits.Eventheprofilesthathavebeenwrittengivelittlesenseofhimawayfromthefield,apartfromtheoccasionalmentionofhowheisalifelongbachelor,seeminglymarriedtothegame.¶Wearingneitherteam’scolors,JenkinsreachedthestadiumthatafternoonandanoldfriendfromhernativeNewHampshirepushedaticketintoherhand.Shefoundherseatnearthe50-yardline,behindthePhiladelphiabench,surroundedbythehopeful,thejeeringandthecurious.¶Awhilebeforethegame,shepulledouthercellphoneandsentatextmessagetotheEagles’rookieheadcoach,themanwhohadbeenherhusbandforsevenyears.

August2,2015—Mark’sPicks,July

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Ifyoumissedmypostfromlastmonth,thisisaspotwhereI’llhighlightsomeofmyfavoritepiecesofcontentfromthepast30ishdaysandtrytoexplainwhatmakesthemsing.

Asalways,ifyouseeastorythatjumpsoutatyou,pleasepassitalongeitherbyemail([email protected])oronTwitter@MarkRSelig.

AbsurdButTrue:SafecoFieldFansLoveTheMariners'HydroRaces,byJaysonJenks

Duringavacationlastmonth,Iwenttoanamusementpark,andcameupwithamillioninanequestions:What’sthebestridetooperate?WhodecideshowtoloadtheFerrisWheel?WhenwillDippinDotsbecometheicecreamofthepresent?

Ilovestoriesthatanswersillyquestionsyoumightconsiderbutputdownwithoutfurtherthought.

“Whydosomanypeoplecareaboutasimulatedraceonascoreboardbetweeninnings?”

HydroracesaretheSeattleMariners'versionoftheracingpresidents,sausagesorcondimentsyouseeatotherballparks.Jenkswrites,

Inthelandof$11seatsandcoldRainiers—aplaceotherwiseknownasthecenter-fieldbleachers—Ifoundaspotdirectlyunderneaththescoreboardacoupleweeksago,meaningthatbythetimethehydrosroaredinthesixthinning,Icouldn’tseethescreen.AllIcoulddowaswatchpeoplewatchingtherace.

Nottobetooscientificaboutit,butpeoplewereactinglikecompletebanshees.

Actually,hedoesgetscientific,explaininghumans’needtopicksidesandtheirpropensitytoactcompetitivelywheninacompetitiveenvironment.

Iwishthearticleincludedavideoofarace(availableonYouTube),butotherwise,thestoryansweredallthosefleeting,innocuousquestions.

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GoneBabyGone:BostonTellstheOlympicstoGetBent,byCharlesPierce

Whensportsintersectwithpolitics,manyfanstuneout.InthecaseofanOlympicsbid,wegetfarmorepoliticsthansports.

CharlesPierce,legendarysportsandpoliticswriter,doesusallafavorbydeliveringtheupshotofthesmotheredBostonOlympicsbid,andhedeliversitasentertaininglyanddigestiblyaspossible.

TheproximatecauseofwhathappenedwasthatnewgovernorCharlieBakerandnewmayorMartyWalshwerenotraisedasfoolsbytheirrespectivemommas.

That'sasentencethatanybodycancomprehend.

AmirJohnson’spathtoBoston,byRachelG.Bowers

StickinginBoston,here'sanalternativestoryformthat'ssmartinitssimplicityandregardforthereaders'needs.

TheCelticssignedaforwardnamedAmirJohnson.CelticsfanslikemewanttoknowmoreaboutMr.Johnson.

Insteadofatypicalnewsstorywithalead,nutgraphandsomebackgroundinformation,thisbulletedpieceprovidesusinformationthemostefficientwaypossible.Itdoesn'treekofjournalism;itjustprovidesinformation.

Someofthebulletsarebasic(age,stats,quotesabouttheplayer)andsomearefun(aphotoofJohnson'scrazyhaircut,avideoofhimbuyingandhandingouthundredsofDrakealbums).Andaftergoingthroughthispiece,IammuchmorefamiliarwiththeCeltics'newacquisition.

TheBattle,byRichClune

IsthePlayer'sTribune"journalism?"That'sdebatable.

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ButtheDerekJeter-foundedwebsitedoesprovidemanyvaluabletakeawaysfromitsfirst-personmissives.

Itgivesavoiceandaplatformtoathleteswho'drathertelltheirownstoriesthanhavethemtoldforthem.

RichClune,ahockeygoonandreformeddrugandalcoholabuser,givesrawdetailsinhisstoryonthePlayer'sTribune.Whilewe'relosingoutonalayerofverification,hearingtheplayertellastoryfirst-person,insomecases,canbemorepowerful.

“Istartedgoingoncokebendersthatwouldlastfordays.Ilost14poundsoverasummer,andthejigwasup.Myfamilysatmedownforanintervention,andIcouldn’tbullshitmywayoutofitanymore.Iwillneverforgetthelookonthefacesofmytwoyoungerbrothers.Iwasliketheirherogrowingup,theirbestfriend,theleader.AndIcouldseeitintheireyesthattheywerelegitimatelyafraidofme.”

RashardMendenhall:TheRealPlayerBehind'Ballers,'ByMen'sJournal

Whilewe'reonthetopicofempoweringathletesandtheirvoices...howaboutthisstory?

InapostwithJonWertheim,wediscussedthevalueofwritingwithoutquotes,especiallywhenyoursubjects'quotesarefilledwithplatitudes.Butintherareinstanceswhenyoursubjecthasaverystrongandpossiblycontroversialopinion,it'ssmarttogetoutofthewayandlethiswordscarrythestory.

Mendenhall'sperspectiveissointerestingthatthewriterdoesn'tneedtodressupthestory.

DefyingTimeandSpace,byDanBarry

Ancompellingsubjectwilltakeastoryalongway.

DanBarrychoseNewYorkMetspitcherBartoloColonforadeep-divefeature.Andwhowouldn'twanttoreadabouta42-year-old,285-poundpitcher?

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Thereisn'tatonofpreviousliteratureonColon,givenallhe'saccomplishedduringhislong,many-citycareer.

SeeingColonplayathisageandsizeisalmostfunny.Hismisadventureswiththebatarefrequentsubjectsofmemes.SoBarryhadfunwiththisarticle,presentingdoubtaboutColon'preciseageandsize,andcomparinghimtoErnestBorgnineandFredFlintstone.ThestoryeventuallyturnsmoreseriousandgivesusaglimpseofhowColonachieveshisseeminglyunlikelysuccess.

DeAndreJordan'sRoundTrip:HowClipsStarDissedDallasforL.A.Return,byRamonaShelburneandTimMacMahon

Itwasadayworthyofa30for30documentary.Exceptnowwedon’tneedone.

DeAndreJordan’sfreeagencyU-turnandthe“hostagesituation”inhisHoustonhomenearlyblewuptheInternetlastmonth.Itwas“ThebestTwitterdayever,”Ifonlyitwasn’t“thebestdayinInternethistory.”

Thefollowingweek,ESPN’sRamonaShelburneandTimMacMahondeliveredanopusrecountingalltheeventsbehindthescenes.

ThereportersputusinabarwithBlakeGriffin,ChandlerParsonsandMarkCuban.TheytakeusouttosushiwithParsons,Cuban,DirkNowitzkiandJordan.FromthecontentofFacetimemessagestotheexperiencesonapartybus,thearticlepacksatonofdetail.

Rebuildingthesescenesrequiresdeepaccesstothekeyplayers.ESPNscoredbigpointswithitssourcinginthisstory—gettingCubanandParsonstonotonlytalkbuttorecreatenow-painfulmoments.

ThoughJordandidn’tcommentbeyonda“Talklater?”text,thestorywasabletocapturehismindsetthroughoutthefreeagencyprocessbytappingintosourcesinsideJordan’scircle.

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MarkCuban’sInbox,byJustinHalpern

Quitegimmicky,butthisfakeMarkCubaninboxhadmeLOL-ing.

ALongWalk'sEnd,TheEatonReds,Football'sMostIntriguingFigure,IsAlsoIt'sMostUnknown

ThankstoWilliamBrowning,BenjaminHochmanandKentBabbfordiscussingtheircraftwithmeinJuly.

August4,2015—ProductiveprocrastinationhelpsTimGrahamnailfeatures

TimGrahamcanwrite4,500bewitchingwordsatatimebuthestillgetsshyabouttheinitialplungeintothepool,sotospeak.

"Actuallygettingstartedtowriteisjustgrueling,"theBuffaloNewsenterprisereportersaid.

Tocombathisdread,Grahamemployswhathecalls"productiveprocrastination."

Insteadofwriting—andyes,hetypicallywriteshisstoriesinonesitting,afterhiswifeandkidshavegonetosleep—Grahamwillmakethreemorephonecallsorheadtothelibrarytofindapertinentbookhe’syettoread.

Notonthetypeofdeadlinesthatbeatreportersconfront,Grahamhastheluxurytoresearchanddevelopdeepfeaturesthisway.

Hisjobcomeswithitsownsetofpressures.

“Ihavetohithomerunseverytime,”Grahamsaid.

Todothat,Grahamobsessesoverhistopics.

Heobsessesoverstories'preciseframing.Heobsessesoverwhomtouseassources.

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“I’mthinkingaboutitallthetime,”Grahamsaid.“It’sonmymind.ItcomestoapointwhereI’mdreamingaboutit.Layinginbed,andrightbeforeIfallasleep…”

He’llwhipouthiscellphone,openthenotesapplicationandkeyinanoteremindinghimselfofanotheravenuetoexploretomorrowmorning.

Herackshimselfinhopesofachievingageneralgoal—totellstoriesthatpresentcuriositiesthatreadersdidn’tknowtheyhad.

Graham’slatestfeatureonBuffaloBillbustAaronMaybinisagoodexampleofthis.

Inthemicrosense,thestoryisaprofileonMaybin,andwhattheretired27-year-oldisnowdoing.Morebroadly,it’saboutfalseoptics:ThoughthousandsofpeopleresentMaybinforblowingoffacareerthey’dlovetohave,itdoesn’tmeanMaybinisdisappointedwithhiscurrenthand.

GrahamvisitedMaybininBaltimoreandspokewithhimonthephoneseveraltimes.Herealizedthattheformerlinebacker'struthwasn'tquitewhatmostangryBillsfansassume.

Graham’sledebothintroducesustoMaybin’sfootball-replacingpastime(art)andservesaspoignantsymbolismforabigger-pictureidea.

BALTIMORE–TherecomesatimeinAaronMaybin’sartisticprocesswhenheneedstoscrutinizehiscanvas.Inacluttered,paint-splatteredstudio–onthefirstfloorofhisthree-storyrowhouseinthecity’sgentrifiedCantonneighborhood–Maybinwillpacethiswayandthat.Hewillsquint,cockhishead,evenclimbhalfwayupthestaircaseinsearchofafreshperspective.

Rightaroundthen,MaybinwilltakeadeepdrawofmarijuanafromaBlack&Mildcigarortokefromoneofthebongsscatteredabout.

“WhenIlightoneup,”Maybinsaid,“I’musuallyfiguringoutwhatmynextmoveis.Ithelpsyouseeyourvisionfromadifferentangle.”

Maybin’sstrongopinionsandsurprisinglysympatheticstorieskeepthereaderinvestedinthispiece.

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Initially,Maybindeclinedaninterviewrequest,butseveralemailslater,hegavein.Asyoucantell,MaybinallowedGrahamdeepaccessandkeptverylittle—notevenillegaldruguse—off-limits.

Graham,whousedtocovertheDolphinsforthePalmBeachPostandthenESPN,isdevelopinganationalreputationinthejournalismcommunityasawriterwhocanknockfeaturesoutofthepark.

That'swhathedidwiththisstoryonbrain-rattledBillslinebackerDarrylTalley.

Andthat'swhathedidwithaJuneprofileofnewBillscoachRexRyan.

GrahamvisitedRyan’smotherinasuburbanLasVegasretirementcommunity,andtoldthestorythroughhereyes.Manyreporters,whenwritingaboutRexRyan,talktohisfather,whowasalsoacoach.It'sthelow-hangingfruit.

TurnsoutmomwastheonewithallthefascinatingstoriesoftheRyansgrowingup,likehowRexandRoboncesharedcontactlensesonthebaseballfieldandhowtheyoncedrunkenlyfoughtoneanother,leadingtoanarrest.

WhenGrahamknockedonDorisRyan'sdoorandsatdownwithherforaninterview,heaskedthe80-year-oldmomhowmanyreportersshe'dhostedthroughouttheyears.Grahamwasthefirst.

AsGrahamhasshownus,procrastinationcanleadtotheideathatleadstoDorisRyan'sdoorstepandatreasureofvaluableanecdotes.

August6,2015—SoyouwanttowriteforGrantland?

Wakeupearlyeverydaywithnopromiseofpay.Bustyourbutttohoneyourcraft.Findtimetoworkonstoriesbetweenotherjobs.Andcrossyourfingers.

That’snottheonlyroutetoemployment.Butit’sagoodroadmapforfreelancerswhoseeksomethingmorepermanent.

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It’showJordanRitterConnlatchedonwithESPN’strendysportsandpopculturesite.

Aftergraduatingwithamaster'sdegreeinjournalismfromCal-Berkeley,ConnfreelancedforthreeyearsbeforeGrantlandhiredhimasastaffwriterin2013.

Duringthosethreeyears,lifewasfarfromcushy.TopaylivingexpensesintheSanFranciscoBayArea,hecoveredhighschoolfootballfortheubiquitousPatchmediacorporationanddidcopywritingforawebsitehedescribedasa“Grouponknockoff.”

"Honestlyitwasprettybrutal,"Conn,30,saidoftheworkload.

Heknewhewantedtowrite"longform,"though,andknew,athisageandinexperience,freelancingwasthemostdirectpathtothoseassignments.

ConnconsidershisbigbreakastoryonformerbasketballplayerManuteBol.HewroteitfortheAtavist,whichpaidhim$5,000plushalfofallsales(thesitesellsstorieslikee-books).Thestorydidn'tsellwell,andConnburnedthrough$3,000justtoreportinSudan.

Hisprofitdidn'tmatchhishours,buteditorsbegantonoticehischops.

Hereceivedbetterfreelanceassignments,executedthem,andreceivedafull-timeofferfromGrantland.

"Youhavetobeaself-starter,"Connsaidofnavigatingthefreelanceworld."Youhavetomakearoutineforyourselfeveryday.Youhavetofindawaybalancethestuffthatpaysthebillswiththestuffthatyou'repassionateabout."

Conn'sroutinewastowakeupby7a.m.,andworkonhispreferredstorieswhilehewasfresh.He'dsavethemonotonous,bill-payingworkforlater.Hemadesurethathespentsometimeeverydayonthosemeaningfulstories,"soyou'renotlosingsightofwhyyou'reinthisridiculous,poorlypayingfield."

Hisadvice:Lookforplaceswhereyoucandoambitiouswork,andlookforeditorswhocanhelpmakethatworkbetter.

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(Andifyouwantadviceonhowtopitchafreelancestorytoaneditor,checkoutthisHow-TofromBerkeleyjournalismprofessorJenniferKahn,Conn'sadvisorfromgradschool.)

---

NowthatyouknowabitaboutConn,youshouldreadhismuch-discussedstoryfromlastweek—"Potsdam'sNightmare:WhatHappenedtoGarrettPhillips."

It'sahigh-dramamurdermysterywithcomplexlegalimplications.Connreporteditoffandonoverthepastyearandsiftedthroughhundredsofdocumentstosynthesizethestory.

Still,“it’simpossibletoknow,atthispoint,alltheevidencethatexists,”Connsaidoftheongoingcase.

Tosortthrougheverythingandstayorganized,ConnusedthesoftwareEvernote,whichmakesPDFssearchableandallowsfornotesandhighlights.Whenanelementofadocumentjumpedouttohim,hemadeanoteofit,andlaterpieceditintotheskeletonofhisarticle.

Connsaidhetypicallydoesn'tliketograntanonymityorconductoff-the-recordinterviews,butallowedhimselfforastorylikethis.

Sometimesyouneedsilentsourcestosteeryouintherightdirectionwhenthevocalonesaredividedandhavesomuchatstake.

Andsometimespotentialsourcesneedabitofurgingtotalk.Whenthat'sthecase,Connwilloftenshowthesourcehispastwork—likeafreelancerprovingtoaneditorhe'sworthy.

"ItellthemI’mgoingtowriteastorythat’strueandfairandcomplex,andit’sgoingtohavenuance,andit’sgoingtohavecontext,"Connsaid."Icanpromisethemallofthat,andcan’tpromisethemthey’lllikewhatI’llwrite."

August11,2015—Anoralhistoryofanoralhistory

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Twentyyearsago,whenprofessionalsoccerwasatinynichetoAmericans,agroupofpeopleslappedtogethertheMLSwithaboutasmuchformalityasyour$50fantasyfootballleague.

Theybastardizedtherules.Theydiscussedusingbiggergoalstoattractmorefans.Theysignedoffonlogosanduniformsthatnowappearfoolishlygaudy.

MajorLeagueSoccerwassopeculiarduringitsfirstseasonthata"MelrosePlace"actorusedrunfromtheTVshowsettosoccerpractice,andhewouldn’ttellthesoapopera’sproducersthathewasintheleague.

SportsIllustratededitorAdamDuersonwantedtocapturethesetypesofstoriesinSI'sannual"WhereAreTheyKnow?"issue.HeassignedsoccerreportersGrantWahlandBrianStraustointerviewseveraldozenkeyfiguresfromtheMLS'inauguralyear,andthenthereporterspassedthebatontodigitaleditorAlexanderAbnostocompileanoralhistory.

Thefinishedproductisrichwithfunnyanecdotesandunbelievablerecollections.

Duerson,StrausandAbnosexplainedtomewhyanoralhistorywasthebestwaytotellthestory,andhowateamcanpulloffthatstorystructure.(Wahl,theotherreportercouldnotbereachedforcomment).

Here'sanoralhistoryofhowtheymadetheiroralhistory.

ADAMDUERSON(SportsIllustratedsenioreditor):TheSuperBowlhappensFeb.2nd.Feb.3rdIstartworkingonthisissue.AndbymiddleofFebruaryIhopetohaveastorylistoutandpeopleworkingonthings.SothisisprobablythefirstthingIassigned.

BRIANSTRAUS(SIsoccerwriter):GrantandIandAdamDuersonjuststartedcomingupwithnames.Youstartwithpeopleyouknow,andyoustartwithpeoplewhoit'snothardtogetaholdof.Andthenyoustartworkingbackwardandlookingatmediaguidesandlookingtoseewhowasinvolvedwiththeleagueandwiththeclubsandwiththefrontoffice....Wecameupwithalotofnames,50or60maybe.

DUERSON:LooseBallsisthisoldABAoralhistory,andtomeithadalotofparallelswitheverythingI'veeverheardaboutthefirstyearofMLSinthatitwasvery

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upstart.[TheMLS]didn'trunasuper-tightship,theywerereallyfiguringthemselvesoutcomparedtoalotofthingsyouwerewatchingonSportsCenteratthetime—itprobablyfeltalittlebushleague,whichisafarcryfromwhatit'sbecomenow.

ALEXABNOS(SIdigitaleditor):Somuchofwhat'scoolaboutthoseearlyyearsarethestoriesandtheexperiences.Likepeoplesaying,'Ican'tbelievetheMLSwasaleaguethatdoesthis,thisandthisandtheyactuallyusedtofunctioninthisway...Bydoinganoralhistorywewereabletokeepasenseofdisbelieffromthepeoplewhoareactuallytellingthestory.

STRAUS:Ithink,oftentimes,writerscangetinthewayofastory.Iseealotofwriters,especiallyrecently,evenputtingthemselvesintothestory,makingitfirst-person,talkingabouttheirexperienceandhowtheyinteractwiththesubject-matter.AndIthinkoftentimesthat'sabitclumsy.Removingthewriterandallowingthepeopletospeakforthemselvesandallowingtheirwordstotellthestoryunfilteredisrefreshing.

DUERSON:BrianandGrantdidalltheinterviewsandAlexcompileditalltogether.Sohereallyneededtoreadeverything.

ABNOS:Alltheinterviewshadbeendone.IbelieveIhadtwo,maybetwoandahalfweekstopullitalltogether....Grantgavemetranscriptionsforallofhisinterviewsstraightup,word-for-word,everythingthatwassaidintheinterview.AndBriangavemeselectsofhis....Idon'tknowhowmanypages.Inthehundreds.

STRAUS:Theseconversationscouldlast45minutestoanhour.You’rejoggingpeople’smemories,you'reminingfordetails.You'reaskingthem'OhtellmemoreaboutthetimeyouhadabarbecuewithCarlosValderrama.

...It’slikeanyotherinterview…Thebasicstrategyforaninterviewisknowwhatyouwanttogetoutofit,don’tjustgoinunrehearsedorwithoutalistofquestionsortopicsyouwanttotouchon.AndIthinkthebestinterviewsforanystory—andespeciallyastorylikethis—theybecomeconversations.Theydon'tbecome

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Question-Answer-Question-Answer.You'rereminiscing,you'reshootingtheshit,you'retellingstories.Ideallyitsoundslikegive-and-takebetweenfriends,andthat'showyougetthebeststuff.

ABNOS:TonothavedonetheinterviewmyselfwasahugechallengebecauseIdon’thaveamentalrecordofhowtheconversationswent.Literally,theonlythingIhaveisthetranscriptionsinfrontofme...I’mbasicallycomingintoitcompletelyblind.

STRAUS:Hereallydidtheheavylifting.Youwanttomakeitlooklikeaconversation.Youwanttoimaginethatthese40peoplearesittingaroundareallybigroom,eatingpizzaandtalkingshitabout1996andlaughingtheirheadsoff.ItwasAlex'sjobtoreallycreatethatimpression.

DUERSON:[MyadvicetoAlexwasto]clearoutsometimeonyourschedule.Bepreparedtoreadalot.Ifit’sme,I’mpullingoutthoselittlesticky,color-codedpageindexthingsandabigfathighlighterandspendacoupledaysgoingthroughallthestuff.

ABNOS:Ilookedatit,actually,alotlikeputtingtogetheraradioshow....Youhavesomeleewaytowhereyoucanjumpinasahostandsaysuchandsuchathing.Butreally,whenyou'reworkingasaradioDJandyouwanttodoabig,longradiofeature,inactuality,thestuffthatyourecord,theinterviewsaregoingtocarrytheflowofthepiece.

STRAUS:Hisjobwasmuch,muchharderthanours.Ican'tstressthatenough.Igottohaveconversations,andthenIhadtospendacouplehoursfixingcommas.WhatAlexhadtodo—toturnthatintosomethingthatwasreadable—wasHerculeanandawesome.He'snotgettingnearlyenoughcreditpubliclyfortherolehedid.

ABNOS:Ijustkindofwingedit.Ithoughtaboutitinchunks.Ithoughtaboutitlike:Bigover-archingtopics;formationoftheleague;findingtheplayers;playingthefirstgame;playingthefinal;andthenoverallreflections.

STRAUS:Thereweresomelaugh-out-loudmomentsinthatpiece.

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ABNOS:ItdidmakemelaughoutloudthesecondthatIreadit:[D.C.Unitedpresident]KevinPayne’srecollectionofseeingtheTampaBayMutiny'slogoforthefirsttime.

KEVINPAYNE:Itoldthem,"Idon’tgetthis[TampaBay]‘Mutiny’.What’swiththesymbol?”Theysaid,“Oh,it’samutantbat.”Okay,whatdoesthathavetodowithMutiny?“Youknow—Mutiny,mutant.”Isaid,“Thosearetwodifferentwordswithcompletelydifferentmeanings.Theyjustsharesomeletters.Whatareyoudoing?”

ABNOS:WhenIreadthatquote,whenBriansentitalong,Iactually,literallydidlaughoutloudatmydesk.AndIstayedlaughingforfiveorsixminutes.AndIjustsaid,'Well,Iknowthat'sgoingtobethesignaturequoteofthepiece.'

STRAUS:Whatmakesstorieslikethisstandoutisthedetail.It'sthegranular,significantstuffthatpeoplerecall.

Theproblemwastheyacquiredtoomuchofthisgooddetail.AndAbnosdidn'twanttokillanymorebabies.

ABNOS:Theprocessofcuttingitdownisamazing.That’swhenIlostallperspective.Iwasintoodeep.Ididn’tknowwhatwecouldaffordtocutorwhatneededtobecut,becausetomeeverythingwasessential.

DUERSON:There'sthedigitalversionandthenthemagazine.IfIhadtoguessoffthetopofmyhead,Ithinkthey're3,200wordsandcloseto6,000words.....You'vegottoturnyourbrainasaneditorto'WellknowIonlyhavethissizebox,I'vegottocramitintohere.Whatcango?'Andthatwasareally,reallypainfulprocessbecausethere'ssuchgoodstuff.

ABNOS:Idon'tknowhowDuersonwasabletogetitdowntofitinthemagazine.Thereweretwoversionsofthepiece...AdamDuersonhelpedcutdownthat8,500toaround3,500or4,000.Ihavenoideahowhedidit.

DUERSON:Attheverybeginningitwas'Whatabsolutelyhastobehere;whatcan'twetakeout?Andthenyoujuststartkillingtheseamazinglittleanecdotesandarguingwithyourselfforahalfanhourover'DoIcutthesetwointotwo,whittled

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down,barebonesanecdotesorkeepthisoneatitsfullbrilliance?'Andthat'sreallynotanyfunatall.

ABNOS:Itwaskindofacrazy,compressedprocesstoputthatwholethingtogether,reallywithnotmuchtime,butI'mreallyhappywithhowthepiececameout.I'mreallyhappywiththewaypeoplerespondedtoit.

August13,2015—Diagnosinganoutbreakof‘nocomment’

Story:TheBatDoctorIsIn,ByRickPaulas,SBNation

Whenwould-besourceswon’twanttotalktoyouforastory,youmightbeontosomething.

RickPaulasranintothatproblem—orsolution—whenheinvestigatedillegalbatdoctoringinslow-pitchsoftballleagues.Arecreationalplayerforthepastdecade,Paulasconsistentlyheardrumblingsaboutsuchnefariousactivity.Butwhenheputonhisreporter'scapandleftmessageswithpeoplewhomighthaveinsight,theirresponseswerecurious.

“Theweirdpartwasn’tthattheydidn’trespondorkindofcold-shoulderedmeatall,”Paulassaid.“Theyrespondedandsaidthatthey’renotgoingtotalk.Itwaskindofthisweirdareawhere,clearlytheywantedtosaysomethingorclearlytheywereproudofsomething.Itgavememoreofafeelingthattherewasnotonlysomethingtodigthere,butyouknowyou’llendupwithsometypeofgold.”

WiththehelpofInternetmessageboards,Craigslistandanespeciallyhelpfulsourceondeepbackground,Paulaseventuallygottotheinsideofthisnetherworldwheresoftballplayersshafttheiropponentsbyusingbatsunfitforcompetition.

Readthestory:it’shilariousinitsabsurditybutseriousinitspotentialconsequences.

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Toldinthefirstperson,thestoryrevealsmanyelementsofthewriter’squest.Sometimesthatstrategycomesacrossabitself-important,butitworksinthispiecebecauseitaddscriticaldetailssuchasthelengthspeoplewillgotoproduceandbuythesebats(andthemeasurestheytaketoconfirmareporterisn'tasnitch).

Paulas’first-personaccountalsoaddshumor.HerampeduptheridiculousbycomparingthistoWatergate—hisgo-tosourceis“DeepOut”—andputtinghimselfinthecrosshairsofasillyscandal.

“Youcanonlyhavesomuchexcitementtalkingaboutthespecificsofsoftballbatdoctoring,”Paulassaid.“Especiallyforthis,whatheightenedthestakesofitbeingastoryworthtelling,isthatpeoplearetryingtoobstructthetruthinaway.”

Paulasalsousesfirst-persontohelpexplaintheimportanceofrecsoftball,becauseit’sanimportantpartofhislife,too.

Paulassaidwhenhereportsalongfeature,he’lltalkitoutwithfriendstobettergrasphowexplicitlyhe’llneedtoexplaineachelementtothereader:

§ “Here’swhatitmeanstoplaysoftball...§ Thenthere’sthisundergroundelement...§ Herearethewaystheycheat...§ Thisiswhyit’simportant,becauseit’sdangerous...§ Thisiswhyit’sdangerous...§ Andherearetherules...

“Ijustkindofbuilditbyspeakingthestoryoutabunchoftimes.”

WhenPaulas,afreelancer,pitchedthisstorytoSBNation,thetopicwasthe“batwars”ofthe90s,whencompaniesracedtocreatethelightest,strongest,best-performingbatonthemarket.AsPaulasdoveintohisreporting,thatangleturnedintoasectionofwhatbecameamoreintriguingnarrative.

AndagreatconversationstarterformyTuesdaynightbeerleague.

Guysonmyteamoftenjokeaboutopposingteams’batsbeing“corked.”Truthfully,corkwoulddoverylittletoenhanceatitaniumbat.Butit’spossibleteamsaretakingothermeasurestodoctortheirsticks.

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MaybeI’llask.Andifpeopledon’twanttotalkaboutit,well,itmightbetimetofindananonymoussource.

August14,2015—Hottake:GreggDoyelisareallygoodcolumnist

GreggDoyelwaslongknownasaprovocateurwhodelivered"hottakes."Mightstillbeknownasthat.

Shouldn'tbeformuchlonger.

AformerCBSSportscolumnistwho'snowattheIndianapolisStar,Doyelbegantoresenthimselfforhiswork.Heconsideredhimself"partoftheproblem"injournalism.

So,acoupleyearsagohetransformedintomoreofafeatureycolumnist.HisrecentworkfortheStarhasbeenexceptionalinitsdepthandintimacy.

SeeforyourselfwithDoyel'srecentcolumnaboutapoliceofficerwholosthisleginthelineofduty.

It'sinspiringandsuspenseful—writtenwithpacingthatmakesyousavoreverysentence.

HowDoyelgotthestoryisthathewascurious.

ThecopworkedattheIndianapolisColts'trainingcamp,andDoyelwantedtoknowhowhisleftlegcametobeaprosthetic.Sohewalkeduptothecopandasked.Doyeldidn'tintroducehimselfasareporter,althoughhisoccupationwasprobablyclear.

"Thekeyistonothavebarriersorbeawkward,"Doyelsaid."'Hey,Iseeyourlegthere;whathappened?'"

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Thecoptoldhim.Afteraminuteofchatting,Doyelrealizedtherewasastory.Hefollowedupwithamoreformalrequestforaninterview.

"Idon'teventhinkaboutbeingasportswriter,honestly,"Doyelsaid."...Afterabouttwosentences,thejournalismkicksinand'Waitaminute,waitaminute—thisisastory.'"

Doyelfoundhimselfahellofastory.Heusesasimilarprocesstofindmanyofhisotherstories.

He'salwayscurious,borderlinenosy.

Youcan'tfakecuriosity,Doyelsays,butifyou'reajournalist,youbettertry.

Andnow,forhim,it'sallself-perpetuating.Doyelsaidhe'sreceivingmoreandmorequalitytipsfromreadersbecausehisrecentworksuggestshemightbeinterested.

That'showhediscoveredthisstoryabouttwohighschoolfootballcoaches,playingeachothertonight,bothinneedofahearttransplant.

DoyelchattedwithmeThursdayandhadplentymoretosay.Listentohearmore.Herearesomeofthetopicswediscussed:

§ Histransitionfromahot-takeartisttoamoreprofoundreporter§ Thevalueofpickingyourbattles(evenifDoyelisn'tgoodatsaying'no'toany

battles)§ Howtoreportdetailforasceneyouweren'ttherefor(Doyelhasago-to-

questionthat'sprovensuccessful)§ Doyel'stypicalwritingprocess(alonelyroomand70smusic)§ Adviceforyoungreporters(Hint:Youarenotasgoodasyouthinkyouare)

GreggDoyelaudio

August18,2015—Try30,talkto15,use8

WhenIkemefunaEnemkpalipunchedteammateGenoSmithinthejawlastweek,JetsbeatwriterBenShpigelcanceledplanstobringhomeThaifoodforhiswife's

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birthday.HealsocanceledplanstotraveltoDetroitfortheJets'firstpreseasongame.

ThenewplanwastofindoutexactlywhoisIKEnemkpali.

ByFriday,theNewYorkTimespublishedShpigel'sprofileonEnemkpali—araremeasuredandnuancedlookatthebiggestsportsstoryoftheweek.

Shpigeltalkedtoteammatesandcoachesfromhighschoolandcollegetosketchaportraitofamanwho'stypicallygraciousandprincipled—despiteanow-infamousassaultcommittedforreasonsthatseem,ifnotjustifiable,atleastunderstandableafterreadingShpigel'sstory.

Step1forShpigelwas"reachingouttoeverybodyandanybodywhomightknowhim,becauseyouneverknowwherethatleashisgonnatakeyou."

Hemadealistofpossiblecontactsandthenfiredoffemailsorsocialmediamessagesto...

§ SIDsateveryschoolwithacoachwhoworkedclosetoIKatLouisianaTech§ Coachesfromhighschool§ Playerswhowereteammateswithhiminhighschoolorcollege

Shpigelestimateshecontacted30to40peopleandspokewith15-18.

Hequotedeight.

Shpigel'srestraintinquotingjusteightisagoodlessonthatinterviewsarenotjustforaddingvoicestoastory,butalsocorroboratingwhatsourcesaresaying.Interviewing15-pluspeopleallowedShpigeltowritewithconviction,becausepersonafterpersonafterpersoninsistedIKwasneverabullyorathug.

Thoughheoncemighthave,Shpigeldoesn'tfeelguiltyforinterviewingpeopleandexcludingthemfromhisstories.

"Iusedtoreallyfeelthatway,"Shpigelsaid."Ifeltobligated—ifIspoketosomeonefor15minutesor20minutes,thatwastimeoutofhisdaythathegenerouslygavetome,andIwantedtoprovetohimortoherthatIhadusedsomethingthattheysaid,anditwasn'tallfornaught.

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"…OvertheyearsI’verelaxedmyviewonthatbecausewe’rereporters,we'renotquoters."

Ultimately,Shpigelchosetheanecdoteshebelievesaremostinterestingandrevealing,suchasIKhidingatattoofromhismotherorIKgoingtothelibrarywhilehisbuddiesplayedvideogames.

ItwasShpigel'sgoaltopresentthesituationwithmorenuancethanmostfootballfansinitiallyreceivedit.HeusedasimilarstrategyforastorywhenRichardShermanbecameahouseholdnameafterhisrambunctiousrantimmediatelyfollowingthe2014NFCtitlegame.

ThemorepeopleShpigeltalkedto,themoreconfidenthewasinhisthesis.Evenifsomesourcesremainedanonymousviathewriter'svolition.

August19,2015—Managingtheall-consumingbaseballbeat

MajorLeagueBaseballbeatwritersdon’tgetmuchleisuretime,soDerrickGooldwakesupearlyandwatchesPhineasandFerb.

“It’sawesome.It’sfantastic.It’soneofthebestcartoonsever,”Goold,theSt.LouisPost-Dispatch’sCardinalsreporter,saidoftheDisneyChannelshow.

GooldisawakeshortlyafterdawnnotexclusivelybecauseofPhineasorFerb,butbecauseitmightbetheonlytimehe’llseehis9-year-oldsonthatday.

Lifeofabaseballbeatwriterisbusy,routinizedandseeminglynever-ending.RarelycanGooldshelfhisresponsibilitiesandrelax.Ifhecansteal30minutestowatchcartoonswithhissonbeforeschoolbegins,that’sagoodstarttohisday.WhenhetakesanhourtovisitalocalcomicbookshoponcertainWednesdays,Gooldispracticallyonvacation,sippingMaiThais.

Mostminutes,he’sdrenchedinbaseball.

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That’sthelifeGoolddreamedofasachild,andit’salifehe’sbecomequitegoodatsincebeginningtocovertheCardinalsin2004.Goold,thevicepresidentoftheBaseballWritersofAmerica,isoneofthemostrespectedscribesintheindustry.

Everyday—maybeafteracartoonwithhisson—Gooldbeginshisownhomework.Thatincludesreadingnationwidebaseballcoveragetostayinformedofwhat’sgoingonthroughouttheleague,especiallywithteamscloseontheCardinals'schedule.HealsoanalyzesSt.Louis’stats;henotestrendsandpossiblenuggetsforupcomingstories.

AswechattedlateonemorningbeforeaCardinals’nightgame,Gooldwasoccupiedcodingphotosforablog.Soon,he’dheadtoBuschStadium,talktothemanagerandplayers,reportanypre-gamenews,watchthegame,writeagamestoryfor10:15p.m.andmidnightdeadlines,crunchmorestats,leavetheballparkaround12:30p.m.,getsomesleepanddoitallagainthenextday.

Arecent“offday,”whentheCardinalstraveledhomefromaroadtrip,wasn’tmuchmorecalm.GooldleftMilwaukeeat8a.m.,headedforaflightinChicago.Theflightwascanceled,whichallowedhimtimetopostablogandwritetwomorestoriesforthenextday’snewspaper.Hedidn’tarrivehomeuntilmidnight.

“Peopledoingsportswritinganddoingbeatworkhaveneverwrittenthismuchandthisoften,Iwouldimagine,ever,”Gooldsaid.

Whatkeepshimgoing?

“Stupidity,”Gooldjoked.“I’mwiredforthis.IhadaprofessoratMizzoutellme‘Ifyoucan’twritewell,youbetterwritealot.Soyoubetterwritealot.’”

GooldaccumulatedasmanybylinesaspossibleasastudentatMissouri.Aftergraduatingin1997,hewrotefortheTimesPicayuneinNewOrleans(coveringLSUfootball,baseballandwomen’sbasketball)thentheRockyMountainNewsinhishomestate(coveringtheNuggetsandenterprise).HecoveredtheSt.LouisBluesforthreeseasonsbeforethePost-DispatchmovedhimuptotheCardinalsbeat.

Thelifelongbaseballfanviewsreportinglikethesporthecovers:It’sadailygrind,andyou’remeasuredbyafullbodyofwork—notasinglegame.Gooldknowsonegreatdayisn’tenoughtocarryhimallyear.

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HeswingsforthefenceswithhisSundayfeatures,whichmeasureoutat1,300-1,500words(here’soneonsecondbasemanKoltenWong,andthesignificanceofthemessagewrittenonhisbat).

Goold’sdailyroutinesallowhimtowritedeep,meaningfulstoriesalongwithallthenewsytidbitshe'sresponsiblefor.HerearesometipstotakefromGoold'sreporting:

§ Zigwhenothersarezagging,butzag,too:Journalistswantfreshinformation,butthey’reafraidofmissingoutonthenewsthepackisreceiving.Tosatisfybothsides,Gooldknowshislockerroom.Ifthere’sascrumaroundacertainplayer,heknowswhetherheshouldjointhescrumorifthatplayerhasatendencytostayabitlongertotalkone-on-one.Heweighsvariousfactorsbeforedecidingwhomhe’llinterviewandwhen.

§ Beorganized:Gooldtranscribeseverythingsoonafterherecordsit.Hethentagsitwithkeywordshecansearchlater.Thishelpshimrecallusefulsoundbiteslaterintheseason.

§ Readasmuchasyoucan:Inadditiontohisdailybaseballreading,Gooldbringsbooksonplanerides.Theymakehimcuriousbeyondbaseball,andsometimesinformhiswriting.GooldrecentlyreadFlashBoysbyMichaelLewis,HowNottoBeWrongbyJordanEllenbergandDevilintheGrovebyGilbertKing.NextinqueueisFourthofJulyCreekbySmithHenderson.

August20,2015—AndyMcCulloughtalksgamestories

Inthelastpost,DerrickGooldinformedusofthewide-rangingresponsibilitiesofamodern-daybaseballbeatwriter.

Themostcentralofthoseresponsibilitiesmightbewritinggamestories.

Eachoneisachapterinthebookthatisateam’sseason.Theyshouldalludetothepastandforeshadowthefuture.

Gooldwritesagamerthisway.AndifwetraveltravelwestonInterstate-70toKansasCity,there’sanotherreporterwho’smasteringtheartofthegamer.

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AndyMcCulloughcoverstheRoyalsfortheKansasCityStar.Hewritesdetailed,scene-filledgamestoriesundertightdeadlinepressures.

Here'shisledefromSunday'sextra-inningaffairagainsttheAngels:

Themantreatsthesemomentsasiftheyarehisstage,andhisstagealone:Twoon.Twoout.Abaseballgameontheline?TheKansasCityRoyalscoulddoworsethanturntoKendrysMorales.

Inthefinalat-batofa4-3victoryin10inningsovertheLosAngelesAngelsofAnaheim,MoralesdoesdidwhathehasdonemorethananyotherRoyalthisseason:Hedroveinarun.IttookasingletoleftfieldoffLosAngelesrelieverTrevorGott.BenZobristracedhomefromsecondbasetocompletethecomeback.TheteammobbedMoralesintheinfield.

McCulloughtypicallymustfilehisgamerwithinminutesofthegameending.Soheoftenbeginswritingitat5:30p.m.—anhourandahalfbeforethegamebegins.

It'snotidealtowriteastoryfatwithB-matter,butpre-writinghelpshimaddcontextinsituationswherehewon'tgetthechancetotalktoplayersafterthegame.Hekeepsarunningplay-by-playstorythroughoutthegame,too.

"Readerstendtoglossoverplay-by-play,"McCulloughsaid,"soyoutrytomakeitasvividaspossibleandyoualsotrytoprovideasmuchperspectivethatwasn'tapparenttopeoplewatchingthegame."

McCullough'sstylecameafterplentyoftinkeringforthe28-year-oldwhopreviouslycoveredtheYankeesattheNewarkStarLedger.

McCulloughsaidheusedtowritefolksy,likea“bullshit,fakeJoePosnanski,”butrealizedthatwasn’thisstyle.Nowheconsidershiswriting“muscular,”withactiveverbsandimagery.

“Trytofigureoutwhothewritersareyouwanttowritelike,studywhattheydoandthentrytomakeityourown,”McCulloughsaid.“Imitatethemuntilyousortoffigureoutwhoitisyouareasawriter.”

Here’sourfullconversationonwritinggamestories:

AndyMcCulloughaudio

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August26,2015—Comingouttomedia

DavidDenson,aprospectintheMilwaukeeBrewers'farmsystem,cameoutasgaytotheMilwaukeeJournalSentinelthismonth.HeisthefirstactiveplayeraffiliatedwithanMLBteamtobeopenlygay.

VeteranBrewersbeatwriterTomHaudricourthelpedtellDenson'sstory,whichappearedonA1oftheSundaypaper.

IaskedHaudricourtseveralquestionsaboutthereporting,andheansweredthemviaemail.Here'stheQ&A:

HowdidDensoncontactyou/yourpaper?

TH:BillyBean,MLB'sAmbassadorforInclusion,contactedmeearlierintheseasonandsaidhehadanunnamedplayerintheBrewersorganizationwhowasthinkingaboutcomingoutasgay.WetalkedseveraltimesonthetelephoneoverthenextfewmonthsuntilDavidDensonfeltthetimewasrighttomakehisannouncement.BillyputmeintouchwithDavidandwedidanextensiveinterviewoverthetelephone,andfollowedupintextmessagesandemails.

Whatwasyourstrategyforreportingtherestofthestory?

TH:Basically,IjustletDavidtellhisstory.ItwashisstorytotellandIlethimdomostofthetalking.Then,Iaskedtheappropriatequestions.AfterthestoryranintheJournalSentinelonSunday,Aug.16,IwentouttotheballparktogetreactionfromtheBrewers.

Howlongdidittakefromthetimehecameouttoyoutothetimewhenthepaperpublishedthearticle?

TH:IdidthefirstextensivetelephoneinterviewwithDavidonThursdaybeforeitwasprintedonSundayAug.16.Ihaddonesomeprepworkbeforehand,butbasicallyweturnedthestoryaroundinafewdays.Wefelttimewasoftheessenceandwewantedtogetitdoneassoonaspossible.ItwasquicklytargetedasanA1storyforthatSundayandIprettymuchworkednonstoponitfor21/2days.

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Didyouhaveanyexperiencewithsimilarstories?

TH:Thiswasthefirststoryformeofthiskind.Davidwasthefirstactiveplayerinaffiliatedbaseballtocomeoutasgay,soitwasthefirstforanywriter.Ihadnotdonesomethingsimilartothisinanysport.

Whydoyouthinkhecameouttoyou(insteadofMLB.comorperhapsOutsports)

TH:AllIwastoldisthatBillyBeanaskedforrecommendationsintheBrewersmediatodothisstoryandwasreferredtome.Wespokemanytimesonthethetelephoneandviamessagestogetcomfortablewitheachother,andwentfromthere.Theywantedabaseballwritertodothis,itseemedtome,becauseafterallDavidisabaseballplayer.

Didyou—orothermedia—knowhewasgaybeforehecameout(inthecaseofMichaelSam,itwasnosecrettoanyonewhocoveredtheteam)

TH:NoothermediaknewaboutDavidbeinggayasfarasIknew.Earlierintheyear,hehadcomeouttohisfamily,BrewersofficialsandhisteammatesinHelena,Mont.

Therearealotofathlete"comingout”stories,especiallyrecently.Whatdidyoutrytodotodistinguishthisstoryfromtheothers?

TH:NootheractivebaseballplayerinbaseballaffiliatedwithMLBhadcomeoutasgay.Thatdistinguisheditfromanyotherstoryaboutathletescomingoutasgay.Davidwasandisoneofone.

Whydidyoufeelthatthiswasanimportantstorytotell?

TH:BecauseDavidfeltstronglyabouttellingitandalsoreferto(thepreviousresponse)

Therearenoteammatesquotedinthestory…Didyoutrytotalktoany?Ifso,whydiditnotworkout?Ifnot,howcome?

TH:ItalkedtoDavid'smanager.TheteamisinHelena,Mont.Ihadacoupleofdaystodothestory.Iwasn'tgoingtotrytocallaroundtoteammateswhowerebusy

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playingbaseballgames.IfeltverycomfortablethatmanagerTonyDiggs,whoIknowandinterviewed,couldaccuratelytellmehowtheplayershadhandledthenewsthatDavidwasgay.Amanageralwaysknowshowplayersarehandlingclubhousematters.

Howdifficultwasittowriteauthoritativelyforthisstory,consideringyoudon’toftencoverDensonasaplayer?

TH:I'vebeenaprofessionaljournalistsince1976andhavecoveredeitherminor-leagueormajorleaguebaseballformorethan30years,soitwasnotdifficultatalltowriteaboutDavid.Iknewhisbaseballbackgroundandlethimtellhisstoryaboutbeinggay.AsIsaid,thiswashisstory,notmine.Iwasmerelytheconduitforhimtotellhisstory.

Whattakeawaysdoyouhavefromthisexperience?Whatadvicewouldyougiveyourselfifyouwerejuststartingthisstoryoveragain?

TH:Iwoulddoitexactlythesameifstartingover.BillyandDavidcametome.Iwaiteduntiltheywerereadytotellthestory,thenletthemdoit.MygoalwastohandleitprofessionallyandsensitivelyandhaveDavidbehappywithit.Afterall,it'shislifeandhehastolivewithit,soIwantedhimtohavenoregretsaboutchoosingmetodothestory.

Mymusings:Sexualityinsportsisobviouslyadelicateissue,sothesecomingoutstoriesseemtoalwaysbefacilitatedbyanotherparty,andhand-deliveredtoaspecificsource.

ThesamewastrueofMichaelSamcoveragelastyear.PrettymuchtheentiremediacorpsknewoftheformerMissourifootballplayer'ssexuality,buteveryonekeptitprivate,outofrespecttoSam.Eventually,Samdecidedtoreleasetheinformationwithathree-prongedattack:anannouncementonESPN;afeaturestoryintheNewYorkTimes;andabackstoryexplanationatOutsports.Meanwhile,UMassbasketballplayerDerrickGordoncameouttoESPNandOutsports.

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DensongivinghisstorytotheMilwaukeeJournalSentinelisararecaseofanathletechoosingthelocalpaperoveranationaloutlet.Haudricourt'svenerablereputationappearstobeabigreasonwhy.

Haudricourt'sstrategyto"justletDavidtellhisstory,"isadmirableandprettymuchthenormwithcomingoutstories.ButIwonder,becausethetopicissosensitive,ifareporterisabithandcuffedwhenasubject—andhisrepresentation—choosesthereportertotellacomingoutstory.

Thestoryisyoursbecausethewetrustyou—nowdon'tblowourtrust.

TheJournalSentinelstoryincludesinterestinganecdotesthatDensonprovides(suchashintsofmildhomophobiafromteammatesandhisfather).

Iwonderifconversationswithteammateswouldhaveallowedthisstorytobemoretranscendent.

Haudricourtletthemanagerspeakfortheentireteam,butDenson'steammates—thepeershe'sgrowingwithasaballplayerandahumanbeing—couldhaveofferedmorecoloraboutwhatit'slikebeingaroundayoungmanwithasecret.

Especiallyinaculturewherederogatorytermsflutterintheclubhouse,asDensondetails.

August27,2015—‘SilenceatBaylor’nowathunderoustopic

Afreelancewriterreceivedatip,andlessthanthreeweekslater,itledtotangiblechangeinbig-timecollegeathletics.

JessicaLutherhaswrittenmorethanadozenarticlesaboutsexualassaultsincollegefootball,soit'scommonforhertoreceivethetypeofmessageshedidthismonth,whensomeone—shewon'trevealwho—toldheraBaylorfootballplayerwasabouttostandtrialforrape.What'suncommonisthatshefoundabsolutelynoinformationwhensheresearcheditonline.

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Bemused,LuthercontactedfellowAustin-basedfreelancerDanSolomon,whodiscoveredthefootballplayeronadocketfortrial.ThetwohoppedinacaranddrovetoaWaco,Texascourthouse,lookingformoreinformation.

WhattheyunearthedincourtdocumentsthroughoutthenexttwoweeksisdetailedinthisexplosiveTexasMonthlyexposé,whichpromptedthetheBig12thisweektoadoptapolicytoblockincomingtransferswhoweredismissedfromapreviousteamformisconduct.

BaylorUniversity,itsathleticsdepartmentandthemediathatcoverstheprogramallcomeacrossasnegligentinLutherandSolomon'spiece,whichdetailshowdefensivelinemanSamUkwuachuremainedamemberoftheBears'rosterdespiteasexualassaultcaseinwhichhewaseventuallyprovenguilty.

ThestorypresentsrecordsdescribinghowUkwuachuassaultedanotherBaylorathletethenightofabigfootballwin.WhentheJaneDoesoughttoavoidUkwuachuinclassesandtutoringsessions,Baylordidnothingtoassisther.Meanwhile,thefootballprogramanticipateditsplayer'sreturntothefield.

Afterthenewsbroke,coachArtBrilestoldmediahe"likedthewaywehandledit."

ItwasactuallyBaylor'shometownpaper,theWacoTribune,thatbrokethenews,butcuriouslylate.TheTribune'sfirststoryinformingthepublicofUkwuachu'strialpublishedthenightLutherreceivedhertip.Itwas406daysafterthefootballplayerwasindictedontwocountsofsexualassault.

"Partoftheshockformefromtheget-gowasthattherewasnoneofthisinthemedia,"saidLuther,who'sunsureiftheWacoTribune'stipwasthesameashers."Assoonaswesawhisnameonthedockettogototrial,Ijustcouldn'tunderstandhowtherewasnothingaboutit."

InaneditorialaftertheTexasMonthlystoryhadcaughtfire,theWacoTribunedefendeditself,sayingtherewasnoarrestrecordandtheindictmentwassealed(Luthersaidthatonthedayshevisitedthecourt,itwasnotsealed.)

TheDallasMorningNewsandAustinAmerican-StatesmanalsocoverBaylorathletics.

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Perhapscollegefootballreportersacrossthecountrygettoocaughtupwithdepthchartsandsoundbitestoinvestigatecriticaltopics.Fans'demandsforeverybitofminutiaeontheirfavoriteteamrequirereporterstostretchthemselvessothintheycanmissthebiggeststory.Ittookamonthlymagazinetofullyexposegrossmalfeasance.

JessicaLutherneverwenttojournalismschool,hasnoofficialtraining,andadmitsshe's"learningasIgo."

That'sallquiteironicconsideringthebig-JJournalismsheuncovered.HerstorygoesdeepertodocumenttherampantinattentivenesstotheissuethattookplaceatBaylor.

Thearticleisimportantinthelandscapeofjournalismbecauseitconfidentlyheldeverybodyaccountablefor,attheveryleast,willfulignorance.

It'seasyforthereadertounderstandtheissuesatstakebecauseLutherandSolomonturnbyzantinelegalmattersintoaccessiblefacts.

LuthersaidsheandSolomonspendmuchtimejusttalkingthecaseout,andthathelpedthemcomprehendthesituationwellenoughtowriteitclearly.Luthersaidherlackofajournalismdegreemakesherextracarefulinreportingbecauseshe'scognizantshedoesn'thavetraditionaltraining.

(ShemajoredinClassicalCivilizationsandGreek/LatinatFloridaState,gotaMastersinLatinLitattheUniversityofTexas,andthenworkedonaPhDfromthehistorydepartmentbeforeleavingacademiatowrite).

Now,Luthercommandsrespectasajournalist.SheservedasawatchdogandthemoralcompassthatBaylorfootballcoachArtBrileswasn't.

TheBig12institutedarulebecauseofthisstory.

That'sprogress,thankstojournalism.

August28,2015—LittleLeagueabigeventforlittlepaper

EveryAugust,BenBrigandifacesasimilarbutdauntingchallenge.

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“HowmuchbubblegumpopmusicofTaylorSwiftandOneDirectioncanyoulistento,”heasks,“whileit’sblaringonthespeakersandyouhaveoneheadphoneinyourear,tryingtowrite?”

Williamsport,PennsylvaniahoststheLittleLeagueWorldSerieseveryyear,providingtheWilliamsportSun-Gazette’ssportseditorwithmoreheadachesthanjustthosefromHarryStyles’vocals.

Brigandi’ssectionemploysfourfull-timers,includinghimself.Thesportsdeskistaskedwithfillingasix-pageLLWSwrapthroughoutthe11-dayevent—inadditiontoafour-pagesportssection.

“Ijokethatwe’retheonlypaperinAmericathatconsiderspreseasonfootballanafterthought,”Brigandisaid.

Inreality,ithastobeaforethought.Thecoverstoryforthepaper’supcominghighschoolfootballmagazinewaswrittenonMay15.Summertime,LittleLeaguetakesprecedent.

WithmosteyesonLamadeStadium,theSun-Gazette’snewsreportersassistwithcoverageofthetown’sbiggestevent.Despitetwoplanningmeetingstomakesureeverybody’sonthesamepage,theGazettedoesn’tassignmanystoryideasinadvance,Brigandisaid,becausetheteamsthatreachtheWorldSeriesaredeterminedjustaweekbeforetheygetthere.

SportsreporterChrisMasse,who’sbeenwiththenewspapersince1999,saidheusesESPN-televisedregionalqualifierstoscoutthefieldandponderpossiblefeatures.Healsoreadsnewspaperclippingsfromtheteams’hometowns.

MassecallscoachesanddoeslegworkonstoriesbeforetheteamsarriveinWilliamsportbecause,hesaid,oncethey’reintown,theiritinerariesarepacked.

Lastyear,MassewroteafeatureonPhiladelphia’sMo’neDavisbeforetheWorldSeriesbegan.Itseemedlogicaltoprofilethedominantpitcherwhohappenstothrowlikeagirl.ButevenMassedidn’tanticipateDaviswouldcompletelytakeovertheWorldSeriesintermsofnationalcoverage,despiteherteamfallingshortoftheAmericantitle.

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ItwasJackieRobinsonLittleLeagueoutofChicagothatoutlastedtheU.S.fieldayearago.Later,theteamwasstrippedofitstitlebecauseitusedplayersoutsideitsregionalboundaries.

“Idon’tthinkit’sassweetandinnocentasit’sportrayedonTV,”MassesaidwhenIaskedwhatviewerswatchingtheLLWSdon’tsee.Theotherday,MassewatchedaparentarguewiththeCaliforniacoachoverplayingtime.

Typically,theadultsmakingerrors.

Butwhathappenswhena12-year-oldmakesamiscueonthefield?

“Reportbutdon’tbelabor,”Brigandiusesasamantra.It’sapolicythattranscendstohighschoolsportscoverage.

“There’snothingIcandotoa12-year-oldinprintthat’sbiggerinmagnitudethanit’sonESPNforeveryonetosee,”hesaid.

September22,2015—Mark’sPicks(August)

Thisisthethirdinstallmentofmymonthlypicks.Itincludesstoriesthatentertainedme,gavemeabroaderideaofasubjectand,insomecases,mademethinkhow’dtheydothat?

Thismonthisheavyonfootball(andonthejuxtapositionbetweenitsinherentproblemsandourloveforit).

Scrollabouthalfwaythroughthispostforcoverageofothersports.

Whywelovefootball(Eventhoughweshouldn’t),byTomJunod

Junod,authorof9-11masterpieceFallingMan,eloquentlyarticulatesouraddictiontofootballandwhywecan’twalkaway—evenwithallmoralforcestugginginthatdirection.Thesport'saestheticskeepimproving;theworld’stopathleteshavebroughtthegamevertical.Personally,Ican’twaittoburymyselfinNFLRedZone

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sevenhoursatatime,thoughI’llundoubtedlycringewhenaplayerwoozilywalksoffthefieldwithapotentiallydebilitatinginjury.

WhyChrisBorlandistheMostDangerousManinFootball,bySteveFainaruandMarkFainaru-Wada

BrothersSteveFainaruandMarkFainaru-Wadaprofileamanwhowalkedawayfromfootballafterapromisingrookieseason.ChrisBorlandisamanwhoreadtheirbook—LeagueofDenial—andwantedtostopbeforehislifespiraleddownapathofbraindamage.ThereportersembedthemselvesinBorland’slife,providethemanaplatformandgivethereaderacompleteunderstandingofwhyhemadehiscontroversialdecision.ESPNTheMagazinedevoted12pagestothisinitsNFLpreview.AndthenproceededtoproveJunod’saforementionedpoint:Thenext40orsopagesfeaturedscoutingreports,whichonlyservedtoexcitefansfortheupcomingseason.

TheConfessionofArianFoster,byTimKeown

ThatArianFosterdoesn’tbelieveinGodishardly“news.”ButTimKeownwiselyframedthisstoryasFosterbeinganoutsidertothepro-GodNFLculture.QuotesfromfellowagnosticChrisKluweandinteractionwithdevoutChristianJustinForsettmakethereaderthinkabitmoreabouteachside.KluwecomparesthecultureinNFLlockerroomstothatofwhiteprivilege:Thepeopleinsideitdon’trealizeothersfeelexcluded.Makeitallthewaythroughforapowerfulendingthattiesthestorytogetherwiththedailyissuesweface.

NotreDamegreatTommyZbikowskiascendsfromaddictiontoredemption,byMikeVorel

ZbikowskiwasanearhouseholdnameforhisworkwithNotreDamelastdecade.ThenhefizzledintheNFLandfadedintoalifeasanalcoholic.Beforeallthat,hewas

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anadrenalineaddict,andMikeVorelwriteswithapacethatmakesyoufeelthatadrenalinerush.

Hetookthepuntandburstaroundtherightedge,ablurofgreenandgold,chuggingthroughaseamasthevolumecrankedwitheachpurposefulstride.HeshedhisfirsttacklejustinsidetheUSC25,thenanotheratthe20,andanotheratthe10,obliteratingTrojanslikeamonstertruckcrushingrowsofbrokencars.

TheHallofFamespeechJuniorSeau'sdaughtercouldn'tgive,bySydneySeau

AgreeordisagreewiththeNFL’s5-year-oldpolicytonotallowsurrogatespeakersatitsHallofFameinduction.KudostotheNewYorkTimesforpresentingSydneySeautheplatformtogivethespeechshewouldhavedeliveredbehindalecterninCanton,Ohio.BecausetheNFL'sdecisionsparkedsomuchcontroversy,theideaofSeau'sspeechwasallthemoreintriguing.

HarryEdwardsisinChipKelly'scorner,byMikeSielski

It’sacolumnist’sjobtowriteprovocativelyandprovidecontexttohot-buttonissues.SielskidoesthatbyfindingaformerBlackPantherwho’ssomethingofacounselortoChipKelly,acoachsomeplayersaccuseofracism.Thecolumnchallengesperceptions,andwithoutSielskihimselfbeingtheonewiththestrongopinion.

Hellbent,butnotbroken,byEvaHolland

Withnarrativewritingandprettydescription,EvanHolland’sfirst-personstoryreadslikeanovel.Insomeways,thereportingisabiteasierbecauseit’sexperienced;there’snoneedtointerviewdeeplytorecreatevividscenes.Buthowdidshetakenoteswhilepaddlingacanoefor58straighthours?IaskedHollandandsheemailedmeback,sayingshebroughtawaterproofnotebooktouseduring5-minutebreaks.Shecouldn’tmustertheenergytotakenotes,though,andusedthebreakstoeatorpee.

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"WhatIdidinsteadwasrepeatdetailstomyself,inmyhead,overandoveragain—sothingslikethebitsofdialogueIinclude,orthevariousthingsIhallucinated,"shesaid."Ijustchantedtomyselfaboutthemforhoursandhours—whichwasactuallykindofuseful,storyaside,sinceonechallengeoftheracewaskeepingmymindoccupiedallthattime—andthenwrotethemdowninanotebookaftertheracewasover."

ThewebsiteMLBcouldn'tbuy,byBenLindbergh

Afunstoryofawritergettingtotheverybottomofacuriosity.LindberghexplainshowbaseballteamsattaintheirURLs,andwhysomecan’toutmusclesmallercompaniesforapreferredname.RollingStone'sarticleaboutSpaceJam'swebsitecarriesasimilartheme.It’sworthreadingifyou’reintonostalgiaorrudimentarywebdesign.

Theendofthehoopdream:ajourneytotheextremefringeofinternationalbasketball,byJordanConn

Theprotagonistissortofajoke.He’safailingagentoflow-wattageplayers.Helacksself-awarenessanddecorum.Hewon’tgiveuponthiscareerthat’sgivenhimnothing.Connisn’trudebutalsotellsthestoryasheseesit,unafraidtopainttheagentasnaive,ifnotfoolish.

ThemissedshotthatwasMasterP’scareer,byThomasGolianopoulos

There’snonewshookhere,butit’ssmarttocirclebacktoatimewhenrapperMasterPtriedoutfortheNBA.Thearticleprovidesreportsfrom12scoutstogiveusanideaofPasaplayer.Thiswasmorethanapublicitystunt.

It’sfuntoimaginehowmuchpublicitynewslikethiswouldgarnernowadays.IwouldhavelikedasectioninthisstorythatdelvedintopublicperceptionandhowmediacoveredMasterP’sbasketball“career."

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StarTribune'sAmeliaRaynoaddsherownstorytoTeaguescandal,byAmeliaRayno

Raynobravelywritesaboutbeingsubjectedtoinappropriatetextsfromanathleticsdirectorshecovered.TheAD—Minnesota’sNorwoodTeague—wasfiredamidcomplaintsofsexualassault.Raynodidn’tcomeforwarduntilafterhisfiring.Readingherreasonsoffersplentyofperspective.Asamale,itmadememoreawareofthepotentiallyawkwardsituationsfemalesportswritersencounter.ItmakesmewonderhowI'dhandlethem.

September3,2015—JerryBrewertriestoestablishhimselfagainattheWashingtonPost

SportscolumnistatTheWashingtonFrickin’Post.

It’sajobtitlethousandsofsportswriterswouldgivetheirrightandlefthandsfor,andthenlearntotypewiththeirnoses.

JerryBrewerlongwantedthatjob,butwhenthe37-year-oldlandeditlastspring,hefroze.

Howdoesawriter,evenanaccomplishedone,thrivewithoutinstitutionalknowledge?

After81/2yearsatTheSeattleTimes,BrewertransitionedtoTheWashingtonPostandplummetedfromexperttonovice,losingmuchofwhatheestablishedoutwest.

"Itwasthehardestthingintheworldforme,”Brewersaid.“Iwasfightingit,man."

Brewerhadmovedbefore—fromPhiladelphiatoOrlandotoLouisvilletoSeattle—butneverspentmoretimeanywherethanathislaststop,wherehebuiltcredibilityasthevoiceoftheEmeraldCity’ssportsscene.

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InWashington,he’sjustanothervoice,onethathasn’texperiencedtheRedskins’gloryyearsorstruggles.Onethathasn’tlivedthroughtheplayofffailuresoftheCapitals,NationalsandWizards.

Nownearlythreemonthsintohisnewjob,Brewerisre-establishinghisvoice.(IthelpsthattheRedskinsarealwaysnewsmakers,evenintrainingcamp).

Eventually,Brewerwantstobecome“theAfrican-American,modernday,digitalmediaversionofRedSmith,”hesaid.

HowdidBrewerassimilateD.C.sportsandbegintowritewithconviction?

Brewersaidhisstrategywastostayhumbleandacknowledgewhathedoesn’tknow.Hesaidplayingoffhisownnaivetécanbeadvantageousattimes.BecausehewasontheothersideofthecountryduringRobertGriffinIII’sriseandfall,hewasabletoofferanobjective,measuredtaketothelatestdevelopmentsintheRedskinsquarterback'ssaga.

(HearBrewertalkaboutthatprocess)

Breweraudio

WhenBrewerwashired,hetriedtofillhisD.C.sportsknowledgegapswithresearch.HereadPostarchivesandwatchedrecentgamesofcollegeandprofessionalteams.

Hesoughtadvicefromanothersportscolumnistwhothrivedafteramove.GreggDoyel,whowentfromCBSSportstotheIndianapolisStar,“setanewstandardofwhatcanbeaccomplishedwhenyougettoanewplace,”Brewersaid.DoyeltoldBrewertofocusonsmallerstoriesaroundthecommunityratherthanmakingapermanenthomein70,000-seatstadiums.

Anotherdistinguishedcolumnist,Yahoo!’sDanWetzel,offeredsomewhatcontradictoryadvicetoDoyel’s—playthehits.InD.C.,youcanneverwritetoomuchaboutRG3.But,likeabandtryingtopleaseitsfans,you’vegottoremixthehits,makingyourarticlesstandoutwithadifferentangle.

Regardless,he'sgottoplaywiththepassionofanartistyettosignhisfirstrecorddeal.

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AtTheWashingtonPost,hemustestablishhimselfalloveragain.

"Yougetintoanenvironmentlikethisandyoueitherjustfadeintothebackgroundoryoustandout,"Brewersaid."Therereallyisnothinginbetween."

September9,2015—JoanNiesenon‘voice’andherfast-risingcareer

Toadvanceinthisindustry,JoanNiesensays,yourwritingneedsvoice.

Niesenknowsabitaboutadvancement:SheascendedfrominterntoNBAbeatwritertoNFLbeatwritertoSportsIllustratedstaffwriterallinhermid-20s.

Sheknowsaboutvoice,too.ReadherrecentstoryonTulanefootballandHurricaneKatrina.It’spackedwithexpressivephrasesthatrevealsomethingaboutthecityofNewOrleans,theTulanefootballteamandthedeprivationbothovercame10yearsago.

Voiceisabitintangibleforthefast-talkingNiesen,whostruggledtodefineherownvoicebeyondthatit's“conversational.”It'sapparentinherwriting.

NiesendescribesKatrinaas“agiantcounterclockwisemessofmoistureandwind.”Shedescribesthefootballplayerswhostayedontheteam“loyal,dedicatedordelightfullyinsane.”Towritewiththattypeofvoice,areporterneedsanintimatefamiliaritywithhis/hersubjects.

Journalistsaretaughttobeimpartial,butthatdoesn’tmeantheycan’tbeinvested.

Niesen,whohasfamilyfromNewOrleans,considersthecity“asecondhome,”anditshowswiththewayshewritesaboutit.Sheletsherlarynxdoworkandgivesthereaderasenseofplace,especiallyinthispassage.

It'saplacewhereyoulearnbydoing,bywindingupwithyoursandaldrenchedinapuddleofBourbonStreetpisswater,bywakingupwithasaccharinehangoverheadache,bydrinkingtapwateryoulaterlearnmighthavebeencontaminated.Youdon'taskquestions.(WhyshouldIsuckthecrawfish'shead?Whodipseggplantinpowderedsugar?Doesthestreetcarevercomeontime?Dothecopsarrestanyone?)Instead,yousimplydo.Yousuckandyoudipandyouwaitandyouhopeyoudon'tdoanythingthat'lllandyouintheOrleansParishPrison.Alongtheway,you'llfind

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outallabouttheRebirthBrassBandandturtlesoupandgeneralhumandecency,ofwhichNewOrleanshasamotherlodetospare.Nostormcouldwashthataway.

ListentomyconversationwithJoan,whodiscusseshercareer,howshemanagesthechallengesofbeingawomaninsportsjournalismand,ofcourse,voice.

JoanNiesenaudio

September10,2015—Fainaru’ssystemhelpshimdistillmonthsofresearch

Youfollowedamanforfivemonths,andnowyouhave18daystowrite7,500wordsabouthim.

Go!

ESPNinvestigativereporterSteveFainarufacedthatchallengeforhisAuguststoryonChrisBorland,a49erslinebackerwhoretiredafterhisrookieseasonbecauseofconcernsaboutheadinjuries.

Thevolumeofwriting—roughly420wordsperday—doesn’tseemdauntinguntilyouconsiderthecopiousnotesFainaruhadtosiftthroughwhiletryingtocapturetheessenceofBorland’sconflict.

Fainaru—whowonaPulitzerprizeforhisinvestigativeworkinIraqandisperhapsbestknownforthebookLeagueofDenial,whichheco-authoredwithbrotherMarkFainaru-Wada—hasasystemthatkeepshimorganizedforsuchambitiousprojects.

Everywritershouldhavehisorherownsystem.Itwillvary,dependingonthecircumstancesofthework,butthemoreconsistentitis,thebetterpreparedyou’llbe.

Fainaruclearlyisn’tarookietodeepinvestigativework.Hewrotea10-partseriesonprivatesecuritycontractorsinIraq,andhewroteabookthathelpedshiftperceptionsaboutfootball.

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OverabeeratacafeindowntownColumbia,Missouri,Fainaruexplainedhisprocessforreportingthethought-provokingBorlandstory.Here'showhemanagedhisnotesashetrailedBorlandoffandonforfivemonthsinSanFrancisco,WisconsinandIreland:

Fainarutaperecordedasmuchaspossible,becausehelikesusingparagraph-longquoteswhenasubjectsayssomethingcompelling.Healsokeptanotebookonhimatalltimes,becausesometimesrecordingaconversationisn'tfeasible.

Somewritersliketotranscribetheirowntapetobetterfamiliarizethemselveswiththeirinterviews,butFainarudidn’thavetimetodothat,sohefarmedoutthatwork—abenefitofwritingforawell-heeledcompany.

Still,hegotplentyfamiliarwithhisnotes,readingthroughthemandhighlightingimportantpassages.Hemadeelectronicindexcardsandseparatedthemintowhatmightbecomethesectionsofhisstory.Heviewswritingasfittinghisnotesintoapuzzle.Somepiecesintheboxareeye-catchingbutsimplydon’tfit.

Scrivener,asoftwareapplication,isFainaru’spersonalorganizer.Itstoresdocumentsanddisplaysthemlikeabulletinboard.

Ultimately,themostimportantpartofthereportingprocessisfiguringoutwhatyourstorytrulyis.It’sonethingtodocumentsomeone'sthoughtsandexperiences.Themorecrucialstepistosynthesizealltheelementsintoawell-definednarrative.

Here’sFainaruexplainingwhatheandFainaru-WadadecidedwasthecruxofBorland’sstory.

SteveFainaruaudio

September11,2015—AmasterclasswithDonVanNattaJr.

Thiswasacomplexstory—onewithamostsecretiveinstitutiontocrack—butDonVanNattaJr.is“thebestreporterinAmerica,”accordingtotheguywhojustworkedwithhimforfourmonths.

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Becauseofthat,VanNattaandESPNcolleagueSethWickershamwereabletodeconstructRogerGoodell’sNFL—andthewayitoperatedthroughtwoNewEnglandPatriotsscandals.

Inhiscareer,VanNattahasinvestigatedBillClinton’simpeachment,post-9/11counterterrorismandthecontroversial2000presidentialelection.Add“Spygate”and“Deflategate”—lazysuffixesbedamned—tohislist.

“Thedegreeofdifficultyonthisstorywasveryhigh,”VanNattasaidonthephonefromanESPNofficeinBristol,Connecticutthisweek.“MostprojectsItakeonaredifficult.It'sjustthenatureofthiskindofwork.Butevenbythatstandard,thiswasaparticularlydifficultonebecausealotofpeoplewerenotmotivatedtotalk,obviously.”

WickershamdescribedworkingwithVanNattaasanacceleratedmasterclassininvestigativereporting.Herearesomeofthebestlessons,toldthroughtheirexperiencesonthisstory.

FINDINGSOURCES

InMay,rightaftertheNFLreleaseditsarguableWellsReport,VanNattaandWickershambeganreportingastorythatwouldfocusonhowGoodellhandledDeflategateinrelationtoSpygate.Thereporterscompiledlistofpotentialsources,orderedbythelikelihoodthey’dtalktooneofthem.Theoddsweren'tgoodformany,becausetheNFLisaninstitutionruledbyomertà.

Thereportersknockedondoors,but“peoplewerescared,”Wickershamsaid.Theymadephonecalls,manyofwhichprovedfruitless.

Wickershamsaidatypicaldayincludedcallsto15sources…

§ 13ofthemwouldn’trespondortalk.§ 1wouldtalkofftherecordbutlie.§ 1wouldtalkofftherecordand,Wickershamsaid,“maybesayoneinteresting

detailthatyouneededtotrytofollowupandgetotherpeopletoconfirm,andyouhavenoideahowtogetthosepeople.”

WickershamandVanNattaestimatedtheyeachtried100peoplewhowouldn’tplayball.

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Theyhadtofindsourceswithareasontospill—whetheritbeadesiretosharethetruthoranaxetogrindwiththePatriotsorNFL.Often,acomplicitsourcewouldprovideanothernamethereportersshouldtry.Ultimately,WickershamandVanNattacombinedtointerview90people.

BUILDINGTRUST

Whentryingtobuildtrustwithsources,visitingsomeoneinperson,ratherthanrelyingonaphoneconversation,canleadtopaydirt.

VanNattaflewfromMiamitoIdahotospendadaywithformerSt.LouisRamscoachMikeMartz,whoseRamslosttothePatriotsinSuperBowlXXXVIandwereneverthesameagain.Inacabininthemountains,MartzdeliveredwhatwouldbecomesomeofthemostmemorablemomentsintheESPNstory,includingGoodellbeggingMartztowriteastatementthatwouldhelpexoneratetheleague.

"Itmakesallthedifferenceinthesetypesofstories,”VanNattasaidofin-personvisits.“It'stoearntheirtrust.Andwhenyouseesomebody,it'saloteasiertoearntheirtrustthanifyoujustdoitoverthephone."

VanNattawenttoIdahoprepared,too.WickershamsaidhispartnerbroughtakeydocumenttoMartzthatallowedMartztostronglydisputethecontentofit.

Ofcourse,noteverynewsoutletaffordsitsreportersthetimeandresourcestotravelthecountryinsearchofgoldennuggets.Whenhemustsettleforaphonecall,VanNattasaidhekeepsaconversationaltonethatcancomforthissources.

“Alotofinvestigativereportersarekindofballbustersandtheydon’thavethebestsocialskills,butthey’rereallydoggedbulldogs,”Wickershamsaid.“Donisararecombinationofalotofthings.Heappliesthehumantechniquesthatyouwouldwanttoapplyinaprofiletoinvestigativereporting.”

Thosetechniquesarethinkinglong-termandtreatingsourceswithdignity.Youneverknowwhenyou’llneedthatsourceagaindowntheline.

DETAILS,DETAILS,DETAILS

Anotherfeature-styletechniqueofVanNatta’sisminingfordetails.

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VanNattawillabandonhisconversationaltonetopeppersomeonewithquestionsaboutdetails,whichhesaid“addacredibilityandauthenticitytowriting."

Ifsomeonementionsbeinginacar,he’llaskforthemake,modelandcolor.Ifsomeonementionsthedestructionofvideotapes,he’llincludeavividsceneofNFLexecutivesinaconferenceroomstompingthetapesintosmallpieces.

CLEANTHESPOTSOTHERSMISSED

Thiswasn’tthefirsttimeVanNattatriedtoreportaboutSpygate.Hewasstonewalledinthepast,butremainedreadyforapotentialstory.

Hekepthundredsfilesonhiscomputerandwouldlookatthem“whenhewasbored,”Wickershamsuspects.

AbreakthroughinthisstorywasacquiringkeyfilesfromtheArlenSpectorarchivesattheUniversityofPittsburgh.Detailsfromthosepublicfileshadneverbeenreported,simplybecausenootherreporterbothered.

“Investigativereportingisgoingbackoverthethingsthefirstpeoplereportingdidn’thavetimetodo,”Wickershamsaid.

BEBULLETPROOF

VanNatta’sreputationisimportanttohim.Whoseisn’t?

Butinthebig-stakesarenaofinvestigativereporting,it’svitaltoprotectthatreputation.

Heusesoff-the-recordsources(peoplewhoprovideinformationthat’snotforpublication)toconfirmwhatothersourcessay,ortomakeinformationwhathecalls“bulletproof.”

Evenifthestoryisasbulletproofasabankvault,readerswillcriticizeinvestigativework(especiallyifthey’rePatriotsfans).

Wickersham,whenwespokeFridayafternoon,wasfrustratednotbyfans’skepticism—whichwasexpected—butbythedisbeliefofBostonmediapeople.

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Turnsout,todoinvestigativereportingyourskinmustbebulletproof,too.

“There’sareasonwhyalotofpeopledon’tdoinvestigativereporting,”Wickershamsaid.“Becauseit’sincrediblychallenging,yourreportinghastobeunassailable,andthenwhenyou’redonewithit,everybodyjustcallsyouanasshole.”

September15,2015—Layoffs,Schmayoffs,PatrickStevenskeepsworking

WhentheWashingtonTimeswipedoutitssportsdepartmentattheendof2009,PatrickStevens,newlyunemployed,wenttoworkthenextday.

He'dbeencoveringcollegesports,anddidn'tseeanyreasontostop.SohestartedablogandcontinuedtowriteaboutD.C.-areabasketballprogramsinhiswell-researched(andsometimessnarky)style.

"Theredidn'tseemlikemuchofareasontoslowdownatthatpoint,"Stevenssaid."Basketballseasoniskindofmybreadandbutter,andIreallydidn'twanttodisappearoffthefaceoftheEarth—thoughtthatwouldn'thavebeenaverygoodidea,andIthinkthatthat'sathemethat'scontinuedthrougheachofthese."

Byeachofthese,hemeanslayoffs.Allthreeofthem.

AfterlosinghisjobattheTimes,StevenscopyeditedfortheWashingtonPostuntiltheTimesrevitalizeditssportsdepartmentandrehiredhim14monthslater.Itwasn'tlongbeforeanotherroundoflayoffsslicedthestaffinhalf.Stevenswasacasualtyagain.

Hefoundpart-timeworkprojectingtheNCAATournamentbracketsforUSATODAY.Alesser-knownJoeLunardi,hecorrectlypredictedall68teamsinthe2013field.Syracuse.comhiredhimtocovertheACC,andhecorrectlypredictedthebracketsagainin2014.

“Thethoughtthatproducingprojectedbracketshashelpedpaythebillshereforafewyears,Imean,GodBlessAmerica,right,”Stevenssaid.

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Butitwon’tpaythebillsforever.Therewasn’tenoughinterestinACCcoveragefortheSyracuseMediaGrouptojustifykeepinghim.

AttheendofAugust,hispositionwascut,makingStevens,onceagain,a"mediafreeagent,"ashecallshimselfonTwitter.

Sadly,layoffsatnewspapershappenwithgreatfrequencythesedays.TheLosAngelesTimesappearstobethelatestoutfittoshreditspayroll.Manyintheindustryarereconsideringtheircareers.

Forthepastsixyears,Stevenshasponderedothercareeroptions,too.Buthe’syettofindapalatablealternative.“That’sprobablywhyIkeepknockingonthedoorIkeepknockingon,”hesaid.

He’ssomewhatlimitedbywherehecanwork.Stevensboughtahousein2005inGlenBurnie,Maryland,andhedoesn'twanttomove.(Itwouldbeburdensometorelocatethe15shelves-worthofmediaguidesStevenshasinhishomeoffice,yettherearebiggerreasonsheopposesamove.)

Stevenshasbeenabletodealwithaficklecareerpartlybecausehedoesn’thaveawifeorkidswhodependonhimfinancially.Forthisreasonandothers,Stevensdoesn’tseehimselfasanexemplarofajournalistwhoweatherslayoffs.Certainly,eachperson’slifecircumstancesmustdictatethepaththeytakewhenfacedwithaproverbialpinkslip.

Still,Stevens’resilience—hecallsitstubbornness—isinstructivetothoseinsimilarspots.Thathecontinuesworkingdespitebeingunemployedisasmartmoveforseveralreasons.

Thefirstisinertia:Anobjectatreststaysatrest;anobjectinmotionstaysinmotion.IfStevensstopped,itwouldbethatmuchhardertostartbackupagain.Sohestaysinmotion.

Anotherreasontokeepworkingistostaysane."Itwasbetterforme,andIknewitwouldbebetterformetobearoundpeoplethantobesittinghomealone,"Stevenssaidofthefirsttwotimeshewaslaidoff.

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Also,workingwithoutapaycheckshowsStevens’dedicationtothejob.Itkeepshimrelevant,too.Potentialemployershavehimontheirradarbecausehe’sconstantlyproducingcontent.

Itdidn’ttakelongforStevenstolandpart-timeworkafterhewasletgotwoweeksago.Thiscollegefootballseason,he'llbewritingacoupleofwebpiecesaweekforTheWashingtonPost.

Stevensisaknowncommoditybecauseheneverstopsproducingcontent.

“I’mnotsurethisisapaththatanyonewouldwanttoreplicate,”Stevenssaid.“I’mnotsurethere’smuchthatanyonewouldtakefromit.ButI’mjusttryingtohangonandseewhatcomesnextofit.”

September17,2015—AssessingaccessintheSEC

BobHoltrememberstheearly-80sfondly.WhenHoltbegancoveringtheArkansasfootballprogramin1981,LouHoltzwasthecoachandmediaaccesswaspracticallyunrestricted—atleastcomparedtotoday’slimitedandcontrolledarrangementsacrossthecountry.

Everypracticewasopentothemedia.Whenpracticeended,areporter“justgrabbedwhoeverwewantedtotalktothatday,”Holtsaid.Assistantcoachestalkedtomediawhentheyleftthelockerroom.Aftergames,thelockerroomwasopen.Reporterscouldevengoinsidethetrainingroomtogetaninjuryreportduringtheweek.

“Onsummation,wegotwhowewanted,whenwewantedthemforaslongaswewantedthem,”Holtsaid.

In30-plusyears,teams’relationshipwithmediamembershasobviouslychanged.Justhowmuch?

Togetanextensivepictureofthechallengesreportersconfrontincoveringcollegefootballtoday,Ipolledreportersfrom12ofthe14SECteams(mediamembersfromOleMissandTexasA&Mdidnotfulfillmultiplerequests).

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Theyansweredquestionsaboutaccess,restrictions,treatmentcomparedtonationaloutlets,andrelationshipswithPRpeople.

Belowaresomeofmyquestionsandtheirresponses.Someanswersareshortenedoromitted.Some(oneswithoutdirectquotes)areparaphrased.

ThePanel

AaronSuttles,TheTuscaloosaNews(Alabama)

BobHolt,ArkansasDemocratGazette(Arkansas)

JamesCrepea,AlabamaMediaGroup(Auburn)

RobbieAndreu,GainesvilleSun(Florida)

SethEmerson,AtlantaJournalConstitution;(Georgia)

RossDellenger,TheAdvocate(LSU)

KyleTucker,TheCourier-Journal(Kentucky)

DaveMatter,St.LouisPost-Dispatch(Missouri)

MichaelBonner,ClarionLedger(MississippiState)

JoshKendall,TheState(SouthCarolina)

DustinDopirak,KnoxvilleNews-Sentinel(Tennessee)

AdamSparks,TheTennessean(Vanderbilt)

Ifyouwantedtowriteastoryaboutaplayer,howconfidentareyouthatyoucanget10-15minutesforaninterview?

Emerson(Georgia):“Somewhat.”

Tucker(Kentucky):“Very.”

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Crepea(Auburn):“Absolutelynochancethiswillhappen.”

Suttles(Alabama):“Thisisachipyoucanplayatbesttwiceaseason.”[Suttlessaidthemostaccesshe’sreceivedforastoryinthepastyearwas10-12minuteswithLandonCollinsandT.J.Yeldon].

Holt(Arkansas):“I'vehadsomesituationswhereIwasabletogetaone-on-onewithaplayerduringtheseason,butthat'susuallyifit'saplayerwhoothermediaaren'tinterestedintalkingwithatthattime.”

Bonner(MississippiState):“I'dbeprettyconfident.EverytimeI'veexplainedtheideaandstorytotheSIDs,they'vebeenmorethanwillingtoarrangethetime.”

Kendall(SouthCarolina):“Notatall.I'vehadonetrueone-on-onesinceI'vebeenhere(fiveyears),anditturnedouttobeagreatstorybecauseit'sawaybetterinterviewformat.”

Dopirak(Tennessee):“Lastyear,answerwasnotatall.Thisyear,answerismuchmore,butIunderstandthetimelineislongerandtherearenoguarantees.[Tennesseehasanewmediarelationsdirector].Ihave,Ithink,fourstandingrequestsforone-on-ones.IfIgettwoofthoseI'llbeecstatic.”

Canyousetupinterviewswithathletesdirectly?

NobodyintheSECispermittedtodoso,butsometimesmediamemberstryifaplayerissuspendedorhastransferred.Inmanycases,athletesaretrainedtonotanswermediarequests.Itwasn’talwaysthisway.

Holt(Arkansas):“Believeitornot,inthe1980s,theyusedtoputplayers'homenumbersinthemediaguidebios.”

Howmanyopportunitieseachweekdoyougettotalktotheheadcoach?

Georgia’sMarkRichtisthemostfrequentlyaccessible,accordingtoreporters’responses.He’savailablefourtimesaweek:TuesdayandWednesday,aftergames

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onSaturday,andthenSundaynightonateleconference.Othercoachesaroundtheleagueareavailabletwoorthreetimesaweek,includingtheirWednesdaySECteleconferenceappearance.

Howmuchpracticedoyougettowatch?

Fallpracticesarecompletelyclosedatmostplaces,butagain,Georgiaprovestobemostaccessible(atleastforalittlewhile).OnTuesdaysandWednesdays,reportersarepermittedtowatch12-15minutesofpractice,Emersonsaid.Tennesseeletsreportersintofallpractice,allowingthemtocomeonTuesdays.Floridagrantsitsreportersaccesstwiceaweek,butonlyforsixminutes.

Mostoftheotherschoolsallowsporadicaccessduringpreseasonandspringcamp.Whatreportersseeismostlystretching.

Missouriprovidesaccesstotheteam’sintrasquadscrimmages,butlittlemorethanstretchingonotherpreseasondays.

SparksatVanderbiltcantakeinfivepracticesduringbothfallandspringcamps,butnothingduringtheseason.Hecoveredmid-majorMiddleTennesseefor10years,andsaidallpracticeswereopen.

Arethererestrictionsonwhatyoucancoverorwhoyoucanspeakto?

Truefreshmendon’ttalktomediaatFloridaorAlabama.AtAuburn,freshmanbecomeavailableoncethey’veplayedinagame.AtMississippiState,freshmanaren'tallowedtospeaktothemediauntilthey'vecontributedenough.“ThemodifierisdeterminedbythecoachingstaffandSIDs,”Bonnersaid.

Meanwhile,atArkansas,freshmendointerviewsrightaway.EachsummerHoltwritesaseriesontheRazorbacks’newcomers,andhegetsassistancefromtheschoolinarrangingthoseinterviews.

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AtSouthCarolina,Kendallsaid,it’sSteveSpurrier’scall—andit’ssubjecttochange.“Heletsfreshmentalkbuthemightnotletaseniortalkifhe'supsetwiththeplayerorthinkstheplayerwillsaysomethinghedoesn'twantsaid.”

AtGeorgia,“alotofplayersarekeptofflimitsforunexplainedreasons,orbecausethecoacheshavedeemedthemtootalkative,”Emersonsaid.

SparkssaidaquarterbackcompetitionatVanderbiltthispreseasonmadethepotentialQBsunavailableforcomment.

Schoolsalsotrytorestrictreportersfromwritingaboutcertainthingstheyseeatpractice.Thesepoliciesvaryinformality.

“Accordingtotheteam’smediapolicy,reportersareprohibitedfromwritingaboutthecontentofpractice:injuries,depthchanges,strategies,etc.,”MattersaidaboutMissouri.

AtTennessee,“Wecan'tputoutanythinguntilthepracticeisover,”Dopiraksaid.“Wecan'treportonschematics.Wecanpointoutwhoispracticingwiththefirstteamandsecondteam,butwecan'treportanythingthatgivesawayaformation.Forinstance,ifafullbackonlycomesoutinacertainpackage,wecan'tputthatoutthere.Asfarasinjuriesareconcernedandplayersthataremissingpractice,wecan'treportthoseuntilweatleastaskaboutitafterpractice.”

Ifyoucalledtheheadcoach,whataretheoddshe’danswerorrespond?

Dellenger(LSU):“50-to-1”

Suttles(Alabama):“Noshot”

Tucker(Kentucky):“Verygood.”

Matter(Missouri):“MostlikelyIwouldcontacthimviatextmessagefirst.Whetherornothe’dagreetotalk,onorofftherecord,woulddependonthesubjectmatter.Mostlikelyhe’drefermetohismediarelationsstaff.”

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Bonner(MississippiState):“Itdependsonthetopic.Atfirst,theoddswerezero.However,asIgainedexperienceandtrustonthebeat,theoddsareprettygoodnow.“

Kendall(SouthCarolina):“IcanusuallygetSpurrieronhiscellifIneedhim,butIimaginethatputsmeintheminority.”

Sparks(Vanderbilt):“There'sadecentchancehewouldanswer,butitwouldprobablydependontheperceivedreasonforthecall.”

Doestheprogramgivepreferentialtreatmenttonationalmedia?

Suttles(Alabama):“Yes.ESPNoftengetsaccessregularbeatreportersdonot.”

Andreu(Florida):ESPNandSECNetwork“seemtogetone-on-oneswithwhoevertheywant.”

Tucker(Kentucky):Tuckersaiditdoesn’thappenforKentuckyfootball.“ThisismuchdifferentwithUKbasketball,though.”

Dopirak(Tennessee):“Whenthenationalguysshowup,theygettheredcarpet.One-on-onewith[coachButch]Jonesplusanyplayerhewantstotalkto.HollyRowegottogotoaclasswithJoshDobbs.NotsureifIcould'vedonethatornotbutIdoubtit.”Dopiraksaidthatnationalmediamembersdon’tgettowatchmorepractice,though.

Holt(Arkansas):“Theschoolsknowthelocalmediaaregoingtocovertheteamnomatterwhat,sothey'regoingtorollouttheredcarpetforthenationalguys.I'mnotsayingtheydon'ttreatuswellordon'ttrytheirbesttohelpus(Ibelievetheydo),butthenationalguysaregoingtogetspecialtreatment—especiallyESPN,whichwiththeSECNetworkisabusinesspartneroftheSEC.That'sjustafactoflifethesedays.”

ReportersfromGeorgia,LSUandMississippiStatesaidtheygetfairtreatmentcomparedtonationaloutlets.

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Kendall(SouthCarolina):“[Spurrier]isanoldschoolnewspaperguy,Godblesshim,andfrommyperspectiveasthebeatwriteratthelargestlocalpaper,that'sgreat.Fromthatperspective,Ihaveitbetterthananybeatwriterinthecountry.”

Inthreeadjectives,describeyourrelationshipwithmediarelations.

Suttles(Alabama):“Adversarial,conflicting,cordial.”

Tucker(Kentucky):“Cordial,professional,helpful.”

Andreu(Florida):“Decent,disappointing,frustrating.”

Crepea(Auburn):“Strained.Concurrentlymiserable.Attimes,contentious.”

Emerson(Georgia):“Good.Sympathetic.Helpful.”

Bonner(MississippiState):“Respectful,friendly,professional.”

Dopirak(Tennessee):“Improving.Increasinglycollegial.Lessthanperfect.”

Sparks(Vanderbilt):“Trusting,helpful,fair.”

Holt(Arkansas):“Friendly,respectful,professional.”

Matter(Missouri):“Congenial,professional,respectful.”

Howsatisfiedareyouwithaccess?

Andreu(Florida):“Notsatisfiedatall.Withallthisgroupstuffeverybodygetsthesamething.Withsocialmedia,it'salloutthererightaway,soifyou'retryingtoputsomethingtogetherforlaterintheweek,thequotesarestalebythetimeyourunyourstory.”

Matter(Missouri):“Therestrictedaccessmakesitdifficulttowriteoriginalstoriesorget1-on-1timewithplayersorcoachesbecauseonlyalimitednumberareavailableeachday.Morereporterscovertheteamnowalso,whichmeansbigger

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crowdsaroundplayersandfewerinterestinginterviews….[Ontheflipside]Havingaccesstotheassistantcoachesisvital.”

Crepea(Auburn):“Playeraccesshassteadilyworsened.Wehaven’tbeenformallyaskedbyanSIDwhowewouldliketotalkto,otherthanafteragame,inovertwoyears,thoughIsubmitrequestswhichalmostalwaysgounfulfilled.I’vesubmittedasmanyas20namesbeforeandnotgotten1playerfrommylist.Weroutinelyaren’tinformedtheplayerswewillbespeakingtountilthemomenttheywalkintotheroom,soplanning/budgetingisimpossible.TheonlytimesI’vehad1-on-1swithaplayerwereifIfollowedthemoutofagroupinterview.Weconductallinterviewsinanauditoriumwiththeplayersatapodium,whichisnotconducivetoaskingquestionsofamorepersonalnature.”

Emerson(Georgia):“Overalldissatisfied”becausecoachesandplayersaretalkinglessandlesstothemedia.”

Bonner(MississippiState):“I'mverysatisfied.AsIsaid,certainlynocomplaintsregardingaccesstoplayersandcoaches.”

Kendall(SouthCarolina):“Ithinkaswriters,wealwayswantmoreaccess.Ihavetheopportunitytogetmostoftheteam'splayersandcoachesonceaweek,whichisenoughtodomyjob.It'sverymuchontheirschedule,though,soourcoverageplanshavetobedictatedbytheaccessschedule.”

Dopirak(Tennessee):“Moderately.…IspentfiveyearscoveringIndianafootballandbasketballandIcoveredfootballatPennStatewhenIwasincollege.I'vecometotherealizationthatIwillneverbehappywithaccessaslongasIcovermajorcollegesports.”

Holt(Arkansas):“Giventoday'slimitationsthatIthinkareafactoflifewitheverymajorcollegeteam—andalototherteams,too—IthinkArkansasdoesaprettygoodjobasfarasopeningsomepractices,settingupinterviews.Wegettotalktoassistantcoachesduringtheweek,andalotofschoolsdon'tallowtheassistantcoachestotalk,sothat'sabigdeal.”

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Suttles(Alabama):“AccessisonlyOK.Allplayerinterviewsareconductedinagroupsetting,noone-on-ones.Onlycertainplayersarebroughtintothemediaroom.Assistantcoachesareofflimits.”

Miscellaneoustidbits

AndreuhasbeencoveringFloridafootballsince1993.“WhenSteveSpurrierwashere,theaccesswasunbelievable,”hesaid.“Youcouldrequestanyplayeryouwantedforafterpracticeandwouldhaveaone-on-onewithhimifnooneelserequestedhim.Wealsowerefreetotalktoalltheassistantcoaches,whichallowedreporterstocreatearelationshipwiththem.Now,therearenoone-on-oneinterviews,basically.Allgroupstuff.”

NowatSouthCarolina,theOl’BallCoachisstillpleasanttoworkwith.“Spurriersetshisownschedule,”Kendallsaid.“Hehasspokenafterallbutonepracticethisseason.Iambettingthathehasbeenavailablemorethananyheadcoachinthecountrythisyear,whichisgreat.”

ThechangeinheadcoachatMissouriin2001drasticallychangedaccessthere,too.DuringtheLarrySmithera,allspringandpreseasonpracticesandmostregular-seasononeswereopentothemedia,Mattersaid.Thereusedtobeweeklyluncheonswiththecoachwheretheycouldchatofftherecord.WhenGaryPinkeltookover,thistypeofaccesswasstripped.

AtGeorgia,Emersongotincreasedaccesswhenhewroteaboutsomething“closetothecoach'sheart—onhowhesetupanetworkforhisformerplayersastheygointothebusinessworld—hesatdownwithmeforahalfhour,andgavemenumbersofsomeotherpeopletocontactforthestory.”

It’sseldom,butsometimesSECplayersopenuptheirlivestoreporters,too.

“Iwasabletogointotheplayers'filmroomwithquarterbackDakPrescott,hookaPS3uptothewall-sizedscreensandallowPrescotttobreakdowngame-situationsusingthevideogame,”Bonnersaid.Wefilmeditandmadeafeatureoutofit.Ittookabout30-45minutestotape.”

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September21,2015—MeettheeditorbehindWrightThompson’sstories

WrightThompsonhasreceivedplentyofpraiseforhisstoryaboutNewOrleans,whichnearlyfilledanentireeditionofESPNTheMagazine.TitledBeyondtheBreach,it’salandmarkpieceofjournalismbecauseofitsintimatereportingofcharactersandplace,andalsobecauseofthewaythemagplayedit.

It’srarethatareporterdoesinterviewsafterafeaturestory(usuallythathappensfollowingbreakingnews),butThompsonappearedonagamutofESPNplatformstodiscussthestory—SportsCenter,theHis&HerspodcastandESPNFrontRow.

Inthatlastlink,you’llnoticeaneditornamedPaulKix,amanwithperhapsthemostthanklessjobofall:Cut15,000wordsoutofastorybyoneofthemostdistinguishedsportswritersontheplanet.

Ittook"almosteverywakingmoment”oftwoweekstoexecuteproperly,Kixsaidlastweekaswediscussedhisbehind-the-scenesroleinmakingThompson’sstoryhappen.

Kixhelpedturna40,000-worddraftintoamorestreamlined25K.Hemadeathirdofabeautifullywrittenstorygopoofforthesakeofconcision.

Throughfouredits,heusedanaxe,abutcherknife,ascalpelandeventuallyapolisher.

KixknewThompsonwouldbringthegoods."Ialsoknewthatthisthingwasgoingtobeabeasttotame,"hesaid,"becausetheschedulewassotightandsounrelenting,thatIknewonceitactuallykickedin,itwasgoingtobepainful."

Totellthestorybehindthisstory,let'sflashbacktoearlyMay,whenESPNpublishedThompson'sfeatureonTedWilliams'daughter—apiecealsoeditedbyKix.Ittook13draftsbeforethatstorywasready,andwhenitwasdone,KixtoldThompsonitwasthebestthinghe'severwritten.Theytoastedthemselves,Kixsaid,andthenplannedtogetsomerest.

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Butbytheweekend,Thompsonalreadyhadanotherstoryhewantedtowrite—aboutatop-ratedfootballprospectoutofNewOrleans.AfterpitchingittomagazineeditorinchiefChadMillman,theseedlingofastoryturnedintoafargreaterprojectonNewOrleans,10yearsafterthestorm.

WhileThompsonhasproventhroughouthiscareerthathecanhandlestoriesofgreatmagnitude,logistically,thisonewouldrequireanotherlevelofattention.

EnterKix.

Somepeopleoutsidetheindustryassumeaneditorjusteditswordsandsentences.Theterm"editor,"truthfully,isquitelimiting.Sure,Kixeventuallyeditedthestoryforcontentandclarity,butsomuchmoregoesintothejob,especiallyforaprojectlikethis.

HeparticipatedinseveralmeetingswithESPNhigher-upstodetermineastrategyforproducingandunveilingthewholeproject.AndleadinguptothetimewhenKixreceivedafulldraft,hewasrightalongsideThompson,ridingshotguntohisthinking.

KixvisitedNewOrleansinJune,andthetwomappedoutanoutlineofthestory.

AnimportantprocessforKixwasfinding"connectivetissue"betweenthecharactersThompsonwaswritingabout.Havingthecharactersinteractorganically,ratherthanThompsonstretchingtomakeconnections,wouldenrichthestory.Thompson'sreportingwassofullofconnectionsalreadythatitdidn'tneedawritermanufacturingthem.

ThompsonfinishedhisreportingonJuly1andthendisappearedtoChicagoforfourdaysforaGratefulDeadconcert.WithanAugust1deadlinelooming,hebeganwritinginmid-July.In16daysorso,Thompsonwrote40,000words.

...WhichmakesKix'sjob,toedititintwoweeks,soundeasy.Butreading40,000words—letalonereadingitascarefullyasaneditormust—takestime.

Kixsaidhisinitialreadlastedsixorsevenhours.

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"Theonlywayformetoworkisjustreadthestoryonce,”hesaid.“ThenIsortofthinktomyself,'Howdoesthis'taste,'Iguess,forlackofabetterword.HowdoIfeelwhenIreadit?AmIsatisfiedwiththis?AretherethingsIwishthereweremoreof?Thisisn'treallyevenanintellectualexerciseatthatpoint;it's'HowdoIfeelemotionally,'havingfinishedthisstory?”

Afterfourorfivedays,KixsenthisfirstroundofeditsbacktoThompson.

"Thesecondtimeyoureadit,youthink,'Alright,thisis40,000words.'Thebothofusknewthatwaswaytoolong,"Kixsaid."Sothesecondtimeyoureadit,it'slike'Whatisnotworking?'Anditbecomesmoreofanintellectualexercise."

Theycutanentirechapter,includingtheoneThompsoninitiallypitchedaboutthefootballprospect.

Kixdescribedtheprocessofeditingtheself-assuredThompsonasplayfulandargumentative.Thetwohaveworkedtogetherforfouryears,andhavedevelopedatrustandshort-handlanguage.TheycanalsosiftthroughtheB.S.andsaywhattheythinkwithouthurtingoneanother'sfeelings.

"EverystorywithWrightisacompletegive-and-take,"Kixsaid."Iwillgivehimaneditandhe'llcomerightbackandsay'Whydidyouthinkthat?Whydidyoudothat?'Orhe'llsay'You'restupidhere.'Orhe'llsay'That'sadumbsuggestion.'"

Kixsaysthiswistfully.WorkingwithThompson,whilenoteasy,issomethingKixsavors.

Thompson’sstorywasworthit.ItshowshowabatteredNewOrleanshasrecovered,andinsomeways,howitanditsinhabitantswillalwaysbedifferentpost-Katrina.

Eachchapterbroughtforthcompellingnewcharactersthatmadeitreadlikeanovel.

It’spowerful,comingfromawriterwhoclearlyfeelsakinshipwiththecity.YoufeelThompson’spresenceinthestory.Maybe,ifyoureaditagain,you’llfeelKix’s.

He’stheonewhomadeallthose“dumb”suggestions.

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September23,2015—ForBishop,anoutlineisamaptoagoodstory

AfterGregBishopfinishesreporting,andbeforehestartsdrafting,theSportsIllustratedfootballwriterdoesthis...

IfhisnotebooklooksliketheworkofaBeautifulMind,well,itismathematicalinaway.It’sBishop’sformulaformagazine-lengthfeatures.Hecallsit“pre-outlining.”

Togatherhisthoughtstowriteastorywitharc,Bishopgoesthroughanow-trustyprocess,whichincludesanentiredayspentoutlining.

ForhismostrecentmagazinepieceonAaronRodgers,Bishopconducted30interviewsandaccumulated83pagesofnotesandtranscriptions.Hereadthroughthosenotesandorganizedthemintothemes,whichyoucanseeonthenotepad

TherewasathemeonRodgers’privacy,oneonhistrainingregimen.Oneonhisevolution,andanotherontheskillsthatmakeshimsuchagoodplayer.

ThisprocesshelpsBishopconnectthedotsforalargerpictureofanathletelikeRodgers,who’sreceivedplentyofmediaattentioninhiscareer.

“Ifthepageisprettyblank,you’reintrouble,”Bishopsaid.

Bishop’s,clearly,isplentyfull.Itdoesn’talwaysworkoutthisway,butthethemesonthenotepadeventuallybecamesectionsofhisstory.

ForBishop,afteroutlining,thewritingprocesstakeshalfthetimeitusedtoforhimbecausehe’ssopreparedwhenitcomestoactuallytypingoutthestory.

AftergraduatingfromSyracusein2002,BishopworkedattheSeattleTimesforfiveyears.

Bishopdidn’toutlineearlyinhiscareer.Hesaidheusedmoreflowerylanguage“thatcoveredupsomeprettyseriousdeficiencies”instorytelling.

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WhenhetookajobattheNewYorkTimes,heknewheneededtostepupasawriter.

“Ican’tbelieveIactuallyhadlikeafive-yearcareerwhereIdidn’toutline,”saidBishop,who’sbeenatSportsIllustratedclosetotwoyears.“Itsoundsalmostrecklesstomenow.Ithinkit’sthemostimportantthingIdo;everythingelsefollowsit.Itbecomesmorelikeamathematicalkindofthing,ratherthan‘I’mawriterandI’mgoingtopullmyhairoutforeighthours.’”

September29,2015—JustinHeckert’sLeGrandstoryshowseffectiveuseofsecond-personPOV

JustinHeckertwantedtowriteabout"therealshit."

That'showformerfootballplayerEricLeGrand—paralyzedafterafreakinjuryatRutgers—describeswhat'strulygoingoninhislife.Questionslike"How'srehabgoing,"aregeneralandboring.

Buttherealshit?That'swhatwe'reallcuriousabout.

What'slifelikefora25-year-oldwhotalksaboutwomenbutcan'tenjoysex?

Howdoyouusethebathroom?

That'stherealshit.

Heckertfoundoutwhatit'sliketobeEricLeGrandafterspendingfourdayswiththeformerplayerandhismother.

Sometimes,whenLeGrandexplainedhissituation,hespokeinsecondperson.Youdothis.Youdothat.

HeckertthoughtitmightbesmarttellingLeGrand'sstorythatway,too.

HewantedthereadertobeabletoseelifeasLeGrand,eveniftheycouldn'tliterallyfeelit.

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WritinginsecondpersonandcapturingtherealshitwerewaystodifferentiateHeckert'sstoryfromothersonLeGrand.

"IjustthoughtthattherealerIcouldmakeit—goodandbad—wouldbetruetowhathe'sexperiencing,"Heckertsaid.

Second-person(puttingthereaderintheplaceofasubjectbyusingthepronoun"you")doesn'talwayssoundnatural.Itcanseemforced.

Heckert,askilledfreelancer,usedtherighttouch.

ThereasonHeckertbelievesitworksforhisstoryisbecausethereportingisthere.HespentfourentiredayswithLeGrandandgotanintimatelookhislife.

"There'snosuppositionalsecondpersonofmeimagining,"Heckertsaid."I'maskinghimwhateverybitofthisislikethatIwroteabout.Soit'sreallyfromhisperspective,butit'sjustswitchedtosecond-person.Noneofitismeimposingsomethingonhim."

(Heckerthastriedsuppositionalsecond-personbefore.WhenhewasattheUniversityofMissouri,hewroteamagazinestoryfromtheperspectiveoftwodogshewatchedfordays).

WithLeGrand,conversationwaseasy.Heckertfeltascomfortablewithhimashehasanyothersourceinhis13-yearcareer.Thatalsogavehimconfidencetotakethestrategyhedid.

ThestorywasactuallysupposedtoappearinEsquire,buttheeditor-and-chiefdidnotwantittorun.EsquiregaveHeckertasecondcrackatit,andhewroteitinthemorecommonthirdperson.

Hisnewlede:"EricLeGrandwantedtowatchfootball.Buthecouldn'tturnontheTV.Thatwasbecauseoffootball.Hewasinthehallwaythatledtohisbedroom,anylonjacketzippeduptohisneck."

Still,Esquiredidn’twantit.

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SoHeckertpresentedbotheffortstoESPNTheMagazine,whereheusedtobeoncontractbeforeleavingin2010topursuenon-sportsstories.

ESPNchosetheoriginal,insecond-personpointofview.

Here'stheledeweallgottosee:

IT'SYOURNOSEthistime.Youtrytodowhatyoucanforit,sittingaloneinyourbedroom,armsrestingoneachsideofa$40,000wheelchair.YouareparkedbeneathagiantTV,watchingfootball.Youscrunchyoureyesandflexyourcheeks,wriggleeachnostril,stretchyourmouth,untilyourentirefaceisdancing.Buttheitchwon'tgoaway,soyoucallouttoyourmaforthethirdtimeinthepasthour.

"MAAAAAA!"

October1,2015—Mark’sPicks(September)

MySeptemberpicksincludestoriesaboutfootball,tennis,baseball,baseballcards,basketballandbasketballlogos.Thetopicsandapproachesdiffer.Butforthemostpart,thesestoriesstandoutbecauseoftheaccessacquiredbythereporters.

Enjoysomeofthebestworkfromthepastmonth.

AdayonthebubblewithPackers’AlonzoHarris,byMichaelCohen

LeadinguptothemomentwhenNFLteamstrimmedrosterstoafinal53,CohengotaccesstoPackersrunningbackAlonzoHarrisandhisfamilyastheywaitedinconferenceroomforHarris’fate.Cohenusesagoodmixofinformationanddescriptivescenewriting.

Harris,aburly6feet1inchand235pounds,withaninvitingsmileandlaid-backpersonalityreflectiveofhisAlabamaroots,isuncharacteristicallyfidgety,anxious.Histongueflicksbackandforthonaseriesofmintcandies.Hiseyes,glassyandlow,suggestalackofsleepevenbeforeHarrisadmitshewenttobedaround4a.m.,amere60minutesfromhistypicalwakinghourduringtrainingcamp.

ThedefinitiveNBAlogorankings,byZachLowe

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You’veseenthistypeof“journalism”everywhere:awriterranksthe30logosofNBAteams.TheBulls’logoisthebest.TheThunder’sistheworst.Butwhatdidwelearn?

Actually,inthispiece,alot.Insteadofproducingalazyclickbaitslideshow,Loweresearcheseachlogoandincludesexpertisefromvariousdesigners.Suretherankingsaresubjective,butthey’realsoinformationalandthought-provoking.

Inoneinning,Nationals’bullpendeliversatoughtruthandtougherconsequences,byBarrySvrluga

SavvydeadlinewritingfromBarrySvrluga,especiallyconsideringthisgamechangedsodrasticallyinthelateinnings(whentheNationalsblewa7-1leadintheseventh).Thestoryputsentireseasoninperspectiveafteragamethatservedasamicrocosm.Andthatwasevenbeforetheteam'scloserchokeditssuperstaroutfielder.

Theengineeringof15-year-oldJoshMcKenzie,byMatthewStanmyre

MatthewStanmyrefolloweda15-year-oldsuper-athleteformorethanayeartoseehowhiscirclehasgroomedhimtoeventuallybecomeaprofessional.Thetopfootballplayerandwrestlerinhisagegroup,thisteenappearsworthyofthehype,butStanmyreisn’tblindtotheperilsofbigexpectationsforakidwithsuchpreternaturalabilitiesandmaturity.

WhattheworldgotwrongaboutKareemAbdul-Jabbar,byJayCaspianKang

JayCaspianKingprobablyknewhe’dgetlittlefewquote-worthysoundbitesfrominterviewingKareemAbdul-Jabbar,who’snotoriouslyclosedofftothemedia.Sohedidextensiveresearch,spentadaywithhissubjectanddidn’tuseaquotefromAbdul-Jabbaruntilthefinalsixparagraphsofthisentertainingmagazine

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story.Abdul-Jabbarisawell-documentedcharacter,andthispiecestillrevealsnewinformationaboutthebasketballlegend.

TimWallachfanhasarealhouseofcards,byZachHelfand

Thisisthetypeofabsurdstorythat'sfuntoreadnomatteryoursportsallegiances.ThereexistsaTimWallachbaseballcardcollector—somebodywhoworshipsacareer.257andistryingtodowhatheknowsisimpossible:collecteverycardeverprintedofTimWallach.Thewriter,ZachHelfanddoesn’thavetotakethestorytooseriouslybecausethecollectorandhiswifedon’treally,either.

ThenightKansasCitybaseballcamebacktolife,byAndyMcCullough

AndyMcCulloughrelivestheRoyals’wild-cardplayoffwinfromlastyear.Waitingayearandallowingthedusttosettleprovidesanopportunityforkeysourcestospeakwithperspective.AnyRoyalsfanwillreadthisstory,consideringallthehappymemoriesitbringsback.

ForRedSoxbroadcasterDonOrsillo,amovinggoodbye,byGordonEdes

InaRedSoxseasonthat’slongbeenover,themostimportantstorySundaywasn’tthegame.ESPNBoston’sGordonEdesinsteadtailedplay-by-playannouncerDonOrsillo,whosestationcontroversiallyreleasedhim,effectivetheendofthisseason.It'sadayinthelifeofOrsillo—averyspecialday.

RockyPerone’squesttoplayproballwasjustthestartofhiswildtale,byChrisBallard

Thisstoryis,asthewriterdescribesit,“partSiddFinchandpartCatchMeifYouCan.”

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Itbeginsmysteriouslyandrevealsjustenoughtokeeptheontheedge.Eventually,welearnofacomplexbaseballmanwho’ddoanythingtostayinthegame.

TheaudacityofPeytonManning,byKevinVanValkenburg

Whathaven’treporterswrittenaboutPeytonManning?KevinVanValkenburgfindssomething—thepainfulprocessofthe39-year-oldquarterbackremovinghisequipmentafteragame.Theledeworksbecauseitssovisualwithadjectivesandverbs:“Hissockscomeoffafterseveralviolenttugs,revealingtoesthataretwistedandbentintoobtuseangles.”MuchofthestorycoverstopicsoftendiscussedaboutManning,buttheimageryatthetopmakesthispiecememorable.

[email protected].

October5,2015—What’sthatinGayTalese’spocket?

FrankSinatrahadacoldandGayTalesehadastory.Butonlyafterhehadanoutline.

TwoweeksagoSportsIllustrated'sGregBishopsharedhisoutliningstrategieswiththeblog.Successfulnarrativejournalismisoftentheresultofadedicatedoutlinethatorganizesideas.

Thiswastrue,eveninthe1960s.

InreferencetoBishop'slessonsonoutlining,theNewYorkTimes'JimLuttrellpassedalongthesephotos.TheyshowTalese'soutlineforhisfamousEsquirepiece,FrankSinatraHasaCold,widelyconsideredoneofthegreatestprofileseverwritten.

Talese,aTimesalum,oncevisitedsomemembersofthenewspaperandtalkedabouthiscraft.

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"Healsoshowedussomeofthenoteshetookwhilereporting,"Luttrellsaid."Hecutsupcardboardfromnewshirtsbecausetheyfitneatlyintheinsidepocketofhissuitjacket."

Asmartnote-takingprocessmusthavebeenessentialforTalese,whosestoryonSinatraistranscendentinpartbecauseitwasfilledwithobservationsratherthaninterviews.

October6,2015—TheBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesandtheeditorbehindit

Asoftoday,The2015BestAmericanSportsWritingpaperbackisavailableonAmazon,whichmeanswritersrangingfromaspiringtoaccomplishednowhavenewmaterialontheirreadinglists.

I'veboughtthebookannuallysincetheearly2000s,andalwayswonderedwhatgoesintoitsmaking.Wondernolonger.Theserieseditor,GlennStout,explainedtheprocesslastmonth.

Stout,wholivesonLakeChamplaininVermont,readsvoraciously,oftenwhileusinganellipticalmachine.Sometimes,he'llreadjustthebeginningandendofastory,andifhe'sstillengaged,finishtherest.

Hechooses75storiestonominatetotheedition'sguesteditor,thisyearWrightThompson.

Stoutsendseachstoryasaworddocumentwithouttheauthor'snameorpublication,thoughthat'seasyenoughtofind.TheguesteditoriswelcometochoosestoriesStouthasnotnominated.

"IjusttrytopickstoriesthatIwanttoreadagain,"Stoutsaidofhisphilosophy.

There'sacertainliteraryaspecttotheworkStoutchooses.Somesportswriters—notablyBobRyan—havecommentedaboutthelackofdeadlinenewspaperworkinthebookseries.Thosewriterswhohaveregisteredgripesfailtounderstandthemissionofthebookseries,Stoutsaid.

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"Fromtheverybeginning,thisbookhasbeenBestSportsWriting.Twowords.Writingaboutsports.Notsportswriting,"Stoutsaid."Thosearetwodifferentthings.There'sanoverlap.Butthey'retwodifferentthings."

Stoutsaysthere'sawiderdefinitiontosports[space]writing,whichopenstheseriestomorematerialthanstrictlywhatyou'dseeinadailynewspaper.Inthe2015entries,you'llfindjustonestoryfromanewspaper(afeaturebyTimGrahamoftheBuffaloNews).

Thisyear'sbookincludesnarrativeworkfromESPN,Esquire,GQ,Buzzfeed,SBNation,Jacobin,NewNowhere,SportsIllustrated,SportsOnEarth,FoxSports,TheDailyBeast,TheNewYorker,TheNewRepublicandYahoo!

"Thevarietyofworkbeingdonenowisreallyunparalleled,"Stoutsaid."Thisgenrewasdominatedbynewspaperpeoplewritingtakeouts,andmagazinepeople.Youhadtobeintheclub.Now,withtheproliferationoftheweb,therearesomanyplacestowrite,there’ssuchanexcitementforwritersandreaders.Peoplearesoinventivenow."

Who'sStout?

Alongtimefreelancewriter,StoutnoweditstheacclaimedLongformsectionofSBNation.

StoriesfromStout'ssectionhaveappearedonthisblogmultipletimes.They'retypicallyvividwithdescription,deeplyreportedandwrittenlikemininovels.

"Ourgoalistowritesomethingthat’sgoodenoughfortheBestAmericanbook,"saidStout,whosestoriesareeligibleforhisbook."Let’stry.Wewon’talwaysgetthere.

"Oftenpeoplearen’taskedtodotheirbestwork.They’rejustaskedtodowork."

WhileStoutwantsthebestoutofhiswriters,thosewhoworkwithhimcharacterizehiseditingstyleascollaborative.

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"Idon’twanttosayhe’safatherlyfiguresomuchasabuddywhoknowswhatyou’regoingforandhowtogetyouthere,"saidRickPaulus,whosestorytitledTheBatDoctorIsInappearedonSBNationthissummer.

"...He’saliterarydorkinagoodway."

Stoutmightgobackandforthwitheditseightto10times.He'slookingfirstforreporting,structureandnarrativearc.Then,whenthat'suptostandard,hebeginstinkeringwithwhathecalls"thegoodstuff"—theshapeofthestoryandthesoundeachwordmakes.

Everystoryhasitsownlanguage,hesaid.A2013featureonlateNASCARdriverDickTrickle,forinstance,neededtoconsistonlyofwordsthatTricklemightsay—wordsthatkeepthereaderintheplaceandfeelofthestory.

"Ithinkthatlaststep,"Stoutsaid,"iswhatcantakeastorythatisotherwisefinebuteminentlyforgettable,andturnitintosomethingthat'smemorable,thatcanbeshared,andwhenyoufinishit,youturntosomebodyelseandsay'Youhavetoreadthis.That'sthegoal."

October12,2015—Interactivejournalismexecutedwell

Lastmonth,withtheU.S.Opentennistournamentbeginning,theNewYorkTimesopeneditsreaderstoworldsthey’veneverseenorevenrealizedexist.

ThisTimes’interactivestoryshowswheretheworld'sbesttennisplayersfirstlearnedtoplay,andblowsuptheperceptionthateveryoneinthesportwasafinanciallyprivilegedkidpracticingonmanicuredcourts.

“They’reallshowcasedatthesepristinevenues,”sportseditorJasonStallmansaidofhowtennisplayersareshownduringtelevisionbroadcasts.“Wewantedtotakereadersbacktowheresomeofthetopplayerscamefrom,thoseplacesthatbearlittleresemblancetoWimbledon,RolandGarros,BillieJeanKingNationalTennisCenter,etc.”

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Theprojectfeaturesvideosofeightcourtswherecurrenttennisprosbeganplayingaskids.A1-or2-minuteaudiointerviewaccompanieseachvideo.

It’sonethingtodescribetheComptoncourtswhereVenusandSerenaWilliamsfirsthammeredforehands.It’sanothertoseekidsplayingonittoday,whileIshaPrice,theWilliamssisters’sister,explainswhatVenusandSerenalearnedthere.

“Wearealwaystryingtofindsmartnewwaystotellstoriesandconveyinformation,toexploitthepossibilitiesofferedbydigitaljournalism,”CatrinEinhorn,amultimediareporterwhoworkedontheproject,wroteinanemaildiscussingtheproject.“SteveDuenes,whorunsgraphics,cameupwiththeidea.Acoupleyearsago,hesawanimageofacourtinComptonwhereVenusandSerenaWilliamsplayedaschildren,andeversincehe’sbeenlookingforawaytogetbacktoit.Welikedtheideaofbringingpeopletocourtsaroundtheworldandlettingthemcomparethecourtsvisually,withaudioofsomeonewhorememberedtheplayerasachildprovidingthecontext.”

Tappingfriends,familyandoldcoachestoratherthaninterviewingtheplayersdirectlywassmartjournalism.Itofferedbetterperspectiveandprovidedanecdotesaprowouldn’tthinktoorwanttoreveal(oneplayerclutchedastuffedanimalwhileshefirstplayed).

“Askyourselfwhatyouwerelikeatage4or5,”Einhornsaid.“Nowaskyourmomoruncleorareallyimportantteacher.Theyprobablyhavealotmoreinsight.”

Theprojecttookamonthtocomplete,accordingtoEinhorn,whowasoneofeightstaffmembersworkingonit.TheTimesalsousedfreelancerstohelpcapturevideoandaudioacrosstheglobe.TheprojectfeaturedcourtsfromSerbia,Scotland,VenezuelatoSwitzerland,Japan,India,RussiaandAmerica.

Tokeepeachstoryconsistent,Einhorncreatedalistofquestionscoveringthreethemes:theplayersaschildren,theevolutionofthecourtsandhowthecourtaffectedtheplayer.

In10-15minutes,wegetaglobalviewandexperienceoftennisanditsstars'roots.

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October16,2015—Passan’sstorystandsoutafterhistriptothebleachers

WearingadressshirtandtiewhereeverybodyelsedonsCubsjerseys,JeffPassandidn’texactlyblendinwiththefansintheWrigleyFieldbleachers.Afterall,heneverexpectedtobetherewhenhewenttoworkMonday.

Butthebleachers—andthepeopleinthosejerseys—providedanopportunityforPassantotellastorythatdifferentiatedfromthoseofhispeers.

TheCubsbashedarecordsixhomerunsintheirGame3NLDSwinovertheSt.LouisCardinals.Thestorylineforanyjournalistwaseasy.Passan,whowritescolumnsforYahoo!Sportstriedsomethingdifferent.

“Youcanwriteaboutthesixhomeruns,whicheveryonedid.Oryoucancoverthesixhomerunswithatwist,”PassansaidFridayeveningashedrovefromhisKansasCityhometoKauffmanStadiumforGame1oftheALCS.

(READPASSAN'SSTORY)

Passan’stwistwasinterviewingthefanswhocaughtKrisBryantandAnthonyRizzo'sback-to-back,fifth-inninghomerunballs—theCubs’thirdandfourthhomersoftheday.TheideacamefromaYahoo!blogeditornamedKevinKaduk.Passanwatchedreplaysofthehomerunsfivetimesapieceandthenleftthepressboxtofindthelandingspots.

AsPassaninterviewedthemanwithBryant’shomerun,CubsoutfielderJorgeSolerhitanotheroneinthesixth.

Anewstoryemerged.“Igottafindallofthem,”Passanthought.

HewentacrossthebleacherstogettheguyinrightfieldwhocaughtRizzo’s.ThenhefoundthekeepersoftheshotsfromSoler,StarlinCastroandKyleSchwarber.

Surroundingfansshouted“Don’tgiveittothem!”and“GetticketstotheWorldSeries!”—theythoughttheoverlydressedPassanwasaCubsrepresentativeaskingfortheballs—whilePassanaskedeachball-bearingfanthesamesetofquestions.

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Didyouactuallycatchit,orwhatwasthestorybehinditendinginyourhands?HowlonghaveyoubeenaCubsfan?Howdeepdoesyourfandomgo?Isthistheyear?

AsPassanheadedbackuptothepressbox,DexterFowleraddedasixthhomeruninthebottomoftheeighthinning.Onemoreluckyfantointerview.

Afterthegameended,PassanwenttotheCubs’clubhousetochatwithplayers.He’stypicallythelastreporteroutoftheclubhousebecause,ashesaid,“Thebestworkcanbedonewhenthefewestpeoplearethere.”

Or,itturnsout,whenthemostpeoplearethere—solongasyou'reinthebleachersandthenearbypeoplearen’totherjournalists.Leavingthepressboxisawaytofindadifferentstorythanthepack.In2012,PassanmadeasimilarmoveforaquitedifferentstorydocumentingtheemptinessofYankeeStadium.

“Youhavetotakeadvantageofthingslikethat,”Passansaid.

TakingadvantageofYahoo!’ssoftdeadline,PassanwrotehisCubsstoryinthreehoursandsettledonachronologicaltelling.

Itturnedoutpoignantandmemorable.Andcertainlydistinct.

October20,2015—Ifcollegeteamsdon’tprovideaccess,let’sreportwithoutit

Mississippi’sbiggestnewspaperwillstopcoveringitshometownteamuntilitgetsaccesstoplayersandassistantcoaches.

AfterJacksonStateUniversityfireditsfootballcoachthismonth,theinterimcoachhasbeentheonlyvoiceavailabletomediaforthelastthreeweeks.It’shischoice,theschoolsays,torestrictaccess,andthat'swhathewantstodoinordertokeephisplayersfocused.That’snotOKwithTheClarion-Ledger,whichislocatedinJackson,Miss.

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“Thiskindofrestrictionkeepsareporterfromproperlydoinghisorherjob,”TheClarion-LedgersportseditorDavidBeansaidinastoryannouncingtheGannettpaper’sdecisiontomoveitsJSUbeatwriterontoothercoverage.

Mytwodivergentthoughts:

1.)KudostoTheClarion-Ledgerfortakingastand.Asjournalistsweshouldshowsolidarityinthefightforaccess.

2.)Accesstoacollegefootballteamisoverrated.

Whilethere’sgreatmeritinjournalistspushingforaccess,andwhileJacksonStateisarroganttosquashinterviewopportunities,therestrictionsshouldn’thandcuffTheClarion-Ledger.

Journalistsmustusetheirpowersofobservation—andmoreoftenthannot,theseobservationsaremoreinterestingandrevealingthantiredplatitudesfromfootballplayers.

Howmanytimeshaveyoureadastoryandskippedoverthequotesbecausethey’resopredictableandshallow?

Sure,interviewingisaboutmorethangatheringquotes.Experiencedreportersusethesesessionstodevelopanunderstandingforasituation,gainbackgroundinformationandverifyfacts.It’sabitlimitingifanewspaperisblockedfromdoingthis.Butit’snotcrippling.

Oneofthebestprofileseverwrittenwascompletedwithoutasingleinterviewofthemaincharacter.GayTalese’s“FrankSinatrahasaCold”gottothesoulofthefamouscroonerthroughobservationandinterviewswithSinatra'sentouragemembers.

A50-year-oldfeaturestoryandcontemporarycollegefootballcoveragearen’tsynonymous,butbothpresentstrategiesonecanemploywhenstonewalledfromaccess.

WanttowriteaboutaJacksonStatelinebacker?

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Talktorecentopponents.Talktofamilymembers.Often,tangentialsourcesyieldfarbetterinformationthanthepeopledirectlyinvolved.Iftheteamdoesn’twanttoprovidecontextfromitsownpointofview,that’samissedopportunityfortheteam.

AntonioMorales,whowashiredinJulytobetheJacksonState/SWACreporter,saidhewillcovertheSouthwesternAthleticConferencegamebetweenMississippiValleyStateandhostGramblingStatethisweekend.TheClarionLedgerplanstonotsendareportertoJacksonState’shomecominggameagainstArkansasPineBluff.

Moralesdidn’tchoosetoleavehisbeat,butheunderstandswhyhiseditorwantstodeployhimonagamewherehecanactuallytalktoplayers.Heseestherestrictedaccessasalose-losesituationforeverybody.

“We’relosingoutonthecoveragethatwehad.Fansarelosingoutonthestories,playersarelosingoutonexposure,”Moralessaid.“Idon’tthinkthisisawinningscenario.Everybody’slosingoutonsomething.”

Onceuponatime,athleticprogramsneedednewspaperstoremainrelevant.Reportersgotaccessbecause,well,whatotheroptiondidateamhavetobenoticed,sellticketsandlurerecruits?

Now,everyteamhasitsownwebpagewithitsownsubjectivereporting.Aprogramcanframestorieshoweveritwants,makeplayersavailableforin-housepromoswheneveritwants.Withdigitalmarketingtools,ateam’sreachoftenismuchlargerthanthenewspaperthatcoversit(thoughprobablynotthecasewithJacksonState,whichiswhyTheClarionLedger,whichalsocoversOleMissandMississippiState,hassomeleveragehere).

WhenIpolledSoutheasternConferencereportersabouttheiraccessthissummer,mostweredispleasedbutresignedtotheirless-than-idealsituations.

Whileteamsiteshavetheresourcestoproduceandpromoteflashycontentfortheirfans,traditionaljournalistsconvincethemselvesthey’revaluablebecausetheyarewatchdogswhodisseminatethetruth,withoutspin.

Andtheycanbe,withorwithoutaccesstoplayersandcoacheswhoprovideperfunctoryquotesaboutfocusingonthenextgame.

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Weshouldlookpasttheobvioussourcesinsearchfortherevelatoryones.Ifplayersonlyspeakwhenapacksurroundsthem,findrelatedsourcesthatarelessindemand—beithighschoolcoaches,relativesorfriends.Atpublicschools,wecanrequestrecordsthatrevealtheunderbellyofanathleticsdepartment’soperations.

Theresultwillbestoriesfarmorerichthanonesfilledwithcoachspeakandcliché.

Anyself-respectingfanwillpicknewspapersoverthoseflashyteamsites.

October26,2015—PatForde’sgotthenationcovered

A journalism axiom says reporters should go an inch wide and a mile deep. Keep a topic focused but report every little detail about it.

To find success, Pat Forde sometimes has to go both a mile wide and deep.

As a national college sports columnist for Yahoo!, Forde must keep track of 128 Division I-A football programs and 351 Division I basketball programs. Sure, only a fraction of those are relevant and nationally newsworthy at a time, but the list changes every year.

“It’s impossible to stay on top of all that goes on,” Forde said. “The big transition was me working at a newspaper, you know a lot about a little, to going to a national publication where you know a little about a lot.”

Readers are savvy, though, so a national writer like Forde can't necessarily get away with knowing just a little about something. He has to know a lot about a lot. Or at least a moderate amount.

Forde’s been doing it for more than 10 years, first for ESPN and now Yahoo! He’s one of the most respected writers in the game. So how does he cover the nation?

Like many college football fans, he’s on his laptop throughout Saturdays, tracking scores and watching how games develop. Unlike most fans, he also manually writes down the final score of each game in a book. This helps Forde commit the scores to memory and notice trends and developments.

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He’s also quite active on Twitter, where he follows more than 1,700 people, including plenty of college sports reporters. One of the first things Forde does when he wakes up is scroll through his Twitter timeline to see who’s written what.

But there’s more to covering the country than being well-informed. You need to be well-sourced to break news like Forde did when he reported Louisville is investigating claims made in a book about its basketball program offering prostitutes to recruits. (Forde lives in Louisville but says his source on that story came from a longtime worker in college athletics — certainly not anyone from Louisville's side).

Sourcing requires a lot of maintenance. Forde often calls or texts coaches and athletics directors to chat about sports or family news. “Not looking for anything from them,” he said. “Not expecting them to do something for you then and there. But when you do need to ask them something, they’ll at least have some positive thought about you. ‘Ok, this guy can be trusted.’”

Some of Forde's critical columns have put him on the you-know-what list with schools such as Kentucky, Baylor, Alabama, Florida State and SMU. Forde said he doesn’t regret writing negatively about programs he believes deserve the flak. What keeps him credible, he said, is “establishing a track record for not being wrong on things.”

There are benefits and drawbacks to covering the country rather than a single team. It’s more difficult to write the type of intimate features Forde did when he worked at the Louisville Courier Journal. “When you’re trying to be something of a jack of all trades, that’s something that kind of gets pushed to the side,” he said.

Then again, he never has to slog through a 4-8 season with a dud program. As a rule, he’s always covering the best teams.

He’ll be at the national championship game this year, with a chance to write a memorable story, no matter who’s playing.

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Chapter5:Analysis

LivinginNewYorkforthebulkofhisprofessionalcareer,LeonCarterused

cabsfortransportation.Healsousedthemforstoryideas.

Carter,aformersportseditoratTheNewYorkDailyNewsandESPNNew

YorkwhonowworksforESPN’sblackculturesite,TheUndefeated,usuallydidn’t

sharehislineofworkwhenhesteppedintoataxi,buthedidencourage

conversationsaboutsports.Cabdriversareoftenpassionateaboutsports,Carter

said,sohewantedtoheartheiropinions.

Whilehischoiceofvehiclefordiscussionsmightstandout,Carterismuch

liketheotherfivesporteditorsIinterviewedoverthesummer.Oneofthemost

fertileseedsforstoryideas,thoseeditorssaid,areconversations—frominformal

onesinManhattantaxistoplannedtalksduringstaffmeetings.

Inadditiontosixsportseditorsatsixpublications,Iinterviewedsixsports

reporterswhoworkforthoseeditors.Iaimedtoexaminethefactorsthatleadto

writersandeditorsidentifyingandselectingtopicstocoverforin-depthfeatures.

Featurestoriesare,accordingtothePulitzerPrizecommittee,“Storiesthat

arenothardnewsandaredistinguishedbythequalityoftheirwriting.Stories

shouldbememorablefortheirreporting,crafting,creativityandeconomyof

expression.”That’sagoodstartonadefinition(thoughobviouslyI’mconsidering

morethanjustPulitzer-worthystories).Newspapersandwebpublicationsoften

devoteadditionalresourcestothesepiecesandspotlightthemintheiroverall

coverage.Insports,theygobeyondgamecoverage,dailynewsandreaction,anduse

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deepreportingtobetterexplainapersonortopic.Featurestoriescertainlycanbe

writtenquicklyandondeadline(W.C.Heinz’sDeathofaRaceHorseisafamous

example),butforthepurposesofthisproject,I’mlookingatstoriesthatwere

planneddaysorevenweeksinadvance.It’sthesestoriesthataneditorwillbringto

hisbossesandasktocarveoutspaceormoneytoproduce.I’manalyzingstories

wherethere’sadecision-makingprocessbetweenwriterandeditor,ratherthana

writerindependentlychoosingadirectiononcehe’sinthefield.

InatypicalmonthIreadcloseto100sportsfeaturestoriesfrom

newspapers,magazinesandwebsites.Beingintheindustry—andworkingtoward

amaster’sdegree—Idigestthesestoriesmorecritically.I’mconstantlythinking

“Why?”Whydidtheychoosetocoverthispersonortopicthewaytheydid?Orhow?

Howdidtheythinktoattackthestoryinthatmanner?Bydocumentingthe

processesbehindthesedecisions,Ihopetoprovideaninsidelookthatmighthelp

othersintheindustrydevelopideasforfeaturestoriesthatfittheircoveragearea.

Thereisnoblueprintforidentifyingandselectingtopicstowritefeatureson.

Myconversationsrevealedthat.Whileitwasmygoaltoidentifyconnectivetissue

bindingthetechniquesthatadozenwritersandeditorsusetodevelopfeaturestory

ideas,eachhashisorherownnuancedlineofthinking.Sure,therearesimilarities,

butthereisnodefinitivesystemthatuniteshowjournalistsdetermineastoryis

worthyofthespaceandtimecommitmentofabigfeature:Somegobygut,someuse

analytics.Somemimicotherjournaliststheyrespect,usingpeersasinspiration.

Writersandeditorsallsaidtheyemphasizetheneedtocreateinterestingcontent—

butthedefinitionof“interesting”variesabit,too.Whetherstoriesarepitchedfrom

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writertoeditororassignedfromeditortowritervariesdrasticallyamongthesix

publications.AndwhilethesixpublicationsIresearcheduseaudienceanalyticsin

someway,theaudienceisstill,often,apassiveparticipantinthisexchange.As

Carter’scabridessuggest,sportsfansmightbeanewsorganization’smostinvested

audience.YetthewritersandeditorsIinterviewedseemtobepayingmore

attentiontowhattheirpeersintheindustryaredoing,ratherthanwhattheir

audiencewants.EachpersonIinterviewedsaidtheyreadothernewspapers,

magazines,booksorwebsitesasawaytothinkofpotentialstoryideasfor

themselves.ManyalsoreadtheTwitterfeedsoftheirpeers.Butmostsaidtheydon’t

activelyseekouttheopinionsfromthoseintheiraudience.

Journalismhaslongbeengovernedbygatekeeping,“theprocessbywhich

thevastarrayofpotentialnewsmessagesarewinnowed,shaped,andproddedinto

thosefewthatareactuallytransmittedbythenewsmedia,”accordingtopublished

researchin2001byPamelaJ.Shoemaker,agatekeepingtheoristanda

communicationsprofessorattheUniversityofSyracuse.WhenCartertalkedtocab

drivers,hewasacquiringinformationthatwouldhelphimrulehisgatetothe

satisfactionofhisaudience.Hewastryingtoremovesomeoftheguesswork.While

editorsstilldecidewhatdoesanddoesn’trunintheirpublication,consumersinthe

digitalagehavehelpedminimizethepower.Inthedigitalage,consumerscan

choosetogoelsewhereifacertainpublicationdoesn’tprovidewhattheywant.As

Shoemakerwrotein2009,“anentirelynewgatekeepingprocessbeginswhen

audiencemembersmaketheirowndecisionsaboutwhichnewsitems,ifany,to

view,listentoorread.”Butitappearssomewritersandeditorsareinattentive—if

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notblindto—thisnewgatekeepingprocesswhenitcomestofeaturestories.They

don’tleveragetheideasofapotentialaudiencethatconsumesthesestories.

Iconductedinterviewswithasixsportswritersandtheireditors.Threeof

thesepairsworkatprint-and-digitaloperations;theotherthreepairswork(or

worked)atstrictlydigitaloutlets.Thepanel:

• BostonGlobeassistantmanagingeditorJoeSullivan,whohasguidedthe

sportsdepartmentforthepast21years.

• BostonGlobeenterprisereporterShiraSpringer,whoseroleisabitdifferent

fromthebeatwritersandcolumniststhatdominatetheGlobe’ssports

section.Springerhasalotoffreedomtowriteaboutwhatshewants,andifit

doesn’tfitsquarelyintothesportsdepartment’splans,thenewssidewill

oftenuseit.

• SanDiegoUnionTribunesportseditorToddAdams.Hetookthatjobin2012

afterworkingattheOrlandoSentineltheprevioustwoyears.

• SanDiegoUnion-TribuneChargersbeatwriterMichaelGehlkin.Thisis

Gehlkin’sfourthyearwiththepaper.

• KnoxvilleNewsSentinelsportseditorPhilKaplan,whohasbeenatthe

newspaperfor20yearsandtookoverassportseditorin2010

• KnoxvilleNewsSentinelTennesseefootballbeatwriterDustinDopirak,

who’scoveredcollegiateathleticsthroughouthis12-yearcareer—firstin

VirginiatheninIndiana,beforejoiningKnoxville’sstaffinAugust2014.

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• FormerESPNNewYorkeditorLeonCarter,whoisnowheadingESPN’s

fledglingblackculturesite,TheUndefeated.CarterworkedattheDailyNews

morethan20yearsbeforejoiningESPNin2010.

• ESPNNewYorkreporterIanO’Connor,whowritesamixoffeaturesand

columns.HealsohostsaradioshowinNewYork.Andusedtoworkwith

CarterattheDailyNews.

• FormerGrantlandeditorSeanFennessey,who,inOctober,lefttoworkat

HBOunderGrantlandfounderBillSimmons.Then,inNovember,ESPNshut

downGrantland,anoffshootthatpresentedlengthysportsandpopculture

features.ESPNcitedawillingness“todirectourtimeandenergygoing

forwardtoprojectsthatwebelievewillhaveabroaderandmoresignificant

impactacrossourenterprise.”Atthetimeofourinterview,Fennesseywas

stillatGrantland.

• FormerGrantlandfootballreporterRobertMays,whohadbeenwiththe

websitesinceitslaunchin2011.BeforemovingtoChicagothissummer,

MayswasoneoffewGrantlandreporterswholivedinLosAngeles,where

thewebsitewasbased.Thatwillcomeuplater,whenIdiscussthechallenges

ofremoteworking.

• BleacherReportspecialprojectseditorBillEichenberg,aformerNewsday

andWallStreetJournalsportseditor.Bleacherreportisa2007fan-focused

digitalstartupthat’sreceivedcriticismintheindustryforpublishinglow-

qualitycoveragefromitsunpaidcontributors.Eichenbergerwasbroughtin

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torunamoreprofessional“Longform”sectionthat’saddedlegitimacytothe

website.

• BleacherReportfeaturewriterLarsAnderson,aformerSportsIllustrated

staffwriterwhoistheonlyfull-timewriterinEichenberger’sLongform

section.

Myinterviewsrevealthethoughtsandleaningsofseveralsportsjournalists

astheyconsiderpossiblein-depthfeaturestoriestopursue.Theinterviewsalso

showthedecision-makingprocessesthatleadtowhatconsumersread.Despitethe

lackofconsistencyabouthowwritersandeditorsdeterminewhatmakesafeature

storyworthwhile,herearesomethingsIdiscoveredthatareworthconsidering.

GENERATINGIDEAS

LarsAnderson,formerlyastaffwriteratSportsIllustrated,nowwritesfor

BleacherReport’sLongformsection,whichwasbuiltinparttolegitimizeawebsite

moreknownforitsquick-hittingfancontent.Andersonalsoteachesasportswriting

courseinthejournalismdepartmentattheUniversityofAlabama,andlectures

abouttheimportanceofcomingupwithgoodstoryideas,whichheconsidersthe

toughestpartofwriting.

"Ifyou'regoodwithideas,you'llhaveajobinthisbusinessaslongasyou

want,”Andersonsaid,“becausetheideasarewhatdriveeverything."

Insportsjournalism,themostoutwardlycompellingathletes—theonesthat

arethebestormostvocal—receiveplentyofcoverage.Reporterstrytocomeup

withuniqueangles,whichmakesfindingthemallthemoredifficult,Andersonsaid.

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Andersongravitatestostoriesabouttroubledormisunderstoodfootballplayers.

Withinthelastyearhe’swrittenin-depthstoriesonRolandoMcClain,Johnny

Manziel,DorialGreen-BeckhamandLawrencePhillips—allcurrentorformer

footballplayerswhohavefoundthemselvesinvariousdegreesoflegaltrouble,from

assaulttomurder.Andersonhumanizedeachoftheseplayers,andgavedifferent

sidestotheirstoriesthanthenegativeonesthatappearedsoofteninthenews.The

pieceonLawrencePhillipsoffersasympatheticviewoftheformerNebraska

runningbackwhowasfoundguiltyofsevencountsoffelonyassaultafterhiscareer,

andisnowthesuspectedkillerofhisprisoncellmate.Anderson’sreportingsuggests

Phillipsactedinself-defenseduringtheprisonkilling.“Ilikestoriesinwhichyou

canshatterperceptions,”Andersonsaid.Thosearetheones,hebelieves,thatcan

resonatewithpeopleand“percolateonsocialmedia.”ThePhillipsstoryhasbeen

viewed1milliontimes,accordingtoBleacherReport.Philipswaschargedwith

murderinSeptember,butAndersonbelieveshewasactinginself-defense.

WhileAndersontriestobetterunderstandmisunderstoodfootballplayers,

aneditoratanewspaperinTennesseeinveststimeinunderstandinghowevery

dollarisspentbytheUniversityofTennessee’sathleticsdepartment.Sportsstaff

membersatthe60,000-circulationKnoxvilleNews-Sentinelfrequentlyrequest

publicrecordsrelatingtotheTennesseeathleticsprogram.Withineachrecordisa

possiblestoryormore.BecausetheUniversityofTennesseeoccasionallyuses

publicfundingforsports,KnoxvillesportseditorPhilKaplanbelievesit’shis

responsibilitytorunasectionthatpublicizesthenumbers.Kaplan,who’sbeenat

thenewspaperfor20years,sayshetakes“watchdogjournalism”seriously."Ithink

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readersarealwaysinterestedinpocketbookissues,"saidKaplan,whoseinfluenceis

visibleinfootballreporterDustinDopirak’sMaystorytitled“HowUTspent$1.25

millionforonegame.”Thestorydocumentseverydollarspentontheteam’smost

recentbowltrip—downtothecostofdiningatBojangles.

Dopirak,asabeatreporter,writeshardnews,gamestoriesandambitious

featuresthattakemorethanadaytoturn.Hesaidoneofhisgoalsinwriting

featuresistohumanizethepeoplehecovers.Hegetsmanyofhisstoryideasfrom

hisstrategyto“justbearound”games,practicesandotherevents.Hestarts

conversationsanddevelopsrelationshipswithpeoplebeyondtheteamhe’s

covering—beithighschoolcoachesorboosters.Dailybeatreportingcanbea

grind,andsometimesheneedstotakeastepbacktoassesswhatheknowsandhow

bigheshouldplayit.“Yousay‘Istheremoretoitthanwhatwe’rewritingtoday?’”

Dopiraksaid.“[Manytimes],abigstorycomesfromsomethingyoualreadywrotea

one-daystoryon.…Isitmorecomplexthatwhatwe’rewritingrightnow?Should

wededicatemore,sothatthereadersunderstandmoreaboutthis.Istherealot

morethatthereaderneedstoknow?”Iftheanswertosomeofthesequestionsis

“Yes,”thenDopirakseesaneedforamorenuanced,deeplyreportedstorythatisn’t

somuchaboutnewsinessasitisfurtherexplainingapersonortopicforan

audience.Whilereporterscanbataroundstoryideasintheirownhead,theeditorsI

interviewedreliedonmeetingsandconferencecallswithcolleagues.

AtGrantland,anow-defunct,ESPN-affiliatedsportsandpopculturewebsite

thatthatprideditselfoncreativefeatures,LosAngeles-basededitorsheldidea

meetingsaboutonceamonth.Admissiontothesemeetingswasthreebigideas

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(Really,youcouldn’tgoinunlessyouwerearmedwithideas).Itwasusuallyjustthe

editorspresent,becausemostofthesite’sreporterswerestationedelsewhere.

Manytimes,formerdeputyeditorSeanFennesseysaid,theideasoriginatedinthe

office,witheditorschattingaboutwhattheyfoundcoolorfunnyintheirfavorite

sports.Thewritersnotbeingpresentintheoffice,though,complicated

brainstormingsessionsandpossiblyhurttheproduct."Itwouldcertainlybeeasier

iftheywerehere,nodoubt,”Fennesseysaid.“...Honestlyitwouldprobablybea

betterwebsiteifwewereallinoneroomtogether."It’ssimplyeasierto

communicateanddevelopmutualideasthatway.Moderntechnologyallowsfor

communicationbetweenwritersandeditors,butFennesseysaidtheconversations

weresmootherandmoreproductivewhenhespoketopeopleinperson.Often,he

messagedhiswriters,butheadmittedhisattentionwasdividedwhendoingso.

SanDiegoUnion-TribunesportseditorToddAdamsmeetsinpersonwithhis

Chargersreportersweekly.Heleansonhisreporterstocomeupwithmostofthe

ideas—they’retheonesinthefield,afterall—andAdamsconsidershisownrole

toworkwithreporterstosiftthroughalltheinformationtheygatherand

distinguishwhatismost“interesting”and“important.”Asmallideacanturninto

somethingbiggerafterintellectualcollaboration.Forexample,afteraNFLwide

receiverJoshGordonwassuspendedfortestingpositiveformarijuana,Adams

chattedwithareporteraboutthenews.Asthechatwenton,thetwothought,

“Maybeweshouldtakealookatthis.”And,so,afterconsiderablereporting,the

sectionpublishedastoryabouthowathletesliketousemarijuanaasapainreliever,

despitethestiffpenaltiesassessedifcaught.

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WHATMAKESASTORYINTERESTING?

Ifthegoalistogenerateaninterestingstoryidea(andeventuallyaninteresting

story),thenhowdowritersandeditorsdefine“interesting?”

That’sasubjectivequestionofwhichanswerswillhingeonpersonalpreference

andapublication’smission.Overwhelmingly,though,writersandeditorsI

questionedsaidtheytrytoproducefreshinformationandpersonality-driven

stories.“Justtellmeaninterestingstoryaboutsomebody,”Carter,theformerESPN

NYeditor,said,simply.

Carterwantsstoriesthathaven’tbeendonebefore.Peopledon’trememberthe

obviousones,hesaidofrun-of-the-millfeaturesbornofanoft-discussedstoryline.

“They’llremembertheonesthattookalotofwork,tookalotofresearch.”Astory

thatfallsintothatcategoryisapiecebyIanO’ConnoronthelateGreenBayPackers

coachVinceLombardi,anamesoiconicthattheSuperBowltrophyisnamedafter

him.In2014,theSuperBowlwasinNewJersey,whereLombardiusedtocoachhigh

schoolbeforehewasfamous.Ithadbeenmorethan60yearssinceLombardi

coachedatSt.CeciliaHighSchoolinEnglewood,NewJersey,10milesnorthof

Manhattan.ButthestorywaspersonaltoO’Connor,whoplayedfootballatthat

schoolinthe1980s.O’ConnorinterviewedpeoplewhoplayedunderLombardiin

the1940sandfoundouthowthelegendaryLombardigothisstartincoaching.

“There’snoonetell,”O’Connorsaidwhenaskedifthere’saspecificelementor

themehelooksforinapotentialfeaturestory.“It’sreallymoreonfeel.”

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Storiesareoftenthefruitsofpersonalinterest.BeforeMichaelGehlkinwasthe

ChargersbeatwriterfortheSanDiegoUnion-Tribune,hewasastudentat

UniversityofCalifornia,Davis.Acommunicationsprofessorassignedhisclassto

readapsychologicalstudythatsaid,inpart,“ResearchisMe-search,”meaningif

somethinginterestsyou,there’sagoodchanceitwillinterestothers,too.That’sa

lessonGehlkinrecallstodaywhenhe’stryingtogenerateinterestingstoryideas.

“We’reallhuman,”Gehlkinsaid.“Andifyou’recuriousaboutsomething,itprobably

meanssomebodyelseistoo.”Hiscuriosityradarbeganbeepinglastsummerduring

aninterviewwithJoeBarksdale,aplayerwhowastransitioningtoanewposition

alongtheChargers’offensiveline.Duringtheinterview,theplayertalkedabouthis

emerginghobby,playingguitar.Gehlkinaudibledfromhisoriginalstoryideaand

beganworkingonamorein-depthpieceoftheplayerandhisguitarchops.Itwasan

exampleofareportertrustinghisinstinctsandidentifyingastoryideaonthefly.

ResearchisalsoMe-searchforBostonGlobesportsenterprisereporterShira

Springer.She’sinterestedinsportsbusinessandtechnology—sheseesbothas

emergingtopics—soshe’lloccasionallywriteaboutthem.Becauseshe’snottiedto

aspecificbeat,Springergetsthefreedomtobouncearoundtostoriesthatappealto

her.Shelikestotellstoriesabout“under-representeddemographics,”suchas

paralympiansandotherdisabledathletes.Bostonisasportstowndominatedbyits

successfulproteams,whichtypicallyreceivemostoftheattentioninthepress.

Springersaidshelikestowriteabouttopicsshefindsimportantthatotherpeople

don’toftenthinkabout.Ultimately,though,there’snoformulafortheabstract

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conceptofwhatmakessomethinginterestingtoher:“Youhaveanoseforit,”

Springersaid.

PITCHINGvs.ASSIGNING

Whilebothreportersandeditorspartakeintheideasprocess,thequestionof

whoispitchingorassigningastoryvarieswildlyamongthepublicationsI

researched.

AtGrantland,NFLwriterRobertMayssaid100percentofhisstorieswerehis

ownideas.Mayssaidhewouldn’thavemindedreceivingassignmentsfromeditors,

butadmittedthathelikelywasmoreinvestedinstoryideashecookedup.“You

wanttoprovethatitwasworthdoing,”Mayssaid.“IfI'maskingmyeditorstoput

meonaplaneandspendmoneyandspendtime,Iwanttomakeitgood.”He

investedcompanytimeandmoneytoprofileEagleslinebackerConnorBarwinin

PhiladelphiaandTexansdefensivelinemanJ.J.WattinWisconsin.Theywerehis

ideasandhewantedtoprovehecouldexecutethem.

Thepitchprocess,forMays,wasalwaysmoreofaconversationwithhisformer

editor,SeanFennessey,abouthowbesttoapproachatopic.LastyearMayswanted

towriteaboutAaronRodgers,theGreenBayPackers’starquarterbackandeventual

MVP.ProblemiseverybodywritesaboutRodgers.MaysandFennesseymetin

Grantland’sLosAngelesoffice,astheyoftendid—asoneofthefewwriterstolive

inL.A.,Maystookadvantageoftheseopportunities—andspitballedideas.How

wouldtheyapproachthisdifferentlythanalltheotherRodgersstories?Theysettled

onastoryaboutthePackers’offensiveline—TheMenWhoProtectAaronRodgers.

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AttheSanDiegoUnion-Tribunethewritersalsogetindependencetofollowthe

anglestheyfindinteresting.Adams,thesportseditor,understandshiswritersare

pluggedintotheirbeats,andsaidhisownroleisoftentoprovideperspectivefor

whenreportersmissthebigpicturebecausethey’retooclosetotheaction.“Abig

partofmyjobistohelpthemdistinguishwhatisimportantandwhatisnot,”Adams

said.

AttheKnoxvilleNews-Sentinel,sportseditorPhilKaplansaidheassignsroughly

40percentofthestories,buthelargelytakesthesamemacroapproachasAdams."I

thinkit'simportantfortheeditortogivethewritertheluxuryofkindofdeveloping

thebeatandthinking‘What'sagoodstory?’”Kaplansaid.“WhereIcomeinisgoing,

'OK,whatmakesthisstoryPage1?Howcanwepresentitinabetterway?Doyou

needtimeto[developit]?Whatothervoicesdoyouneedinthestory?'’”Kaplan

valuesstoriesthatletthereadersknowmoreaboutthecoreofahumanbeing—

whichisnotalwaysaccessiblethroughwatchingtheathletesplaysports.It’sa

philosophysharedbyhisTennesseefootballwriter,Dopirak,whosaid,“Humanizing

ateamisveryimportanttothewholedeal.”Dopirak,whose12-yearcareercovering

collegesportshasincludedstopsinHarrisonburg,Virginia,andBloomington,

Indiana,saidhe’salwayshadanear50-50splitofstorieshepitchescomparedto

storiesaneditorassignshim.

Achangeinpublicationwasmoregame-changingforLarsAnderson,whowrote

for20yearsatSportsIllustratedbeforejoiningBleacherReportlastyear.Hesaid

hisexperienceatSportsIllustratedincludedresistancewhentryingtopitchstories.

“GuysatBleacheraregreat.IfIbelieveinsomething,they’llletmedoit,”Anderson

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said.“Butinthepast,gosh,I’vehadalotofideasatSI.Thatwasthefrustratingthing

atSI—I’dsometimessendfiveideastoNewYork,andsometimesyou’dgetno

feedback.That’sbeenaproblematthemagazineforgenerations,thedisconnect

betweentheofficeinNewYorkandthewritersacrossthecountry.”

BleacherReport’sofficeisalsolocatedinNewYork,butAndersonsayshis

editorstheregivehimfreedomtoworkonprojectshebelievesin.WhenAnderson

hasanidea,he’lldiscussitoverthephonewithspecialprojectseditorBill

Eichenberger.IfEichenbergerisintrigued,Andersonwillsendamoreformalemail

withthedetails.“Whenyoupitchanidea,it’snotalwaysfullyformed,andyouwon’t

knowwhatyouhaveuntilyougooutandresearch,talktopeopleanddevelopa

theme,”Andersonsaid.“…Theywantyoutohaveauniquesortofangleonit,and

youwon’tknowthatuntilyougetout[inthefield]andsinkyourteethintoit.Alot

oftimes,it’sconvincingthetopguysyouhaveasensethatthiscouldreallybe

special.Buttheykindofhavetotakealeapoffaithtoletyoupullitoff.”

AndersonisabitofaspecialcaseatBleacherReport,wherehe’stheonlyfull-

timestaffwriterintheLongformdepartmentthatEichenbergeroversees.

Otherwiseinthatdepartment,agroupoffourorfiveeditorspreparemostofthe

storyideasandthenassignthemtoapooloffreelancereporters.Eichenbergersaid

roughly80percentofthestorieshissectionpublishesareoneseditorshavethought

ofandassigned.Writersstillpitchideas,butabout90percentofthemareshot

down,Eichenbergersaid."Asfrustratingasourwinnowingprocessis,Ithinkit

reallyservesthesitereallywell,"saidEichenberger,whohopestheratioofwriter

pitchestoeditorassignmentsevensoutabitinthefuture.Awriteroncepitcheda

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storytoEichenbergeraboutUkranianathletescomingtotheU.S.tocompetein

athleticsandavoidthemilitarydraft.Eichenberger,whospentnineyearsat

Newsday,believeditwouldbeagreatstoryforadistinguishednewspaperlikethe

NewYorkTimesorWashingtonPost,butsquashedtheideaforBleacherReport.It

didn’tfitintothesite’stargetdemographic,which,editorsknowfromreader

statistics,isayoungercrowdthatvaluesstoriesabouthigh-profileathletes.

THEPOWEROFANALYTICS

Eichenbergeris61butsayshemustthinklikea21-year-old.BleacherReport—

whichreliesheavilyonaudienceanalytics—targets18-24year-olds.National

storiesontheNFL,collegefootball,theNBAandmixedmartialartsplaywellinthat

demographic,Eichenbergersaid.“Ouraudiencewantstoreadaboutpeopletheir

ageoryounger,”saidEichenberger,whonotedtheruleofthumbathiscompanyis

thatthereisn’tanaudienceforanystorythatgoesback10ormoreyears.The

metricsthatareimportanttothecompany,hesaid,areuniquevisitors(thegeneral

aimis100,000forastory)andtheamountoftimeareaderspendsonapage.

Newsoutletsaredevotingmoreandmoreattentiontoaudienceanalytics,

thestatsthatquantifyreaderhabits.“Throughnewaudienceinformationsystems,

suchaswebanalytics,theinfluenceoftheaudienceonthenewsconstruction

processisincreasing,”EdsonTandoc,aSingaporecommunicationsprofessorwho

earnedaPhDfromtheUniversityofMissouri,wroteinhis2014academicarticle

abouthowwebanalyticsarechangingtraditionalgatekeeping.Alsoin2014,the

NewYorkTimes’innovationteamdeliveredareporttoitsemployeesregardingits

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digitalstrategymovingforward.Thereportwasleaked,anditrevealsmuchabout

theTimes’insistenceonproducingcontentwithafocusonitsaudience.“Ourcore

missionremainsproducingtheworld’sbestjournalism,”thereportreads.“Butwith

theendlessupheavalintechnology,readerhabitsandtheentirebusinessmodel,

TheTimesneedstopursuesmartnewstrategiesforgrowingouraudience.The

urgencyisonlygrowingbecausedigitalmediaisgettingmorecrowded,better

fundedandfarmoreinnovative.”

WhileanalyticsareingrainedintheculturesofthesixworkplacesIdrew

from,editors,notwriters,aretheoneswhokeepaneyeonstoryperformanceand

makedecisionsbasedonstats.AsawriterforBleacherReport,Andersonbarely

considershowmanypeoplereadhisstories.Audienceanalytics“neversortof

intriguedme,”hesaid,andheneverhadaccesstothematSportsIllustrated.

WhenCarterwasESPNNewYork’sexecutiveeditorheviewedwebanalytics

withacommontoolcalledOmnitureeveryhouronhisiPads(yes,plural)orphone.

Hesaidthenumbersdidn’tnecessarilyinfluencewhathedecidedtocover,butthey

wouldaffectstoryplacementonthewebpage.Forinstance,ifastoryinafeatured

spotonthehomepagewasn’taspopularasoneelsewhere,Cartermightchangethe

layoutfirstthinginthemorningtomakethepopularstorymoreprominent.Asa

writeratESPNNewYork,IanO’Connorsaidheisgenerallyawareofwhatstories

playwellbasedontheonesthatreceivethemostsharesonFacebook,butheuses

hisnewssenseovernumberstodeterminewhathe’sgoingtowritenext.“Ithink

[analyticsare]definitelyafactor,butyoucan’thavethatconstantlydictatewhat

you’redoing,”O’Connorsaid.“Youropinionshavetobehonestones.Youcan’tstart

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manufacturingrageorwhateveremotionforthesakeofpageviews.”Assuming

peopleliketoreadaboutstarplayers,O’Connorsaidhemightwriteabouta

megastarlikeYankeessluggerAlexRodriguezinsteadoflesser-knownoutfielder

BrettGardner.It’softenO’Connor’sgoalto“getthefanandthereaderclosertothe

coreof”superstarathletesorcoaches,hesaid.

AttheBostonGlobe,editorsuseChartbeatasananalyticstool.Ittracks

concurrents,whichisacombinationoftheamountofpeopleonthesiteandthe

amountoftimetheyspend.“Wearenotruledbyitbutwecertainlyareinfluenced

byit,”sportseditorJoeSullivansaidofanalytics.Therearetimes,hesaid,whenthe

sectionwillmakeacommitmenttosomethingeditorsdeemimportant,evenifthey

knowanothertopicwilldobetteronline.Forexample,overthesummer,they

playedupawomen’ssoccergameinsteadofpreseasonNewEnglandPatriotsnews.

Meanwhile,GlobeenterprisereporterShiraSpringerpayslittlemindtoanalytics.If

theGlobeallowedmetricstosteercoverage,“Thepaperwouldbe90percentTom

BradyandGiseleBundschen,”shesaidoftheNewEnglandPatriots’MVP

quarterbackandhissupermodelwife.

There’saconsistenttrendatthenewspapersIlookedinto:Analyticscan

persuadeaneditortomakeacertaincontentdecision,butusuallyitinfluencesideas

forquick-hittingcontentratherthandeeperfeaturestories.

SanDiegoUnion-TribunesportseditorToddsaidthatduringbigeventshe

spendstimeonsocialmediatoseewhatpeoplewanttoknowabout.In2011,when

thePackersplayedtheSteelersintheSuperBowl,aGreenBayplayernamedNick

Collinsinterceptedapassforatouchdown.Adams,thenattheOrlandoSentinel,saw

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thatnumerouspostsonTwitteraskingaboutthelittle-knownCollins.SoAdams

postedaquick3-4paragraphstorywithbasicinfoaboutCollins.Hesaiditdid

“gangbusters”becausesomanypeoplewereGoogling“NickCollins.”Itwas,as

Adamssaid,aserviceforthereader.

“Itusedtobe10yearsagothatwewerethegateways,wherewesaid‘Here’s

what’simportant;youneedtoreadaboutit.’Thereadersdidn’thavemuchofa

choice.Therewasreallyonlyonewaytogetthenews—itwaswhatwegavethem,”

Adamssaid.“Now,it’stheotherwayaround.Weneedtoberesponsivetothe

readers.Becausethereaderscangettheirinformationinalotofdifferentplaces.

Weneedtoanswerthequestionsthereaderswantanswered.I’lllookatthe

analyticstotrytobendourcoveragetowhatpeoplewanttoknowabout.”

Whileheisheedfulofhissection’sperformance,thebiggerfeaturesathis

paperareproductsofin-houseconversations,notanalytics.It’sthereporters,he

said,whodrivefeatureideas.AndhisChargersreporter,likeallthereportersI

surveyed,isn’tmuchinterestedinthedata.SaidMichaelGehlkin:“Idon’twanttobe

blindtoanalytics;Idon’twanttopretendthatthey'renotimportant,thatwebtraffic

isnotimportant—becauseitis.“However…Idon'twanttochaseclicksandpost

photogalleriesallday.”Thenewspapersendsaweeklyemailtostaffthatshowsthe

topfiveauthorsoftheweekintermsofhowmanypeoplereadtheirstories.Gehlkin

admitted,competitively,helikestoseehisnameuptop.Buthesaiditdoesn’tdrive

hisdecision-making.

AtGrantland,writerswerenotgivendataonanalytics.Andagain,analytics

didn’tswaywhatwaswrittensomuchashowitwaspresentedonthewebsite.

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Editorslookedforreadershiptrends.Iftheyscheduledfivefootballstoriesfor

Wednesdayandthefifthonegotlost,they’dmaybespaceoutstoriesdifferentlyin

thefuture.FormerdeputyeditorSeanFennesseysaidstaffwas“reluctanttotalk

abouttraffic,”inthenascentstagesofthewebsite,because“itdidn’tseemgermane

tothemissionofthesite,whichistotellgoodstories.”Theirattentiontoanalytics

grewaftertheir2011launch,butmostlyontheeditorialside.Editorsdidn’tusethe

numberstopushwriterstocovercertaintopics,Fennesseysaid,becausethe

websitewassowriter-driven.

READERS’CHOICE?

Everyweek,ChargersbeatwriterGehlkinhostsa“ChargersChat”liveblog

withfans.ThefansaskGehlkin(theexpert)questionsabouttheteam.Ifafanasksa

questionandhedoesn’tknowtheanswer—suchas,‘WhenaretheChargersgoing

toweartheirpowderblueuniformsthisyear?’—he’lllookintoitandwriteastory.

ThoughGehlkinhasaneartohisfanbase,hedoesn’tactivelyaskreadersfor

recommendationsforfeaturestoryideas.Hischatsaremeanttoanswerreaders’

questions,nottaketheirsuggestions.

ThereportersandeditorsIinterviewedsaythey’reopentoreaders’

ideas,butdolittletofosterthem.“Therearesomanysmartfriggin'peopleout

there.Toignorethosesuggestionswouldbesilly,”saidGrantland’sRobertMays,

wholooksatsuggestionssendtohimbutdoesn’tseekthemout,evenifbelieves

theymightbevaluable.MaysleaveshisemailaddressinhisTwitterbiobut,likethe

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otherreportersandeditorssurveyed,doesnotdomuchmoretoinvitereadersto

suggeststories.

Unsolicited,readersoccasionallysubmitstorytips,whichusuallycomeinthe

formofemailsortweets,severaljournalistssaid.BostonGlobeenterprisereporter

ShiraSpringersaidshemightuseareader’ssuggestiononceortwiceayear,but

onlyfromacertaintypeofreader.“Whenit’sreaders,it’softenreaderswhoare‘in

thebusiness,’”shesaid.“Forexample,there’sasportsprofessoratalocaluniversity

—aprofessorwhohasaclassinsportsmanagement.IfIgetasuggestionfromhim,

I’lltrustitandknowthatit’salegitsuggestion.”She’sleeryofpeopletryingto

promotefriendsorrelatives,soshetriestostayawayfromtipsfromfans,shesaid.

Butearlierintheconversation,whenaskedaboutwhatservesasinspirationfor

storyideas,shedidmentionawiderangeofsources,includingneighborstalking

abouttheirkidsorgrandkids.“There’snoplacethat’soff-limits,asfaraswhere

inspirationcancomefrom,”shesaid.

ForDopirakattheKnoxvillenewspaper,hevisitsonlinemessageboardsto

takethetemperatureofafanbase,butdoesnotsolicitideasfromthefans.Hetries

totalktoasmanypeopleaspossibletogeneratestoryideas,andmostofhistargets

arecoachesandstaffwhoworkforacollegeteam.“Ihaven’tbuiltareallygood

groupofspiesyet,”saidDopirak,referringtohisnetwork.

ThereportersIinterviewedseemeddisinterestedinlettingtheaudience

influencewhattheywrite.Butwhenitcomestodrawingideasfrompeersinthe

industry,they’reallaboutit.Editorsandwritersreadotherjournalismvoraciously

asawaytosparknewstoryideas.SanDiegoUnion-TribunesportseditorTodd

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Adamsoftenreadssportsmagazinesoverlunch.Once,whenhewasatthe

Fayetteville(N.C.)Observer,hereadablurbinESPNTheMagazineaboutafootball

umpire(therefereewhousedtostandindangerousterritorybeforetheNFL

repositionedumpiresafterseveralinjuriestothem).Hementionedittooneofhis

writers,whobeganreportingalongstoryonthechallengesanddangersofthat

position.

Multiplereporterssaidathrowawaylineinanewsstorycanturnintoafull-

blownarticleforthem.MaysfollowsallNFLreporters’Twitterfeeds.AtGrantland,

hehadtheadvantageofswoopinginafterabeatwriterhadreportedsomethingand

developingadeeperfeature,likehedidleadinguptotheNFLDraftwithafeature

onthen-UniversityofWashingtondefensivetackleDannySheltonandthedeathof

hisbrother.“They'regoingtogetalotofpersonalnuggetsaboutguysthatthey

don'thavethetimetotrulyexplore,”Mayssaidaboutbeatwriters.

Theeditors’dailyroutinesarefilledwithreading.Sullivansaidhereadshis

home-deliveredBostonGlobewhileeatingbreakfastorridingastationarybicycle,

andthenafterhegetsintotheoffice,hereadsthedirectcompetition(TheBoston

Herald)andotherbigpapers(NewYorkTimes,USATODAY),andalsoscansTwitter

forlinkstoreadlater.InNewYork,Cartersometimesboughtthethreebigcity

papers—TheDailyNews,NewYorkTimesandNewYorkPost—ahabithefigures

causedpeopletothinkhewasplayingthelottery.

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CONCLUSION

AsmuchasI’vetriedtoseparateandcomparetheactionsofwritersandeditors,

digitalandprint,myinterviewsdidn’trevealpatternsorprocessesthatcouldbe

consideredalistofbestpractices.Alotofdecisionsaremadebyfeel,basedon

personalpreferences,experiencesandbeliefs.Evenwithincreasedaccesstodata

thatcanhelpvalidatedecisions,thesewritersandeditorshavenotbeen

robotocizedtofollowaspecificdecisiontree.Theirvaluesmoreofteninfluencehow

theirworkisdone.Conversationswithanybodycanpromptstoryideas,butmore

oftenconversationswithinsidersinfluencewhat’actuallywritten.

ThedaybeforeIinterviewedLeonCarterabouthistimeatESPNNewYork,we

chattedovergrilledhamburgersandhotdogsatacookoutforaneventCarterran.

CarteristhefounderoftheSportsJournalismInstitute,aprogramforyoung

minorityreportersthatbeganlastsummerwithabootcampattheUniversityof

Missouri,whereIwork.Heaskedaboutmycareer,whichincludedfouryearsof

reportinginHarrisonburg,Virginia.ConversationeventuallyturnedtoRalph

Sampson,aHall-of-FamebasketballplayerfromHarrisonburg.Carterwrotehimself

anote:SampsonmightbeaninterestingpersontocoverforCarter’snewblack

culturesiteforESPN,theUndefeated.Voila.Again,acasualchatproducedapossible

storyidea.Itwasn’tthepurposeoftheconversation,butitcouldhavebeen.

Journalistsoftentalkwithdirectstakeholdersandcoworkers,andreadthework

ofindustrypeersinhopesoffindingastoryidea.Butit’srare—atleastamongthe

sixshopsIsurveyed—forjournaliststocultivateconversationswithunrelated

peopleforthesamepurposes.Technologyallowseasycommunicationwiththe

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audience,yetthecommunicationisoftenone-way.Themediadeliversinformation

toanaudience,andisselectivelydeaftofeedback.Sure,journalistsoccasionally

respondtotheirTwitterfollowersoransweremailsaboutstories.Buttheyrarely,if

ever,enabletheiraudiencetochoosethecontentitwilleventuallyconsume.

Perhapsmore,genuineinteractionwithaudiencememberswouldleadtoamore

loyalaudienceinadigitallandscapewhereconsumershavesomanychoicesthey

canchangethepublicationtheyreadbytheminute.Andagain,readerssometimes

havethebeststoryideas.

In2010,amanfromGeorgiaemailedSportsIllustratedwriterChrisBallard.The

manwantedtotellBallardabouthishighschoolbaseballteam,which,in1971,

madeanimprobableruntothestatefinals.Ballardlistened.Hedidsomeresearch.

AndheeventuallyflewtoMacon,Georgia,tomeetsomeofthepeopleinvolved.It

resultedinadescriptiveandcaptivatingfeaturestoryinSportsIllustrated:The

MagicalSeasonoftheMaconIronmen.Ballardhadsomanycharmingdetailsand

characterstoexplorethatheturnedthestoryintoabook.Allbecauseofareader’s

emailthatmanyotherreportersmighthaveignoredortreatedwithapolite,

perfunctoryresponse.Now,whatifwetookthisattentiontoaudienceastepfurther

andmadetheaudienceastakeholderfromthestart?Requestideas.Spitballwith

readers,notjusteditors.Thismightnotworkforfast-pacedbreakingnews,butfor

featurestories,itcould.Contentproducersareaskingalotoftheirreadersto

dedicate15-20minutestoconsumingalargefeaturestory.Iftheyhadmorestakes

intheideasphase,theymightbemorecommittedtoreadingit.Ifjournalistsflatout

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askedconsumerswhatthey’reinterestedinreading,itcouldcreaterelationships

thatleadtobrandloyalty.

ItwasLarsAnderson,aformerco-workerofBallard’satSI,whoremindedmeof

howthathighschoolbaseballstorycameabout(thoughAndersonconflatedsomeof

thedetails).YetAndersonsaidhedoesn’tlookatreadermailorcomments“foryour

ownself-preservationorforyourownsanity.”Sportsfanshaveareputationas

vitriolicandvacuousonsocialmedia,sowhydealwiththem?Thereason,Icontend,

isbecausetheyarepartoftheaudiencenewsproducerssocovet.Eyeballsleadto

advertisingmoney,whichallowswebsitesandnewspaperstofunction.

Thisprojectgavemeaclearerpictureofhowstoriescomeaboutatvarious

publicationsIrespect,andhelpedmedevelopstoryideasduringmyfinalfew

monthsattheColumbiaMissourian,alocalnewspaperinColumbiaMissouri,where

I’veservedastheassistantsportseditorsinceJanuary2014.Assomeonewhois

lookingtoadvanceintheworldofsportsjournalism,andparticularlytheeditingof

it,IlistenedtotheexperiencededitorsIinterviewed,andtriedtoemulatethemin

someways.Oneissimplygettingasmanypeoplefromasmanydepartmentsina

roomatonceandallowingconversationtoflowintoanidea.Astheleadeditorfor

our16-page“TigerKickoff”insert,whichcomesoutthedaybeforeeachMissouri

Tigershomefootballgame,Ihuddledupadozenpeopleinsomeplanningmeetings.

Withwriters,editors,photographers,photoeditors,copyeditorsandevenan

illustrator,wetossedaroundideas,testedtheroomontheirappeal,andultimately

cameawaywithdeepyetfocusedconceptsforthewriterstoexplore.OurSept.18

coverstoryaboutMissouri’sathleticsslogan,“MizzouMade,”doveintoatopic

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peopleencounterdailybutrarelyconsider.Theflashycover(aconceptual

illustrationofseveralkeyMissourifigurescreatingatigerasifit’sFrankenstein),

cameaftersignificantbrainstormingandseveralbadideas.

AnotherideaItookfromaneditor(PhilKaplanoftheKnoxvilleNews-Sentinel)

isrequestingvariouspublicdocumentsandsearchingthroughthemforanything

thatjumpsout.Oneofmyinformationrequests—forallemailsbetweenthe

UniversityofMissouri’sChancellorandformerathleticsdirector—yieldednothing

Ithoughtwasworthyofastory.Butaseparaterequest,forinformationpertaining

tothefootballteam’schampionshiprings,turnedintoafunandinformativepiece

foraTigerKickoff.

Throughoutmyinterviewing,someofmyownpre-existingstrategieswere

validated(i.e.readingmagazinesandsearchingforanuggettoturnintogold;

keepingalongworddocumentofpotentialstoryideastobedevelopedfurther).It’s

goodtoknowIemploysomeofthesametacticsasother,moreaccomplished

writersandeditors.It’salsoareminderthatwemustallcontinuetoevolveto

preventbecomingstale.Inadigitalworldthatfewcanpredict,weneednewideas

andstrategiesthatothershaveyettotry.Thefutureofmeaningfulsports

journalismmightdependonit.

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Appendix:Projectproposal

Whenaguestspeakercalledintoclass,itwasthebest75minutesofthe

week.MyfirstsemesterattheUniversityofMissouriIenrolledinGregBowers’

sportsjournalismcourse.Thediscussion-basedclassoftenfeaturedguestspeakers,

andthesevisitors(orSkypers)representedawho’swhointoday’snarrative

journalismlandscape.

SportsIllustrated’sThomasLaketalkedaboutboilingdownhisarticlestoa

singleword.Andabouthowthebesttimetowriteastoryisoftenayearafteritis

newsworthy,oncethedusthassettled.ESPNtheMagazine’sWrightThompson

describedhispre-reportingprocessanddetailedhisexperiencescoveringMichael

Jordanpost-retirement.FreelancerJustinHeckertsharedadviceonrecreatinga

scenethroughinterviewing.Healsodisplayedhisunusualaptitudeofremembering

ledes—everybody’sledes.

Ineverwantedtheseconversationstoend;therealwaysseemedtobemoreto

explore.

ThesearethetypesofconversationsIhopetohaveaspartofmynextjob.

AftergraduationIwilltrytobecomeasportseditorforanewspaperorweb-only

publication.Narrativefeaturewritingisaninterestandskillofmine,andI’dliketo

helpotherwriters’featuressing.

Narrativefeaturestoriesaredifferentthannewsstoriesinthatthey

circumventthetraditional“invertedpyramid”frameworkofjournalism,inwhich

themostimportantfactsandquotesareplacednearthetopandanythingtoward

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thebottom—theleastimportantmatter—issubjecttopotentialcutting.Orange

CountyRegisterDeputyEditorRebeccaAllenexplainednarrativejournalismfurther

inapostforNieman:

“Anarrativeisastorythathasabeginning,middleandend.Itengagesthe

reader’smindandheart.Itshowsactorsmovingacrossitsstage,revealing

theircharactersthroughtheiractionsandtheirspeech.Atitsheart,a

narrativecontainsamysteryoraquestion—somethingthatcompelsthe

readertokeepreadingandfindoutwhathappens.Newspapernarrativesare

alsoentirelytrueandfactualineverydetail.”

Whatinterestsmemost—andwhatstillmakesnewspapersrelevanttome

—isthewriting.Asanadvisortoundergraduatereporters,I’vebeenforcedtothink

aboutandarticulatewhatmakeswritingsuccessful.Priortomyenrollmentat

Missouri,IservedfouryearsasasportsreporterfortheDailyNews-Recordin

Harrisonburg,Virginia.I’mproudofmyworkthere.Iproducedaward-winning

storiesanddominatedabeat.Butsometimesthedailygrindleftlittleroomfor

reflection.Mystrategieshadbecomemoreinstinctivethancalculated.

Throughchallengingcoursesand20-plushoursperweekservingasthe

assistantsportseditorattheColumbiaMissourian,I’vebroadenedmyoutlookon

journalism.Whilenosingleclasshasgivenmeexpertiseinaparticulararea,each

hasshownmewhatispossible—andhasprovidedthebasicfoundational

knowledgetoexplorefurther.Workinginthenewsroominamanagerialposition

hastaughtmeadifferentlevelofresponsibilityjugglingandpersonality

management.It’salsogivenmededicationtoaproductbiggerthanmyown.Myrole

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asaneditorattheMissourianhasbeenrefreshinginthatIcanrevisitthebuilding

blockseverysemesterwhenweinheritanewstaffwithvaryingskilllevels.Now,as

Iprepareforsimilarjobswithverydifferentstaffs,it’stimeformetopickthebrains

ofmoreexperiencedwriters.

FormyprofessionalprojectIplantostartablogandcorrespondingpodcast

inwhichIhighlightmeaningfulsportsfeaturestoriesanddiscusscraftwiththe

reporterswhowrotethesestories.Iaimtostartdeeperconversationswith

preeminentsportsjournalists—thesametypesofconversationswehadinthat

sportsjournalismclass,butthistimeone-on-oneandmorestructured.Alecturein

thatclassincluded15studentslobbingquestionstoawriterduringthe75-minute

timeframe.Conversationswererarely“offtherecord,”butthepurposeofthemwas

neverpublication.

Thislookatthestorybehindthestorywillallowmetoanalyze,critiqueand

bemoreconsciousaboutreadinglikeawriter—habitsthatwillservemewellasan

editor.ItwillalsohelpmecreatecontactsintheindustryasInetworkwithwell-

knownjournalists.I’dliketobecomeaknowncommodityinsportsjournalism

circles;Iwanteditorstolistentomydiscussionsofjournalismandwonderhow

theycangetmeontheirteam.Iwillalsolearntheworldofbloggingandplaywith

theideaofcreatingabrand—somethingI’velearnedtodofortheMissourian

(ratherthanformyself)throughacourseinParticipatoryJournalism.

Thisprojectwillbethefinalstepinearningmymaster’sdegreeinjournalism

fromtheUniversityofMissouri.IintendtofulfillthisrequirementinDecember

166

2015andthenrejointheworkforceasamorethoughtful,experienced,skilledand

connectedjournalist.

2.Professionalskillscomponent

Becausetechnologymakesremotecommunicationsoeasy,andbecauseIstill

haveresponsibilitiesattheMissourianthroughDecember,Iwillmostlyremainin

ColumbiaasIconducttheskillscomponentofmyprofessionalproject.

Ihavenavigatedthegraduateprogramwithoutadefinedareaofemphasis

(beginninginconvergencebutultimatelyenrollinginclassesacrosstheboardto

fulfillmygoalofachievingthemostwell-roundededucationtocomplementmypre-

existingskillset).Myfouryearsasaprofessionaljournalistgavemeanadvantagein

experienceandjournalismknow-howwhenIenteredthisschool.The

aforementionedsportsjournalismcoursewithGregBowersfurtherheightenedmy

criticalthinkingforsportswriting.Additionally,myabilitytoreportalengthy

featurepiecegrewthroughanindependentstudywithJacquiBanaszynski.Using

experts’analysisaswellaspersonalaccountsacquiredthroughinterviewsandtime

inthefield,Iwrotea3,500-wordstoryonlocalstand-upcomedianswhocopewith

mentalillnessesandanxiety.Nowit’stimeforthenextchallenge.

MyresearchcomponentwillbeginonJune1andIintendtofinishitby

August30.IproposebeginningpublishedworkonmyprofessionalprojectblogJuly

1,2015andcontinuingitthroughNovember25(thoughIwillcertainlybegin

formulatingstrategiesandfindingpossiblepodcastguestsearlier—andwill

167

considercontinuingthisbloginto2016ifitssuccessful).Thistimetableof21weeks

allowsmetowork20hoursperweektoreachmytotalof420hours.

MuchoftheworkIdowillnotbevisibletothepublic,soIwillkeeplogsof

everystepItaketowardprogresstoaproduct.Itstartswithconsumingjournalism.

Alotofjournalism.Mydailyroutinealreadyincludesreadingmultiplenewsand

featurestoriesfromaselectionofwebsites,butmyprojectwillintensifyandfocus

thisroutine.Iplantoread5-10sportsfeaturestoriesperweekdayandhighlight

themwithaquick-hitting,cogentblogpost(200-300-wordanalysis)twotimesper

week.Then,oneotherpostwillbemoredetailed,consistingofadditionalresearch

andinterviews(500-750words).Iwillaimtopublishtheaudiofromoneofthese

interviewsperweek,creatingasortofpodcast.Tofindrelevantstoriesfor

discussion,Iwillbeginwithmypetsitesandsources(SportsIllustrated,ESPNThe

Magazine;SBNation,BleacherReport,Grantland,WashingtonPost,NewYork

Times,Esquire,Yahoo!,Longform,Grantland,USAToday,SportsonEarth,Monday

MorningQuarterback,andothers.

Tofindreporterstointerviewonthe“podcast,”Iwillstartbyindicating

storiesworthyoffurtherdiscussionandthenpitchthemonmyideaeitherthrough

emailorphoneconversation.

TheAssociatedPressSportsEditorswillfeaturemyblog,whichIwillhost

personally.CurrentpresidentMikeShermanagreedtoanarrangementinwhichthe

APSEwebsitereservesspaceforthefirstfewlinesofmypostsandthenlinkstothe

blog.Itwillalsosharetoits13,000followersonTwitter.

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Thephysicalevidenceshowingmyexpertiseinjournalismwillbetheblogs

andpodcastsIpublish.Iwillalsofileweeklyfieldnotesthatdocumentmyevery

actionleadingtowardthetangibleproduct.MycommitteeofJacquiBanaszynski

(chair),GregBowersandJoyMayerwillsupervisemyproject.Likemanyblogsin

theindustry,Iintendformostofmywritingtogostraighttopost.ButIpropose

findingasupervisingeditorwhowilllookatthelargerinterviewpiecesbeforeI

postorsoonthereafter.Theeditorwillreadallposts—eventhesmaller,quick-

hittingones—andnoticepatternsandtrends.Iamunsurewhothateditorwillbe

justyet.

3.Analysiscomponent

Howdosportswritersandeditorsidentifyandselectnewsitemsworth

developingintofeaturestories?

That’sthequestionIwillexploreformyprofessionalproject,inhopesof

discoveringanswersthatcanhelpguidemeasItrytoentertheprofessionalworld

asasportseditor.Iexpectthatsomesportsdepartmentsusesignificantdigital

analyticsdatatosteerthesedecisionsbutIsuspectmanydoitjustonfeel.Still,

somethingmustbeguidingthesedecisions,evenifwritersandeditorshaven’t

stoppedtoconsiderit.Thisproject,ideally,willgiveaninsider’slookatthe

operationsthatleadtosignificantfeaturestoriesinsportssectionsandwebsites.

Professionaljournalistsshouldcareaboutthisquestionbecauseitimpacts

thewaytheymakedecisionsonmicroandmacrolevels.Reportersandeditors

shouldbeawareofwaystomakejudgmentsandgaugeaudienceexpectationsin

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ordertodecidewhatstoriestheyshouldfollowupon.Startingaconversationwith

professionalsabouttheirprocessesandconsiderationswhenselectingstoriescan

helpotherwritersmaketheirowndecisions.

Myresearchquestionalsocomplementsmypracticalcomponentofablog

andpodcastthatdrillsdownonabigsportsfeatureanddiscussesthereporting

processandstorycraft.Theresearchandpracticalcomponenttogethershould

provideadeeplookattheinnerworkingsofnarrativejournalism.

IwilldrawonGatekeepingtheorytoguidemyresearchwork.

THEORETICALFRAMEWORK

Gatekeeping

Whydoweeatwhatweeat?Morethan50yearsago,early-20thcentury

psychologistKurtLewinexplainedthisphenomenonthrough“channeltheory.”

Peopleprobablydon’tstoptothinkaboutitwhenthey’remunchingonasliceof

pizza,buttheingredientsthatthey’reconsuming—beforeenteringtheirmouths—

camefromvariouschannels,whetheritwasagardentoone’skitchenorafarmtoa

distributortoarestaurantfreezer.

Alongtheway,thoseingredientshadtopassthroughgates.“Fooddoesnot

movebyitsownimpetus.Enteringornotenteringachannelandmovingfromone

sectiontoanotheriseffectedbya‘gatekeeper,’”Lewinwrote(37).Thepsychology

ofthegatekeeper,Lewinsaid,determineswhatpeopleeat.Thegatekeeperdecides

whatisfoodandholdsalargeinfluenceoncontrollingwhatpeopleeat(Lewin,40).

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Enoughaboutdinner,though.WhileLewindevisedtheideaofgatekeeping

bystudyingthefoodindustry,henoted—andmanyresearchershavereiterated—

thatitcanalsoapplytocommunicationandotherorganizedstructures,where

groupsofpowerdeterminewhatstaysandgoes.

“Initssimplestconceptualizationwithinmasscommunication,gatekeeping

istheprocessbywhichthevastarrayofpotentialnewsmessagesare

winnowed,shaped,andproddedintothosefewthatareactuallytransmitted

bythenewsmedia.Itisoftendefinedasaseriesofdecisionpointsatwhich

newsitemsareeithercontinuedorhaltedastheypassalongnewschannels

fromsourcetoreportertoaseriesofeditors”(Shoemakeretal,233).

Thegatesinmassmediaarethecheckpointsatwhichdecisionsaremade

thatwillultimatelyshapewhatreachespublication.Whilegatekeepersforfoodmay

befarmersorrestaurateurs,thegatekeepersfornewspapersarereportersand

editors—andthosegatekeeperscanbe“highlysubjective”and“reliantonupon

valuejudgments”(White,384).Whetherapieceofnewsgetscoveredornotcan

hingeonthewhimsofasingleperson,asWhiteshowedina1949experimentwitha

smallnewspaperwireeditorhedubbed“Mr.Gates.”Theeditorrejectedstories

basedontheamountofspaceleftinthenewspaperatthattimeofthenight,his

beliefofthestories’veracity,andwhetherornotasimilarstoryhadalreadyrun

(White,386).The“Mr.Gates”exampleiswidespreadandincludedinmanyresearch

studiesongatekeeping.Thoughthejournalismlandscapehaschangeddrastically

withtherevolutionoftheInternetandaudiencetracking,thegatekeepingmodelis

stillthefoundationofmanyindustryresearchstudies.Thispaperwillnotethe

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variousthreatsorchangestogatekeepinglater.Fornow,itwillshowthewaysin

whichgatekeepingcomesintoplay.

Thegatekeeperscanalsoberoutinesofanorganization(Shoemakeretal,

235).Forapieceofnewstobeconceived,somebodymustfirstnoticeandidentifyit

(McQuail,308).Thenthenewsmustpassthroughentrypoints,whichvary

dependingonthemedium.Multipleforcesswirlaroundgates,andtheforcesthat

arethestrongestprevailinpushingthegatekeepertowardadecision(Shoemakeret

al,240).

Whatdogatekeepersconsiderwhendecidingwhatmakesthenews?

Timelinessplaysabigfactorinwhatnewsisselected(McQuail,315).Andwith

manyoptionstochoosefrom,newsmanagers“pickthoseissuesandeventsthat

havethegreatestratioofexpectedappealfordemographicallydesirableaudiences

tocostofnews-gathering”(McManus,114).Thatmeanseditorsmustconsiderthe

costofproducingapieceofjournalismandassesswhetherthebenefitofthe

finishedproductoutweighsthosecosts.Mediafirmsconsistentlyhavetoweigh

theirowncommercialinterestsagainstwhatstoriespossessthebiggestnewsvalue

(Cohen,538).

Researchismixedonwhetheraudienceinterestsinfluencegatekeepers.A

2002studybyTaiandChengshowedthatAmericaneditorsdidnotgiveaudiences

whattheywanted(McQuail,311).Anotherexamplethateditors’decisionsaren’t

alwaysconsistentwithnewsconsumers’interestsisastudyoffourlargeonline

newsroomsbyBoczkowskiandPeer.Theresearchersfoundthatjournalistsoften

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leantowardnewsstoriesthatare“soft,”butnotintermsofhowthey’retold,

whereasconsumerslikeharderstoriestoldinasofterway(867).

Despiteresearchsuggestingthattheaudience’swantsaren’tbeingmet,there

isotherresearchthatcontendsthataudienceswieldsignificantpowerinhelping

determinewhatmakesnews.“Anentirelynewgatekeepingprocessbeginswhen

audiencemembersmaketheirowndecisionsaboutwhichnewsitems,ifany,to

view,listentoorread”(ShoemakerandVos,76).

Withuncertaintyfloodingtheindustry,journalistsarebeingurgedtopay

moreattentiontotheaudience.“Onlineinteractivityhasbeentoutedasaway

journalistscanconnectwithaudiences,andindustryanalystshaveadvocated

reachingoutto‘citizenjournalists,’conversingwithreaders,respondingtofeedback

fromonlineaudiencesandworkingcloselywiththemarketing/businesssidesof

theirorganizations”(LowreyandWoo,42).Thepresenceofcitizenjournalism,in

whichthepublichasaroleinthetypicaldutiesofareporter,representsanother

waygatesarebeingcircumvented.

Gatekeepingischanginginthedigitalage.Someresearchers,likeBroand

Wallberg,suggestthatthe“Mr.Gates”exampleisoutdatedbecauseofthechangesin

theindustrybroughtonbytechnology(93).Decidingwhat’sinoroutisnolongera

binarydecisionmadebyawireeditor.

BroandWallbergsuggestthatthechangeinthedeliveryofinformation—

fromphysicalnewspapertodigitalcontent,givesanewdefinitiontogatekeeping.

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Theyillustratethreemodelsofgatekeepinginthedigitalera:“processof

information,”“processofcommunication”andlastly,“processofelimination,”

wheregatekeepingtakesplaceoutsidethenewsroom(SeeFigure1below):

Figure1:Modelsofgatekeepinginthedigitalera.ByBroandWalling

Atfirst,decision-makersneededtousejournalistsasintermediariestoget

theirmessagesouttocitizens.Then,decision-makerscoulddirectlycommunicate

withcitizens,andviceversa,butoftenstillusedjournalistsforspecificfunctions.

Now,withsocialmediaallowingfordirectaccess,technologyhasreachedapointin

whichdecision-makersandcitizensmightnotviewjournalistsasbeingnecessaryat

all.Thisdeclineinthejournalists’role,BroandWallbergnote,hasbeendocumented

byvariousscholarsoverthepastfewyears(99).

NowthattheInternetmakesstoriesfromacrosstheworldaccessible,some

ofthetallestgateshavebeenremoved.

“TheNetradicallyshiftsprinciplesofnewsdistributionasallsitesbecome

equidistantfromthereader,”NewYorkUniversityprofessorJayRosenwroteinthe

WashingtonPostin2006.Rosen,himself,circumventedthegatekeepingprocessby

startingPressThink,amediacriticismblog.

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“What'sthemostamazingthingaboutthenewmediaworld?Itslowbarriers

toentry,”RosensaidinthesamePostarticle.“ThankstotheInternet,itis

cheapandsimpletolaunchasitethat,theoretically,thewholeworldcould

bewatching.Yesterdaytherewereafewdozenproviders;todaynews,views

andattitudesstreamthroughmillionsofgates.AndtheWebacceptsallkinds

ofgatekeepers,eachwithuniquerulesforwhatmatters,ratherthanthe

rulesadoptedbyaclassofprofessionalswithsetjournalisticprinciples.For

theoldgatekeepersthat'sabigdisruption.”

Whilegatekeepersusedtoberequiredinordertopassalonginformation,

“theInternetpromotedtheeliminationofthemiddleman,”JonesandSalterwrote

(45).“Therighttobeagatekeeperwaspartiallyrevokedwhenthenewsproduct

wentonline.”

Thegatekeepingrole,someposit,belongstotechnologyproducerswho

determinethewaysinwhichinformationflowstoconsumers.Searchengines,app

storesandsocialmediaarenowconsideredgatekeepers(Foster,48).

LITERATUREREVIEW

Whatmakessomethingnewsworthy?

Asdisplayedintheeminent“Mr.Gates”study,whatisnewsworthyisa

subjectivequestionthat’sansweredwithavaluejudgment.Myriadinfluencescome

intoplaywhennewsdistributorsdecidewhattocover(White,p.384).

Timelinessplaysahugefactorinwhatnewsisselected(McQuail,p.315).In

thestudyofMr.Gates,timelinessmeantthepointinadaythatastorycrossedthe

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wire.Ifitgotlateinthenightandtherewasn’troomforastory,itwouldn’trun

(Whitep.386).

Gatekeepingcantakemanyothershapes.Newscanalsobetrappedand

amplifiedinametaphoricalechochamber.Editorsoftenmakecontentdecisions

basedonothernewspapers’decisions.Thelarger,morepowerfulpapersso

influencethesmalleronesthattheyeffectivelydeterminewhat’snewsworthyfor

anotherpublication.Thelargerpapersbecome“opinionleaders,”forthesmaller

onesinaphenomenondescribedasthe“arterialeffect”(Breed,p.281).

Consistencyamongnumerousstudiesinthefieldisthatnewspapermen

oftenreadnewspapers(Breed;Sumpter).Someeditorsusesocialmediaasanews-

gatheringtool—combingthroughotherdistributors’contenttodevelopabroader

viewofastory(Reed,p.560).

Thesepracticesmakeeditorspronetotheinfluencesofcompetitorsorofthe

massivepublications,whichhavegainedthereputationasopinionleaders.This

developmentisonlyexacerbatedbythelifestylesofsomemediamembers.Ina

studyofalargedailynewspaper’saudienceconstructionroutines—theroutines

editorsusetocombattheiruncertaintyofwhataudienceswant—halfofthe

organization’seditorsworkedinthenewspaperindustryfor20ormoreyears.

Becauseoftheirtenure,theeditorswereengrossedintheindustry,thuslimiting

theirscopeoftheiroverallcommunities.Mostoftheiracquaintanceswerealsoin

themediaindustry.Theeditorsfurtherentrenchedthemselvesinmediaduring

theirrarefreetime.Theyscoutedotherpublicationsbeforelogging10-hourdays,

includingweekends,intheoffice.(Sumpter,p.336).

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“Definingwhatconstitutesnewsisproblematicforeditorsandreporters,

whoseworkisnotgovernedsomuchbystraightforwardrulesasbyroutines

designedtomanageortoreduceuncertainty”(Sumpter,p.334).Editorswere

rewardedfor“instinctive”judgments(p.339),whichreferredtodecisionsmade

basedonwhatworkedinthepastatthesamenewspaper.

Conversationsatdailyplanningmeetingscouldoftenboostastory’schances

ofrunning.Andthatwasanothercaseofeditors’tasteswinningout.Sometimesthe

food-chain-likearterialaffectmodelisreversed.Ifabigstoryhappensinthe

backyardofasmallpaper,thatpapercanbecometheopinionleader.Therearealso

caseswhennewspaperswilldownplayastorybecauseacompetitorbrokeit.

(Sumpter,336).

Despiteallthesefactors,there’sclearlystillabitofguessworktotheinexact

scienceofdeterminingnews.Inthenewspaperindustry,researchershavefounda

practiceofmakingvaluejudgmentsbasedonwhateditorsperceiveanaudienceto

want.Doesthatchangewhentheeditorscanfindoutexactlywhatanaudience

reallydoeswant?

Market-drivenjournalism

In1980,Ganssaidthatjournalistsarereluctanttoconsideraudience

feedbackduetotheirfearofthepowerthatsuchamassivebodyofpeoplemight

possess(p.234).HisstudyofmajornationalTVandprintmediafoundthateditors

rejectedfeedbackfrom“unknown”sources,suchasmarketsurveys,unsolicited

lettersandphonecalls.Thereason?Editorsdidnottrustthestatistics,nordidthey

believethatthisunknownaudiencewascapableofdeterminingwhattypeofnewsit

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needed.Thesourcesoffeedbackeditorsdidvalueweremorepersonalandless

quantifiable.Theywerefroma“known”audiencethatconsistedoffriends,family

andotherfamiliaracquaintancesanda“near”audienceofcolleaguesandothers

withintheindustry.(Gans,p.124-25)

Twenty-plusyearsandanInternetlater,somejournalistsstillharbor

adversarialrelationshipswiththeiraudience.“Ihatethecommenters.Ifindmyself

doingthingsnowbecauseIknowit’llpissthemoff,”onewritersaidina2013study

ofonlinejournalists.Anotherwriterinthatstudydescribedusercommentstacked

ontowebstoriesas“worthless”(AgarwalandBarthelp.384).

Whilecommentsareworthlesstosome,studieshaveshownthat“flak”or

negativefeedbackcanswaynewsdecision-makers(HermanandChomsky,p.26).

Evenapassiveaudienceimpactsthegatekeeperbecauseofitspresenceinthenews-

exchangerelationship.“Expectationsofaudiencereactions,insteadoftheaudience

itself,maydrivedecisions;further,gatekeepersmayprojecttheirvaluesand

feelingsonaudiencesorfollowpersonaljudgments,assumingaudienceswill

concur”(Hardin,p.65).Inaudienceroutinesresearch,editorsrealizedtheywerein

theirownmediabubbleandtriedtoadjust.Self-awareenoughtounderstandtheir

susceptibilitytopackreporting,theeditorscreatedanimaginarylocalreadership

theytriedtosatisfy(Sumpter,p.337).Oneeditoreventoldhisreporterstoeat

lunchwithanew,unconventionalsourceonceamonthtohearwhatotherpeoplein

societyweretalkingabout(Sumpter,p.338).

Analyticshaseliminatedsomeoftheguesswork.Inthedigitalage,with

analyticstotrackaudiencebehavior,thereismoreprecisionintrackingwhatan

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audiencereads.Andeditorsarebecomingmoreandmorereceptivetousing

audiencebehaviormetricstosteereditorialdecisions(Leeetal,p.505).Web

analyticshavecreatedaclimatewheretheaudiencehasconsiderablepullin

determiningwhatnewsgetschosen(Tandoc,p.559).

“Oneofthemostimportantquestionsforjournalism'ssustainabilitywillbe

howindividualsandorganizationsrespondtothisavailabilityofdata”(Bellp.48).

Webdatafromjournalism,barelytouchedasof2007,isnowmorereadilyavailable

tocompaniesthroughChartbeatandSocialFlow.EvenTwitterfeaturesanalytics

thatitseverydayuserscantrackatnoextracost.JavaunMoradi,adigitalstrategist

andproductdeveloperforNPR,notingalltheinexpensivewaysinwhichjournalists

cannowtracktheirowndata,seesmoreandmoreusingit(Bell,p.49).Analytics

alsoinfluenceanewformofgatekeepingcalled“deselection,”theeventwhenan

articleistakenoffthehomepageinfavorofanotherbecauseitisnotgenerating

highwebtraffic.(Tandoc,p.568)

Webanalyticsisn’ttheonlywaythatnumberscreepintojournalistic

decision-making.Moneyisafactor,too.Journalismissusceptibletoeconomic

factorssuchassupplyanddemand;“Mediacontentcanbemodeledasifthe‘five

economicWs’aredrivingnewsdecisions”(Hamilton,p.7).ThosefiveWsare:

“1.Whocaresaboutaparticularpieceofinformation?2.Whatarethey

willingtopaytofindit,orwhatareotherswillingtopaytoreachthem?3.Where

canmediaoutletsoradvertisersreachthesepeople?4.Whenisitprofitableto

providetheinformation?5.Whyisthisprofitable?”(Hamilton,p.8).

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Withuncertaintyfloodingtheindustry,journalistsarebeingurgedtopay

moreattentiontotheaudience.“Onlineinteractivityhasbeentoutedasaway

journalistscanconnectwithaudiences,andindustryanalystshaveadvocated

reachingoutto‘citizenjournalist,’conversingwithreaders,respondingtofeedback

fromonlineaudienceandworkingcloselywiththemarketing/businesssidesof

theirorganizations”(LowreyandWoo,p.42).

Withmanyoptionstochoosefrom,newsmanagers“pickthoseissuesand

eventsthathavethegreatestratioofexpectedappealfordemographicallydesirable

audiencestocostofnews-gathering”(McManus,p.114).Thatmeanseditorsmust

considerthecostofproducingapieceofjournalismandassesswhetherthebenefit

ofthefinishedproductoutweighsthosecosts.

Inadditiontoaudiencemembersinfluencingcontentbasedontheirsheer

readership,theycanalsoswaythemediawithnegativefeedbackor“flak,”inthe

formofphonecallsandletters(HermanandChomsky,26).Presumably,thatapplies

tomodern-daycommunicationlikeemails,onlinecommentsandtweets,too.

Althoughjournalistsmaybe“ambivalent”regardingonlinecommenting,the

emphasisplacedonmoderatingthesecommentsensurestheyarebeingviewedby

contentdistributors(Singer,etal.78).“Ifflakisproducedonalargescale,orby

individualsorgroupswithsubstantialresources,itcanbebothuncomfortableand

costlytothemedia”(HermanandChomsky,26).

Evenapassiveaudienceimpactsthegatekeeperbecauseofitspresencein

thenewsexchangerelationship.“Expectationsofaudiencereactions,insteadofthe

audienceitself,maydrivedecisions;further,gatekeepersmayprojecttheirvalues

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andfeelingsonaudiencesorfollowpersonaljudgments,assumingaudienceswill

concur”(Hardin,65).

Analyticshaseliminatedsomeoftheguesswork.Inthedigitalage,with

analyticstotrackaudiencebehavior,thereismoreprecisionintrackingwhatan

audiencereads.Andeditorsarebecomingmoreandmorereceptivetousing

audiencebehaviormetricstosteereditorialdecisions(Leeetal,505).Webanalytics

havecreatedaclimatewheretheaudiencehasconsiderablepullindetermining

whatnewsgetschosen(Tandoc,559).

Technologyaffectinggatekeeping

Audienceengagementandtechnologyareinexorablylinked,thankstoallthe

waysdigitaltechnologyhasmadeiteasierforconsumerstointeractwithproducers.

Still,inaworldwithsomuchuser-generatedcontent,theelementofgatekeeping

remainsoneofthedistinguishingfactorsofjournalism(Boczkowski,p.207).

Citizenjournalismisbecomingaveryrealvariableintheindustry.Insteadoffully

embracingit,though,manynewsdistributorshaverebuffeditduetocredibility

concerns.There’sadisconnectwhere“themajorityofonlinenewsproducers

believethefutureofjournalismlieswithinitsinteractivity,[but]fewaretakingthe

necessarystepstocreatesuchafunctionalenvironment.Becauseinteractivityruns

againstthegrainofthetraditionsofjournalism,producersareoftenunwillingto

exploreit”(Domingo,p.681-682).Decisionsareoftenmadebasedoffroutines.

Therearethreekeyelementsthatdeterminehowinteractiveawebsitebecomes:1.)

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theorganizationalstructuresofaproducer,2.)therepresentationsoftheuser,and

3.)thenewsroom’sworkpractices(Boczkowski,p.208).

Thetechnologyitselfisnotenoughtocreatechange.Trueinnovationiswhen

thesetoolsareutilizedproperly.Theagencyofanewsorganizationismore

powerfulthanthetechnologyitself(Boczkowski,p.211).

Thereareseedsforachange,though.Forinstance,youngreportersseeTwitter

asanecessarytool,whileoldreportersoftenstruggletoadapttoit,andtherefore

minimalizeit(SchultzandSheffer,p.236).Ifyoungjournalistsvalueandemphasize

newtechnologies,itsuggestsaseachangewhenthatgroupbecomesmore

establishedandeventuallycontrolsthegates.Onlinejournalistsare“formingnew

norms[and]emphasizingtransparency,individualismandrisktaking.Overall,a

‘newnormal’appearstobecoalescing”(AgarwalandBarthel,p.376).Forthese

onlinereporters,itwasthewriterswhotypicallycameupwithstoryideasandthen

pitchedthemtotheireditors—nottheeditorspitchingtowriters.Inplaceof

budgetmeetings(wheremanynewspapersplananddiscussupcomingcontent),

theseonlinejournalistsmaintainedaconsistentandfluidconversationwiththeir

editorsviawebcommunicationtools.Theonlinejournalistsalsousedwebtoolsto

findtheirstorytopics.OneinvestigativereporterusedFacebookasadigital

suggestionsbox.Theeditorcreatedanewaccount,posedquestionsonitand

generatedstoryideasthateventuallymadeittopublication(AgarwalandBarthel,p.

386).Thisappearslikeaworthwhilestrategy,asusersareseekinginteractivitythat

goesbeyondclickingabuttonandconsumingapieceofmedia(Boczkowski,p.206).

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Italsocouldhavepositiveimplicationsonthefinancialbottomline.Thebetter

thejournalism,themoreanewspaperwillprofit(Chen,etal,p.526).Whatdoes

bettermean?While“quality”journalismcan’tnecessarilybedefined,contentthat

can“servetheneedsandwantsofreaders”isgoodforcirculationandtherefore

goodforbusiness(Chen,etal,p.516).Thatappliedtosmallandmedium

newspapers,characterizedbyacirculationoflessthan85,000.

Apreviousstudydeterminedthat“Greaternewsroominvestmentforlarger

newsstaffs,moreandimprovedlocalcoverage,andmoreandbetterin-depth

coverageweretypesofnewsroomchangesthatwererelatedtothecirculation

increases”(Chen,etal518).

Eventhoughnewspapersareactivelydistributingcontentthroughsocial

media,theyarenotfindingwaystomonetizethispractice—thesameproblem

newssiteswentthroughwhenthewebgainedprominence.Astudyanalyzingthe

66most-readnewspapersinAmericashowedthatusersareaccessingnewspapers

atsignificantratescomparedtocirculationsize.Thesenewspapersarenotreaping

financialbenefitsoffthesehighsocialmedianumbers,accordingtothestudy(Juet

al,p.1-2).

Howsportscomeintoplay

WhenSumptervisitedalargedailynewspaper’sbudgetmeeting,thesports

editordidnotwanthersectiontowritestoriesbroadenoughtoappealtoalarger

demographic.Shecontendedthathernicheaudiencedemandedmorespecialized

information(p.337).Sportsjournalismcandifferfromothersectionsofa

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newspaperorwebsite;attimes,sportsjournalismisevenbelittled.“Sports

journalismhasbeendescribedasapartofjournalism‘conceivedoutofjournalistic

wedlock.’Sportsjournalistshavebeenaccusedofhackneyedwriting,cheeringfor

thehometeam,unwillingnesstoreportcriticalissues,servingasasourceof

scrapbookclippingsforthestars,gladlyaccepting‘freebies’andengaginginother

questionableactivities”(GarrisonandSelwen,77).Gatekeepingwithinsports

journalismisarelativelyuntappedstudy,asresearchersviewsportsjournalismless

seriouslythanpublicaffairs(GarrisonandSelwen,78).Insomeways,sports

journalismisjustlikeallotherjournalism;insomewaysit’sadifferentanimal.

“Sportsjournalistshavedevelopedasetofconventionsthatsuittheneedsof

theprofessionbutalsoseemtodistancethemfrom‘normal’journalists”(Oatesand

Pauley,p.336).Howdiditgetthisway?“Sportsjournalism’scredibilityproblemlies

inpartwiththe(quiteaccurate)perceptionthatnarrativeinventioniscentraltothe

enterprise”(p.336).Muchofsportsjournalismisstorytelling—andthemost

obviousstoriestoidentifyaretheonesthatsportswriterschoosetoexplore.Asan

example,OatesandPauleymentionMuhammadAli,theoutspokenandflashyboxer

whoconvertedtoIslam,changedhisnameandresistedthedraft.Hecreatedplenty

ofstorylines,sothepreeminentjournalistsofhistime—the1960sand70s—

pouncedonstoriesaboutAli.Anotherboxerwithalessinterestingbackstorywould

nothavereceivedasmuchcoverage.There’saninherent“conflictofinterest”within

sportsjournalism(p.338).Thesuccessofmediaoutletshingesonthatofthesport.

Soit’sinjournalists’bestinterestsforfigureslikeAlitobeglorifiedandrelevant.

184

Still,theoverarchingpointofOatesandPauley’spaperisthat“sportswriting

fundamentallyresemblesotherformsofreportingandthatjournalismshouldnot

usesportsasanethicalstrawmanagainstwhichtodefendthevirtueofitsserious

work”(p.340).Theirjobsconsistingofbothbreakingnewsandfeaturestories,

sportsjournalistsseethemselvesasreporterswhopossesstheskillsand

professionaltraitsofbothhardandsoftnewsjournalists(GarrisonandSalwen,82).

Andinachangingmedialandscape,sportswritershavebeenreceptiveto

reachingtheirreadersinnewways.Sportsjournalistshavethecapacityand

platformtoconnectwiththeiraudienceandoftendosoincreativewaysonTwitter

andFacebook.Fansseekaccessandreportersarefindingnewwaystogiveitto

them(ShultzandSheffer,230).

Sometimesthelessseriousworkiswhatworks.ThewebsiteGrantland—an

armofESPNlaunchedbytheultra-popularBillSimmons—isreinventingliterary

sportswritingonline(VoganandDowling).Simmons,whoworkedasabartenderin

BostonbeforehittingahomerunasanESPNcolumnistdubbed“TheBostonSports

Guy,”boastsnearly3.5millionTwitterfollowers.Henotesthathegothisstart

writing“aboutthingsmyfriendsandIweretalkingabout,arguingaboutsports

movies,talkingaboutplayers,notinthewayreportersweredoingit,goingintothe

lockerroom,gettingquotes”(VoganandDowling,p.5).

ThoughSimmonsisnowestablishedandbackedbyamediaempire,

traditionalistsmightnotappreciatethetypeofjournalismproducedbyhimand

thosecutfromhiscasualwearcloth.“Inthecontextofsportsjournalism,

traditionalistshavechargedthatdigitalmedia–andthesportsblogospherein

185

particular–lowerjournalisticstandardsbyallowinganyonewithanInternet

connectiontodisseminatetheiropinionsanonymouslyandwithouteditorial

oversightoraccesstosportingevents”(VoganandDowling,p.2).

METHODOLOGYANDRESEARCHDESIGN

Togettotheheartofhowwritersandeditorschoosethenewsthat’sworthy

oflargerfeaturecoverage,Iwillinterviewthesedecision-makers.Iwanttousethe

existingliteratureasbackgroundtoframemyquestionsregardingwhatthesenews

producersvalueandwhy.I’dliketofindouthowtheyweighthetimeandresources

toreportastory;ifinformingthepublicofanissueistheirresponsibility;what

storiesmightsellpapers(orgenerateuniquepageviews);andhowmuchinfluence

readers—onsocialmediaorinletterstoeditors—influencedecisions.

Myresearchmethodologywillbesemi-structuredinterviewswithsports

writersandsportseditors.Iwillselectfivefromeachcategory,givingmeasample

of12respondents,thoughI’mwillingtoexpandmydatasetifIhavenothitapoint

ofconceptualsaturation.Sears(2011)interviewedninenewspaperreportersinhis

studyonTwitter’seffectsonsportsreporters—researchthatsharesmany

similaritieswithmine.Berglez(2013)used14respondentsinhisstudyofclimate

reporting,anotherrecentstudythatusedsemi-structuredinterviews(Hilesand

Hinnant).AgarwalandBarthel(2013)used14in-depthinterviewswithonline

journaliststolearnmoreabouttheirprofessionalidentities.Partofthereasonthey

selectedthatmethodisbecause“theworkroutinesandnormsarelikelytobe

relativelynovel”(p.380),justliketheywillbeforsomeofmysamplethat’snow

embracingnewformsofdigitaljournalisminordertomakedecisions.

186

Iplantoaskasimilarbatchofquestionstoeachinterviewee,butwantthe

freedomtoimprovise.Structuredinterviewingaffords“verylittleflexibilityinthe

wayquestionsareaskedoranswered”(FontanaandFrey,p.363).Unstructured

interviewing,meanwhile,isabittoofreewheelingforastudyinwhichIwon’tbe

embeddedinthefield.That’swhyI’vechosensemi-structuredinterviewing,whereI

believeIcanhitasweetspot.Semi-structuredinterviewsare“conversationswitha

purpose”(vanTeijlingen,p.29).Theybeginwithabasisofkeyquestionsthatcanbe

modifieddependingontherespondentortheflowoftheinterview.Semi-structured

interviewingisusefulwhentryingtoextractsomebody’sviewstowardasubject.

Theyallowforafluid,unrusheddiscussion(vanTeijlingen).

Theuseofsemi-structuredinterviewscanbothleaveroomintheresearch

forvariationwhilealsobringingmyself,theresearcher,intothesubject’sworld

(FontanaandFrey).Throughobservationsandrespondentinterviews,Tandoc

found“theextentofinfluencewebanalytics(has)ontraditionalgatekeeping

processesandonanewgatekeepingpracticeonline”(p.559),anaspectIplanto

exploreaswell.

Iwillinterviewasportseditoratsixdifferentnewsoutlets,andalso

interviewareporterateachofthesamesixpublications.Thenewsoutletswillvary

intypefromtraditionalnewspaperstoweb-onlyoperations.Iwillselecttheoutlets

basedonmyknowledgeandresearchofwhichonesconsistentlyproducenarrative

featurematerial.Myinterviewswiththeeditorswillbein-personatthe2015

AssociatedPressSportsEditorsConferencefromJune24-27inSanDiego,orby

telephone/Skype.Iwillcontacttheeditorsbeforehandandarrangeforatimewhen

187

wecanmeetforascheduled30-45minutes.Myinterviewswithreporterswilllikely

beconductedoverthephoneoronSkype.Whilein-personinterviewsarepreferred

becausetheyallowtheinterviewertopickuponnon-verbalcues,thisprojectdoes

notrequirethesamelevelofdetailasanethnographicparticipantobservation

(FontanaandFrey,p.364).Regardlesswhethertheyareconductedinpersonornot,

theinterviewswillbecapturedwithadigitalvoicerecorderandtranscribed

entirely.

Here’salistofnewsoutletsIplantoexplore,andthepeoplefromthemI’d

liketointerview.

ESPN:MaryByrne(editor)andColeyHarvey(reporter).Byrne,formerlythe

managingeditoratUSATODAY,isnowatESPNservingasaseniordeputyeditor

overseeingNFL,NHLandNASCAR.SheisaMissourigraduatewhoasbeena

professionalfor25years.Harveyisoneof32writersESPN.comhashiredtocover

eachteam.HecoverstheCincinnatiBengals.

BLEACHERREPORT:BillEichenberger(editor)andJasonKing(writer).

EichebergerisaveteraneditorwhoworkedattheWallStreetJournalforayearand

ahalfbutnowheadsBleacherReport’srelativelynewLongformfeaturesection.

Howhechoosesstoriesisofgreatinteresttome.KingisanAPSE-awardwinning

reporterwhosefeaturetopicssometimesborderonobscure,likehisstoryon

formerprofessionalwrestleranddoubleamputeeKamala.

GRANTLAND:AndrewSharp(editor)andBryanCurtis(reporter).Sharpis

aneditorwhoalsoblogsfrequentlyforthesports/pop-culturewebsite.Curtisisa

featurewriterwithamagazinebackgroundatSlateandTheDailyBeast.Likemany

188

Grantlandwriters,hisstoriesoftentouchonsportsbutincludealargercultural

bent.

BOSTONGLOBE:JoeSullivan(editor)andAdamHimmselsbach(writer).

GrowingupinBoston,IreadtheGlobe’ssportssectiondaily.Sullivan’stenuredates

backtothen.Himmelsbach,whocamefromtheLouisvilleCourier-Journallast

winter,isanewerhirewhocoverstheBostonCeltics.

RICHMONDTIMES:MikeSvetitz(editor)andMikeBarber(writer).

RichmondisthelargestnewspaperinVirginia,whereIusedtowork,acouplehours

northofthecapitolcity.Svetitz,recentlymovedupfromasmallergiginAlabama.

I’minterestedinhowaneweditorquicklylearnsanareaandmakesdecisionsbased

onhisresearchoftheguidanceofhisemployees.Barberisaformerco-workerof

minewho’snowcoveringvariouscollegesportsfortheTimes.Helivesremotely,

though,andcoversthoseteamsinhisarea.Thataspect,ofremoteworking,addsan

interestingwrinkletomydiscussion,Ibelieve.

KNOXVILLENEWSSENTINEL:PhilKaplan(editor)andDustinDopirak

(writer).KaplanisaformerAPSEpresidentandoneofthemostrespectedsports

editorsintheindustry.ThebiggestbeatathispaperisTennesseeVolunteers

football,whichismannedbyindefatigablereporterDopirak,apastAPSE-award-

winnerhimself.

ForatentativelistofquestionsI’lluseduringtheinterview,pleaseseethe

appendixatthebottomofthisdocument(page30).Thatlistisonlyastartingpoint;

Iintendforaconversationalsessionthatallowsforfollow-upquestionsand

explorationofnewdiscoveries.

189

Itwillimportanttofullyunderstandthetermsmyrespondentsareusing—

andmakesuretheyunderstandthetermsthatIsuggest.Ofcourse,itcanbequite

embarrassingifthere’samisunderstanding:FontanaandFreyciteda1977

ethnographicstudybyDouglassandRasmusseninwhichtheresearchershadto

learntheterm“nudebeachvirgin,”whichmeantnothingaboutsomebody’ssexlife

butinsteadthatabeachgoerhadawhitebutt,andwasthereforeagiveawayfor

somebodywhohadnotvisitedthenudebeachbefore(371).Forthepurposesofmy

research,Iwillimmediatelyasktheintervieweeforclarificationonanyterms

he/sheuseswhichIdon’tfullycomprehend.

Oncetheinterviewsbegin,aconsiderationofminewillbemy“personal

front,”asGoffmancallsit(p.15).Includedinsomeone’spersonalfrontishis/her

gender,age,sizeandrace—alluncontrollable—butalsoseveralfactorsonecan

adjust,suchasposture,speechpatterns,facialexpressions.Injobinterviews,eachof

thesecuescanbescrutinizedandusedtotellonesidesomethingabouttheother

(Goffman,p.144).Inthissemi-structuredinterviewsetting,I’mnottryingtosecure

ajob,butIamtryingtogenerateacasualbutprofessionalenvironmentandmake

myrespondentcomfortableenoughtoprovidedetailedandaccurateresponses.

Uponcompletionofmyproject,Iwillaimtohavemyprofessionalanalysis

publishedbothontheMissouriJournalismSchool’swebsite,aswellasina

professionalpublication.AmericanJournalismReview,ColumbiaJournalismReview

andPoynterareallpossibilities.

190

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Proposalappendix

Questionsforwriters

• Bioboilerplateo Age?Education?Experience?o Howlonghaveyoubeenatthisjob?o Whatotherjobsdidyouholdbeforethis?

• What’sthegenesisofastoryidea?

o What/whoareyourmainsourceswhentryingtogenerateideas?

o Whatelementsorthemesareyoulookingforwhendeterminingwhattocoverindepth?

• Whatpublicationsdoyouread,beyondyourown?o Howoftendoyoudrawinspirationfromthosestories,andin

whatshapedoesthatinspirationtake?o Doyoureadotherpublicationswiththeintentofdoingoneof

itsstories“better?”o Aretherewritersyoutrytoemulate?

• Howdoyoupitchastorytoyoureditor?o Explaintheback-and-forththatgoesoninthatprocess.o Whatchallengesdoyoufacewhengettingastorysold?o Whatconsistentthemesarethereinthestoriesthatyour

editorhasgreen-lit?o Howmuchdoesyourreputationopendoorsinthepitch

process?• Ofthestoriesyou’vewritten,what’stheratioofstoriesyoupitched

comparedtostoriesyoureditorassigned?o Whichmethoddoyouprefer?o Whenit’syourownstoryidea,doyoufeelmoreinvestedinit?o Whenaneditorassignsastory,atwhatlengthdoyoutwo

discussthespecifics?• Howimportantisittodevelopastorylineasidefromwhat’s

happeningonthefield?o Whenyoucovergames,whattypesofthingsdoyoulookfor

whenthinkingoflong-termfeatureideas?o Whatstrategiesdoyouusetoreportoutafeaturestory?o Whatdoyouthinkyoudodifferentthanyourcompetition?

• Doyouviewanalyticsofyourowncoverage?o Whattypesofanalyticsdoyoumostvalue?o Howdoyouusethoseanalyticstosteerfuturecoverage?o Canyouthinkofastorythat—readership-wise—didbetter

thanyouthoughtitwould?o Whatstorydidworsethanyouthought?

196

o Whatdoyoubelievearethereasonsthosestoriesover-orunder-performed.

• Howoftendoreadersuggestionsturnintostories?o Howdoreaderscontactyou(email,Twitter,phone)?o Whenareaderproposesanidea,whatstepsdoyoutaketo

researchitfurther?o Doyouactivelyseekoutideasfromreaders,andhow?

Questionsforeditors

• Bioboilerplateo Age?Education?Experience?o Howlonghaveyoubeenatthisjob?o Whatotherjobsdidyouholdbeforethis?

• Takemethroughatypicaldayassportseditoro Whatareyourrolesandresponsibilities?o Canyouexplainyournewsroom’sconstructionandhow

storiesgofromideastoproducts?o Whatdoyouaccomplishatbudgetmeetings?

• What’sthegenesisofastoryidea?o What/whoareyourmainsourceswhentryingtogenerate

ideas?o Whatelementsorthemesareyoulookingforwhen

determiningwhattocoverindepth?• Whatpublicationsdoyouread,beyondyourown?

o Howoftendoyoudrawinspirationfromthosestories,andinwhatshapedoesthatinspirationtake?

o Doyoureadotherpublicationswiththeintentofdoingoneofitsstories“better?”

o Ifacompetitorbreaksastory,howdoyouproceedwithcoverage(downplayit,findanotherangle)?

• Howdoyouassignastorytoawriter?o Explaintheback-and-forththatgoesoninthatprocess.o Whatpushback,ifany,doyougetfromreporters?o Howmuchdoesawriter’sreputationplayintowhetheryou

assignittohim/her?• Ofthestoriesyou’vepublished,what’stheratioofstoriesthewriter

pitchedcomparedtostoriesyouassigned?o Whichmethoddoyouprefer?o Whenit’syourownstoryidea,doyoufeelmoreinvestedinit?

• Howimportantisittodevelopastorylineasidefromwhat’shappeningonthefield?

o Whatistheexpectationyourelaytoyourreadersintermsofcapturinganarrativestory?

o Whatdoyouthinkyoudodifferentthanyourcompetition?

197

o Doesyoursectionhavearesponsibilitytoreportonthepoliticalandmoralissuesinvolvedinsports?

• Howcloselydoyoulookatanalyticsofyoursection’scoverage?o Whattypesofanalyticsdoyoumostvalue?o Howdoyouusethoseanalyticstosteerfuturecoverage?o Howdoyouvalueanalyticsinconcertwithpersonal

preference?o Canyouthinkofastorythat—readership-wise—didbetter

thanyouthoughtitwould?o Whatstorydidworsethanyouthought?o Whatdoyoubelievearethereasonsthosestoriesover-or

under-performed.• Howoftendoreadersuggestionsturnintostories?

o Howdoreaderscontactyou(email,Twitter,phone)?o Whenareaderproposesanidea,whatstepsdoyoutaketo

researchitfurther?o Doyouactivelyseekoutideasfromreaders,andhow?

• Howmuchdoesthefinancialhealthofyouroutletcontributetothedecisionsyoumakeonstoryselection?

o Ifyouknowsomethingisavehicletosellads§ Opportunitytoattachvideos,whicharelucrativee

• Howdoyourequestresourcesforaprojectorlargerfeaturestory?o Whatareexamplesstoriesyouinvestresourcesin?o Whatstoriesdoyouwishyoucouldpublishbutdon’tbecause

theresourcesyouneedaretoomuchtojustify?o Howmuchofyourbudgetdoyoureserveforspecialprojects

andfeatures?o Whatdowritersneedtoshowyoutojustifythatwork?

198

Changestotheproposal

Themostsignificantchangedtomyproposalisthegroupofwriters/editorsI

interviewed.Iknewgoingintotheproposalthatmylistwastentative,andImade

significantchangesbasedonavailabilityandanaimfordiversity.

AtESPN,IinterviewedLeonCarterandIanO’Connor,ratherthanMary

ByrneandColeyHarvey.Byrnehadn’tyetworkedtherelongenoughformetodive

intoherroutines,soIchoseCarterinstead.MyinterviewwithCarterledmetohave

questionsofO’Connor,soIsubbedhimin.

AtBleacherReport,IinterviewedLarsAndersoninsteadofJasonKing.I

didn’tknowatthetimeofmyproposalthatKingwasafreelancerratherthanafull-

timewriter.AndersonistheLongformsection’sonlyfull-timer,andalogicalchoice.

AtGrantland,IswappedSeanFennesseyandRobertMaysinforAndrew

SharpandBryanCurtis.Ididnotreceiveresponsesfromemailstotheinitialtwo,

whereasIhadcontactinformationforMays.Fennesseywashiseditor,soIwanted

tokeepthatconsistent.

AttheBostonGlobe,IspoketoShiraSpringerinlieuofAdamHimmelsbach.

ThiswasatthesuggestionofeditorJoeSullivan,whotoldmeSpringerwouldbethe

bestpersontodiscusstakeoutfeatures.

InsteadoftheRichmondTimes,Iinterviewedawriter/editorpairfromthe

SanDiegoUnion-Tribune,becauseitgavemeperspectivefromtheoppositesideof

thecountry.

199

Othersmallchangestotheproposal:Ipublishedfewerblogsperweekbut

morelengthyonesthanIplanned.Ifoundearlyintheprocessthatmyquick-hitting

pieceswithouttalkingtoanybodywerenotrewarding,soImadeeachblogmore

thoroughandbasedoffatleastoneinterviewwithawriteroreditor.Ialsostarted

thebloginJune,ratherthanJuly.Iwasexcitedabouttheprojectandwantedtoget

goingonit.Lastly,IdidnothavemyblogregularlypublishedontheAssociated

PressSportsEditors’website.ThepeopleIspoketoatAPSEwerereceptiveabout

theideabutnotparticularlyresponsivewhenitcametoactuallyputtingtheblogs

onthesite.

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