CONSTRUCTING THE CONSTRUCTING THE COMPLETE SPORTS COMPLETE SPORTS SECTION SECTION INSTRUCTOR - CHRIS WAUGAMAN INSTRUCTOR - CHRIS WAUGAMAN TRNWIRED.COM & THE ROYAL NEWS TRNWIRED.COM & THE ROYAL NEWS [email protected] [email protected]
Nov 01, 2014
CONSTRUCTING THECONSTRUCTING THECOMPLETE SPORTSCOMPLETE SPORTS
SECTIONSECTIONINSTRUCTOR - CHRIS WAUGAMANINSTRUCTOR - CHRIS WAUGAMAN
TRNWIRED.COM & THE ROYAL NEWSTRNWIRED.COM & THE ROYAL [email protected]@GMAIL.COM
The Complete Sports Section
• Sports is more than just game results I always turn to the sports section first.
The sports page records people'saccomplishments; the front page hasnothing but man's failures. ~Earl Warren
The Complete Sports Section
• Sports is about… Playing by the rules Being loyal to a team Trying your hardest Failures Getting back up when you’ve been knocked
down Believing
The Complete Sports Section
• So how do we cover all of those concepts?1. Understand your audience2. Focus on content and form3. Add some spice4. Give them a deeper understanding through
thorough reporting and great storytelling
The Complete Sports Section
The Complete Sports Section
Recap of the Game fromtoday or yesterday
Game Stories
Player ProfileCoach Profile
Fan Profile
Feature Stories
StatisticsQuotes
MechanicsEquipment
Alternative Copy
ColumnsEditorial Cartoons
Surveys
Opinion Pieces
Type of Stories
Great Sports Columnists
• Tony Kornheiser• Michael Wilbon• Mitch Album• Kevin Blackistone• Bob Ryan• Mike Lupica
“We didn't lose the game; we just ran out oftime.” ~Vince Lombardi
Great Use of Numbers
• Top Ten Lists• Over/Under surveys• Player Numbers (Retired too)
“Winning is overrated. The only time it is reallyimportant is in surgery and war.” ~AlMcGuire
Sports Features
• Tell the athlete’s story Great examples through ESPN The Magazine
& Sports Illustrated E60 or 30 for 30
“Most games are lost, not won.” ~CaseyStengel
Sports Features
• Find a newspeg• Use a visual• Look for an angle• Get personal
“The more I practice, the luckier I get.”~Jerry Barber, about golf
How do you do current?
• Facebook• Web page• Blog• Podcast• Ustream, Qik, CoverItLive
“ If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is likekissing your grandmother with her teethout.” ~George Brett, 1986
The Complete Sports Section
• Whatever you do… don’t publish…• A poor repeat of the local daily• Stories that are of no consequence• Stories that have no emotion• Stories that have no fun• Sports is fun“It may be that all games are silly. But
then, so are humans.” ~Robert Lynd
The Complete Sports Section
• So how do we cover all of those concepts?1. Understand your audience2. Focus on content and form3. Add some spice4. Give them a deeper understanding through
thorough reporting and great storytelling