COOKINGUPASPORTSFEATURESTORY
Dissectingthewriter-editordecisionsandoperationsthatleadtosports
featuresmakingittopublication
byMARKSELIG
Master’sCandidate,MissouriSchoolofJournalism
DECEMBER2015
JacquiBanaszynski,CommitteeChair
GregBowers
JoyMayer
Acknowledgments
There’snowayI’mgoingtogetthisdone.
Therewasamomentthisyear—latewinterorearlyspring,beforeIeven
decidedwhatmyfinalprojectwouldbe—whenIwalkedintoastairwellatwork
andstaredoutawindowindesperation.I’mtypicallyeven-keeled,stoic,assuredI’ll
finishwhatIstart.Butforthefirsttimeinalongtime,Ihaddoubts.
Nothingontheothersideofthewindowprovidedanswers.Myproject,chair,
JacquiBanaszynski,did.
Strugglingtofindatopictoresearchorapracticalprojecttopropose,I
emailedJacquiandsetupameetingthatweek.BythetimeIleftheroffice,Iwas
backtomyoldself.Icandothis.Nosweat.
ThankyouJacquiforallofyourguidanceandsuggestions,andforreading
crappyfirstdraftsthatturnedintobetterfinalproductspost-edit.Youarethe
smartestpersonIknow,andknowingthatthesmartestpersonIknowisonmy
teamgavemeconfidenceeverythingwouldturnoutallright.
ThankyouGregBowersforchallengingmetodobetter,whetheryouwere
inspectingmyblogoreditingmyarticles.Iwouldn’tbeknownworldwideas
“award-winningcolumnistMarkSelig”withoutyourhelp.Inallseriousness,I’ve
absorbedalotofjournalismandlifelessonsfromyouoverthepasttwoyears.They
willservemewellasImoveforward.
ThankyouJoyMayerforsettingupyourstudentstosucceed,nomatterwhat
theywanttodonext.Istillthink“ParticipatoryJournalism”isthewrongnamefor
yourclass,butIalsothinkI’llgetajobdoingsomethingdigitallybecauseofit.
Otherthanksgotothosewhoimpactedmefromafar.ThanksDadforalways
supportingmydecisions,evenifthey’vetakenmefartherandfartherawayfromthe
family.ThanksDaveforprovidingagreatexampleofhowtosucceedinthisfickle
business.
Beforethisuncharacteristicallysappynotecloses,Ihavetoshoutoutmyboo,
LeeAnne.ThankyouformakingmydecisiontocometoMissourimybestdecision
yet.Frompancakestopudding,everyhourofeverydaywithyouisexcitingand
fulfilling.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:FieldNotes
Week1(June1-7)
WHATIDID
• IinterviewedESPN’sLeonCarterforanhour.WhileCarterhasworkedathe
NewYorkDailyNewsandrecentlytookajobatthestill-to-launchblack
culturesite,TheUndefeated,IaskedhimtoremarkonhistimeatESPNNew
York,whereheservedastheVPandexecutiveeditorsince2010.
• FromCarter,IreceivedcontactinfoforESPNNYcolumnist/featurewriter
IanO’Connor.CarterandIspecificallydiscussedoneofO’Connor’sstories.I
amsubstitutingthisduoforESPN’sMaryByrneandColeyHarvey(because
Mary’snewjob—sherecentlymovedfromUSATODAY—isnotexactly
whatIanticipated).
• O’ConnoragreedtospeakwithmeWednesday,June10.
• SentemailinvitetoJoeSullivanoftheBostonGlobe.Heagreedtoan
interviewandsaidhe’dknowofabettertimenextweek
• SentemailinvitetoMikeSvetitzoftheRichmondTimesDispatch.
• Icreatedaspreadsheetwitheachofmytargets,theiremailaddresses,phone
numbersandphysicaladdresses(forthankyounotes),aswellasmy
progressincontacting/interviewingthem.
WHATILEARNED
• Can’tsaythereweremanysurprisesfrommyconversationwithCarter,butI
haveabetterunderstandingofhisoveralljobanditsdemands.
• Interestingnugget:WhenCarterlivedinNewYorkheusedtoaskcabdrivers
whattheythoughtofhisstories/website.Hewouldn’ttellthedriverswhohe
was(forfearthatthey’daskfortickets)buthelikedtheirraw,honest
opinions.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• SendingIanO’ConnoranemailreminderTuesdayandtheninterviewinghim
Wednesday.Willimmersemyselfinmoreofhisworkbeforethisinterview.
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•
ReconnectingwithJoeSullivanfromtheBostonGlobetomakesurehehasn’t
forgottenaboutme.
Week2(June8-14)
WHATIDID
• SortedthroughwebsitehostingoptionsandsettledonWordPress.com.
• SpokewithColumbiaMissourianexecutiveeditorTomWarhoverabout
additionalfundingfortheblog(inordertobuyadomainname,apremium
WordPresstemplateandstoragespace).Ihavea$500budget.
• CreatedBackstorysports.comandloadedmypersonalworktoit.
• InterviewedKnoxvilleNewsSentinelSportsEditorPhilKaplanonJune8.In
additiontousingthisinterviewformyresearchpaper,Iwilltakeablurb
fromourdiscussionandcraftablogpostaboutitnextweek.
• WroteanintroductionpieceonMondayandthenmyfirstfullblogpost
TuesdayaboutNBAwritersandtheirstoriesafterGame2oftheNBAFinals.
• InterviewedIanO’Connorforresearchportionofprojectandreservedtime
fordiscussionofhisrecentBelmontStakescoverage.
• TurnedBelmontconversationwithO’Connorintoanotherblogpost.
• InterviewedKnoxvilleNewsSentinel’sDustinDopirakforresearch.
• ScheduledinterviewwithSportsIllustrated’sLeeJenkinsforJune26.This,I
hope,willbemyfirst“podcast.”I’dliketouseaMarantztaperecorderand
runourentireconversation,ifallgoeswell.
WHATILEARNED
• Bloggingisfun!
• Aretweetfromawell-connectedsourcecangoalongway.MyNBApost
receivedmorethan250pageviewsbecauseHowardBeck(oneofthewriters
Imentioned)retweeteditouttohis111Kfollowers.
• It’ssillythatthisneverdawnedonmebefore,butIcaneasilyturnmy
researchconversationsintoblogposts.
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WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• BloggingabouttheKnoxvilleNewsSentinel’suseofrecordsrequestsin
reporting.
• ContactingBleacherReport’sBillEichenbergerandJasonKing(orLars
Anderson)totrytosetupaninterview.
• InterviewingBostonGlobe’sJoeSullivanonTuesday,June16andgoing
throughhimtosetupaninterviewwithoneofhisreporters.
• ContactingvariouswinnersofAPSEawardstoseeifthey’dbewillingto
spendtimewithmeduringthefollowingweek’sconvention.Ihopetouse
theseconversationsforblogposts.
• Transcribinganotherbatchofmyinterviews.ThoughweagreedthatIdon’t
needtotranscribeeverything,I’mconvertingmynotesintomorereadable,
organizednotes.Soforthat,I’llusetheterm“transcribing.”
Week3(June15-21)
WHATIDID
• BloggedaboutKnoxvilleNews-Sentinel’spropensitytorequestopenrecords.
• InterviewedBostonGlobesportseditorJoeSullivanformyresearch.
• Wroteablogpostanalyzingthesportsfrontpagesofthewinning/losing
teamsofboththeNBAFinalsandStanleyCup.
• InterviewedNewYorkTimesreporterJohnBranchabouthismostrecent
take-outfeatureandbloggedtheaudiofromourconversation.
• SetupinterviewswithBleacherReport’sBillEichenbergerandLars
Andersonfornextweek.
WHATILEARNED
6
•
•
Myownnewspaper,andmanyothers,doesn’trequestenoughrecords.There
arecountlessstoriestobedoneafterobtainingcertainrecords,whichwecan
acquireforapublicschoollikeMissouri.
Ilearnedtheday-to-dayoperationsofasportseditoratabigpapersuchas
theBostonGlobe.Itwasnothingunexpected,butstillprettyneattohear
whatJoeSullivandoeshourtohour.
•
Evenoneofthemostrespectedwritersintheworld(JohnBranch)doesn’t
alwaysoutlinehisstories.Hedidn’tforLostBrotherinYosemite.
Week4(June22-28)
WHATIDID
• InterviewededitorBillEichenbergerandwriterLarsAndersonfrom
BleacherReport’sLongformdivision.
• InterviewedSportsIllustratedseniorwriterLeeJenkinsaboutsomeofhis
recentstoriesandbloggedourconversation.
• InterviewedlegendaryBostonGlobecolumnistBobRyanandbloggedour
conversation.
• TouchedbasewithSanDiegoUnion-TribunesportseditorToddAdams
aboutdoingaresearchinterviewoverthephonenextweek.
• AttendedAPSEConference,whichincludedaparticularsectionabout
contentpromotionthroughFacebookthatIfoundveryusefulforthe
purposesofmyblog(nottomentiontheMissourian).
• Networkedwithmorethan75sportswritersandeditorsattheAPSE
convention.MadecontactswithpeoplewhomImightinterviewdownthe
linefortheblog.
• Madealistofpossiblepeopletointerviewformyblog.
WHATILEARNED
• Toomuchtolisthere.TheAPSEawardswerevaluablebothforthesessions
offeredandtheabilitytochatwithveteransacrossthecountry.Sparknotes
versionofwhatIlearned:
o HowtousePeriscope
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o Howtocreateeasydigitalcontentthatdepartsfromtraditionalstory
forms
o Whatmakesgoodcolumns(agreatideaandconciseexecution).
o Therearen’tmanyshortcutsintheindustry.Thesavviest,hardest
workingpeoplearetheoneswhoseemtosucceed.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• HopefullyinterviewingSanDiego’sToddAdamsandoneofhiswriters.
• ContactingBenjaminHochmanfromtheDenverPostabouthis“9innings”
seriesaboutcommunitybaseballseries.
• Combingthroughmylistofpotentialinterviewsubjectsanddivisingaplan
onwhotocontactfirst.
• ReachingouttoShiraSpringeroftheBostonGlobe.ShewillbemyGlobe
writingrepresentativefortheresearchportion.
Week5(June29-July5)
WHATIDID
• Wrotefourblogposts
o Amonthlycompilationofmyfavoritestories
o AreviewofhowBleacherReportislegitimizingit’sdamaged
reputationwithaLongformsection.
o Abehind-the-scenespostaboutacompellingstorythatappearedon
SBNation.
o ApodcastwithDenverPost’sBenjaminHochman.
• InterviewedBostonGlobe’sShiraSpringerformyresearchportion.
WHATILEARNED
• InowbetterknowtheinsandoutsofhowashoplikeBleacherReportisrun.
ThecompanyhasmoremoneythanGod,andintermsoflongformwriters,it
isonlylookingtohirepeoplewhoabsolutelyblowthemaway.
• Howasportswritersuccessfullyusessocialmediatogeneratestoryideas.
BenjaminHochmancrowdsourcestofindsourcestotalkto.Ifhewantsto
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writeaboutpeoplewhousebaseballtokeepincontactwiththeirparents,he
hasseveraloptionsafterafewkeystrokesonTwitter.
•
IneverknewofSBNation’sreachuntilIsawallthetrafficthesitedirectedto
myblog.Theeditor,GlennStout,linkedtomybloginthecommentssection
ofapopularstory,andoverthenexttwoweeks,SBNationgavememore
than500referrals.Idon’twanttopandertopageviews,butitwasniceto
seethattypeofbump.
Week6(July6-12)
WHATIDID
• InterviewededitorToddAdamsandreporterMichaelGehlkinoftheSan
DiegoUnion-Tribunefortheresearchpaper.
• InterviewedGrantland’sRobertMays,alsoforresearch.
• InterviewedWashingtonPost’sSteveGoff,whojustreturnedtothecountry
fromcoveringtheWorldCup.Ibloggedaboutwhatinterestedmefromour
conversation.
• InterviewedESPNproducerKrisSchwartzaboutafascinatingTVstoryIsaw
overtheweekend.Highlightsfromourtalkareontheblog.
WHATILEARNED
• ReportersarethemainsourcesofstoryideasattheSanDiegoU-T.Editor
ToddAdamstrustshisbeatpeopletohaveabettergraspofwhat’sgoingon
thanhewouldfromtheoffice.
• OneofAdams’bestwaysofthinkingofbiggerfeaturestoriesistoread
magazinessuchasSportsIllustratedandESPN.Hetriestofindaninteresting
nuggetofastoryandlookdeeperintothataspect.
• MostoftheU-Tbeatwritersspendlittletimeintheoffice,butthey
consistentlycommunicatewitheditors.
• LifeofanNFLbeatwriterishellish.Gehlkinfeelslikehe’sontheclock24/7.
• RobertMaysismovingtoChicago.HewasGrantland’sonlywriterbasedin
L.A.,andnowtheyhavenone.
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WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• TurningsomeofthematerialfrommyresearchinterviewwithMichael
Gehlkinintoablogaboutfindingstoriestocover.
• RevampingmyapproachabitafterGregnotedthatI’mnotshowingenough
masteryinmyposts.
• TakingiteasyforabitasItraveltoBostontoseefamily.
Week7(July13-19)
WHATIDID
• TurnedsomeofthematerialfrommyresearchinterviewwithMichael
Gehlkinintoablogaboutfindingstoriestocover.
• Steppedawayfromresearchandtheblogforafewdays.
• Continuedreadingmagazines/websitesonthelookoutforpotentialstories
tofeatureontheblog.
• SetupaninterviewwithSeanFennessey,aneditoratGrantland.
WHATILEARNED
• Lookingbackonsomeofmyworkthusfar,Icouldbemoreauthoritativeon
somepostsandmoreexplicitaboutwhyIbelievecertainstorieswork.Like
mostgoodwriting,themoredescriptive,thebetter.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• Conductingmyfinalresearchinterview
• TryingtoreachSportsIllustrated’sJonWertheimforapostabouthisrecent
magazinestoryonWimbledon.
• Emailingseveralwriterstosetuppossibleinterviewstouseontheblog.
Week8(July20-26)
WHATIDID
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•
•
InterviewedSportsIllustrated’sJonWertheimandpostedabouthowthe
writeruseshisnotebooktodraftstories.
InterviewedGrantland’sSeanFennesseyfortheresearchportionofmy
project.
•
BeganresearchforablogpostI’mwritingaboutbaseballHallofFame
coverage.ReadalloftheBostonGlobe’sHOFcoverageandspoketoeditor
MattPepinaboutit.
o SetupinterviewsfornextweekwithArizonaRepublic’sMarkFaller,
AtlantaJournalConstitution’sRayCoxandHoustonChronicle’sReid
Laymance.
WHATILEARNED
• Wertheimwritesallofhisstoriesbyhandinanotebook,eachpageahome
foreachparagraph.Ithoughtthiswasafascinatingwaytoconstructastory,
andoneI’mtemptedtotry(thoughI’mcompletelydependentonword
processors.)
o Thewriterbarelyusesquotesanymore,whichwasnicetosee,
becauseI,toohavetakenalikingtotheminimizationofquotesin
stories.
• Theblogreceived452viewsonthedayIpostedaboutWertheim.That’sthe
mostofanydaysofar.ItseemspeopleloveSI’swriters(mypriorLeeJenkins
postwasalsoabighit).
o Agoodretweetortwo(inthiscaseBobKravitzfromIndianapolis)
cangoalongwayinspreadingalink.
• Grantland,asanentireoperation,isdonemoreremotelythanIthought.The
editorsbegintheirworkdaysfromhomeandtheneventuallytrickleintothe
officeforanafternoonmeeting.
o Thesiteisstrategicallyverybasketball-centricbecausethat’swhat
theeditorsenjoytalkingaboutwhenthey’reshootingtheshitinthe
office.Theyfigureifit’sinterestingtothem,itwillbeinterestingto
readers,too.
o Oneofthesitesgoals,accordingtoFennessey,isto“takeanincredibly
seriouslookatthingsthatareusuallyfrivolousandafrivolouslookat
thingsthatareserious.”
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• InterviewingReidLaymance,RayCoxandMarkFallerforabaseballHallof
Fameblogpost.
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o Ianticipatethatfittingfourseparateinterviewsintoasinglepostwill
bedifficult,butI’lltrytokeepitasfocusedaspossible.
•
•
InterviewingWashingtonPost’sKentBabbforablogpostabouthisrecent
storyonChipKelly.I’dliketofindouthowBabbreportedsuchintimate
detailsaboutsuchaprivatefigure.
TryingtosetupatimetointerviewBuffaloNews’TimGrahamaboutawellreceivedfeaturestoryaboutaformerBuffaloBill’splayerwhoretiredearly
andnowpaintsforaliving.
Week9(July27-August2)
WHATIDID
• InterviewedthreemoresportseditorsabouttheirHallofFamecoverage.
IncludedthosewithmyinterviewofBostonGlobeeditorMattPepintowrite
thispostonhowsportsdepartmentscoveredlocalstarsenteringtheHall.
• InterviewedWashingtonPostsportsfeatureswriterKentBabbabouthis
storyonEaglescoachChipKelly.Wroteapostaboutcoveringabigfigure
withoutaccess,andwatchedmyreadershipnumbersskyrockettothetuneof
nearly13,000views(moreonthisinthe“WhatILearned”section).
• InterviewedTimGrahamfromtheBuffaloNewsaboutarecentfeaturestory
hewrote.IwillwriteapostabouthowGrahamobsessesoverstoryangles
fortheupcomingweek.
• Continuedtoread15-20articlesadayfrommydailyreadingwebsites.I’m
findingI’mbeingmoreandmoreselectiveaboutthetypesofarticlesto
showcaseontheblogs(I’mlookingforaspecifictopictowriteabout).
• Beganwritinga“BestofJuly”compilationpostthatIhopetohavefinished
andpostedbyMondayafternoon.
• EmailedGrantland’sJordanConnandSportsIllustrated’sAlexanderAbnos
aboutpotentialpostsforthefuture.
WHATILEARNED
• Themorefocusedapost,themoresuccessfulitis.Pointingoutanaspectof
somebody’sreportageismoreeducationalthanintroducingthestory
broadly.
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•
Twitter,notFacebookhasbeenmyprimarydriveroftraffic.Andneverhasit
resultedinmorevisitorstomysitethanaftertheBabbpiece.Iincluded
Babb’sTwitterhandleinatweetpromotingthepost,Babbretweetedit,and
thenNFLreporterIanRapoportdidthesame.Rapoport,whohas746,000
followers,helpedmypostgeneratenearly13,000views.Themorepeople
whosawit,themoreitwasshared.AblogcalledtheBigLeadlinkedtoit.
BleacherReportlinkedtoit.AsportseditorfromTennesseelinkedtoiton
Facebook.EverytimeIlooked,theposthadathousandmoreviews.Evenon
idledays,it’spickedupafewhundredextraviews.
•
ManyofRapoport’sfollowersareNFLfanswholackacertainnuanceintheir
thinking.SoonceIwasthrustintohisworld,Ireceivedalotoffeedbackfrom
fanswhowantedtocomplainaboutBabb’sreportingbutdidn’twanttohave
anactualconversationaboutit.Itriedtostartaconversationwithone
dissenter,butquicklyrealizedthatwouldn’tbepossiblewitheverybody.
“WelcometotheNFLcoverageparty,”Babbtweetedtome.
•
I’dberemissnottomentionwhatIactuallylearnedfrommyconversation
withBabb:Thereareplentyofwaystocoverasubjectwhenyoudon’thave
accesstohim/her.BabbhasdoneitnowwithKelly,withHillaryClintonand
withAllenIverson.Hesaidit’smoredifficult,butoftenmorerewarding.The
reportermustbewillingtothinksmartlyaboutwhocanbehis/hersources
andasktherightquestionstogetthemtalking.ForhisbookonIverson,Babb
spokewiththeformerNBAplayer’sfavoritewaiterandtattooartists.Babb
saidheneverwouldhavethoughttotalktothemifhegotmoreaccessto
Iverson.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• NeedtocirclebackwithConnandAbnosabouttheaforementionedposts.
Connsaidhe’dbeonboardbutdidnotanswerafollow-upemailwhenI
askedwhatday/time.Abnoswasalsogame,butinordertodoapostonthe
storyheworkedon,I’dreallyliketogetaholdofthetwowriterswhowere
responsibleforit.
• FinishingmypostaboutthebeststoriesofJuly.
• WritingapostonTimGrahamandhisfeatureonAaronMaybin(interview
alreadycomplete).
• KeepreadingtheInternetforinterestingcontentthatwouldbegoodto
dissect.
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•
Ididn’tdoanythingtangibleontheacademicresearchsideofthings,butI
didthinkthroughsomestrategiesforputtingtogethermypaper.I’dliketo
continuethatprocessthisweekandhopefullystartanoutline.
Week10(August3-August9)
WHATIDID
• PublishedapostwithsomeofmyfavoritecontentfromJuly,alongwith
explanationsofwhyIthoughtthestoriesworked.
• PublishedapostdetailingthestrategiesofBuffaloNewsenterprisereporter
TimGraham,whoexplained“ProductiveProcrastination,”amongother
things,tome.
• GottheblogontotheAPSEsiteafteranotherphonecallwithpastpresident
MikeSherman.
• InterviewedGrantland’sJordanConnandpostedabouthowonerisesfroma
freelancertoastaffwriteratapublicationlikehis.Wealsodiscussedoneof
hisrecentstories,andhowhemanagedallthemovingpiecesforadramatic
murdermystery.
• InterviewedBrianStrausandAlexanderAbnosfromSportsIllustratedfora
postabouttheirMajorLeagueSocceroralhistory.Strauswasoneoftwo
reportersandAbnoscompiledit.IalsosetupaninterviewwitheditorAdam
Duerson,soIcanpossiblypulloffan“Oralhistoryoftheoralhistory.”
• EmailedSt.LouisPost-DispatchbaseballwriterDerrickGooldaboutpossible
postoncoveringanMLBteam.Gooldwasagreeabletoaninterviewbutdid
notrespondtoafollow-upmessageseekingadefinitivetime.Iwillcontact
himagainMonday(hisoffday).
• EmailedTaiwanesemediagroupaboutaseriesofcomicalvideosithas
published,butIhavenotheardbackfromthem.
WHATILEARNED
• I’velongwonderedhowthefreelanceunderworldworks,andmy
conversationwithConnhelpedmeunderstanditbetter.Itseemshereally
hadtobusthisasstogethisfootinthedoor,butoncethatdoorisajar,
opportunitiescomemucheasier.Beingafreelancewriterwithnoguarantee
ofincomeisnotasituationI’dfeelcomfortableliving,thoughtherewards
canbefruitful.
14
•
Compilinganoralhistorysoundsmuchmoredifficultthanreportingone.
Thereportingprocess,accordingtoStrausissimilartoanynormalstoryhe’d
do.Butthenthecompiler,inthiscaseAbnos,hadtosortthroughhundredsof
pagesoftranscriptionstofindthebestmaterial.Hehadtoreadthe
transcriptscarefullybecausehewassoafraidofscanningoverapotentially
goldenquote.
•
Persistencepaysoffsometimes.MylatestphonecalltoMikeShermanfinally
servedasthecatalysttogetmyblogontheAPSEsite.Hesaidthereasonhe
draggedhisfeetearlierisbecausehedidn’twanttooverstephisbounds,
nowthathe’soutofoffice.ButinamessagewiththirdVPToddAdamsthat
MikeCC’dmeon,Adamssaidhehadnoproblempostingmystuff.I’mlikely
goingtoemailbothShermanandAdamsfromnowon,becausemylastpost
lastweekseemedtobeignored.
•
OutofcuriosityIbeganresearchingSBNation,whichisputtingout
increasinglygoodworkintheirlongformsection.It’sadepartmentI’dloveto
workfor.GlenStout,who’sinchargeofit,hasapoetrybackgroundandis
skilledwithnarrativewriting.It’srefreshingtoreadhisviewsonlong
journalism—thetypethatpeoplewillwanttoreadmorethanoncebecause
ofit’squality.I’mhopefultherecontinuestobeaplaceforthistypeofwork,
whichismoreappealingtomethanthereport-every-breathaspectofhighprofilebeatwriting.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• Asmentionedearlier,IplantointerviewAdamDuersonandwriteaposton
SI’soralhistory.
• IalsoplantointerviewDerrickGooldandpostabouthishecticlifecoveringa
162-gameseasonthatannuallyspillsintotheplayoffs.
• ThelistforTheBestAmericanSportsWritingbookcameoutlastweek,and
thebookreleasesinOctober.I’dliketotalktoserieseditorGlennStoutand
writeapostabouthowheselectsthesestories.I’malsoconsidering
requestingaGalleyproof,readingeachofthestoriesandinterviewingeach
authorforpoststhroughoutthefall.ItcouldbeaspecialserieswhereIdo
oneperweek.
Week11(August10-August16)
WHATIDID
15
•
•
InterviewedSportsIllustratededitorAdamDuersonandwrotepostabout
SI’sMLSoralhistory.Thethemeofthepostishowonepreparesanoral
history.
InterviewedRickPaulas,afreelancerwhowroteastoryaboutdoctored
softballbatsforSBNation.Thethemeofmypostiswhen“nocomments”let
youknowyou’reontosomething.
•
InterviewedGreggDoyel,acolumnistoftheIndianapolisStar.Greggisa
talker,andaninterestingoneatthat,soIturnedmyinterviewintoapodcast.
Still,Iincludedaflushedoutwrittencomponenttogoalongwiththepodcast.
ThethemesofthatpostareGreggDoyel’stransitionfromprovocateurto
featurecolumnist,andhowtofindstoriesandapproachstrangerswith
curiosity.
•
InterviewedSt.LouisPostDispatch’sDerrickGoold,butheldoffonwritinga
postonhimbecausesomuchothercontentemergedforthisweek.Ourtalk
wasaboutcoveringtheMLBingeneral,soit’ssortofevergreenanyway.
WHATILEARNED
• Writinganoralhistoryisindeedquitedifficult,asItriedtodowithjustthree
people.Mytopicwasn’taswide-rangingasmost,andIhadsofew
participants,buteventryingtodoitwiththreevoiceswastoughtoorganize.
There’satemptationtoletquotesrunlong,buttheshorteronesmakethe
piecepopabitmore.Organizinganoralhistoryintodefinitesections(and
organizingyourinterviewsthatway,too)isquitehelpful.
• Oftentimesreportersaretooeasilydissuadedbyafewpeoplerefusingto
comment.Butmaybethat’sagoodthingwhenpeoplewon’ttalk;itmeans
you’reontherighttrackforastorywithsomeconflict.RickPaulaswasnot
stonewalledbyafewnocomments.Hegotcreativewithmessageson
Craigslistandmessageboards,andeventuallygottheanswershewanted,
albeitfromsourcesthatchosetoremainanonymousforthestory.
• Recreatingscenesyouweren’tthereforisalwaysatrickytask.Doyel’sadvice
seemslikeitcouldwork(andIcantwaittotryitnext).Hesimplysaysto
people“ObviouslyIwasn’ttherethatday.IfIwas,whatwouldIhaveseen?”
Sure,Doyelhastodosomediggingtogetthemostvividdetails,buthesaid
thatstartingpointalwaysworksforhim.
• Iknewlifeasabaseballreporterwasnonstop,butmaybeIdidn’tgraspto
whatdegreeuntilItalkedtoDerrickGoold.Hewakesupbefore6:30a.m.,
goestosleepafter1a.m.,andisprettymuchworkingduringeveryhourhe’s
awake.
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WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• IwillinterviewBenShpigeloftheNewYorkTimes,inreferencetohisarticle
onIKEnemkpali—theformerJetslinebackerwhopunchedGenoSmithin
thefacelastweek.Shpigelproducedaprettywell-roundedprofileontheguy
Saturday,andIwanttooaskthewriterabouthismethodsforacquiringthose
interviews.
• IwillwriteandpostfrommyconversationonDerrickGoold.
• IwanttocallToddAdamsofAPSEtoseeifhecanpostmymaterialtotheir
website.Afterputtinguponepost,MikeShermanhasagaingonemissing.He
returnedoneofmythreeemails,butfailedtoputanythingup.
• WillpossiblycontactGlennStout(seelastweek’snotes)aboutfeaturinghis
BestAmericanSportsWritingstories.
Week12(August17-August23)
WHATIDID
• BloggedonBenShpigels’NYTstoryaboutIKEnemkpali—theformerNew
YorkJetwhopunchedGenoSmith.
• BloggedaboutSt.LouisPost-DispatchwriterDerrickGoold’slifecoveringthe
Cardinals.ThiswasaninterviewIhadcompletedinthepreviousweek.
• InterviewedandbloggedaboutKansasCityStarreportAndyMcCulloughand
hisstrategiesforwritinggamestories.
WHATILEARNED
• Don’tfeelguiltyaboutinterviewingpeopleandnotusingtheirvoiceina
story.AsShpigelsaid,we’rereporters,notquoters.Everyinterviewhelps
informourviewpointonacertainsubject.Itisnotourresponsibilitytouse
everyinterviewontheexterior.It’sespeciallyclunkytojaminquotesforthe
sakeofit.
• Thebaseballbeat—nowmorethanever—isan15-hour/dayjob,atthe
veryleast.Gooldconstantlydoingsomethingwork-related,evenwhenhe’s
notonassignmentorattheballpark.Ithastobearealdreamtoputupwith
theconstraintsofthejob.
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•
MytalkwithMcCulloughongamestoriesdidn’tteachmeasmuchasI
thoughtitmight.ThisisnoknockonMcCullough;Ichosehimforthis
conversationbecauseIthinkhe’soneofthebestgamestorywritersout
there.Buthedidn’toffermanysecretsortipstothetradethatIwasn’t
alreadyawareof.PerhapsthisisbecauseI’vecloselystudiedthebestwaysto
writegamers.…AlotofwhatMcCulloughdoesisbyfeel,hesaid.Hehadto
developastylethatworkedforhim—strongverbsandimagery.Asidefrom
havingagoodperspectiveandanabilitytocontextualizewhathappensina
game,McCulloughisn’treinventingthewheel.Hedoesn’tleavethepressbox
orgoanywhereotherreportersdon’t.
Week13(August24-August30)
WHATIDID
• Afterreceivingresponsesfromapreviousemailcorrespondencewith
MilwaukeeJournalSentinelreporterTomHaudricourt,IbloggedaQ&A
aboutthewriter’sstoryonopenlygaybaseballplayerDavidDenton.
• InterviewedfreelancewriterJessicaLutherandbloggedaboutherstoryon
Baylorfootballanditshandlingofasexualassaulter.Thiswasoneofmy
favorites,notonlybecauseIfinallyfeaturedawomanontheblog,butalso
becauseofthetangibleimpactLuther’sstorymade(theBig12changeda
rulebecauseofthisstoryanditsresponse).
• InterviewedthesportseditorandareporterfromtheWilliamsportSunGazette,asmallnewspaperthatcoversabigeventeachsummer:theLittle
LeagueWorldSeries.Ilaterbloggedaboutmyconversationswiththem.
• EmailedWashingtonPostcolumnistJerryBrewerforafutureblog.
• MessagedRobertKlemkoaboutwhatIfoundtobeaninterestingtweethe
postedaboutastoryhedidn’ttellbecauseofrestrictedaccess.Klemkowas
notwillingtotalktomejustyet,butImightwriteapostanyway.
• MadealistofreporterswhocovereachSECfootballteam,foundtheemail
addressforeachandsentthemallapersonalizedmessageaskingifthey’d
participateinasurveyImadediscussingaccessattheprogramsthey
covered.Thusfar,I’vereceivedninesurveysandhavefollowedupwiththe
fiveparticipantswhohavenotresponded.
WHATILEARNED
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•
•
•
•
I’veresistedemailingquestionstopeopletothispoint—Ipreferamore
free-flowingchatwithroomforfollow-upquestions—buttheformat
workedfairlywellwithHaudricourt,whopreferredtoanswerthequestions
thatway.Tobehonest,Ididn’tlovethereporter’sstory,andthoughthe
couldhavedonemorewithit.Hadwespokenonthephone,Imaybecould
havedugdeeperintothoseareas,butevenhisemailresponseallowedmeto
takeacriticallookathowheapproachedit.Hedidn’ttalktothegayplayer’s
teammatesbecausehetrustedthemanagertospeakforthemoodinthe
clubhouse.Idisagreedwiththatpoint,consideringtherelationshipspeers
havewithoneanothertobemoreimportantthanthatofamanagertoa
player.
AsIwroteintheblog,perhapscollegefootballreportersacrossthecountry
gettoocaughtupwithdepthchartsandsoundbitestoinvestigatecritical
topics.Fans’demandsforeverybitofminutiaeontheirfavoriteteamrequire
reporterstostretchthemselvessothintheycanmissthebiggeststory.It
tookamonthlymagazinetofullyexposegrossmalfeasanceatBaylor
MybiggestcuriosityaboutcoveringtheLittleLeagueWorldSeriesishowthe
newspaperhandledkidsmakingmistakes.Afterall,plentyofpapersfacethis
issuewithhighschoolcoverage,wheretheathletesareolderstill.Sports
editorBenBrigandi’smottois“reportbutdon’tbelabor.”It’sthepaper’s
responsibilitytosaywhathappened,butthere’snouseinkicking12-yearoldswhilethey’redown.The“reportbutdon’tbelabor”mottoisoneI’d
inheritifIranastaffthatcoveredhighschoolsports.
Nosurprise,butcoveringaneventliketheLLWSwhenyournewspaperhasa
tinystaffrequiresplentyofplanning.TheSunGazettedidn’tsomuchplan
outwhatreporterswouldwriteaboutattheevent,buteditorsmadesureall
oftheotherelementsoftheirsportssection(mainlyH.S.football)were
coveredwellinadvance.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• InterviewingBrewerforwhatIplantobeablogaboutwhatit’sliketomove
toanewlocationandimmediatelywritewithconviction.Brewerpreviously
workedattheSeattleTimes,andnowhe’sinthecauldronthatisD.C.sports.
• Postingmymonthly(Bestof___August)includingroughly10storiesandwhy
Ilikedthemsomuch.Mostofthestoriesarealreadyselected.
19
•
•
ContinuingtoworkonmySECaccessstory.Thatinvolvesgatheringallthe
informationI’vereceived(whichcouldreach10,000wordsofresponses)
anddistillingitintosomethingsensible,informativeandinteresting.
Possiblywritingapostaboutaccess,basedonKlemko’saforementioned
tweet.
Week14(August31-September6)
WHATIDID
• InterviewedJerryBreweraboutwhatit’sliketomovetoanewlocationasa
columnist.BrewerusedtobeattheSeattleTimesandisnowatthe
WashingtonPost—abigjumpgeographicallyandexposure-wise.Here’smy
postaboutJerry’smoveandthechallengeshefaced.
• PostedmybestofAugustcolumn,featuring11storiesIlikedfromthepast
monthandwhyIthoughttheyworked.Inmytwopreviousiterationsofthis
monthlypost,Ididn’ttalktoanyofthewriters,butforthisone,Iincluded
sometextfromaninterviewexchangeIhadwithEvaHolland.Ithoughtit
workedwellandI’lltrytodomoreofthatnextmonth.
• GatheredmoresourcesformySECaccessstory.MyKentuckyreporterhadn’t
responded,soIcontactedanother(andcoincidentally,theythenboth
answeredmyquestionsonthesameday).IfoundanewreporterforTexas
A&MandOleMissbecausemyfirstattemptsneverresponded.Bothofthe
newpeoplesaidthey’reonboard,buttheyhaven’tgottenmemyresponses
yet,evenafterafollow-upemail.
WHATILEARNED
• Itdoesn’thurttobeapest.WhenIfirstemailedJerryBrewer,hedidn’t
respond.Afewdayslater,Isenthimapolitefollow-upaskingagainifhewas
free.Herespondedquicklythistime,andsaidheneversawthefirstmessage.
IfigureI’mastrangertomostofthesepeopleanyway,soI’veputasidesome
ofmypre-existingsqueamishnessaboutpossiblybeingpushy.Itresultedina
greatinterviewthistime.
• Breweradmittedhehadadifficulttimegoingfrombigfishinsmallpondto
viceversa.IwascurioustoknowhowheadjustedtobeingtheguyinSeattle
for8-plusyears,andthenhavingtorelearnanentirelynewsportsscene.He
saidhehadtoadmitwhathedidn’tknow.Don’tcomeintryingtoprove
you’reuptospeedtowriters,hesaid.Betransparentandtrytolearnquickly.
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Week15(September7-September13)
WHATIDID
• InterviewedESPNinvestigativereporterSteveFainaruabouthisstoryon
49erslinebackerChrisBorland,whoretiredfromtheNFLafterhisrookie
season.BloggedabouthowFainaruorganizedfivemonthsworthofnotes
andwroteaboutamanhefollowedsoclosely.
• InterviewedSportsIllustratedreporterJoanNiesenandturnedour
conversationintoapodcast.AlsobloggedaboutNiesen’suseofvoicein
stories.
• ReadESPN’s11,000-wordOutsidetheLinesinvestigationabouttheNFL’s
handlingoftwoPatriotsscandals,andwonderedhowthereportersgathered
theinformationtheydid.SoIsetupinterviewswithDonVanNattaJr.and
SethWickersham,andwroteablogdetailingthetricksofhigh-level
investigativework.
• Interviewedrecentlylaid-offsportsreporterPatrickStevens.Iplantoturn
myconversationwithhimintoablogpostnextweek.
• SentoutreminderstothelastthreeparticipantsI’mwaitingtohearfromfor
mySECaccesspoll.Oneofthethreerespondedwithanswers.
WHATILEARNED
• I’velongwonderedwhatreporters’note-takingpolicyiswhenspending
entiredayswithasource.Dotheytakeataperecorder?Furiouslyscribble
notes?Justwritedownthegoodstuff?SteveFainarubringsanotebookanda
recorder,becausehelikeslongquoteswhenthey’recompelling(andwants
tocapturethemaccurately).Hesaidwheneverhemotionedtowardhis
notebook,hissourcereacted—ittookthesourceawhiletogetusedtothis.
• AftertalkingtoNiesenandreadingherworkmoreclosely,Ithinkvoiceand
experiencegohandinhand.Byexperience,Imeanexperiencingacertain
event,placeorstory.Niesen’sstoriespopwhenshe’susingvoice,andshe’s
usingvoicewhenshewritesaboutNewOrleans,acityshe’sspentmuchtime
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in.Sheknowstheprovincialritualsandcanwriteaboutthemlikeanexpert
ratherthanatourist.
•
Onekeytoinvestigativereportingistonotbediscouragedwhensources
rebuffyou.VanNattaandWickershamwhiffedon100sourcesapieceand
eventuallyspoketo90combined.
•
TheESPNstoryreinforcedthatmeetingwithsourcesinpersontypically
leadstobetterresultsthanasimplephoner.
•
Oftenmediamembersmisslookingforinformationinobviousplaces
becausethey’retoobusylookingelsewhere.Evenifastoryhasrepeatedly
beenreportedtodeath,theremaybemoreoutthere.
•
NFLfansarewackos.IlearnedthisafterapostlastmonthaboutChipKelly,
anditwasreaffirmedaftermypostlastmonthaboutthePatriots/Roger
Goodell.CommentersfloodedmyTwitterandblog’scommentsection.
Unsurprisingly,mostwerePatriotsfanswhoignoredthenuanceofthestory
andgotsuperdefensiveaboutaccusationsabouttheirteam.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• I’mmakingWednesdayadrop-deaddatetohearbackfrommySEC
respondents.Afterthat,IwillbegintoorganizewhateverinformationIhave
intoaposttohopefullyrunthefollowingweek.
• Asmentionedabove,IplantowriteablogpostaboutPatrickStevensand
howjournalistscannavigatealifethatincludespossiblelayoffs.
• IplantoemailJustinHeckertaboutastoryhewroteinthelastissueofESPN
TheMagazine.Heckertwroteitcompletelyinsecond-personpointofview—
—effectively,Ithink—andI’mcurioustolearnthestrategiesheusedtopull
thatoff.
• PaulKix,theeditorofWrightThompson’sgiganticNewOrleansstory,told
metotouchbasewithhimthisweek,afterIemailedhimlastmonth.Now
thathe’sbackfromvacation,Iwilltryhimagain.Iwanttoknowhowan
editorapproachesamammothstorylikethat,andhowhedealswithawriter
likeThompson.
• IwillemailMattStanmyre,aprepsreporterfromnj.com.HewroteastoryI
reallyenjoyedaboutan8thgraderwhosealreadybeinggroomedfora
professionalcareer.
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Week16(September14-20)
WHATIDID
• FinallywrotemypieceonSECaccess.Itwasworththewaitandallthe
headachesputtingittogether.Thearticlewasabighit,bothinnumberof
reads(nearly3,400)andinthefeedbackreceivedfromreaders.
• BloggedaboutPatrickStevensandhowhe’srespondedtothreelayoffsinhis
career.
• InterviewedPaulKix,theeditorresponsibleforWrightThompson’sbigNew
Orleanspiecethattookoverthemagazineacoupleweeksago.
• TriedtosetupaninterviewwithMatthewStanmyreaboutastoryhewrote
thismonth,butmymessageswentunanswered.
• SetupaninterviewwithJustinHeckert.Wewillchatthisweekaboutusing
second-personPOV,ashedidforhisstoryonparalyzedformerRutgers
footballplayerEricLeGrand.
WHATILEARNED
• Employedornot,you’vegottokeepworking.Beingidledoeslittleforyour
career,soit’ssmartertoworkwithoutapaycheckandremainonpeople’s
radars.PatrickStevensdoesn’tsoundoptimisticabouthisfuturein
journalism—hetoldmeofftherecordhe’slookingtoswitchovertowork
forauniversitydirectly—buthisworkethicshouldhelphimfindajob,
whereveritbe.
• Sometimeswhat’sobvioustoawriterisn’tsomuchtoreaders.Ioften
downplaymyownknowledgeanddon’trealizewhenIknowmorethan
othersaboutatopic.IsaythisinreferencetomySECaccessblog.Ithoughtit
providedanice,accuratepictureofthetypeofhoopsreportersmustgo
throughtoconductinterviewswithplayersandcoaches,butIdidn’tthink
therewasatonintherethatwasrevelatory.Myreaders,though,seemedto
learnalot.IgotdozensofTwittercommentsabouthowinterestingthe
articlewas,andhowpeopledidn’trealizehowbadSECmediamembershad
it.WorkingattheMissourian,wherewecoveranSECfootballteam,Iseethis
daily.Mostpeopledon’t.
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WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• IwillpostaboutKix,andtheprocessofeditinga25,000-wordmega-story.
• IwillinterviewHeckertandpostthat,too.
• IplantocallGlennStoutofSBNation.IwanttotalktohimabouttheBest
AmericanSportsWritingbookseriesheedits,aswellashisworkwithSB
NationLongform.
• It’sbeenawhilesinceIworkedontheresearchportionofmyproject,soI’d
liketorevisitthat.Ineedtoorganizemynotesintocategoriesandsubcategories
• ReadGregBishop’sSIcoverstoryandemailhimabouthisnotebook.Oneof
myprevioussources,AdamDuerson,sentmeaphotoofBishop’snotebook
—shadesofABeautifulMind—andI’mcurioushowBishopoutlinesstories.
Week16(September21-27)
WHATIDID
• InterviewedJustinHeckertabouthisESPNstoryonformerRutgersfootball
playerEricLeGrand.
• PublishedablogaboutPaulKix,anESPNeditorwhohandlesWright
Thompson’smagazine-longstoryonNewOrleans.
• InterviewedandbloggedaboutSportsIllustrated’sGregBishop,who
discussedhisoutliningprocess.
• SpoketoEdSherman,asportsmediacolumnistwhowantstofeaturemy
workonhiswebsite,TheShermanReport.Weagreedontermssothatcan
happen.
• InterviewedGlennStout,theeditoratSBNationLongform,andtheseries
editoroftheBestAmericanSportsWritingbooks.
• Revisitedtheresearchportionofmyproject.Ilistenedtomy12interviews
againandtookmoredetailednotesthantheonesIscribbledduringthe
interviews.
24
•
Separatedmyresearchnotesintosevenworddocuments,basedoncategory.
Someofthesecategoriescanbeconsolidated,butthisisgenerallyhowI
believeIwillbreakupmyresearchanalysis.
WHATILEARNED
• Topulloffsecond-personPOVinafeaturestory,thewriterneedstobe
intimatelyfamiliarwiththesubjecthe/sheiscovering.JustinHeckertwas
abletowriteaboutEricLeGrandinthiswaybecausetheyspentfourwhole
daystogether.ThatallowedHeckerttheconfidencetoknowwhathewas
writingwashowLeGrandfelt.
• Editinglongformjournalismtakeslongerthanonemightthink.Tosimply
readthroughastoryseveraltimeseatsuphours.
• Writingmagazine-lengthfeaturestorieswithoutanoutlineoftenleadsto
storieswithoutanarrativearcorrealpurpose.GregBishop’sformof
outlining—separatingthemesintocategories—actuallyhelpedmewritea
preliminaryoutlinefortheanalysisportionofmyresearch.
• ThisjobI’mdoing—writingaboutthewritingprocess—makeslittle
money.That’satleastwhatEdShermantoldme,eventhoughhiswebsite
getsoverathousandvisitorsaday.
• Takingnotesonpreviousinterviewsissomucheasiertodowhenyouknow
exactlywhatyou’relookingforandwhereyou’regoingtoputit.Myoutlining
provedhugeinacceleratingthisprocess,andIhopethewritingprocessas
well.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• PostaboutHeckertandhisuseofsecond-person.
• PostaboutStoutandhisphilosophiesonediting.
• Setupinterviewswithtwomorewriters(TBD)forthefollowingweek.
• Continuetheanalysisportionofmyresearchassignment.Mygoalistofinish
afirstdraftofitthisweek.
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Week17(September28-October4)
WHATIDID
• Finishedthefirstdraftofmyprojectanalysis,whichanswersthequestion:
“Howdosportswritersandeditorsidentifyandselectnewsitemsworth
developingintofeaturestories?”Theanalysisiscurrently3,700words.
• PublishedablogpostaboutJustinHeckertandhisuseofsecond-person
pointofviewforastoryonaformerRutgersfootballplayerwho’snow
paralyzed.
• Postedmonth-endcolumnfeaturingmyfavoritesportsjournalismfrom
September.
WHATILEARNED
• Fromgoingthroughmyinterviewnotesandputtingtogetherananalysis,I
learnedthatwritersandeditorsstillrelyheavilyoninstincts,eventhough
somesaythey’remindfulofaudienceanalytics.
• Conversations—varyinginformality—arestillusuallytheseedsofstory
ideas.Someeditorsgooutoftheirwaytostartconversationswithstrangers.
Staffmeetingsdon’talwaysincludebotheditorsandwriters,butmost
editorsvaluewhatevertimetheydogettochatwithwritersaboutstory
ideas.
• Writersandeditorssaytheyvaluetheiraudience’sopinions,buttheydovery
littletoincludeaudiencemembersonstoryselection—theprocess
journalistsconsiderthemostimportant.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• WriteapostaboutGlennStout,hisBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesand
hisphilosophiesonediting.
• WriteashortpostoffapairofphotosaneditorsentmefromGayTalese’s
outlineof“FrankSinatrahadaCold.”
• WriteapostaboutaNewYorkTimesinteractivepiecepublishedlastmonth.
26
•
Setupinterviewswithtwowriters—possiblyPatFordeandJeffPearlman
—fornextweek.
•
Continuetoworkontheresearchportionofmyprofessionalproject.
Week18(October5-October11)
WHATIDID
• WroteapostaboutGlennStout,hisBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesand
hisphilosophiesonediting.
• WroteaboutGayTalese’soutlineof“FrankSinatrahadaCold.”
• ReceivededitsfromJacquiforthefirstdraftofmyprojectanalysisand
performedsurgeryonfivesectionsofthereport:Intro,Generatingideas,
Whatmakesastoryinteresting,Pitchingvs.AssigningandthePowerof
Analytics.
WHATILEARNED
• Ineffortstobothbeconciseandgetasmanyvoicesintomyanalysisas
possible,Ifailedtobethoroughorcompletelycoherentinmyfirstdraft.The
draftwasstrongestinplaceswhereIoffereddetailedexamples.Obviously
thattakessomespacetoexplain,butit’sspacewell-used.
• SomeofthesourcesIspoketocontradictedthemselvesduringmyinterviews
—specificallywhentalkingabouttheiruseofanalyticsvs.instincts.Instead
ofrunningfromthispoint,Ithinkit’sinterestingtoinclude.Itshowshow
somepeopletakehalf-measurestosatisfyboththenumbersandtheirgut.
• Asroughasmyroughdraftwas,itwaseffectiveinthatitorganizedmanyof
myideasandcalledattentionto(thankstoJacqui’sediting)whereIhad
somegapsinmythinking.Itypicallypouratonoftimeintoinitialdraftsand
hopethatthey’renearready.Thisonewasn’t,andIsortofknewthat,butit
gotmeontherighttracktowhereIbelievethefinalproductwillbesolid.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• Ineedtoreworktwomoresectionsandwriteconclusion.Myaimistogetall
thatdoneandhaveitbacktoJacquibytheendoftheweek.
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•
Iwillputthebloginthebackgroundinordertofocusontheanalysisand
othercomponentsIneedtofinishinordertogetthisprojectthrough.
o IdostillhaveonepostlinedupaboutaNewYorkTimesdigital
projectIfoundeffective.
o IwillalsotryagaintocontactYahoo!’sPatFordeaboutcovering
collegeathleticswiththebreadththathedoes.
Week19(October12-October18)
WHATIDID
• WroteapostaboutaninteractivevideostorytheNewYorkTimespublished
duringthesummer.
• InterviewedYahoo!baseballwriterJeffPassanabouthiscolumnonChicago
CubshomerunballsandwroteapostaboutPassan’sstrategyandexecution
ofthestory.
• FinishedaseconddraftofmyprojectanalysisandsentittoJacqui.Also
workedonanauthor’safterwards
• DocumentedallthechangesImadefrommyproposal(mainlytheinterview
subjectsIchoseformyanalysis).
• Copiedeachofmyblogpostsinaseparatewordfileforthe“Physical
Evidence”portionofmyproject.
WHATILEARNED
• Tappingintostarathletes’pasts—beforetheywerefamous—isavery
compellingwaytotellanewstory.TheNewYorkTimeswentasdeepas
possibleintovarioustennis’players’athleticpastsforasometimesjarring
story.
• Iapplaudwhenreportersleavethepressboxandlookforstorieselsewhere
inastadium,butthereasonwedon’tseeitveryoften,Ilearned,isbecause
stadiumushersaretypicallyveryprotectiveoftheirsections.Passansaidhe
wassurprisedhowwelcomingtheusherswerewhenhewentintothe
WrigleyFieldbleachers;apparentlyhe’striessuchthingsinthepastand
facedresistancefromushers.
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•
I’veproducednearly30,000wordsworthofblogsthusfar,andthewebsite
hasgeneratednearly38,000views.
WHATI’MDOINGNEXTWEEK
• ContactingYahoo!’sPatFordeagain(severalattemptstointerviewhimhas
failed,butFordeaskedGregaboutmelastweek,soI’monhisradar).I’dlike
towriteablogabouthow,asanationalcollegefootball/basketballreporter,
hemaintainssomanyprofessionalrelationshipsandresearchessomany
storylinesthroughoutthecountry.
• WhileIwaitforfeedbackontheseconddraftofmyanalysis,Iwillknockout
someofthesmallerelementsofthewrittenprojectandfigureouttheproper
waytoformattheentirething.
Week20(October19-October25)
WHATIDID
• WroteacolumnaboutaMississippinewspaperthatdecidedtostopcovering
itshometowncollegefootballteambecauseofalackofaccess.Iexplained
whyIdisagreewiththemove—becauseIseeotherwaysthenewspaper
couldhavecontinuedcoveragewithoutspeakingtoplayers.
• InterviewedYahoo!Sports’PatFordeaboutcoveringcollegeathletics
nationallyandhowthatcomparestobeatwriting.
WHATILEARNED
• Theproblemsnewsmediahaswithbig-timecollegeathleticsrestricting
accessisnowtricklingdowntosmallschoolsaswell.ThenewspaperIwrote
aboutstoppedcoverageofJacksonState—notexactlyawell-knownfootball
school.IspokewithmyoldbossinHarrisonburg,Virginia,andevenJames
MadisonUniversityhasbecomestingywithplayeravailability.Learningto
overcomeaccessobstaclesatMissouriwilllikelyprovetobeabighelpfor
memovingforward.
• CoveringnationalsportslikePatForderequiresalevelofsource
maintenancethatI’mpersonallyuncomfortabledoing.It’snotinmynature
tosendout-of-the-bluetextstosources(letalonemyfriends),butit’show
Fordestayspluggedintoeverythinggoingonincollegesports.Ifthat’sever
ajobIpursued,I’dhavetochangemywaysinordertobesuccessfulatit.
29
WHATI’MDOINGTHISWEEK
• PublishapostfrommyconversationwithForde,andthennotawholelot
more.IamheadedtoupstateNewYorktovisitmylovelygirlfriendLeeAnne
thisweek,andIwillputmostprojectstuffonthebackburner.Thatsaid,I
mightfindopportunitiesintransittotacklemoreofmyanalysis.
30
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:
31
-
“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
32
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.
33
Chapter4:PhysicalEvidence
InthefirstclassofmyfirstsemesterofgraduateschoolattheUniversityof
MissouriSchoolofJournalism,wereadtherenowned1949deadlinestory“Deathof
aRacehorse”byW.C.Heinz.Thelesson,asprofessorGregBowerstoldit,isthatthe
beststoriesareusuallywhereotherreportersaren’t.Getoutofthepressbox—like
HeinzdidtoreportthesceneonthetrackwhenadoctorputdownthehorseAir
Lift—andyoucantellamorevividstoryfromabetterperspective.
Fastforwardayearandahalfandthatlessonwaspresentedseveralmore
timesasIinterviewedcontemporaryreportersforablogonthecraftof
sportswriting.ESPNNewYork’sIanO’ConnorpulledaHeinztocaptureAmerican
Pharoah’sTripleCrowncoronationinJune,andJeffPassanleftthepressboxtotella
compellingstoryaboutChicagoCubsfans,ratherthanjustthehomerunstheir
favoriteplayershitonanOctoberplayoffnight.
Ispoketomorethan50journalistsoverthesummerformyfinalproject.AsI
leavegradschool,herearesomeofthetakeawaysIlearnedandcanpasson:
• Captureasmanyscenesaspossible.ThatwasLeeJenkins’strategywhen
hecoveredtheGoldenStateWarriors’NBAchampionshipcelebrationfor
SportsIllustrated.Celebrationstoriesareunconventionalassignments,but
whenJenkinswritesprofiles,healsolooksfor(andasksabout)anythingthat
catcheshiseyes.
• Howtorecreateascene:Thejournalistoftenisn’tpresentforthekey
momentheorshewantstodrawoutinafeaturestory.Butthatkeymoment
canbedescribedaftergoodinterviewing.Trythisgo-tolinefrom
IndianapolisStarcolumnistGreggDoyel:“ObviouslyIwasn’tthere,butifI
was,tellmewhatIwouldhaveseen.”
• Noaccess?Findanotherway:Often,journalistsdon’tgettheaccessthey
wanttoaperson;that’snoreasontosquashastory.TheWashingtonPost’s
KentBabwroteanentirebookaboutAllenIverson,whomBabbnever
interviewed.Instead,hetalkedtopeoplewhocouldsharestoriesabout
Iverson,suchastheformerNBAstar’sbarber.Babbsuspectsheneverwould
haveuncoveredsomeoftheanecdoteshedid,hadhenotbeenforcedto
searchfortangentialsources.
• Bethankfulfortheaccessyoudohave:Isurveyedabeatwriterfromeach
SECfootballprogramanddocumentedthedrasticchangesinaccessfromthe
1980s,whenArkansasDemocratGazette’sBobHoltusedtoattendevery
Razorbackspracticeandtalkedtowhomeverhewantedafterward.Now,
accessisshallowacrosstheboard.JamesCrepea,whocoversAuburnforthe
AlabamaMediaGroup,describedhisrelationshipwithteamsports
34
informationdirectorsas“Strained.Concurrentlymiserable.Attimes,
contentious.”
•
Crowdsourcingworks:BenjaminHochmanprovedinhisnine-partbaseball
seriesfortheDenverPostthatsomeofthebestsourcesarethosefoundon
Twitter.Hochman(who’snowwiththeSt.LouisPostDispatch),effectively
crowdsourcedtofindstorysubjects,suchaspeoplewhostayintouchwith
theirparentsthroughbaseballandtextmessaging.“It’seasyaccessto20,000
Coloradosportsfans,”HochmansaidofaskinghisTwitterfollowersforhelp
findingsubjects.
•
Don’tquoteeverysource:Whattodowiththematerialwegleanfrom
thesesources?BenShpigeloftheNewYorkTimessaidheusedtofeel
obligatedtoquoteeverysourcehespoketo—inawaytoprovetothe
sourcethataninterviewwasworthhisorhertime.“OvertheyearsI’ve
relaxedmyviewonthatbecausewe’rereporters,we’renotquoters,”Shpigel
nowsays.Aninterviewcanbevaluablemerelyforbackgroundinformation
ortobetterunderstandasubject.
•
Heck,doawaywithquotesaltogether:L.JonWertheimofSports
Illustratedtoldmehe’ssickofusingquotes.“Itisastrategyofminetolimit
quotes.I’vehaditwithquotes,”hesaidwhenaskedaboutaSerenaWilliams
featurethatincludedlessthan100wordsinquotemarks.“…Toooftenthey
don’treallyaddmuch;youfeelcompelledtousethemtoooftenbecause
they’reprovided.”Hisstoryisvibrantbecauseit’snotboggeddownwith
platitudes.
•
Howtopulloffanoralhistory(thestorycomposedexclusivelyof
quotes):OK,sometimesquoteswork,likeinSportsIllustrated’soralhistory
reminiscingthefirstfewyearsofMajorLeagueSoccer.Puttingtogetheran
oralhistorycanbeabear.Here’sBrianStraus’wayofthinkingaboutit:“You
wanttoimaginethatthese40peoplearesittingaroundareallybigroom,
eatingpizzaandtalkingshitabout1996andlaughingtheirheadsoff,”theSI
reportersaid.
•
Reportbutdon’tbelabor:Everyyear,BenBrigandicovers12-year-oldkids
gettingtheir15-minutesoffame.TheWilliamsportSun-Gazette’sbiggest
storyistheannualLittleLeagueWorldSeries.AndBrigandi,theGazette’s
sportseditorneedsaphilosophyonhowtowriteaboutthemistakesthenotquite-teensmakeonthefield:“Reportbutdon’tbelabor,”hesaid.Andreally,
thatshouldbeamottoforallcoverage,fromLittleLeaguetohighschool
sportstocollegeandpros.
•
Writewithvoice:Storieswithvoicemakeareaderfeelengaged.Butvoiceis
anintangibledifficulttodescribeorexecute.Howdoesoneeffectivelywrite
35
withvoice?JoanNiesenofSportsIllustratedsaiditsOKtohaveanintimate
familiaritywithasubject.Often,thatcanhelpbreedvoice.Shepackedastory
aboutthe10-yearanniversaryofHurricaneKatrinawithexpressivephrases
thatrevealsomethingaboutthecityofNewOrleans.Shewasabletodothis
becauseofherfamiliaritywiththecity,wheresomeofherrelativeslive.For
thosewriterswhodon’thaveapersonalconnection,it’sincumbenttolearna
situationinsideouttobeabletowritewithconviction.
•
Filerecordrequests:Especiallyincollegesports,wheremanyuniversities
arepublic,openrecordscanbetreasuresfullofstoryideas.KnoxvilleNewsSentinelsportseditorPhilKaplansays“you’renotdoingyourjobrightif
you’recoveringacollegeandnotfilingthesereports.”Hisdepartmentfiles
themregularly,andservesasawatchdogtoUniversityofTennessee
athletics.
•
Sweatthesmallstuff:WhenGlennStouteditspiecesforhisSBNation
Longformsection,hisfinalandfavoritestepistoconsidertheshapeand
soundofeachindividualword.Forinstance,a2013featureonlateautoracer
DickTricklehadtoconsistofonlywordstheblunt,beer-drinkingTrickle
mightsay.Keepingthereaderintherightplaceandfeelofastoryiswhatcan
“turnitintosomethingthat’smemorable,”Stoutsaid.
•
Outlineyourstories(ordon’t):SportsIllustrated’sGregBishopscribbles
pre-storyoutlinesthatfillanentirenotebookpagewithinterconnecting
wordsandbubbles.Hecallsit“themostimportantthingIdo,”becauseit
providesastructureandformulaforwriting.Meanwhile,NewYorkTimes
reporterJohnBranchoftenstartswritingandletshisstoriesflowfromthere.
AndBranchisaPulitzerPrizewinner.Sodowhateverworksforyou—but
playaroundwithmultiplemethodstofindout.
•
Workhard;thinksmart:Aboveallelse,Ilearnedtherearenoshortcuts.
Thepeoplewhosucceedinthisbusinessarethemostdevoted,investedand
creativeminded.Sportsjournalismiscompetitiveandsaturatedandeverevolving.It’salsosignificant.Sixdecadeslater,writersstilltalkaboutstories
likeDeathofaRacehorse.Thatgiveswritersreasontocontinuetaking
chancesandstrivingforvirtuosity.
Here’seachofmy55blogposts,inchronologicalorder:
June8,2015—Thisis‘Backstory’
ThanksforvisitingBackstory—asiteIhopecaneducateandentertainjournalists
aswellasoureverydayreaders.Let'sdiscusscriticaltopicsintheindustryasI
spotlightnotable,contemporaryworkinsportsjournalism.
36
Myname'sMarkSelig,andI'mvyingforamaster'sdegreeattheUniversityof
Missouri.Thiswebsiteismyprofessionalproject—apracticalthesisofsortsbefore
Ireturnfull-timetotherealworld,whereI'vebrokenasweatasacollegebasketball
reporterandcurrentlyinstructyoung,eageramateursastheassistantsportseditor
attheColumbiaMissourian.
Asyoubegintoseethissitetakeshape,pleaseletmeknowwhatothertypesof
contentyou'dliketoconsumefromit.Ibelieveinservicejournalismandaimto
providesomethingdistinct.
Enjoytheblog!
-Mark
June9,2015—NBAFinalsreporterscomingthroughintheclutch
Whiletheworld'sbestbasketballplayersviefortheNBAtitle,there'sanintriguing,
ifinformal,competitionbetweenthesport'sbestwriters.
TheNBAdishedout1,800credentialsfortheFinals,accordingtoSportsIllustrated
mediacolumnistRichardDeitsch.Becauseofthemediasaturation,reporters—on
thisstagemorethanever—mustexecutecreativereportingandwritingto
differentiatetheircontent.
Sunday'sthrillingGame2providedplentytowriteabout.Thebesttakescamefrom
thosewhodidn'trelyonthepost-gamepressconference.
ROBMAHONEY
Everybodylovesovertime.Exceptfordeadlinewriters.ButSI'sRobMahoney
churnedoutthisthoughtfulpieceincrunchtime.Anexcerpt:
TheexecutioninGame2wasfarfrompristine.Thenagain,beautifulbasketballis
theluxuryofahealthier,moretalentedteam.Thecurrent,injuredCavscanonly
scrape.They’reattheirbestwhenturningidyllicbasketballtopulp—gummingitup
37
andgrindingitdownuntilitsformisbarelyrecognizable.Itwasthatlevelofcontrol
thatgaveClevelandanychanceatalltowinonSunday.
HOWARDBECK
AreportercoveringtheFinalscouldskippost-gamepressconferencesaltogether
andnotmissathing.Novelreportingisimpracticalinastuffedmediaroom,andthe
helpfulASAPserviceprovidestranscriptionsofallquotes,anyway.ButBleacher
Report'sHowardBeckspottedLeBronJamesbeforetheCavsstarentered
Clichéville,andprovidedreaderswithascenetheycouldn'tviewonTV.Hislead:
ThedistancebetweenthelockerroomandthepostgamepodiumatOracleArenais
about40yards,aspaceLeBronJamescouldprobablycoverinfiveseconds,if
properlymotivated.ButJameswasinnoshapetosprintoreventojogorambleor
saunterlateSundayaftertheClevelandCavaliers'95-93overtimewininGame2of
theNBAFinalsovertheGoldenStateWarriors.
Hejustsortofwobbledfromsidetosidedownthecorridor,steppinggingerly—left,
right,left,right—untilhefinallyreachedthestageandploppedhiswearysoul
behindthemicrophone.
For50minutesand20seconds,throughfourquartersandanovertime,Jameshad
pushedandprodded,flexedandbellowed,channelinghisfuryintoaboxscorefor
theagesandavictoryfortherecordbooks.
ZACHLOWE
NBAdiehardsturntoGrantand'sZachLoweforthebestnationalanalysisinprint
(orweb).AfterGame2,Loweprovidedfreshanecdotesbygoingwhereothers
weren't.InsteadofrelyingonLeBronandStephenCurryquotes,Loweinstead
talkedtoWarriorswash-upDavidLeeforanviewpointyouwon'tseeinother
stories.Healso"cornered"forwardDraymondGreen,whohelddownLeBronona
crucialjumpball—aplaythatreceivedlittleattentionelsewherebecauseother
bigmomentsbetterfitintotraditionalnarratives.Lowespillshisnotebookand
alwayseducates.
38
TheFinalsresumestonightinCleveland.I'mrootingforsomemoregrippingdrama
onthecourtandanotherbatchofmust-readstoriesavailable
earlyWednesdaymorning.
June10,2015—O’ConnoroncoveringAmericanPharoah
ThewayIanO'Connorseesit,Yahoo!'sPatFordeandSportsIllustrated'sTim
Laydenarethefrontrunnersofnationalhorseracingcoverage.Thetwo
insidershave"contextandcontacts"thatO'Connor—afootball,basketball,baseball
andgolfguyforESPN.com—lacks.
SowhentheNewYork-basedO'ConnorwastaskedtocoverAmericanPharoah's
ultimatelysuccessfulbidtocapturetheTripleCrownlastweekend,heneededa
strategytokeepupwithmoreequine-expertisedreporters.
O'Connor'sstoryfromtheBelmont,"LatestTripleCrownhistoryisaboutthehorse,
nothumans,"capturedthesceneinthewinner'scircle—asequenceofevents
O'Connorcoulddocumentthankstohispersistenceandpursuitforacovetedgreen
bib.
HearO'ConnordescribetoBackstoryhowheusedhisnearlythreedecadesof
reportingexperiencetogetwhereothersweren'tandfindsourcesothers
overlooked.
O'Connoraudio
TheauthorofTheCaptainandArnie&Jack,O'Connorisin"thefirsthours"of
writingabookaboutNewEnglandPatriotscoachBillBelichick—theNFL’smost
intriguingcharacter,intheauthor'sopinion.
“Forstarters,he’shadmoresuccessthananybody,andIthinkhe’ssurpassedVince
Lombardiforthegreatestcoachofalltime,"O'Connorsaid."Becausehedoesn’tlet
anyoneinpublicly,Ithinkthatmakeshimnotjustmysterious,butfascinating.I
thinkalotofpeoplewanttoknowalotmoreabouthimasaperson...
“Iguesswe’llfindoutbyhowmanybooksIsell.”
39
June15,2015—Chicken’nrecordsrequests
TheTennesseefootballteamspent$1,386.45fordinneratBojangles.Andlast
month,theKnoxvilleNewsSentinelreportedallthejuicynuggets.
Ok,sotheSentineldidn'tfindoutwhetherquarterbackJoshDobbsorderedsweet
tea,butthenewspaperdiddetaileverydollartheVolunteersspentrelatedto
theTaxSlayerBowl.Thefinalbill,includingthoseBojanglesbucks,cameoutto
$1.25million,asfootballbeatwriterDustinDopirakdocumented.
Obviously,bigexpenses—suchas$300,000forahoteltohouseandfeedtheguests
—ateupabigchunkofthesum.TheVolsdidn'tmakeextravagant
purchases(relativetoothercollegefootballprograms).
Butthestorywasinteresting,nonetheless.Especiallywhenyougetdowntothose
smallercoststhatbegintoaddup.
LikeBojangles.Likecoachesusingthecopymachineintheteamhotelforaweek
($1,350).Liketwobowl-goers,includingoneplayer,forgettingtheirluggageatthe
hotelandneedingitshippedhome($607).
ThesefactsarepublicbecauseKnoxvilleNewsSentinelsportseditorPhilKaplan
emphasizeswatchdogjournalism.He'softenfilingrecordsrequestsorpressinghis
reporterstodosothemselves.
Hispaper,whichhasacirculationinthelow-60,000softengeneratesstoriesbased
ontheserecords.Thestaffkeepsaneyeonthesmallersports,too.
"You'renotdoingyourjobrightifyou'recoveringacollegeandnotfilingthese
reports,"Kaplansaid,"becausethingslikethatwillnevergetcoveredifyoudonot
filethesethings."
ListentoKaplantalkaboutthereportingprocessforbowlfinancesstory(with
Dopirakspeakingfrom1:54to2:29)...
Kaplan-Dopirakaudio
40
June17,2015—Titletownsseeseasonsend
Coveringachampionshipseriesmeanslongdays,latenightsandtightdeadlinesfor
newspapers.
Thefinishedproductcouldendupframedinsportsbarsacrossthecityoras
wrappingpaperforanyonewhobuysceramicsthisweekatMichaels.
TheStanleyCupandNBAFinalsendedonback-to-backnights,bothinGame6.
Here'showtheChicagoTribune,TampaBayTimes,OaklandTribuneandCleveland
PlainDealerplayedtheseason-endingwinsandlosses:
DavidHaughcapturesthescenewiththisdescriptivelead:
WithpatiencewearingthineverywhereelseMondaynightinChicagoduetoa
scorelesstieattheUnitedCenter,BlackhawksstarPatrickKanewaitednearthe
blueline.
Andwaited.ThenKanewaitedsomemore.
TheHawkshadwaitedtwoyearsforanotherchancetowinaStanleyCup.Whatwas
anotherfewseconds?EspeciallywithHawksdefensemanDuncanKeithrushing
downtheicetomakethewaitworthwhile.
KeithskatedintotheHawks'offensivezone,andKanesetuphistirelessteammate
withtheperfectpassbetweentwoLightningdefenders.Firingarocketthatbounced
offtheleftpadofgoalieBenBishop,Keithfollowedupbyknockingthereboundpast
Bishop'sgloveatthe17-minute,13-secondmarkofthesecondperiod.
Thehornblared,thecrowdof22,424exhaledloudlyand"ChelseaDagger"played
afterKeith'sgoalthatservedas,well,thedagger.Itseemedonlyfittingthatthe
game-winnerinalegacy-defining2-0victoryovertheLightningcamefromKeith,
whoplayshockeythewayteenagersuseiPhones—withoutworryingaboutthe
minutesthataccumulate.ThebestplayerfortheHawksthispostseasonshouldbe
theonerememberedmostforwinningthebiggesthockeygameinthecitysince
1938.
41
TomJoneswritesaboutthememorableLightningseasonthatcouldn'tquitestrikea
title:
OnedaytherewillbetimefortheLightningtoperformtheautopsyonthe2015
StanleyCupfinal.Onthatday,theLightningcandissectwhatwentwrong,howthe
serieswaslost,everythingitmighthavedonedifferently.
Butnowisnotthattime.
Todayissimplyaboutdisappointment.It'sabouttheheartbreakofcomingsoclose
toalifelongdreamandhavingitrippedfromitshandsatthefinalmoment.It's
aboutangerandgriefandalltherottenstagesoflettingachampionshipthatwasso
closeslipaway.
TheLightningseason—oneofthebestinfranchisehistoryandoneofthemost
memorableinthehistoryofTampaBaysports—isover.
TimKawakamigetsbiblicalafter40yearsofwanderingbytheGoldenState
Warriors:
The40-yeardroughtendedwithsomanysplashesthattheWarriorsjustabout
floodedQuickenLoansArenaonTuesday.
Turneditintoamightyriver,renewingandelevatingeverythingaboutthis
franchise.
StephenCurryandhisteammatesoverflowedwithpent-upenergyinGame6,they
gushered,theywereageyserofrevelation,reliefandutterelation.
Itwasabiblicaltorrent—adeepbluedownpourofjoyandperfectjumpshots–to
concludetheWarriors’longchampionshipjourney,fromtheirlasttitlein1975
throughyearsofhorrorstothisnight.
Anditendedinheavyspraysofchampagneandshoutsofpurestsportingelationin
theWarriorslockerroom.
“It’srainingoutthere,”coachSteveKerrsaidwhenhecametohisnewsconference
inadrenchedshirtandgiganticsmile.
Thatwasafloodthatwipedawaygenerationsoffailureandsorrow.
Itwasthelastgameandthelasttimethisfranchisewilleverhavetothinkortalk
aboutachampionshipcurse.
42
TerryPlutolooksattheCavaliers'seasoninanencouraginglight:
FortheCavaliers,theNBAseasonendednotwithtearsbutwithhope.
ItendedatQuickenLoansArena,GoldenStatedefeatingtheCavaliers,105-97,in
Game6ofthe2015NBAFinals.
ItendedwiththeWarriorswinningtheirfirstNBAtitlesince1975,anditended
withtheCavsstilllookingforthefirstNBAtitleinthe45-yearhistoryofthe
franchise.
ButitalsoendedwiththeCavsbeingclosertothetitle--thanever.That'swhatI
keptthinkingwhilewatchingtheCavsinthelastfewgames.
UPDATE:ApparentlythePlainDealerreceivedbacklashforits"NotEnoughGrit"
headline.EditorGeorgeRodrigueadmitsthesyntaxwasabitoffforwhathis
newspapertriedtoconvey.
Iwishwehadsaid,"Gritwasnotenough".That'swhattheeditorwhowrotethe
headlinemeanttosay.Hewasthinkingthatgritwasn'tenoughtomakeupforthe
injuriesthatsidelinedsomeplayers,andthefatiguethatdrainedothers.Hedidn't
realize,untilhesawhiswordsinprint,thathehadsentaverydifferentmessage
June18,2015—JohnBranchon‘LostBrotherofYosemite’
TheauthorofSnowfallagainhastheInternettalkingaboutanoutdoorsystory.New
YorkTimesfeaturewriterJohnBranch'slatestdeepdivedelvesintoBASEjumping
andaniconicfigurewhodieddoingit.LostBrotherinYosemiteisnotjustatragedy
butaculturestorycoveringagrowingbutillegalactivity.BranchspoketoBackstory
aboutthestory,hisreportingprocessandhowhegotintojournalismafteracareer
atCostco.
JohnBranchaudio
June22,2015—LeeJenkinsoncoveringtheNBA
43
Wheneverydaypeoplesucceedintheirjobs,theydon'tspraychampagneontheir
colleaguesordrunkenlysing"WearetheChampions."Fewadultsexperiencethe
unbridledjoyofanathletewinningatitle.
Butwouldn'titbecooltositinonsuchaparty?
SportsIllustrated'sLeeJenkinshungwiththeGoldenStateWarriorsinaCleveland
hotelaftertheteamwonitsfirstNBAchampionshipin40years.Daysearlier,
JenkinspublishedarevealingprofileonWarriorscoachSteveKerr.Thisweek,
JenkinswillwrapuptheWarriors'runinanotherbigSIfeature.
Momentsaftergettingthatpiecefact-checked,JenkinschattedwithBackstoryabout
hislifeasanNBAwriter.
Wediscuss:
§
§
§
§
§
§
Jenkins'fly-on-the-wallreportingoftheWarriors’championshipcelebration
Hisin-depthprofileonGoldenStatecoachSteveKerr
Howhefindsdetailsthatmakehisstoriesmemorable
HisadmirationofandfascinationwithLeBronJames’lifestory(Jenkinswrote
LeBron's"I'mComingBackToCleveland"letterandthe2012SISportsmanof
theYearprofileonhim)
TheNBAreportinglandscapeandJenkins'favoritebasketballwriter
Thedifferencesbetweenbasketballandcollegebaseball,inlightofJenkins'
VanderbiltCommodoresplayingintheCollegeWorldSeries
LeeJenkinsaudio
June26,2015—Clean-shavenBobRyandiscussesaward-winningcareer
SANDIEGO—BobRyanisdonewiththemustache.Forever.
ThelegendaryBostonGlobereporterandcolumnistsportedsomefacialhairfrom
1971-1997,asseeninthe1992phototoyourright(he'stheHall-of-Famewriterin
themiddleoftwoHall-of-Fameballers).
ButevenLarryandMagiccan'tcoaxhimintosproutingwhiskersagain.
44
"Nevercomingback,"Ryansaid."I'veturnedagainstfacialhair.Nooffense....Ijust
nolongerfinditappealing.AndI'mparticularlyamusedwithbaldguyswithgoatees
andbeards—asifthey'resaying,'Icangrowhairsomewhere!'"
Sillinessaside,RyanisinSanDiegotocollectthe2015RedSmithAwardforhis
contributionstosportsjournalism.It'saprestigioushonorthatputshiminthe
companyofShirleyPovich,JimMurray,DickSchaap,FrankDefordandRedSmith—
theinitialrecipientin1981.
Ryan'scareerwiththeGlobehaslastedmorethan40yearsandcounting.He's
"retired"butstillwritesafewcolumnseachmonth.
OnThursday,RyanwilladdresstheAssociatedPressSportsEditorsatalunchatthe
WestgateHotelindowntownSanDiego.BillWaltonwillprovidetheintroduction.
Ontheeveofhisspeech,RyansatdownwithBackstorytodiscusshiscareer,how
he'dapproachbeatwritingtodayandyes,hislong-gonemustache.
BobRyanaudio
June30,2015—Mark’spicks
Rememberthoserelicscalledvideostores?
BeforeRedboxandNetflix,brick-and-mortarbusinessesnotonlyrentedoutfilms
butalsoprovidedinputfrompimply-facedteenagerswhospenttoomuchtimeon
theircoucheswithbowlsofpopcorn.
Ashelfwouldread“[Blank]’sPicks.”
Andmaybethatstranger’spredilectionswayedyoutoselectSe7eninsteadofApollo
13...
WelcometoMark’sPicks,amonthlypostinwhichI’llhighlightsomeofthe
journalisticworkI’veenjoyedfromthepast30orsodays(inthismetaphor,I’mthe
pimply-facedteenager).
45
Bynomeansisthisanexhaustivelistofallthegoodjournalismofthelastmonth.
Admittedly,it’sabitheavywithcontentfromcertainindustryleaders.Tohelp
diversifythislistinthefuture,letmeknowwhenyoufindsomethinginterestingin
July.
TheOutsideTriangle,byNicholasDawidoff(Adventure)
Thestoryseemedtobeawriter’squestofsortsbutveeredintoamoreinteresting
direction—aprofileontriple-postoffensemavenTexWinter.Plus,Dawidoffgave
usthiswonderfulquotefromMikeKrzyzewksi:“Thetriangledidn’twincrap.”
Pride.Regret.Hope,byAllisonGlock(Drama)
HopeSolo'sdomesticviolenceissuesarecomplex.Sowasherupbringing.This
featurekeepsthereaderoffbalancewhiletryingtounderstandapolarizingfigure.
TheBestMovieBaseballPlayerEver,byDanWorthington(Action)
ThisEmoji-illustratedtournamentstruckanostalgicchordwiththischildofthe90s,
andI'mabitsurprisedithasn'tgoneviral(thehypotehticalmatchupsare
generatingfewerthan3,000votesapiece).Don'tworry,Worthington—Iabsolutely
lovethis!
Baseballmoviesreignedinthe90s,andcharacterslikeRick"WildThing"Vaughn
andBenny"TheJet"Rodriguezmadethemsparkle.Thismaynottouch
Worthington'sbrilliantNCAATourmamentEmojis,butit'sstillabigwinner.
No-NoRegrets,byPhilTaylor(Drama)
Often,thebesttimetocoverastoryisafterthedusthassettled.Armedwith
perspectiveandtimeforreflection,thecentralcharacterscanbetterarticulatewhat
46
happenedandhowitaffectedthem.Taylorwaitedthreeyearstowriteaboutthe
nightthatchangedJohanSantana'slife.Santana'scomposuregivesthisbaseball
tragedyahappierending.
SirBartonEasilyWinsBelmont(Epic)
InhonorofAmericanPharoah'sTripleCrown,Idugupthisstory,coveringthefirsteverhorsetowintheKentuckyDerby,PreaknessandBelmontStakes(nobody
calledthetrifecta"TripleCrown"in1919).
"Vociferouswerethegreetingswhichwelcomedthenewthree-year-oldchampionas
hereturnedtothestandwhereCommanderRosswaswaiting,bubblingoverwithjoy,
toshakethehandofLoftusandplayfullypathispeerlessthoroughbred."
Eaton,Colorado,LivesandDieswithBaseball,byBenjamin
Hochman(Adventure)
Hochman'snine-partseriesonbaseballinColoradohasbeenwonderful.Inning
threeismy(andHochman's)favoritethusfar.IttakesustothetinytownofEaton,
whereahighschoolbaseballpowerhousepossessesbigskillsandstorybook
traditions.
LeBronJames'UnfathomableWorkload,byTomHaberstroh(ScienceFiction)
AnybodywatchingtheplayoffswonderedifLeBronJamesisreallyacyborgsent
fromspacetodestructbasketballteams48minutesatatimewithoutrest.Even
scientistscouldn'tgrasphisphysicalachievements,consideringthecircumstances.
AttheWomen'sWorldCup,aMementoPlayersareStuckWithandStuck
To,byJulietMacur(Action)
47
Seeminglysoinnocuous,rubberpelletsinfieldturfserveastheprotagonistofthis
drollcolumn.Frompersonalexperience,evenreporterswhohavecoveredgamesor
practicesonthisturffindtheirshoeslitteredwithblackbeads.
Pandamonium(Comedy)
Ifyouwanttolaughyourselfsenselessthinkingofhowyou'ddescribethisstoryto
yourgrandmotherorsomebodystuckin1996,readaboutPabloSandoval's
Instagram-fueledbenching.So...anoverweightbaseballplayernicknamed"Kung-Fu
Panda"gotintroublefor"liking"aphotoofanattractivewomanwhilehesatonthe
toilet,phoneinhandduringaballgame?
Inotheramusingnewsthismonth,Sean"Diddy"Combsusedakettlebellasa
weaponinaUCLAworkoutroom.LosAngelesTimesreporterZach
Helfandsummedupeveryone'sincredulity.
LostBrotherinYosemite,byJohnBranch;
SteveKerr:TheWarriorsRingmaster,byLeeJenkins
Wecoveredtheseearlierthismonthindetailedpodcastswiththewriters.Thanks
toJohnandLeeforparticipating.
July1,2015—BleacherCreatures
BillEichenbergertotteredwithhisiPhoneashetriedtosendatextatbreakfast.
Untilrecently,heusedaflipphone.He'sadmittedlybehindthetechnologycurve.
"It’safascinatingmarriage—meandBleacherReport,"Eichenberger,the
company'sspecialprojectseditor,said.
48
WhenyouseeBleacherReporteditoryouprobablythinkofa20-something
computerwhizchasingthenextpageview.TheSanFrancisco-basedcompanyis
knownforgamingtheSEOsystemand"dumbingdowntheweb"withclick-bait.
Butinthelasttwoyears,B/Rhasimproveditsjournalisticcurbappeal.Ithired
formerNewYorkTimeswriterHowardBeckandothercrediblereportersin2013.
AnditbeganitsLongformsection,headedbyEichenberger,61,arespectedveteran
printguywhospentnineyearsatNewsday.
Eichenberger,basedinNewYork,sayshehastheresourcestomakewritinghires,
butanyonethecompanybringsinneedstobesomeonewho"blowsusaway"with
theirtalent.
Fornow,thelonefull-timeLongformwriterisLarsAnderson.Hespent20yearsat
SportsIllustrated,workedhiswayupthemastheadfrominterntoseniorwriterand
thentookabuyoutbeforejoiningBleacherReport.
“TwentyyearsatoneplaceisalongtimeandIwantedtowritedifferentkindof
stories,”saidAnderson,whomostlycoveredcollegefootballandNASCARforSI.
Thenewdigsallowhimtowrite4-5,000-wordstorieshebelieveshecouldn’thave
doneatSIbecausethere’ssomuchcompetitiontogetintothemagazine.
Italsogiveshimaplatformtoreachanup-and-comingaudience.
AndersonteachesasportswritingclassatAlabama,andwhenheaskedhisstudents
wheretheyacquirenews,“theoverwhelmingmajorityofthemsaidBleacher
Report.”
“It’sanexcitingplacetobebecauseyoucanreachsomanyeyeballs,”hesaid.
Thissection'sworkisundeniablyquality,thoughstillgearedtowardanarrow1824demographic.Eichenbergersaidhegreenlightsjust10percentofwriters'story
pitches.Storiesmustappealtoayoungcrowd.NFL,NBAandcollegefootball—in
thatorder—attractthetargetaudience.
It'sanaudienceknownforitsimpatienceandfast-changinghabitsforconsuming
media.
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It'sEichenberger'stasktogivethese"millenials"contentthat'ssogoodtheycan't
putitdown.
THELAWRENCEPHILLIPSSTORY
Andersonlikesstoriesthat“shatterperceptions.”
Hismostrecentarticle,onNFLflameoutLawrencePhillips,doesjustthat.Itoffersa
sympatheticviewofPhillips,whoisthesuspectedkillerofhisprisoncellmate.
AndersonisfromLincoln,NebraskaandcoveredPhillips’celebratedcollegecareer.
WhenAndersonheardnewsofPhillips'prisonincidentinApril,hedidn’t
immediatelyknowhe’dwriteanythingaboutit.Butwhenhemadeaphonecallto
theprison,hefoundthesituationhadbeenunderreported.
Nobodyhadcalledtheprison.FewknewitwasjustPhillipsandDamionSoward,the
victim,inthatcell.MorereportingmadeitostensiblethatPhillipsactedinselfdefense.
Andersoncouldn’tlandajailhouseinterviewwithPhillipsbutstillwantedtobring
inhispastwiththeplayer.Hesaidusedfirst-personspeechtoaccomplishthat.
“Ithinkitgivesyoumoreflexibilityasawriter,aslongasyoudon’tovercookitand
overwriteitandyouhavereportedoutopinionsandanalysis,"Andersonsaid."If
youestablishyourcredentialsonthesubject,Ithinkit’sausefulliterarytechnique.”
WhenAndersonfiledthestory,hethoughtitwasjustaverage.
Accordingtothewebsite,it’sgarneredmorethan985,000reads.
July2,2015—DetailingtheLongWalk
WilliamBrowningwalkstwomilestoworkeverydaybutneverhikes.
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Hewandereddeepintothatworldforhislatestfeature,ALongWalk’sEnd.The
storyfocusesonJamesT.Hammes,wholivedsixyearsontheAppalachianTrailasa
friendlyhikernamed“Bismarck”beforetheFBIarrestedhiminMayforlarge-scale
embezzlement.
DramaunfoldsasBrowningprobeshowawantedmancanbecomeinconspicuous
inthe“don’task,don’ttell”cultureofhiking.
Thestorychecksinatnearly10,000wordsonSBNation’sLongformsection
(headedbyGlennStout,whoeditstheannual“TheBestAmericanSportsWriting”
books).
Browning,themanagingeditorfortheCommercialDispatchinColumbus,
Mississippi,stumbledintothestorywhenahikerfromhistownbecamekeyin
findingHammes.Browningwroteaboutthishikerforhisnewspaperbutwantedto
furtherpursueHammes’complexlife.
Hedidn’tseeitasasportsstory,butStoutgreen-lithimtowriteitforSBNation.
Browninginterviewedroughly30people—allbyphoneoremail,asidefromthe
initialhikerfromhistown.Hespentamonthreportingandwriting,hesaid,all
whilecontinuingtogettoworkat5a.m.forhisdayjob.Hesaidhegotoffthe
clockbetween3:30and4andthenbeganpoundingthephonelines.
“Alotoflatenights,”BrowningsaidfromhisofficeThursdayafternoon.
What’simpressive,givenBrowning’sremotereporting,istheamountofdetailhe
packsintothenarrative;weknowexactlywhatoutfitHammes'deceasedwifewore
onthecouple’sfirstdate.
“Justalittlebitofadetailcanaddapersonaltouchandmakeitrealtoreaders,”
Browningsaid.
Thewriter’soneregretisneverreachingHammes’mostrecentgirlfriend.Hesaid
othersinthehikingcommunityrefusedtopassalonghercontactinformation
becausetheywantedtoprotecther.
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Browning’sfirstphonecallwenttoalittleinninalittleVirginiatown.Andthat’s
wherethestorybegins.
OnaSaturdaymorninginMay,2015,agroupoflawenforcementagents,theFBI
amongthem,knockedonthefrontdooroftheMontgomeryHomesteadInnin
Damascus,Virginia.Theproprietor,aretiredkindergartenteacherwholivesacross
EastLaurelAve.fromtheinn,happenedtobethereatthetime.Shedoesnotknow
forsurehowmanyagentswereontheinn’sporch.Sheguessesthreeorfour,though
herhusbandtoldherlateranothermanwaspositionedatthebackdoor.
ReadtherestofBrowning’sstory,ALongWalk'sEnd
July3,2015—Mid-inninginterviewwithBenjaminHochman
BenHochmanistakingbaseballfansthroughthestateofColorado,oneinningata
time.
He'snowfourpartsintohisseries,"NineInnings,"whichisenliveningTheDenver
Postwhilethecity'sbaseballteampredictablylanguishesinlastplace.
Thefirstinningisabouthowablindcoupleenjoysbaseball.Thesecond
inningfeaturesaNigerian13-year-oldwhorepresentsasmalldemographicinthe
sport.Thethirdinning—ahomerun—divesintoEaton,Colorado,asmall-town
powerhouse.
Inningfour,publishedafterourconversation,detailsthelifeofan81-year-old
baseballplayerandiswritteninthestyleoftheOldManandtheSea.
OnthepodcastHochmanandIdiscuss...
§
§
§
§
§
HowHochmanusessocialmediatofindsources
Whattypesofstorieshe'stryingtotellforthisseries
Improvandstandupcomedy(Hochmanevenhumorsmewithalivestandup
bit)
Morefacialhairtalk(shoutouttoBobRyan)
AhiddengemburgerjointinCharlotte
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Apologiesiftheaudioissoftinspots.Hochman'spersonalitystillmakesthiswortha
listen.
BenHochmanaudio
July8,2015—AWorldCupveteran
TheWorldCuplastsamonth,soStevenGoffpacksforaweek.
Don'tworry,TheWashingtonPostsoccerwriterknowswhathe'sdoing:hejust
returnedhomefromhis10thWorldCup,datingbacktothe1994men'seventin
America.
Limitinghimselftoabigsuitcase,asmallerbagandacomputerbaghelpshimstay
mobile.WorldCupsarespreadacrossentirecounties,unlikethe17-dayOlympics,
whicharetypicallyconfinedtoacityorregion.Goffmakesthemostofhisclothing,
laundersthemifneeded.“Thebluejeansgetalotofwearandtear,”hesaid.
CoveringaWorldCupisallaboutlogistics.
ThislastoneinCanadawasabiteasierthanmost.Nomassivetimechange.No
languagebarrier.
Butaccesstoplayersandcoachescausedmorelogisticalplanning.
Goffestimatesroughly25peopleformedthecorereportinggroupthatcoveredthe
U.S.women'steamthroughout.TheUnitedStatesSoccerFederationmadecoachJill
Ellisavailabletothemediaafewtimesperweekandgaveaccesstoacoupleplayers
aftereachpractice,Goffsaid.Lockerroomsareclosedtothemedia.Writerstendto
writeaboutthesameplayers,becausethat'swhosequotestheypossess.
Andthenthere'sthe"mixedzone,"apost-gameavailabilityareawhichGoff
describedas"warfare."
Playerswalkthroughadesignatedareawithmediamembersstandingbehinda
barrier.Reportersaskplayerstostop,andplayerscanchooseiftheywanttoornot
(HopeSolowasaperpetual"no").
53
"Sometimesyou'retalkingtooneplayerandotherplayerswillpassthroughand
you'llmissthem,"Goffsaid."It'sascramble.It'swarfareinthemixedzone.You're
jockeyingforpositiontotalktosomeone,you'retryingtofigureoutthebestspotto
lineupagainsttherailingtograbsomeone.It'sachallenge;it'sanadrenalinerush
goingintoamixzone.Yousweatalot."
Here'sapairofstoriesGoffproducedfromhismonthattheWorldCup,along
withhiscommentsonthem.
ProfileonU.S.coachJillEllis
Goffaudio#1
GamestoryfromthechampionshipagainstJapan
Goffaudio#2
July10,2015—7marathons,7continents,7days,lotsofClifBars
Amanransevenmarathonsinsevencontinentsinsevendays.
KrisSchwartzwastheretodocumentmostofit.
SchwartzproducedESPN’s“SCFeatured”storythatairedSunday.It’sabouta
bombasticEnglishmannamedTedJacksonwhohasanoperavoice,adadbodanda
tongueforjunkfood.Heneglectsphysicaltrainingbutstillpledgestorunmorethan
180milesinoneweek.
Thestorybordersonabsurd.Atonepoint(whentheprotagonistcurls5-pound
weightswithadevioussmileandthencallshimself“woefullyunprepared”),this
viewerwonderedifitwasaSiddFinch-esquehoax.
“Icaneasilyseethat,thewayitcameacross.”Schwartzsaid,beforeassuringmeit
wasreal.Eventually,weseeamoredeterminedsideofJacksonashetriesto
completetheWorldMarathonChallengealongsideadozenmoreseriousrunners.
54
LastNovember,ESPNreceivedanemailfromcharityorganizationprofilingJackson,
aninterestingcharacterattemptinganinterestingexercise.ESPNspentfourdaysat
themanorwherehelives—renownedreporterJeremySchaapjoiningonthethird
dayforinterviews.
SchaapguidesviewersthroughJackson’sambitiousfeatfromAntarcticatoChileto
FloridatoSpaintoMoroccotoDubaitoAustralia.
Jacksonappearstobebreakingdownphysicallyandmentallybetweenmarathons
No.4and5.ESPNinvestedagoodchunkofmoneytotellthisstory.Woulditbe
squashediftheprotagonistfailedtofinish?
“Therewerediscussions—ifTeddoesn’tmakeit,whatdowedo?”Schwartzsaid.
“Sayhestopsafterthethirdorfourthone—dowefollowsomeoneelse?”
Schwartzlearnedcompellingstoriesfromothercompetitorsandthoughtabout
includingtheminthepiece.
ButSchwartzwasconfidentinJacksonfinishingallsevenmarathons,especially
afterhearingJackson'smindset:“Hewouldenvisionachildwhoneedshelpandif
youdon’tgettohim,he’lldie,”Schwartzsaid.
ESPNjoinedupwithJacksonduringthethirdofsevenmarathons.Itskippedthe
firsttwolegstosavemoney,andinsteadusedfootagefromJackson’sGoPro,aswell
asfilmfromanothercameramanwhotapedtheentirecircuitforotheroutlets.At
theendoftherun,alocalcrewshotvideoforESPNinAustralia.
Schwartz,themostconsistentpresenceforESPN,wasthereforfivedaysinfive
continents,constantlytrackingJackson’sprogress.
AnESPNveteranof17years,Schwartzsaidthiswasn’tthemostgruelingstoryhe’s
everworkedon;he’sfacedmorepressurizededitingsituations.Itdidrequirenonstopmovinganddecision-makingtogethimselfandhiscrewintherightspots
alongeachrace.
Hesaidheslept15hoursandsubsistedonadietofClifBars,bananas,Gatoradeand
airplanefood.
55
“Wedidn’thaveamealuntilwesatdowninAustralia—wedidn’thaveamealata
table,”Schwartzsaid.“Thatwasagoodrealizationofwhatwehaddoneinthose
coupledays.”
Watchthestoryhere
July13,2015—Research,‘mesearch,’andguitarlicks
mesearch|noun|carefulstudythatisdonetofindandreportnewknowledge
aboutsomethingthatinterestsyou
AlessonfromaUCDaviscommunicationsclasshasstuckwithMichaelGehlkinashe
triestogenerateinterestingstoriesonhisbeat.
"Research=Mesearch"
Ifsomethinginterestsyou,lookintoit.There'sagoodchanceitwillinterestothers,
too.
Gehlkin,the28-year-oldChargersbeatwriterfortheSanDiegoUnion-Tribune,
foundfascinationduringaroutineinterviewwithoffensivelinemanJoeBarksdale.
ItresultedinthismelodiousfeatureaboutBarksdale'sguitarchops.
GehlkindeftlytogglesbetweenBarksdale'sfledglingguitarskillsandhis
developingNFLcareer.Thestorypacksinformation,descriptionandasuspense
thatkeepsthereaderwantingmore.
ChasingJimiHendrixbeganwitha$90acousticguitar,notahowitzerbuthey,stilla
guninJoeBarksdale'shand.Heabsorbedthebasicsofmaintenanceandtuning,E-AD-G-B-E.Helearnedaboutmarkerdots,frets,scalesandbarchords."SevenNation
Army,"asimpleWhiteStripesriff,wasthefirstsongheplayed.
Barksdalenolongerownstheacoustic.
56
Eventually,Gehlkintransitionsfromguitartofootballbydrawingadefinitive
connectionbetweenthetwo:"Barksdaleisaquicklearner.TheChargersknowit
now."
WhenthewriterchattedwiththeChargers'linemanlastmonth,thetwotalked
mostlyaboutBarksdale'stransitiontoanewschemewithanewteam.Barksdale
mentionedhishobby,andhisquicklyimprovingproficiencyatit,andGehlkinsawa
connection—fastlearnerbothonthefieldandwiththestrings.
Gehlkinknewhewasontosomething.BecauseifGehlkinwasareader,he'denjoya
storyaboutamillionaireathletecominghomefrompracticeeverydayandtryingto
shredlikeHendrix.
Aftertheinterview,Gehlkinimmediatelyphonedhiseditor,ToddAdams,andcalled
anaudibleonapreviouslyplannedfeature.
Hearhimtalkabouthisphilosophyonstoryselection:
Gehlkinaudio
TheBarksdalestory,tome,isfarmoreinterestinganddigestiblethanaschematic
breakdownoftheplayer'son-fieldrole.
Itshowspersonality.Itsmemorable.It'llmakemethink,"Hey,that'stheguywith
theguitar,"wheneverIhearBarksdale'snameduringaChargersgamethisseason.
Andthewritingiscrispandtopical.
Usingsonglyricsinstoriescanoftencomeacrosscheesyorforced.ButGehlkin—
playingoffBarksdale'sfirstname—pulleditoffwithasubtletouch.
BarksdalecametoSanDiegotoearnastartingjob,andhe'sputinthehours.Offthe
clock,hesitsinahotelroom,practicingaloneorreceivingguitarlessonsonSkype,
chasingtheghostofaguitaristwho,twodecadesbeforehisbirth,calledhisname.
Hey,Joe.
Whereyougoin'withthatguitarinyourhand?
57
Thetakeaway:explorestoriesthatinterestyou.Lookformeaningfulconnections
betweenathletes'hobbiesandthesportstheyplay.Andifa300-poundlinemanis
trainingtoplaylikeHendrix,bagyourpreviousfeatureideaandgodosome
mesearch.
July24,2015—SportsIllustratedwriterreliesonnotes,notquotes
Serenaisnoteverybody’scupofEarlGrey.
Thatlinedidn’tfindahomeinL.JonWertheim’smostrecentSportsIllustrated
magazinepieceonWimbledonwinnerSerenaWilliams.Infact,Wertheimisabit
sheepishtoseeitscribbledinhisnotebook.
Butthatnotebook—filledwithinterviews,observationsandwordplay—isthekey
toWertheim’swritingprocess.
ThenotebookgoeseverywherewithWertheim.Andwhenit’stimetowrite,the
notebook—ratherthanawordprocessor—storesthereporter’sentirefirstdraft.
Everyparagraphisitsownpage.
Thestorybecomesatangiblepuzzlereadyforreordering.
“BythetimeIturnonmylaptop,it’sbasicallyatypingexercise,”Wertheimsaid.
It’saprocessthatbestallowsWertheim,hardlyaludditeatage44,toorganizehis
thoughtsfordeep,texturedstoriesliketheWimbledonreview(notyetonlinebut
availableinlastweek’sSportsIllustrated).
Becausethemagazineoftencomesoutthreeorfourdaysafterabigevent,SI’s
storiesmustbepackedwithintriguinganecdotes,analysisandturnsofphrase.
TheEarlGreylinemighthavelackedbite,buthowaboutthisone?
“SerenablitzedSharapovayetagain,pushinghercareerrecordinmajorsemifinals
toaridiculous25-3.Anditpushedherhead-to-headrecord(foot-to-backside
record?)againstSharapovato18-2.”
58
That'swordplaythatworks,andaddscharactertowhat'sotherwiseaparagraphfull
ofstatistics.
Wertheim’sstrategyistosimplyreportasmuchaspossible—tofillthatnotebook
withenoughdetailsthatanunexpectedresultwon’tsubmarinehisstory.
So,atonepointduringtheweek,hedecidedhe’dtalktoSerena’ssister.NotVenus,
butlittle-knownIshaPrice.ThatconversationwithPriceunearthedananecdote
thathelpedWertheimdevelopthethemeofhisstory.
PricementionedSerenawantedtowatchthePixarmovieInsideOut,which
WertheimactuallysawwithhischildrenthedaybeforeleavingNewYorkfor
Wimbledon.ThewriterwasabletoconnecttheplotofthemovietoSerena’s
accomplishmentofhandlingherrangeofemotionstowinanothertitle.
Asthemagazine’sleadtenniswriter,WertheimhascoveredjustabouteverySerena
angle.Butthiswasanewone.
AllthequotesWertheimusedinthestoryareshortandpunchy.Ofthetotal2,500
orsowords,only93werepartofquotes(andjust33quotedwordsfromSerena).
That’snotbyaccident.Itkeepsthestorycomingatafastpace.Anditsparesthe
readerofplatitudes.
It’dbetooironictoquoteWertheimexplaininghisdisdainforquotes,sohere’sthe
audiofromourconversationonthetopic.
JonWertheimaudio
That’sgoodadvicetowriterswholeantooheavilyonsoundbites:reportfor
information,notquotes.
IaskedWertheimforotheradviceforyoungwriters.Heinstructedthemtotake
riskstodifferentiatethemselves.Andhesaidonecanneverdotoomuchreporting.
That’swhyjournalistscarrythosenotebooks,afterall.
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July28,2015—BostonGlobe’sHall-of-Famecoveragestandsoutforits
variety,exclusivity
LikeavintagePedropitchingperformance,theBostonGlobewhippedoutitsentire
arsenaltocovericonicRedSoxstarterPedroMartinez’sHallofFameinduction.
Thisarrayofcontentservedthereaderswellfortworeasons:
§
§
Itexperimentedwithalternativestoryforms(interactivegraphics,animations
andvideos)togoalongwithdeepfeaturestoriesandnostalgiccommentaries.
Considerablelong-termplanningresultedinexclusiveandinterestingcontent.
Aprojectofthisscopewouldnotbepossibleifwhippedtogetheraweekorevena
monthinadvance.SotheGlobebeganayearago.
Martinezwasagoodbettomakethe2015class,andtheGlobe'seditorsknewthey
hadtoprovidesubstantialcoverageonsuchabelovedfigure.Sotheybegan
planningnotlongafterlastsummer’sHallofFameinduction,accordingtosports
editorMattPepin.
RedSoxbeatwriterPeteAbraham,nationalbaseballwriterNickCafardo,columnist
DanShaughnessyandseveraleditorsmettospitballideas.Becausetheybeganthe
game-planningsoearly,therewasnoneedtofinalizeanydecisionsbeforedigesting
andrefiningthoseideas.
TheGloberolledoutsomecontentinNovember,whenballotsrevealedMartinezas
partofthefour-manclass,andthenabunchmoreinthespringandsummer.
Twooftheirstandoutpiecescomeinuntraditionalstoryforms.
§
TheGlobedetailedthestep-by-stepprocessoffoundry-workerscreating
Pedro’splaque.Hearingthesculptordescribeherstrategyandseeingfactory
workerspour2,000-degreebronzecreatesmemorablemomentsandapassalongfactorforreaders.Thepaperreceivedexclusiveaccesstothisprocess,
withtheplaque-makingcompanyevenadjusteditsproductionscheduleto
accommodateit.PepincoordinatedallofthisinMarch.Again,planning.
§
ThisinteractiveofPedro’spitchesisjustplaincool.Theillustrationswere
createdfromphotosandvideosofPedrogrippingaballandpitching,which
makesthemquiteaccurate.Alltheinformation—fromtheillustrationtothe
graphs—issimpleenoughtodigest.
60
PepinsaidtheGlobewantedtoavoidduplicatinganystories,butwasn’tafraidof
fatiguingitsaudiencewithcontent.
“Idon’tthinkwecouldoverplaythisstorybyanystretch,”Pepinsaid,notingPedro’s
popularity.
AsfarasthisBoston-bornfanofthePedroeraisconcerned,theyplayeditjustright.
CraigBiggiocoverage,HoustonChronicle
Biggio,unlikePedro,neededthreetriestoreachtheHallofFame.Buthisinduction
wasequallybiginHouston,whichneverbeforesawaplayerwearanAstroshatto
Cooperstown.
ThehometownHoustonChroniclesucceededintacklingalltheanglesthatmade
Biggiomemorable—his3,000-plushits,hispositionswitch,hispinetar,his
relationshipwithJeffBagwellandmore.
SportseditorReidLaymancesaidthatcooperationwiththeadvertisingand
productionstaffshelpedtheirspecialsectionactuallymakemoney.
Ifthere’sonedrawback,theChronicle’sdigitalofferingsweren’tasrobustasthe
Globe’s.Laymance(aformerGlobestaffer)admitted“thatwassomethingweshould
havedonebetteron.”
Whydidn'tthatpartpanout?
Forone,Biggioisn’tasdynamicaplayerorpersonasPedro(quietlystroking
doubles,Laymancenoted,doesn'thavethesameappealasaPedrostrikeout).Also,
BiggioneveragreedtositdownforavideowiththeChronicle.
Still,everythingtheChronicledidforprintlookssharpontheweb,andit’s
organizedinaneasy-to-navigatesection.
RandyJohnsoncoverage,ArizonaRepublic
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TheArizonaRepublic’sstrategydifferedabitfromthehometownpapersofthe
otherHallofFamers.Sure,AZCentralprovidedplentyofcontentonRandyJohnson
(thefirst-everDiamondbackelected),butthesection'sbigfeaturestorywaspartof
abiggersummerseries.
SportseditorMarkFallersaidheandhisstaffdecidedtorunfourdeep-divefeatures
thissummer—theslowestpartoftheirsportscalendar—ongoliathsportsfigures
inArizona:Johnson,formerGM/ownerJerryColangelo,CardinalscoachBruce
AriansandCardinalswidereceiverLarryFitzgerald.
Theprojectwashatchedattheendofthefootballseasonandapprovedbytheend
ofwinter.ThatgaveD-BacksbeatwriterNickPiecoroenoughtimetoreportoutthis
thorough“BigUnit”featurewithouthavingtoeverleavehisbeattomeetwith
sources.
JohnSmoltzcoverage,AtlantaJournal-Constitution
Coveringthe2015HallofFameceremony,withJohnSmoltzjoiningbaseball’scool
kids’club,wasquitesimplefortheAJC—atleastrelativeto2014.
Considerthis:lastyear’sHallofFameclassincludedTomGlavine,GregMadduxand
BobbyCox,allenteringthehallasBraves.ItincludedJoeTorre,whoplayedand
managedtheBraves,andTonyLaRussa,whoplayedforthem,too.Italsoincluded
FrankThomas,whogrewupinGeorgia.
“Itwaseasierforusthisyear,insomerespects,”AJCsportseditorRayCoxsaid.
OnelessonCoxlearnedfromlastyearistogetstartedoncoverageassoonasyou
can.WithSmoltzanobviouschoice,theAJCbeganplanningroughlyayearago.
MuchofitscontentwaspracticallyfinishedbyMarch.
Coxsawsuccesslastyearwithfirst-personpiecesthattappedintonotablefigures’
memoriesoftheHallofFamers.SotheAJCbroughttheideabackforthiswell-done
piece,whichgathersrecollectionsfromteammates,coaches,opponentsandfriends.
CirclingbacktowhatmadetheBostonGlobe’scoveragesocompelling,this
storyworksbecause:
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§
§
It’spresentedinthemostlogicalwaypossible—insteadofstuffingallthese
anecdotesintoatraditionalnarrative,itgiveskeyfigurestheirspacetospeak.
Plentyofplanningwentintomakingsureitwasreadywhenitneededtobe.
July29,2015—Reportingwithoutaccess:HowKentBabbfoundoutabout
ChipKelly’swife
Whenafamousfootballcoachlivesastrangelyprivatelife,andwhenpublicrecords
reveallittlemore,findingChipKelly'sex-wifebecomesyour"whitewhale."
That'showWashingtonPostsportsfeaturewriterKentBabbexplainedhisquestto
uncoverfresh,revealingdetailsaboutKelly,thePhiladelphiaEagles'boldbut
secretiveheadcoach.
[Spoileralert:UnlikeinMobyDick,Babbsucceededandlivestotellaboutit.Read
hisarticleonKellyhere]
Babb'saccountisoneofpersistenceandindustriousness.Itshowsthatthereare
otherwaystogetastorywhenthemainsourceandhisoldfriendswon'ttalktoyou.
Itstartedwitharumor.
Babbbeganreportingafootball-centricstoryonKelly.Thecoach'smysterious
personalityquicklybecamemorecompelling.WhensomeonementionedthatKelly
mighthaveoncebeenmarried(afactthatfliescountertopreviously
believed/reportedinformation),Babbwentdigging.
"MySpideysensewasgoingoffthathemustbehidingsomething,"thewritersaid.
Thisisthepartwherewehashoutwhetheritmattersifafootballcoacheverhada
wife.
Itdid,Babbreasoned,becauseofwhatthatrevealedaboutthecoach,whose
personaisofapigskin-madbosstoofocusedonXsandOstocommunicateproperly
withhisplayersorthemedia.Itdid,Babbreasoned,becauseKelly'sconcealingof
thatinformationtoldussomethingabouthim.Plus,ifBabbcouldspeaktoa
potentialex-wife,hecouldlearnevenmoreaboutwhatmakesthecoachtick.
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First,hehadtofindoutiftherereallywasanex-wife.
FriendsofKellyrefusedtotalktoBabb.
BabbcalledaspokesmanatOregon,whereKellyusedtocoach.Nohelp.
BabbtriedtoacquireamarriagerecordfromNewHampshire,whereKellyalso
coached.Thestate,accordingtoBabb,doesn'tmakerecordsavailabletojournalists
unlessthere'sa"compellingreason."AfeaturestoryonChipKellydidn'tqualify.
Almostreadytogiveup,BabbcheckedabioofKellyinanoldNewHampshire
Wildcatsmediaguide.
A-ha.
Thereitmentionedhisthen-wife,Jennifer,whoeventuallybecamethekey
componentofBabb'sWashingtonPostfeature.
OnceBabbfoundoutabouther,itwaseasyforhimtofindhercontactinformation
throughapublicrecordssearch.Andaftersomeexpectedskepticism,sheagreedto
talk.
JenniferJenkins'storiesarewhatbindsBabb'sfeature.Sheoffersinsightsabout
Kellythatwouldbetoughtoacquireelsewhere:Hewasshyasa25-year-old.He
readself-helpbooks.Hishyper-focusonfootballWASN'Tthereasontheygot
divorced.
"Thisstorycouldnotbea'Gotcha,he'smarried,'andthat'sthewholestory,"Babb
said."Becausebeingmarriedisn'tthatbigofadeal."
OnetrickypartformetoreconcileisthatnobodyeveraskedKellypoint-blank
whetherhewasevermarried.(Thefactthatitwasn'taskedweakenstheargument
thatKellyisactuallyconcealingsomething.)
Babb'sresponsetothatconcernisthatKellyneveranswerspersonalquestions,and
ifheaskedKellyonthefirstdayoftrainingcamp,itwouldturnintothetypeofTMZ
"Gotcha"momentheaimedtoavoid.Babbwasfairenoughtosubmitmultiple
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interviewrequeststhroughtheEaglesandindicatewhatinformationhefound.The
Eaglesnevergrantedhimaninterview.
Thisisn'tnewforBabbtowriteaboutsomeonehedoesn'tgetachancetointerview.
LastmonthheprofiledHillaryClintonandreleasedabookwithuncooperative
formerbasketballstarAllenIverson.
ThatIversonbookmadeBabbabetterresearcherandorganizer.Anditvalidatedfor
himthat"justbecauseyoudon'thavecooperationdoesn'tmeanyoudon'thavea
story."(ListentoBabbdiscussthebenefitsofreportingwithoutaccess)
KentBabbaudio
DuringhisconversationwithJenkins,Babbknewhefoundhisleadorendingwhen
theex-wifementionedinpassingthatshetraveledtoKelly'sfirstgameasanNFL
coach.Babbwasawareenoughinthatmomenttopivotandbegindrillingdownon
detailsofthisaccount.
That'showgoodreportersareabletogeneratedescription-packedleadslikethis:
OnaMondayafternoonnearlytwoyearsago,awomaninhermid-fortiessettled
intoalongMetroride,DupontCircletoLandover,boundeventuallyforFedExField.
¶JenniferJenkinshadn’tbeentoanNFLgamesinceshewasalittlegirl,football
makingsomuchnoiseduringonepartofherlifethatforalongtimeshetunedit
out.ButthisdayinSeptember2013wasdifferent:ChipKellywascoachinghisfirst
NFLgame,hisPhiladelphiaEaglesplayingtheWashingtonRedskins.¶Kelly,51,
coachesfootballinawaythatcallsattentiontohimself,buthekeepsmuchofhislife
off-limits.Eventheprofilesthathavebeenwrittengivelittlesenseofhimawayfrom
thefield,apartfromtheoccasionalmentionofhowheisalifelongbachelor,
seeminglymarriedtothegame.¶Wearingneitherteam’scolors,Jenkinsreachedthe
stadiumthatafternoonandanoldfriendfromhernativeNewHampshirepusheda
ticketintoherhand.Shefoundherseatnearthe50-yardline,behindthe
Philadelphiabench,surroundedbythehopeful,thejeeringandthecurious.¶A
whilebeforethegame,shepulledouthercellphoneandsentatextmessagetothe
Eagles’rookieheadcoach,themanwhohadbeenherhusbandforsevenyears.
August2,2015—Mark’sPicks,July
65
Ifyoumissedmypostfromlastmonth,thisisaspotwhereI’llhighlightsomeofmy
favoritepiecesofcontentfromthepast30ishdaysandtrytoexplainwhatmakes
themsing.
Asalways,ifyouseeastorythatjumpsoutatyou,pleasepassitalongeitherby
email(markrselig@gmail.com)oronTwitter@MarkRSelig.
AbsurdButTrue:SafecoFieldFansLoveTheMariners'HydroRaces,byJayson
Jenks
Duringavacationlastmonth,Iwenttoanamusementpark,andcameupwitha
millioninanequestions:What’sthebestridetooperate?Whodecideshowtoload
theFerrisWheel?WhenwillDippinDotsbecometheicecreamofthepresent?
Ilovestoriesthatanswersillyquestionsyoumightconsiderbutputdownwithout
furtherthought.
“Whydosomanypeoplecareaboutasimulatedraceonascoreboardbetween
innings?”
HydroracesaretheSeattleMariners'versionoftheracingpresidents,sausagesor
condimentsyouseeatotherballparks.Jenkswrites,
Inthelandof$11seatsandcoldRainiers—aplaceotherwiseknownasthecenterfieldbleachers—Ifoundaspotdirectlyunderneaththescoreboardacoupleweeks
ago,meaningthatbythetimethehydrosroaredinthesixthinning,Icouldn’tsee
thescreen.AllIcoulddowaswatchpeoplewatchingtherace.
Nottobetooscientificaboutit,butpeoplewereactinglikecompletebanshees.
Actually,hedoesgetscientific,explaininghumans’needtopicksidesandtheir
propensitytoactcompetitivelywheninacompetitiveenvironment.
Iwishthearticleincludedavideoofarace(availableonYouTube),butotherwise,
thestoryansweredallthosefleeting,innocuousquestions.
66
GoneBabyGone:BostonTellstheOlympicstoGetBent,byCharlesPierce
Whensportsintersectwithpolitics,manyfanstuneout.InthecaseofanOlympics
bid,wegetfarmorepoliticsthansports.
CharlesPierce,legendarysportsandpoliticswriter,doesusallafavorbydelivering
theupshotofthesmotheredBostonOlympicsbid,andhedeliversitas
entertaininglyanddigestiblyaspossible.
TheproximatecauseofwhathappenedwasthatnewgovernorCharlieBakerand
newmayorMartyWalshwerenotraisedasfoolsbytheirrespectivemommas.
That'sasentencethatanybodycancomprehend.
AmirJohnson’spathtoBoston,byRachelG.Bowers
StickinginBoston,here'sanalternativestoryformthat'ssmartinitssimplicityand
regardforthereaders'needs.
TheCelticssignedaforwardnamedAmirJohnson.Celticsfanslikemewanttoknow
moreaboutMr.Johnson.
Insteadofatypicalnewsstorywithalead,nutgraphandsomebackground
information,thisbulletedpieceprovidesusinformationthemostefficientway
possible.Itdoesn'treekofjournalism;itjustprovidesinformation.
Someofthebulletsarebasic(age,stats,quotesabouttheplayer)andsomearefun
(aphotoofJohnson'scrazyhaircut,avideoofhimbuyingandhandingouthundreds
ofDrakealbums).Andaftergoingthroughthispiece,Iammuchmorefamiliar
withtheCeltics'newacquisition.
TheBattle,byRichClune
IsthePlayer'sTribune"journalism?"That'sdebatable.
67
ButtheDerekJeter-foundedwebsitedoesprovidemanyvaluabletakeawaysfrom
itsfirst-personmissives.
Itgivesavoiceandaplatformtoathleteswho'drathertelltheirownstoriesthan
havethemtoldforthem.
RichClune,ahockeygoonandreformeddrugandalcoholabuser,givesrawdetails
inhisstoryonthePlayer'sTribune.Whilewe'relosingoutonalayerofverification,
hearingtheplayertellastoryfirst-person,insomecases,canbemorepowerful.
“Istartedgoingoncokebendersthatwouldlastfordays.Ilost14poundsovera
summer,andthejigwasup.Myfamilysatmedownforanintervention,andI
couldn’tbullshitmywayoutofitanymore.Iwillneverforgetthelookonthefaces
ofmytwoyoungerbrothers.Iwasliketheirherogrowingup,theirbestfriend,the
leader.AndIcouldseeitintheireyesthattheywerelegitimatelyafraidofme.”
RashardMendenhall:TheRealPlayerBehind'Ballers,'ByMen'sJournal
Whilewe'reonthetopicofempoweringathletesandtheirvoices...howaboutthis
story?
InapostwithJonWertheim,wediscussedthevalueofwritingwithoutquotes,
especiallywhenyoursubjects'quotesarefilledwithplatitudes.Butintherare
instanceswhenyoursubjecthasaverystrongandpossiblycontroversialopinion,
it'ssmarttogetoutofthewayandlethiswordscarrythestory.
Mendenhall'sperspectiveissointerestingthatthewriterdoesn'tneedtodressup
thestory.
DefyingTimeandSpace,byDanBarry
Ancompellingsubjectwilltakeastoryalongway.
DanBarrychoseNewYorkMetspitcherBartoloColonforadeep-divefeature.And
whowouldn'twanttoreadabouta42-year-old,285-poundpitcher?
68
Thereisn'tatonofpreviousliteratureonColon,givenallhe'saccomplishedduring
hislong,many-citycareer.
SeeingColonplayathisageandsizeisalmostfunny.Hismisadventureswiththebat
arefrequentsubjectsofmemes.SoBarryhadfunwiththisarticle,presentingdoubt
aboutColon'preciseageandsize,andcomparinghimtoErnestBorgnineandFred
Flintstone.Thestoryeventuallyturnsmoreseriousandgivesusaglimpseofhow
Colonachieveshisseeminglyunlikelysuccess.
DeAndreJordan'sRoundTrip:HowClipsStarDissedDallasforL.A.Return,by
RamonaShelburneandTimMacMahon
Itwasadayworthyofa30for30documentary.Exceptnowwedon’tneedone.
DeAndreJordan’sfreeagencyU-turnandthe“hostagesituation”inhisHouston
homenearlyblewuptheInternetlastmonth.Itwas“ThebestTwitterdayever,”If
onlyitwasn’t“thebestdayinInternethistory.”
Thefollowingweek,ESPN’sRamonaShelburneandTimMacMahondeliveredan
opusrecountingalltheeventsbehindthescenes.
ThereportersputusinabarwithBlakeGriffin,ChandlerParsonsandMarkCuban.
TheytakeusouttosushiwithParsons,Cuban,DirkNowitzkiandJordan.Fromthe
contentofFacetimemessagestotheexperiencesonapartybus,thearticlepacksa
tonofdetail.
Rebuildingthesescenesrequiresdeepaccesstothekeyplayers.ESPNscoredbig
pointswithitssourcinginthisstory—gettingCubanandParsonstonotonlytalk
buttorecreatenow-painfulmoments.
ThoughJordandidn’tcommentbeyonda“Talklater?”text,thestorywasableto
capturehismindsetthroughoutthefreeagencyprocessbytappingintosources
insideJordan’scircle.
69
MarkCuban’sInbox,byJustinHalpern
Quitegimmicky,butthisfakeMarkCubaninboxhadmeLOL-ing.
ALongWalk'sEnd,TheEatonReds,Football'sMostIntriguingFigure,IsAlso
It'sMostUnknown
ThankstoWilliamBrowning,BenjaminHochmanandKentBabbfordiscussingtheir
craftwithmeinJuly.
August4,2015—ProductiveprocrastinationhelpsTimGrahamnailfeatures
TimGrahamcanwrite4,500bewitchingwordsatatimebuthestillgetsshy
abouttheinitialplungeintothepool,sotospeak.
"Actuallygettingstartedtowriteisjustgrueling,"theBuffaloNewsenterprise
reportersaid.
Tocombathisdread,Grahamemployswhathecalls"productiveprocrastination."
Insteadofwriting—andyes,hetypicallywriteshisstoriesinonesitting,afterhis
wifeandkidshavegonetosleep—Grahamwillmakethreemorephonecallsor
headtothelibrarytofindapertinentbookhe’syettoread.
Notonthetypeofdeadlinesthatbeatreportersconfront,Grahamhastheluxuryto
researchanddevelopdeepfeaturesthisway.
Hisjobcomeswithitsownsetofpressures.
“Ihavetohithomerunseverytime,”Grahamsaid.
Todothat,Grahamobsessesoverhistopics.
Heobsessesoverstories'preciseframing.Heobsessesoverwhomtouseassources.
70
“I’mthinkingaboutitallthetime,”Grahamsaid.“It’sonmymind.Itcomestoapoint
whereI’mdreamingaboutit.Layinginbed,andrightbeforeIfallasleep…”
He’llwhipouthiscellphone,openthenotesapplicationandkeyinanotereminding
himselfofanotheravenuetoexploretomorrowmorning.
Herackshimselfinhopesofachievingageneralgoal—totellstoriesthatpresent
curiositiesthatreadersdidn’tknowtheyhad.
Graham’slatestfeatureonBuffaloBillbustAaronMaybinisagoodexampleofthis.
Inthemicrosense,thestoryisaprofileonMaybin,andwhattheretired27-year-old
isnowdoing.Morebroadly,it’saboutfalseoptics:Thoughthousandsofpeople
resentMaybinforblowingoffacareerthey’dlovetohave,itdoesn’tmeanMaybinis
disappointedwithhiscurrenthand.
GrahamvisitedMaybininBaltimoreandspokewithhimonthephoneseveraltimes.
Herealizedthattheformerlinebacker'struthwasn'tquitewhatmostangryBills
fansassume.
Graham’sledebothintroducesustoMaybin’sfootball-replacingpastime(art)and
servesaspoignantsymbolismforabigger-pictureidea.
BALTIMORE–TherecomesatimeinAaronMaybin’sartisticprocesswhenheneeds
toscrutinizehiscanvas.Inacluttered,paint-splatteredstudio–onthefirstfloorof
histhree-storyrowhouseinthecity’sgentrifiedCantonneighborhood–Maybinwill
pacethiswayandthat.Hewillsquint,cockhishead,evenclimbhalfwayupthe
staircaseinsearchofafreshperspective.
Rightaroundthen,MaybinwilltakeadeepdrawofmarijuanafromaBlack&Mild
cigarortokefromoneofthebongsscatteredabout.
“WhenIlightoneup,”Maybinsaid,“I’musuallyfiguringoutwhatmynextmoveis.It
helpsyouseeyourvisionfromadifferentangle.”
Maybin’sstrongopinionsandsurprisinglysympatheticstorieskeepthereader
investedinthispiece.
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Initially,Maybindeclinedaninterviewrequest,butseveralemailslater,hegavein.
Asyoucantell,MaybinallowedGrahamdeepaccessandkeptverylittle—noteven
illegaldruguse—off-limits.
Graham,whousedtocovertheDolphinsforthePalmBeachPostandthenESPN,is
developinganationalreputationinthejournalismcommunityasawriterwhocan
knockfeaturesoutofthepark.
That'swhathedidwiththisstoryonbrain-rattledBillslinebackerDarrylTalley.
Andthat'swhathedidwithaJuneprofileofnewBillscoachRexRyan.
GrahamvisitedRyan’smotherinasuburbanLasVegasretirementcommunity,and
toldthestorythroughhereyes.Manyreporters,whenwritingaboutRexRyan,talk
tohisfather,whowasalsoacoach.It'sthelow-hangingfruit.
TurnsoutmomwastheonewithallthefascinatingstoriesoftheRyansgrowingup,
likehowRexandRoboncesharedcontactlensesonthebaseballfieldandhowthey
oncedrunkenlyfoughtoneanother,leadingtoanarrest.
WhenGrahamknockedonDorisRyan'sdoorandsatdownwithherforan
interview,heaskedthe80-year-oldmomhowmanyreportersshe'dhosted
throughouttheyears.Grahamwasthefirst.
AsGrahamhasshownus,procrastinationcanleadtotheideathatleadstoDoris
Ryan'sdoorstepandatreasureofvaluableanecdotes.
August6,2015—SoyouwanttowriteforGrantland?
Wakeupearlyeverydaywithnopromiseofpay.Bustyourbutttohoneyourcraft.
Findtimetoworkonstoriesbetweenotherjobs.Andcrossyourfingers.
That’snottheonlyroutetoemployment.Butit’sagoodroadmapforfreelancers
whoseeksomethingmorepermanent.
72
It’showJordanRitterConnlatchedonwithESPN’strendysportsandpopculture
site.
Aftergraduatingwithamaster'sdegreeinjournalismfromCal-Berkeley,Conn
freelancedforthreeyearsbeforeGrantlandhiredhimasastaffwriterin2013.
Duringthosethreeyears,lifewasfarfromcushy.TopaylivingexpensesintheSan
FranciscoBayArea,hecoveredhighschoolfootballfortheubiquitousPatchmedia
corporationanddidcopywritingforawebsitehedescribedasa“Groupon
knockoff.”
"Honestlyitwasprettybrutal,"Conn,30,saidoftheworkload.
Heknewhewantedtowrite"longform,"though,andknew,athisageand
inexperience,freelancingwasthemostdirectpathtothoseassignments.
ConnconsidershisbigbreakastoryonformerbasketballplayerManuteBol.He
wroteitfortheAtavist,whichpaidhim$5,000plushalfofallsales(thesitesells
storieslikee-books).Thestorydidn'tsellwell,andConnburnedthrough$3,000
justtoreportinSudan.
Hisprofitdidn'tmatchhishours,buteditorsbegantonoticehischops.
Hereceivedbetterfreelanceassignments,executedthem,andreceivedafull-time
offerfromGrantland.
"Youhavetobeaself-starter,"Connsaidofnavigatingthefreelanceworld."You
havetomakearoutineforyourselfeveryday.Youhavetofindawaybalancethe
stuffthatpaysthebillswiththestuffthatyou'repassionateabout."
Conn'sroutinewastowakeupby7a.m.,andworkonhispreferredstorieswhilehe
wasfresh.He'dsavethemonotonous,bill-payingworkforlater.Hemadesurethat
hespentsometimeeverydayonthosemeaningfulstories,"soyou'renotlosing
sightofwhyyou'reinthisridiculous,poorlypayingfield."
Hisadvice:Lookforplaceswhereyoucandoambitiouswork,andlookforeditors
whocanhelpmakethatworkbetter.
73
(Andifyouwantadviceonhowtopitchafreelancestorytoaneditor,checkoutthis
How-TofromBerkeleyjournalismprofessorJenniferKahn,Conn'sadvisorfrom
gradschool.)
---
NowthatyouknowabitaboutConn,youshouldreadhismuch-discussedstory
fromlastweek—"Potsdam'sNightmare:WhatHappenedtoGarrettPhillips."
It'sahigh-dramamurdermysterywithcomplexlegalimplications.Connreportedit
offandonoverthepastyearandsiftedthroughhundredsofdocumentsto
synthesizethestory.
Still,“it’simpossibletoknow,atthispoint,alltheevidencethatexists,”Connsaidof
theongoingcase.
Tosortthrougheverythingandstayorganized,ConnusedthesoftwareEvernote,
whichmakesPDFssearchableandallowsfornotesandhighlights.Whenanelement
ofadocumentjumpedouttohim,hemadeanoteofit,andlaterpieceditintothe
skeletonofhisarticle.
Connsaidhetypicallydoesn'tliketograntanonymityorconductoff-the-record
interviews,butallowedhimselfforastorylikethis.
Sometimesyouneedsilentsourcestosteeryouintherightdirectionwhenthevocal
onesaredividedandhavesomuchatstake.
Andsometimespotentialsourcesneedabitofurgingtotalk.Whenthat'sthecase,
Connwilloftenshowthesourcehispastwork—likeafreelancerprovingtoan
editorhe'sworthy.
"ItellthemI’mgoingtowriteastorythat’strueandfairandcomplex,andit’sgoing
tohavenuance,andit’sgoingtohavecontext,"Connsaid."Icanpromisethemallof
that,andcan’tpromisethemthey’lllikewhatI’llwrite."
August11,2015—Anoralhistoryofanoralhistory
74
Twentyyearsago,whenprofessionalsoccerwasatinynichetoAmericans,agroup
ofpeopleslappedtogethertheMLSwithaboutasmuchformalityasyour$50
fantasyfootballleague.
Theybastardizedtherules.Theydiscussedusingbiggergoalstoattractmorefans.
Theysignedoffonlogosanduniformsthatnowappearfoolishlygaudy.
MajorLeagueSoccerwassopeculiarduringitsfirstseasonthata"MelrosePlace"
actorusedrunfromtheTVshowsettosoccerpractice,andhewouldn’ttellthesoap
opera’sproducersthathewasintheleague.
SportsIllustratededitorAdamDuersonwantedtocapturethesetypesofstoriesin
SI'sannual"WhereAreTheyKnow?"issue.HeassignedsoccerreportersGrant
WahlandBrianStraustointerviewseveraldozenkeyfiguresfromtheMLS'
inauguralyear,andthenthereporterspassedthebatontodigitaleditorAlexander
Abnostocompileanoralhistory.
Thefinishedproductisrichwithfunnyanecdotesandunbelievablerecollections.
Duerson,StrausandAbnosexplainedtomewhyanoralhistorywasthebestwayto
tellthestory,andhowateamcanpulloffthatstorystructure.(Wahl,theother
reportercouldnotbereachedforcomment).
Here'sanoralhistoryofhowtheymadetheiroralhistory.
ADAMDUERSON(SportsIllustratedsenioreditor):TheSuperBowlhappens
Feb.2nd.Feb.3rdIstartworkingonthisissue.AndbymiddleofFebruaryIhopeto
haveastorylistoutandpeopleworkingonthings.Sothisisprobablythefirstthing
Iassigned.
BRIANSTRAUS(SIsoccerwriter):GrantandIandAdamDuersonjuststarted
comingupwithnames.Youstartwithpeopleyouknow,andyoustartwithpeople
whoit'snothardtogetaholdof.Andthenyoustartworkingbackwardandlooking
atmediaguidesandlookingtoseewhowasinvolvedwiththeleagueandwiththe
clubsandwiththefrontoffice....Wecameupwithalotofnames,50or60maybe.
DUERSON:LooseBallsisthisoldABAoralhistory,andtomeithadalotofparallels
witheverythingI'veeverheardaboutthefirstyearofMLSinthatitwasvery
75
upstart.[TheMLS]didn'trunasuper-tightship,theywerereallyfiguring
themselvesoutcomparedtoalotofthingsyouwerewatchingonSportsCenterat
thetime—itprobablyfeltalittlebushleague,whichisafarcryfromwhatit's
becomenow.
ALEXABNOS(SIdigitaleditor):Somuchofwhat'scoolaboutthoseearlyyearsare
thestoriesandtheexperiences.Likepeoplesaying,'Ican'tbelievetheMLSwasa
leaguethatdoesthis,thisandthisandtheyactuallyusedtofunctioninthisway...By
doinganoralhistorywewereabletokeepasenseofdisbelieffromthepeoplewho
areactuallytellingthestory.
STRAUS:Ithink,oftentimes,writerscangetinthewayofastory.Iseealotof
writers,especiallyrecently,evenputtingthemselvesintothestory,makingitfirstperson,talkingabouttheirexperienceandhowtheyinteractwiththesubjectmatter.AndIthinkoftentimesthat'sabitclumsy.Removingthewriterand
allowingthepeopletospeakforthemselvesandallowingtheirwordstotellthe
storyunfilteredisrefreshing.
DUERSON:BrianandGrantdidalltheinterviewsandAlexcompileditalltogether.
Sohereallyneededtoreadeverything.
ABNOS:Alltheinterviewshadbeendone.IbelieveIhadtwo,maybetwoandahalf
weekstopullitalltogether....Grantgavemetranscriptionsforallofhisinterviews
straightup,word-for-word,everythingthatwassaidintheinterview.AndBrian
gavemeselectsofhis....Idon'tknowhowmanypages.Inthehundreds.
STRAUS:Theseconversationscouldlast45minutestoanhour.You’rejogging
people’smemories,you'reminingfordetails.You'reaskingthem'Ohtellmemore
aboutthetimeyouhadabarbecuewithCarlosValderrama.
...It’slikeanyotherinterview…Thebasicstrategyforaninterviewisknowwhatyou
wanttogetoutofit,don’tjustgoinunrehearsedorwithoutalistofquestionsor
topicsyouwanttotouchon.AndIthinkthebestinterviewsforanystory—and
especiallyastorylikethis—theybecomeconversations.Theydon'tbecome
76
Question-Answer-Question-Answer.You'rereminiscing,you'reshootingtheshit,
you'retellingstories.Ideallyitsoundslikegive-and-takebetweenfriends,andthat's
howyougetthebeststuff.
ABNOS:TonothavedonetheinterviewmyselfwasahugechallengebecauseIdon’t
haveamentalrecordofhowtheconversationswent.Literally,theonlythingIhave
isthetranscriptionsinfrontofme...I’mbasicallycomingintoitcompletelyblind.
STRAUS:Hereallydidtheheavylifting.Youwanttomakeitlooklikea
conversation.Youwanttoimaginethatthese40peoplearesittingaroundareally
bigroom,eatingpizzaandtalkingshitabout1996andlaughingtheirheadsoff.It
wasAlex'sjobtoreallycreatethatimpression.
DUERSON:[MyadvicetoAlexwasto]clearoutsometimeonyourschedule.Be
preparedtoreadalot.Ifit’sme,I’mpullingoutthoselittlesticky,color-codedpage
indexthingsandabigfathighlighterandspendacoupledaysgoingthroughallthe
stuff.
ABNOS:Ilookedatit,actually,alotlikeputtingtogetheraradioshow....Youhave
someleewaytowhereyoucanjumpinasahostandsaysuchandsuchathing.But
really,whenyou'reworkingasaradioDJandyouwanttodoabig,longradio
feature,inactuality,thestuffthatyourecord,theinterviewsaregoingtocarrythe
flowofthepiece.
STRAUS:Hisjobwasmuch,muchharderthanours.Ican'tstressthatenough.Igot
tohaveconversations,andthenIhadtospendacouplehoursfixingcommas.What
Alexhadtodo—toturnthatintosomethingthatwasreadable—wasHerculean
andawesome.He'snotgettingnearlyenoughcreditpubliclyfortherolehedid.
ABNOS:Ijustkindofwingedit.Ithoughtaboutitinchunks.Ithoughtaboutitlike:
Bigover-archingtopics;formationoftheleague;findingtheplayers;playingthefirst
game;playingthefinal;andthenoverallreflections.
STRAUS:Thereweresomelaugh-out-loudmomentsinthatpiece.
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ABNOS:ItdidmakemelaughoutloudthesecondthatIreadit:[D.C.United
president]KevinPayne’srecollectionofseeingtheTampaBayMutiny'slogoforthe
firsttime.
KEVINPAYNE:Itoldthem,"Idon’tgetthis[TampaBay]‘Mutiny’.What’swiththe
symbol?”Theysaid,“Oh,it’samutantbat.”Okay,whatdoesthathavetodowith
Mutiny?“Youknow—Mutiny,mutant.”Isaid,“Thosearetwodifferentwordswith
completelydifferentmeanings.Theyjustsharesomeletters.Whatareyoudoing?”
ABNOS:WhenIreadthatquote,whenBriansentitalong,Iactually,literallydid
laughoutloudatmydesk.AndIstayedlaughingforfiveorsixminutes.AndIjust
said,'Well,Iknowthat'sgoingtobethesignaturequoteofthepiece.'
STRAUS:Whatmakesstorieslikethisstandoutisthedetail.It'sthegranular,
significantstuffthatpeoplerecall.
Theproblemwastheyacquiredtoomuchofthisgooddetail.AndAbnosdidn't
wanttokillanymorebabies.
ABNOS:Theprocessofcuttingitdownisamazing.That’swhenIlostallperspective.
Iwasintoodeep.Ididn’tknowwhatwecouldaffordtocutorwhatneededtobe
cut,becausetomeeverythingwasessential.
DUERSON:There'sthedigitalversionandthenthemagazine.IfIhadtoguessoff
thetopofmyhead,Ithinkthey're3,200wordsandcloseto6,000words.....You've
gottoturnyourbrainasaneditorto'WellknowIonlyhavethissizebox,I'vegotto
cramitintohere.Whatcango?'Andthatwasareally,reallypainfulprocessbecause
there'ssuchgoodstuff.
ABNOS:Idon'tknowhowDuersonwasabletogetitdowntofitinthemagazine.
Thereweretwoversionsofthepiece...AdamDuersonhelpedcutdownthat8,500
toaround3,500or4,000.Ihavenoideahowhedidit.
DUERSON:Attheverybeginningitwas'Whatabsolutelyhastobehere;whatcan't
wetakeout?Andthenyoujuststartkillingtheseamazinglittleanecdotesand
arguingwithyourselfforahalfanhourover'DoIcutthesetwointotwo,whittled
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down,barebonesanecdotesorkeepthisoneatitsfullbrilliance?'Andthat'sreally
notanyfunatall.
ABNOS:Itwaskindofacrazy,compressedprocesstoputthatwholethingtogether,
reallywithnotmuchtime,butI'mreallyhappywithhowthepiececameout.I'm
reallyhappywiththewaypeoplerespondedtoit.
August13,2015—Diagnosinganoutbreakof‘nocomment’
Story:TheBatDoctorIsIn,ByRickPaulas,SBNation
Whenwould-besourceswon’twanttotalktoyouforastory,youmightbeonto
something.
RickPaulasranintothatproblem—orsolution—whenheinvestigatedillegalbat
doctoringinslow-pitchsoftballleagues.Arecreationalplayerforthepastdecade,
Paulasconsistentlyheardrumblingsaboutsuchnefariousactivity.Butwhenheput
onhisreporter'scapandleftmessageswithpeoplewhomighthaveinsight,their
responseswerecurious.
“Theweirdpartwasn’tthattheydidn’trespondorkindofcold-shoulderedmeat
all,”Paulassaid.“Theyrespondedandsaidthatthey’renotgoingtotalk.Itwaskind
ofthisweirdareawhere,clearlytheywantedtosaysomethingorclearlytheywere
proudofsomething.Itgavememoreofafeelingthattherewasnotonlysomething
todigthere,butyouknowyou’llendupwithsometypeofgold.”
WiththehelpofInternetmessageboards,Craigslistandanespeciallyhelpfulsource
ondeepbackground,Paulaseventuallygottotheinsideofthisnetherworldwhere
softballplayersshafttheiropponentsbyusingbatsunfitforcompetition.
Readthestory:it’shilariousinitsabsurditybutseriousinitspotential
consequences.
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Toldinthefirstperson,thestoryrevealsmanyelementsofthewriter’squest.
Sometimesthatstrategycomesacrossabitself-important,butitworksinthispiece
becauseitaddscriticaldetailssuchasthelengthspeoplewillgotoproduceandbuy
thesebats(andthemeasurestheytaketoconfirmareporterisn'tasnitch).
Paulas’first-personaccountalsoaddshumor.Herampeduptheridiculousby
comparingthistoWatergate—hisgo-tosourceis“DeepOut”—andputting
himselfinthecrosshairsofasillyscandal.
“Youcanonlyhavesomuchexcitementtalkingaboutthespecificsofsoftballbat
doctoring,”Paulassaid.“Especiallyforthis,whatheightenedthestakesofitbeinga
storyworthtelling,isthatpeoplearetryingtoobstructthetruthinaway.”
Paulasalsousesfirst-persontohelpexplaintheimportanceofrecsoftball,because
it’sanimportantpartofhislife,too.
Paulassaidwhenhereportsalongfeature,he’lltalkitoutwithfriendstobetter
grasphowexplicitlyhe’llneedtoexplaineachelementtothereader:
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§
§
§
§
§
“Here’swhatitmeanstoplaysoftball...
Thenthere’sthisundergroundelement...
Herearethewaystheycheat...
Thisiswhyit’simportant,becauseit’sdangerous...
Thisiswhyit’sdangerous...
Andherearetherules...
“Ijustkindofbuilditbyspeakingthestoryoutabunchoftimes.”
WhenPaulas,afreelancer,pitchedthisstorytoSBNation,thetopicwasthe“bat
wars”ofthe90s,whencompaniesracedtocreatethelightest,strongest,bestperformingbatonthemarket.AsPaulasdoveintohisreporting,thatangleturned
intoasectionofwhatbecameamoreintriguingnarrative.
AndagreatconversationstarterformyTuesdaynightbeerleague.
Guysonmyteamoftenjokeaboutopposingteams’batsbeing“corked.”Truthfully,
corkwoulddoverylittletoenhanceatitaniumbat.Butit’spossibleteamsaretaking
othermeasurestodoctortheirsticks.
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MaybeI’llask.Andifpeopledon’twanttotalkaboutit,well,itmightbetimetofind
ananonymoussource.
August14,2015—Hottake:GreggDoyelisareallygoodcolumnist
GreggDoyelwaslongknownasaprovocateurwhodelivered"hottakes."Mightstill
beknownasthat.
Shouldn'tbeformuchlonger.
AformerCBSSportscolumnistwho'snowattheIndianapolisStar,Doyelbeganto
resenthimselfforhiswork.Heconsideredhimself"partoftheproblem"in
journalism.
So,acoupleyearsagohetransformedintomoreofafeatureycolumnist.Hisrecent
workfortheStarhasbeenexceptionalinitsdepthandintimacy.
SeeforyourselfwithDoyel'srecentcolumnaboutapoliceofficerwholosthislegin
thelineofduty.
It'sinspiringandsuspenseful—writtenwithpacingthatmakesyousavorevery
sentence.
HowDoyelgotthestoryisthathewascurious.
ThecopworkedattheIndianapolisColts'trainingcamp,andDoyelwantedtoknow
howhisleftlegcametobeaprosthetic.Sohewalkeduptothecopandasked.Doyel
didn'tintroducehimselfasareporter,althoughhisoccupationwasprobablyclear.
"Thekeyistonothavebarriersorbeawkward,"Doyelsaid."'Hey,Iseeyourleg
there;whathappened?'"
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Thecoptoldhim.Afteraminuteofchatting,Doyelrealizedtherewasastory.He
followedupwithamoreformalrequestforaninterview.
"Idon'teventhinkaboutbeingasportswriter,honestly,"Doyelsaid."...Afterabout
twosentences,thejournalismkicksinand'Waitaminute,waitaminute—thisisa
story.'"
Doyelfoundhimselfahellofastory.Heusesasimilarprocesstofindmanyofhis
otherstories.
He'salwayscurious,borderlinenosy.
Youcan'tfakecuriosity,Doyelsays,butifyou'reajournalist,youbettertry.
Andnow,forhim,it'sallself-perpetuating.Doyelsaidhe'sreceivingmoreandmore
qualitytipsfromreadersbecausehisrecentworksuggestshemightbeinterested.
That'showhediscoveredthisstoryabouttwohighschoolfootballcoaches,playing
eachothertonight,bothinneedofahearttransplant.
DoyelchattedwithmeThursdayandhadplentymoretosay.Listentohearmore.
Herearesomeofthetopicswediscussed:
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§
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Histransitionfromahot-takeartisttoamoreprofoundreporter
Thevalueofpickingyourbattles(evenifDoyelisn'tgoodatsaying'no'toany
battles)
Howtoreportdetailforasceneyouweren'ttherefor(Doyelhasago-toquestionthat'sprovensuccessful)
Doyel'stypicalwritingprocess(alonelyroomand70smusic)
Adviceforyoungreporters(Hint:Youarenotasgoodasyouthinkyouare)
GreggDoyelaudio
August18,2015—Try30,talkto15,use8
WhenIkemefunaEnemkpalipunchedteammateGenoSmithinthejawlastweek,
JetsbeatwriterBenShpigelcanceledplanstobringhomeThaifoodforhiswife's
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birthday.HealsocanceledplanstotraveltoDetroitfortheJets'firstpreseason
game.
ThenewplanwastofindoutexactlywhoisIKEnemkpali.
ByFriday,theNewYorkTimespublishedShpigel'sprofileonEnemkpali—arare
measuredandnuancedlookatthebiggestsportsstoryoftheweek.
Shpigeltalkedtoteammatesandcoachesfromhighschoolandcollegetosketcha
portraitofamanwho'stypicallygraciousandprincipled—despiteanow-infamous
assaultcommittedforreasonsthatseem,ifnotjustifiable,atleastunderstandable
afterreadingShpigel'sstory.
Step1forShpigelwas"reachingouttoeverybodyandanybodywhomightknow
him,becauseyouneverknowwherethatleashisgonnatakeyou."
Hemadealistofpossiblecontactsandthenfiredoffemailsorsocialmedia
messagesto...
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SIDsateveryschoolwithacoachwhoworkedclosetoIKatLouisianaTech
Coachesfromhighschool
Playerswhowereteammateswithhiminhighschoolorcollege
Shpigelestimateshecontacted30to40peopleandspokewith15-18.
Hequotedeight.
Shpigel'srestraintinquotingjusteightisagoodlessonthatinterviewsarenotjust
foraddingvoicestoastory,butalsocorroboratingwhatsourcesaresaying.
Interviewing15-pluspeopleallowedShpigeltowritewithconviction,because
personafterpersonafterpersoninsistedIKwasneverabullyorathug.
Thoughheoncemighthave,Shpigeldoesn'tfeelguiltyforinterviewingpeopleand
excludingthemfromhisstories.
"Iusedtoreallyfeelthatway,"Shpigelsaid."Ifeltobligated—ifIspoketosomeone
for15minutesor20minutes,thatwastimeoutofhisdaythathegenerouslygave
tome,andIwantedtoprovetohimortoherthatIhadusedsomethingthatthey
said,anditwasn'tallfornaught.
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"…OvertheyearsI’verelaxedmyviewonthatbecausewe’rereporters,we'renot
quoters."
Ultimately,Shpigelchosetheanecdoteshebelievesaremostinterestingand
revealing,suchasIKhidingatattoofromhismotherorIKgoingtothelibrarywhile
hisbuddiesplayedvideogames.
ItwasShpigel'sgoaltopresentthesituationwithmorenuancethanmostfootball
fansinitiallyreceivedit.HeusedasimilarstrategyforastorywhenRichard
Shermanbecameahouseholdnameafterhisrambunctiousrantimmediately
followingthe2014NFCtitlegame.
ThemorepeopleShpigeltalkedto,themoreconfidenthewasinhisthesis.Evenif
somesourcesremainedanonymousviathewriter'svolition.
August19,2015—Managingtheall-consumingbaseballbeat
MajorLeagueBaseballbeatwritersdon’tgetmuchleisuretime,soDerrickGoold
wakesupearlyandwatchesPhineasandFerb.
“It’sawesome.It’sfantastic.It’soneofthebestcartoonsever,”Goold,theSt.Louis
Post-Dispatch’sCardinalsreporter,saidoftheDisneyChannelshow.
GooldisawakeshortlyafterdawnnotexclusivelybecauseofPhineasorFerb,but
becauseitmightbetheonlytimehe’llseehis9-year-oldsonthatday.
Lifeofabaseballbeatwriterisbusy,routinizedandseeminglynever-ending.Rarely
canGooldshelfhisresponsibilitiesandrelax.Ifhecansteal30minutestowatch
cartoonswithhissonbeforeschoolbegins,that’sagoodstarttohisday.Whenhe
takesanhourtovisitalocalcomicbookshoponcertainWednesdays,Gooldis
practicallyonvacation,sippingMaiThais.
Mostminutes,he’sdrenchedinbaseball.
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That’sthelifeGoolddreamedofasachild,andit’salifehe’sbecomequitegoodat
sincebeginningtocovertheCardinalsin2004.Goold,thevicepresidentofthe
BaseballWritersofAmerica,isoneofthemostrespectedscribesintheindustry.
Everyday—maybeafteracartoonwithhisson—Gooldbeginshisown
homework.Thatincludesreadingnationwidebaseballcoveragetostayinformedof
what’sgoingonthroughouttheleague,especiallywithteamscloseontheCardinals'
schedule.HealsoanalyzesSt.Louis’stats;henotestrendsandpossiblenuggetsfor
upcomingstories.
AswechattedlateonemorningbeforeaCardinals’nightgame,Gooldwasoccupied
codingphotosforablog.Soon,he’dheadtoBuschStadium,talktothemanagerand
players,reportanypre-gamenews,watchthegame,writeagamestoryfor10:15
p.m.andmidnightdeadlines,crunchmorestats,leavetheballparkaround12:30
p.m.,getsomesleepanddoitallagainthenextday.
Arecent“offday,”whentheCardinalstraveledhomefromaroadtrip,wasn’tmuch
morecalm.GooldleftMilwaukeeat8a.m.,headedforaflightinChicago.Theflight
wascanceled,whichallowedhimtimetopostablogandwritetwomorestoriesfor
thenextday’snewspaper.Hedidn’tarrivehomeuntilmidnight.
“Peopledoingsportswritinganddoingbeatworkhaveneverwrittenthismuchand
thisoften,Iwouldimagine,ever,”Gooldsaid.
Whatkeepshimgoing?
“Stupidity,”Gooldjoked.“I’mwiredforthis.IhadaprofessoratMizzoutellme‘If
youcan’twritewell,youbetterwritealot.Soyoubetterwritealot.’”
GooldaccumulatedasmanybylinesaspossibleasastudentatMissouri.After
graduatingin1997,hewrotefortheTimesPicayuneinNewOrleans(coveringLSU
football,baseballandwomen’sbasketball)thentheRockyMountainNewsinhis
homestate(coveringtheNuggetsandenterprise).HecoveredtheSt.LouisBluesfor
threeseasonsbeforethePost-DispatchmovedhimuptotheCardinalsbeat.
Thelifelongbaseballfanviewsreportinglikethesporthecovers:It’sadailygrind,
andyou’remeasuredbyafullbodyofwork—notasinglegame.Gooldknowsone
greatdayisn’tenoughtocarryhimallyear.
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HeswingsforthefenceswithhisSundayfeatures,whichmeasureoutat1,3001,500words(here’soneonsecondbasemanKoltenWong,andthesignificanceof
themessagewrittenonhisbat).
Goold’sdailyroutinesallowhimtowritedeep,meaningfulstoriesalongwithallthe
newsytidbitshe'sresponsiblefor.HerearesometipstotakefromGoold's
reporting:
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Zigwhenothersarezagging,butzag,too:Journalistswantfresh
information,butthey’reafraidofmissingoutonthenewsthepackis
receiving.Tosatisfybothsides,Gooldknowshislockerroom.Ifthere’sa
scrumaroundacertainplayer,heknowswhetherheshouldjointhescrumor
ifthatplayerhasatendencytostayabitlongertotalkone-on-one.Heweighs
variousfactorsbeforedecidingwhomhe’llinterviewandwhen.
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Beorganized:Gooldtranscribeseverythingsoonafterherecordsit.Hethen
tagsitwithkeywordshecansearchlater.Thishelpshimrecallusefulsound
biteslaterintheseason.
§
Readasmuchasyoucan:Inadditiontohisdailybaseballreading,Goold
bringsbooksonplanerides.Theymakehimcuriousbeyondbaseball,and
sometimesinformhiswriting.GooldrecentlyreadFlashBoysbyMichael
Lewis,HowNottoBeWrongbyJordanEllenbergandDevilintheGroveby
GilbertKing.NextinqueueisFourthofJulyCreekbySmithHenderson.
August20,2015—AndyMcCulloughtalksgamestories
Inthelastpost,DerrickGooldinformedusofthewide-rangingresponsibilitiesofa
modern-daybaseballbeatwriter.
Themostcentralofthoseresponsibilitiesmightbewritinggamestories.
Eachoneisachapterinthebookthatisateam’sseason.Theyshouldalludetothe
pastandforeshadowthefuture.
Gooldwritesagamerthisway.AndifwetraveltravelwestonInterstate-70to
KansasCity,there’sanotherreporterwho’smasteringtheartofthegamer.
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AndyMcCulloughcoverstheRoyalsfortheKansasCityStar.Hewritesdetailed,
scene-filledgamestoriesundertightdeadlinepressures.
Here'shisledefromSunday'sextra-inningaffairagainsttheAngels:
Themantreatsthesemomentsasiftheyarehisstage,andhisstagealone:Twoon.
Twoout.Abaseballgameontheline?TheKansasCityRoyalscoulddoworsethan
turntoKendrysMorales.
Inthefinalat-batofa4-3victoryin10inningsovertheLosAngelesAngelsof
Anaheim,MoralesdoesdidwhathehasdonemorethananyotherRoyalthis
season:Hedroveinarun.IttookasingletoleftfieldoffLosAngelesrelieverTrevor
Gott.BenZobristracedhomefromsecondbasetocompletethecomeback.Theteam
mobbedMoralesintheinfield.
McCulloughtypicallymustfilehisgamerwithinminutesofthegameending.Sohe
oftenbeginswritingitat5:30p.m.—anhourandahalfbeforethegamebegins.
It'snotidealtowriteastoryfatwithB-matter,butpre-writinghelpshimadd
contextinsituationswherehewon'tgetthechancetotalktoplayersafterthegame.
Hekeepsarunningplay-by-playstorythroughoutthegame,too.
"Readerstendtoglossoverplay-by-play,"McCulloughsaid,"soyoutrytomakeitas
vividaspossibleandyoualsotrytoprovideasmuchperspectivethatwasn't
apparenttopeoplewatchingthegame."
McCullough'sstylecameafterplentyoftinkeringforthe28-year-oldwhopreviously
coveredtheYankeesattheNewarkStarLedger.
McCulloughsaidheusedtowritefolksy,likea“bullshit,fakeJoePosnanski,”but
realizedthatwasn’thisstyle.Nowheconsidershiswriting“muscular,”withactive
verbsandimagery.
“Trytofigureoutwhothewritersareyouwanttowritelike,studywhattheydoand
thentrytomakeityourown,”McCulloughsaid.“Imitatethemuntilyousortof
figureoutwhoitisyouareasawriter.”
Here’sourfullconversationonwritinggamestories:
AndyMcCulloughaudio
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August26,2015—Comingouttomedia
DavidDenson,aprospectintheMilwaukeeBrewers'farmsystem,cameoutasgay
totheMilwaukeeJournalSentinelthismonth.Heisthefirstactiveplayeraffiliated
withanMLBteamtobeopenlygay.
VeteranBrewersbeatwriterTomHaudricourthelpedtellDenson'sstory,which
appearedonA1oftheSundaypaper.
IaskedHaudricourtseveralquestionsaboutthereporting,andheansweredthem
viaemail.Here'stheQ&A:
HowdidDensoncontactyou/yourpaper?
TH:BillyBean,MLB'sAmbassadorforInclusion,contactedmeearlierintheseason
andsaidhehadanunnamedplayerintheBrewersorganizationwhowasthinking
aboutcomingoutasgay.Wetalkedseveraltimesonthetelephoneoverthenextfew
monthsuntilDavidDensonfeltthetimewasrighttomakehisannouncement.Billy
putmeintouchwithDavidandwedidanextensiveinterviewoverthetelephone,
andfollowedupintextmessagesandemails.
Whatwasyourstrategyforreportingtherestofthestory?
TH:Basically,IjustletDavidtellhisstory.ItwashisstorytotellandIlethimdo
mostofthetalking.Then,Iaskedtheappropriatequestions.Afterthestoryranin
theJournalSentinelonSunday,Aug.16,Iwentouttotheballparktogetreaction
fromtheBrewers.
Howlongdidittakefromthetimehecameouttoyoutothetimewhenthe
paperpublishedthearticle?
TH:IdidthefirstextensivetelephoneinterviewwithDavidonThursdaybeforeit
wasprintedonSundayAug.16.Ihaddonesomeprepworkbeforehand,but
basicallyweturnedthestoryaroundinafewdays.Wefelttimewasoftheessence
andwewantedtogetitdoneassoonaspossible.ItwasquicklytargetedasanA1
storyforthatSundayandIprettymuchworkednonstoponitfor21/2days.
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Didyouhaveanyexperiencewithsimilarstories?
TH:Thiswasthefirststoryformeofthiskind.Davidwasthefirstactiveplayerin
affiliatedbaseballtocomeoutasgay,soitwasthefirstforanywriter.Ihadnot
donesomethingsimilartothisinanysport.
Whydoyouthinkhecameouttoyou(insteadofMLB.comor
perhapsOutsports)
TH:AllIwastoldisthatBillyBeanaskedforrecommendationsintheBrewers
mediatodothisstoryandwasreferredtome.Wespokemanytimesonthethe
telephoneandviamessagestogetcomfortablewitheachother,andwentfrom
there.Theywantedabaseballwritertodothis,itseemedtome,becauseafterall
Davidisabaseballplayer.
Didyou—orothermedia—knowhewasgaybeforehecameout(inthecase
ofMichaelSam,itwasnosecrettoanyonewhocoveredtheteam)
TH:NoothermediaknewaboutDavidbeinggayasfarasIknew.Earlierintheyear,
hehadcomeouttohisfamily,BrewersofficialsandhisteammatesinHelena,Mont.
Therearealotofathlete"comingout”stories,especiallyrecently.Whatdid
youtrytodotodistinguishthisstoryfromtheothers?
TH:NootheractivebaseballplayerinbaseballaffiliatedwithMLBhadcomeoutas
gay.Thatdistinguisheditfromanyotherstoryaboutathletescomingoutasgay.
Davidwasandisoneofone.
Whydidyoufeelthatthiswasanimportantstorytotell?
TH:BecauseDavidfeltstronglyabouttellingitandalsoreferto(theprevious
response)
Therearenoteammatesquotedinthestory…Didyoutrytotalktoany?Ifso,
whydiditnotworkout?Ifnot,howcome?
TH:ItalkedtoDavid'smanager.TheteamisinHelena,Mont.Ihadacoupleofdays
todothestory.Iwasn'tgoingtotrytocallaroundtoteammateswhowerebusy
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playingbaseballgames.IfeltverycomfortablethatmanagerTonyDiggs,whoI
knowandinterviewed,couldaccuratelytellmehowtheplayershadhandledthe
newsthatDavidwasgay.Amanageralwaysknowshowplayersarehandling
clubhousematters.
Howdifficultwasittowriteauthoritativelyforthisstory,consideringyou
don’toftencoverDensonasaplayer?
TH:I'vebeenaprofessionaljournalistsince1976andhavecoveredeitherminorleagueormajorleaguebaseballformorethan30years,soitwasnotdifficultatall
towriteaboutDavid.Iknewhisbaseballbackgroundandlethimtellhisstoryabout
beinggay.AsIsaid,thiswashisstory,notmine.Iwasmerelytheconduitforhimto
tellhisstory.
Whattakeawaysdoyouhavefromthisexperience?Whatadvicewouldyou
giveyourselfifyouwerejuststartingthisstoryoveragain?
TH:Iwoulddoitexactlythesameifstartingover.BillyandDavidcametome.I
waiteduntiltheywerereadytotellthestory,thenletthemdoit.Mygoalwasto
handleitprofessionallyandsensitivelyandhaveDavidbehappywithit.Afterall,
it'shislifeandhehastolivewithit,soIwantedhimtohavenoregretsabout
choosingmetodothestory.
Mymusings:Sexualityinsportsisobviouslyadelicateissue,sothesecomingout
storiesseemtoalwaysbefacilitatedbyanotherparty,andhand-deliveredtoa
specificsource.
ThesamewastrueofMichaelSamcoveragelastyear.Prettymuchtheentiremedia
corpsknewoftheformerMissourifootballplayer'ssexuality,buteveryonekeptit
private,outofrespecttoSam.Eventually,Samdecidedtoreleasetheinformation
withathree-prongedattack:anannouncementonESPN;afeaturestoryintheNew
YorkTimes;andabackstoryexplanationatOutsports.Meanwhile,UMassbasketball
playerDerrickGordoncameouttoESPNandOutsports.
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DensongivinghisstorytotheMilwaukeeJournalSentinelisararecaseofanathlete
choosingthelocalpaperoveranationaloutlet.Haudricourt'svenerablereputation
appearstobeabigreasonwhy.
Haudricourt'sstrategyto"justletDavidtellhisstory,"isadmirableandprettymuch
thenormwithcomingoutstories.ButIwonder,becausethetopicissosensitive,ifa
reporterisabithandcuffedwhenasubject—andhisrepresentation—choosesthe
reportertotellacomingoutstory.
Thestoryisyoursbecausethewetrustyou—nowdon'tblowourtrust.
TheJournalSentinelstoryincludesinterestinganecdotesthatDensonprovides
(suchashintsofmildhomophobiafromteammatesandhisfather).
Iwonderifconversationswithteammateswouldhaveallowedthisstorytobemore
transcendent.
Haudricourtletthemanagerspeakfortheentireteam,butDenson'steammates—
thepeershe'sgrowingwithasaballplayerandahumanbeing—couldhaveoffered
morecoloraboutwhatit'slikebeingaroundayoungmanwithasecret.
Especiallyinaculturewherederogatorytermsflutterintheclubhouse,asDenson
details.
August27,2015—‘SilenceatBaylor’nowathunderoustopic
Afreelancewriterreceivedatip,andlessthanthreeweekslater,itledtotangible
changeinbig-timecollegeathletics.
JessicaLutherhaswrittenmorethanadozenarticlesaboutsexualassaultsin
collegefootball,soit'scommonforhertoreceivethetypeofmessageshedidthis
month,whensomeone—shewon'trevealwho—toldheraBaylorfootballplayer
wasabouttostandtrialforrape.What'suncommonisthatshefoundabsolutelyno
informationwhensheresearcheditonline.
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Bemused,LuthercontactedfellowAustin-basedfreelancerDanSolomon,who
discoveredthefootballplayeronadocketfortrial.Thetwohoppedinacarand
drovetoaWaco,Texascourthouse,lookingformoreinformation.
Whattheyunearthedincourtdocumentsthroughoutthenexttwoweeksisdetailed
inthisexplosiveTexasMonthlyexposé,whichpromptedthetheBig12thisweekto
adoptapolicytoblockincomingtransferswhoweredismissedfromaprevious
teamformisconduct.
BaylorUniversity,itsathleticsdepartmentandthemediathatcoverstheprogram
allcomeacrossasnegligentinLutherandSolomon'spiece,whichdetailshow
defensivelinemanSamUkwuachuremainedamemberoftheBears'rosterdespitea
sexualassaultcaseinwhichhewaseventuallyprovenguilty.
ThestorypresentsrecordsdescribinghowUkwuachuassaultedanotherBaylor
athletethenightofabigfootballwin.WhentheJaneDoesoughttoavoidUkwuachu
inclassesandtutoringsessions,Baylordidnothingtoassisther.Meanwhile,the
footballprogramanticipateditsplayer'sreturntothefield.
Afterthenewsbroke,coachArtBrilestoldmediahe"likedthewaywehandledit."
ItwasactuallyBaylor'shometownpaper,theWacoTribune,thatbrokethenews,
butcuriouslylate.TheTribune'sfirststoryinformingthepublicofUkwuachu'strial
publishedthenightLutherreceivedhertip.Itwas406daysafterthefootballplayer
wasindictedontwocountsofsexualassault.
"Partoftheshockformefromtheget-gowasthattherewasnoneofthisinthe
media,"saidLuther,who'sunsureiftheWacoTribune'stipwasthesameashers.
"Assoonaswesawhisnameonthedockettogototrial,Ijustcouldn'tunderstand
howtherewasnothingaboutit."
InaneditorialaftertheTexasMonthlystoryhadcaughtfire,theWacoTribune
defendeditself,sayingtherewasnoarrestrecordandtheindictmentwassealed
(Luthersaidthatonthedayshevisitedthecourt,itwasnotsealed.)
TheDallasMorningNewsandAustinAmerican-StatesmanalsocoverBaylor
athletics.
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Perhapscollegefootballreportersacrossthecountrygettoocaughtupwithdepth
chartsandsoundbitestoinvestigatecriticaltopics.Fans'demandsforeverybitof
minutiaeontheirfavoriteteamrequirereporterstostretchthemselvessothinthey
canmissthebiggeststory.Ittookamonthlymagazinetofullyexposegross
malfeasance.
JessicaLutherneverwenttojournalismschool,hasnoofficialtraining,andadmits
she's"learningasIgo."
That'sallquiteironicconsideringthebig-JJournalismsheuncovered.Herstorygoes
deepertodocumenttherampantinattentivenesstotheissuethattookplaceat
Baylor.
Thearticleisimportantinthelandscapeofjournalismbecauseitconfidentlyheld
everybodyaccountablefor,attheveryleast,willfulignorance.
It'seasyforthereadertounderstandtheissuesatstakebecauseLutherand
Solomonturnbyzantinelegalmattersintoaccessiblefacts.
LuthersaidsheandSolomonspendmuchtimejusttalkingthecaseout,andthat
helpedthemcomprehendthesituationwellenoughtowriteitclearly.Luthersaid
herlackofajournalismdegreemakesherextracarefulinreportingbecauseshe's
cognizantshedoesn'thavetraditionaltraining.
(ShemajoredinClassicalCivilizationsandGreek/LatinatFloridaState,gota
MastersinLatinLitattheUniversityofTexas,andthenworkedonaPhDfromthe
historydepartmentbeforeleavingacademiatowrite).
Now,Luthercommandsrespectasajournalist.Sheservedasawatchdogandthe
moralcompassthatBaylorfootballcoachArtBrileswasn't.
TheBig12institutedarulebecauseofthisstory.
That'sprogress,thankstojournalism.
August28,2015—LittleLeagueabigeventforlittlepaper
EveryAugust,BenBrigandifacesasimilarbutdauntingchallenge.
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“HowmuchbubblegumpopmusicofTaylorSwiftandOneDirectioncanyoulisten
to,”heasks,“whileit’sblaringonthespeakersandyouhaveoneheadphoneinyour
ear,tryingtowrite?”
Williamsport,PennsylvaniahoststheLittleLeagueWorldSerieseveryyear,
providingtheWilliamsportSun-Gazette’ssportseditorwithmoreheadachesthan
justthosefromHarryStyles’vocals.
Brigandi’ssectionemploysfourfull-timers,includinghimself.Thesportsdeskis
taskedwithfillingasix-pageLLWSwrapthroughoutthe11-dayevent—inaddition
toafour-pagesportssection.
“Ijokethatwe’retheonlypaperinAmericathatconsiderspreseasonfootballan
afterthought,”Brigandisaid.
Inreality,ithastobeaforethought.Thecoverstoryforthepaper’supcominghigh
schoolfootballmagazinewaswrittenonMay15.Summertime,LittleLeaguetakes
precedent.
WithmosteyesonLamadeStadium,theSun-Gazette’snewsreportersassistwith
coverageofthetown’sbiggestevent.Despitetwoplanningmeetingstomakesure
everybody’sonthesamepage,theGazettedoesn’tassignmanystoryideasin
advance,Brigandisaid,becausetheteamsthatreachtheWorldSeriesare
determinedjustaweekbeforetheygetthere.
SportsreporterChrisMasse,who’sbeenwiththenewspapersince1999,saidhe
usesESPN-televisedregionalqualifierstoscoutthefieldandponderpossible
features.Healsoreadsnewspaperclippingsfromtheteams’hometowns.
Massecallscoachesanddoeslegworkonstoriesbeforetheteamsarrivein
Williamsportbecause,hesaid,oncethey’reintown,theiritinerariesarepacked.
Lastyear,MassewroteafeatureonPhiladelphia’sMo’neDavisbeforetheWorld
Seriesbegan.Itseemedlogicaltoprofilethedominantpitcherwhohappens
tothrowlikeagirl.ButevenMassedidn’tanticipateDaviswouldcompletelytake
overtheWorldSeriesintermsofnationalcoverage,despiteherteamfallingshortof
theAmericantitle.
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ItwasJackieRobinsonLittleLeagueoutofChicagothatoutlastedtheU.S.fielda
yearago.Later,theteamwasstrippedofitstitlebecauseitusedplayersoutsideits
regionalboundaries.
“Idon’tthinkit’sassweetandinnocentasit’sportrayedonTV,”MassesaidwhenI
askedwhatviewerswatchingtheLLWSdon’tsee.Theotherday,Massewatcheda
parentarguewiththeCaliforniacoachoverplayingtime.
Typically,theadultsmakingerrors.
Butwhathappenswhena12-year-oldmakesamiscueonthefield?
“Reportbutdon’tbelabor,”Brigandiusesasamantra.It’sapolicythattranscendsto
highschoolsportscoverage.
“There’snothingIcandotoa12-year-oldinprintthat’sbiggerinmagnitudethan
it’sonESPNforeveryonetosee,”hesaid.
September22,2015—Mark’sPicks(August)
Thisisthethirdinstallmentofmymonthlypicks.Itincludesstoriesthatentertained
me,gavemeabroaderideaofasubjectand,insomecases,mademethinkhow’d
theydothat?
Thismonthisheavyonfootball(andonthejuxtapositionbetweenitsinherent
problemsandourloveforit).
Scrollabouthalfwaythroughthispostforcoverageofothersports.
Whywelovefootball(Eventhoughweshouldn’t),byTomJunod
Junod,authorof9-11masterpieceFallingMan,eloquentlyarticulatesouraddiction
tofootballandwhywecan’twalkaway—evenwithallmoralforcestugginginthat
direction.Thesport'saestheticskeepimproving;theworld’stopathleteshave
broughtthegamevertical.Personally,Ican’twaittoburymyselfinNFLRedZone
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sevenhoursatatime,thoughI’llundoubtedlycringewhenaplayerwoozilywalks
offthefieldwithapotentiallydebilitatinginjury.
WhyChrisBorlandistheMostDangerousManinFootball,bySteveFainaru
andMarkFainaru-Wada
BrothersSteveFainaruandMarkFainaru-Wadaprofileamanwhowalkedaway
fromfootballafterapromisingrookieseason.ChrisBorlandisamanwhoreadtheir
book—LeagueofDenial—andwantedtostopbeforehislifespiraleddownapath
ofbraindamage.ThereportersembedthemselvesinBorland’slife,providetheman
aplatformandgivethereaderacompleteunderstandingofwhyhemadehis
controversialdecision.ESPNTheMagazinedevoted12pagestothisinitsNFL
preview.AndthenproceededtoproveJunod’saforementionedpoint:Thenext40or
sopagesfeaturedscoutingreports,whichonlyservedtoexcitefansforthe
upcomingseason.
TheConfessionofArianFoster,byTimKeown
ThatArianFosterdoesn’tbelieveinGodishardly“news.”ButTimKeownwisely
framedthisstoryasFosterbeinganoutsidertothepro-GodNFLculture.Quotes
fromfellowagnosticChrisKluweandinteractionwithdevoutChristianJustin
Forsettmakethereaderthinkabitmoreabouteachside.Kluwecomparesthe
cultureinNFLlockerroomstothatofwhiteprivilege:Thepeopleinsideitdon’t
realizeothersfeelexcluded.Makeitallthewaythroughforapowerfulendingthat
tiesthestorytogetherwiththedailyissuesweface.
NotreDamegreatTommyZbikowskiascendsfromaddictiontoredemption,
byMikeVorel
ZbikowskiwasanearhouseholdnameforhisworkwithNotreDamelastdecade.
ThenhefizzledintheNFLandfadedintoalifeasanalcoholic.Beforeallthat,hewas
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anadrenalineaddict,andMikeVorelwriteswithapacethatmakesyoufeelthat
adrenalinerush.
Hetookthepuntandburstaroundtherightedge,ablurofgreenandgold,chugging
throughaseamasthevolumecrankedwitheachpurposefulstride.Heshedhisfirst
tacklejustinsidetheUSC25,thenanotheratthe20,andanotheratthe10,
obliteratingTrojanslikeamonstertruckcrushingrowsofbrokencars.
TheHallofFamespeechJuniorSeau'sdaughtercouldn'tgive,bySydneySeau
AgreeordisagreewiththeNFL’s5-year-oldpolicytonotallowsurrogatespeakers
atitsHallofFameinduction.KudostotheNewYorkTimesfor
presentingSydneySeautheplatformtogivethespeechshewouldhavedelivered
behindalecterninCanton,Ohio.BecausetheNFL'sdecisionsparkedsomuch
controversy,theideaofSeau'sspeechwasallthemoreintriguing.
HarryEdwardsisinChipKelly'scorner,byMikeSielski
It’sacolumnist’sjobtowriteprovocativelyandprovidecontexttohot-button
issues.SielskidoesthatbyfindingaformerBlackPantherwho’ssomethingofa
counselortoChipKelly,acoachsomeplayersaccuseofracism.Thecolumn
challengesperceptions,andwithoutSielskihimselfbeingtheonewiththestrong
opinion.
Hellbent,butnotbroken,byEvaHolland
Withnarrativewritingandprettydescription,EvanHolland’sfirst-personstory
readslikeanovel.Insomeways,thereportingisabiteasierbecauseit’s
experienced;there’snoneedtointerviewdeeplytorecreatevividscenes.Buthow
didshetakenoteswhilepaddlingacanoefor58straighthours?IaskedHollandand
sheemailedmeback,sayingshebroughtawaterproofnotebooktouseduring5minutebreaks.Shecouldn’tmustertheenergytotakenotes,though,andusedthe
breakstoeatorpee.
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"WhatIdidinsteadwasrepeatdetailstomyself,inmyhead,overandoveragain—
sothingslikethebitsofdialogueIinclude,orthevariousthingsIhallucinated,"she
said."Ijustchantedtomyselfaboutthemforhoursandhours—whichwasactually
kindofuseful,storyaside,sinceonechallengeoftheracewaskeepingmymind
occupiedallthattime—andthenwrotethemdowninanotebookaftertherace
wasover."
ThewebsiteMLBcouldn'tbuy,byBenLindbergh
Afunstoryofawritergettingtotheverybottomofacuriosity.Lindberghexplains
howbaseballteamsattaintheirURLs,andwhysomecan’toutmusclesmaller
companiesforapreferredname.RollingStone'sarticleaboutSpaceJam's
websitecarriesasimilartheme.It’sworthreadingifyou’reintonostalgiaor
rudimentarywebdesign.
Theendofthehoopdream:ajourneytotheextremefringeofinternational
basketball,byJordanConn
Theprotagonistissortofajoke.He’safailingagentoflow-wattageplayers.Helacks
self-awarenessanddecorum.Hewon’tgiveuponthiscareerthat’sgivenhim
nothing.Connisn’trudebutalsotellsthestoryasheseesit,unafraidtopaintthe
agentasnaive,ifnotfoolish.
ThemissedshotthatwasMasterP’scareer,byThomasGolianopoulos
There’snonewshookhere,butit’ssmarttocirclebacktoatimewhenrapper
MasterPtriedoutfortheNBA.Thearticleprovidesreportsfrom12scoutstogive
usanideaofPasaplayer.Thiswasmorethanapublicitystunt.
It’sfuntoimaginehowmuchpublicitynewslikethiswouldgarnernowadays.I
wouldhavelikedasectioninthisstorythatdelvedintopublicperceptionandhow
mediacoveredMasterP’sbasketball“career."
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StarTribune'sAmeliaRaynoaddsherownstorytoTeaguescandal,byAmelia
Rayno
Raynobravelywritesaboutbeingsubjectedtoinappropriatetextsfromanathletics
directorshecovered.TheAD—Minnesota’sNorwoodTeague—wasfiredamid
complaintsofsexualassault.Raynodidn’tcomeforwarduntilafterhisfiring.
Readingherreasonsoffersplentyofperspective.Asamale,itmadememoreaware
ofthepotentiallyawkwardsituationsfemalesportswritersencounter.Itmakesme
wonderhowI'dhandlethem.
September3,2015—JerryBrewertriestoestablishhimselfagainatthe
WashingtonPost
SportscolumnistatTheWashingtonFrickin’Post.
It’sajobtitlethousandsofsportswriterswouldgivetheirrightandlefthandsfor,
andthenlearntotypewiththeirnoses.
JerryBrewerlongwantedthatjob,butwhenthe37-year-oldlandeditlastspring,he
froze.
Howdoesawriter,evenanaccomplishedone,thrivewithoutinstitutional
knowledge?
After81/2yearsatTheSeattleTimes,BrewertransitionedtoTheWashingtonPost
andplummetedfromexperttonovice,losingmuchofwhatheestablishedoutwest.
"Itwasthehardestthingintheworldforme,”Brewersaid.“Iwasfightingit,man."
Brewerhadmovedbefore—fromPhiladelphiatoOrlandotoLouisvilletoSeattle—
butneverspentmoretimeanywherethanathislaststop,wherehebuiltcredibility
asthevoiceoftheEmeraldCity’ssportsscene.
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InWashington,he’sjustanothervoice,onethathasn’texperiencedtheRedskins’
gloryyearsorstruggles.Onethathasn’tlivedthroughtheplayofffailuresofthe
Capitals,NationalsandWizards.
Nownearlythreemonthsintohisnewjob,Brewerisre-establishinghisvoice.(It
helpsthattheRedskinsarealwaysnewsmakers,evenintrainingcamp).
Eventually,Brewerwantstobecome“theAfrican-American,modernday,digital
mediaversionofRedSmith,”hesaid.
HowdidBrewerassimilateD.C.sportsandbegintowritewithconviction?
Brewersaidhisstrategywastostayhumbleandacknowledgewhathedoesn’t
know.Hesaidplayingoffhisownnaivetécanbeadvantageousattimes.Becausehe
wasontheothersideofthecountryduringRobertGriffinIII’sriseandfall,hewas
abletoofferanobjective,measuredtaketothelatestdevelopmentsintheRedskins
quarterback'ssaga.
(HearBrewertalkaboutthatprocess)
Breweraudio
WhenBrewerwashired,hetriedtofillhisD.C.sportsknowledgegapswith
research.HereadPostarchivesandwatchedrecentgamesofcollegeand
professionalteams.
Hesoughtadvicefromanothersportscolumnistwhothrivedafteramove.Gregg
Doyel,whowentfromCBSSportstotheIndianapolisStar,“setanewstandardof
whatcanbeaccomplishedwhenyougettoanewplace,”Brewersaid.Doyeltold
Brewertofocusonsmallerstoriesaroundthecommunityratherthanmakinga
permanenthomein70,000-seatstadiums.
Anotherdistinguishedcolumnist,Yahoo!’sDanWetzel,offeredsomewhat
contradictoryadvicetoDoyel’s—playthehits.InD.C.,youcanneverwritetoo
muchaboutRG3.But,likeabandtryingtopleaseitsfans,you’vegottoremixthe
hits,makingyourarticlesstandoutwithadifferentangle.
Regardless,he'sgottoplaywiththepassionofanartistyettosignhisfirstrecord
deal.
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AtTheWashingtonPost,hemustestablishhimselfalloveragain.
"Yougetintoanenvironmentlikethisandyoueitherjustfadeintothebackground
oryoustandout,"Brewersaid."Therereallyisnothinginbetween."
September9,2015—JoanNiesenon‘voice’andherfast-risingcareer
Toadvanceinthisindustry,JoanNiesensays,yourwritingneedsvoice.
Niesenknowsabitaboutadvancement:SheascendedfrominterntoNBAbeat
writertoNFLbeatwritertoSportsIllustratedstaffwriterallinhermid-20s.
Sheknowsaboutvoice,too.ReadherrecentstoryonTulanefootballandHurricane
Katrina.It’spackedwithexpressivephrasesthatrevealsomethingaboutthecityof
NewOrleans,theTulanefootballteamandthedeprivationbothovercame10years
ago.
Voiceisabitintangibleforthefast-talkingNiesen,whostruggledtodefineherown
voicebeyondthatit's“conversational.”It'sapparentinherwriting.
NiesendescribesKatrinaas“agiantcounterclockwisemessofmoistureandwind.”
Shedescribesthefootballplayerswhostayedontheteam“loyal,dedicatedor
delightfullyinsane.”Towritewiththattypeofvoice,areporterneedsanintimate
familiaritywithhis/hersubjects.
Journalistsaretaughttobeimpartial,butthatdoesn’tmeantheycan’tbeinvested.
Niesen,whohasfamilyfromNewOrleans,considersthecity“asecondhome,”andit
showswiththewayshewritesaboutit.Sheletsherlarynxdoworkandgivesthe
readerasenseofplace,especiallyinthispassage.
It'saplacewhereyoulearnbydoing,bywindingupwithyoursandaldrenchedina
puddleofBourbonStreetpisswater,bywakingupwithasaccharinehangover
headache,bydrinkingtapwateryoulaterlearnmighthavebeencontaminated.You
don'taskquestions.(WhyshouldIsuckthecrawfish'shead?Whodipseggplantin
powderedsugar?Doesthestreetcarevercomeontime?Dothecopsarrestanyone?)
Instead,yousimplydo.Yousuckandyoudipandyouwaitandyouhopeyoudon't
doanythingthat'lllandyouintheOrleansParishPrison.Alongtheway,you'llfind
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outallabouttheRebirthBrassBandandturtlesoupandgeneralhumandecency,of
whichNewOrleanshasamotherlodetospare.Nostormcouldwashthataway.
ListentomyconversationwithJoan,whodiscusseshercareer,howshe
managesthechallengesofbeingawomaninsportsjournalismand,ofcourse,
voice.
JoanNiesenaudio
September10,2015—Fainaru’ssystemhelpshimdistillmonthsofresearch
Youfollowedamanforfivemonths,andnowyouhave18daystowrite7,500words
abouthim.
Go!
ESPNinvestigativereporterSteveFainarufacedthatchallengeforhisAuguststory
onChrisBorland,a49erslinebackerwhoretiredafterhisrookieseasonbecauseof
concernsaboutheadinjuries.
Thevolumeofwriting—roughly420wordsperday—doesn’tseemdauntinguntil
youconsiderthecopiousnotesFainaruhadtosiftthroughwhiletryingtocapture
theessenceofBorland’sconflict.
Fainaru—whowonaPulitzerprizeforhisinvestigativeworkinIraqandisperhaps
bestknownforthebookLeagueofDenial,whichheco-authoredwithbrotherMark
Fainaru-Wada—hasasystemthatkeepshimorganizedforsuchambitious
projects.
Everywritershouldhavehisorherownsystem.Itwillvary,dependingonthe
circumstancesofthework,butthemoreconsistentitis,thebetterpreparedyou’ll
be.
Fainaruclearlyisn’tarookietodeepinvestigativework.Hewrotea10-partseries
onprivatesecuritycontractorsinIraq,andhewroteabookthathelpedshift
perceptionsaboutfootball.
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OverabeeratacafeindowntownColumbia,Missouri,Fainaruexplainedhis
processforreportingthethought-provokingBorlandstory.Here'showhemanaged
hisnotesashetrailedBorlandoffandonforfivemonthsinSanFrancisco,
WisconsinandIreland:
Fainarutaperecordedasmuchaspossible,becausehelikesusingparagraph-long
quoteswhenasubjectsayssomethingcompelling.Healsokeptanotebookonhim
atalltimes,becausesometimesrecordingaconversationisn'tfeasible.
Somewritersliketotranscribetheirowntapetobetterfamiliarizethemselveswith
theirinterviews,butFainarudidn’thavetimetodothat,sohefarmedoutthatwork
—abenefitofwritingforawell-heeledcompany.
Still,hegotplentyfamiliarwithhisnotes,readingthroughthemandhighlighting
importantpassages.Hemadeelectronicindexcardsandseparatedthemintowhat
mightbecomethesectionsofhisstory.Heviewswritingasfittinghisnotesintoa
puzzle.Somepiecesintheboxareeye-catchingbutsimplydon’tfit.
Scrivener,asoftwareapplication,isFainaru’spersonalorganizer.Itstores
documentsanddisplaysthemlikeabulletinboard.
Ultimately,themostimportantpartofthereportingprocessisfiguringoutwhat
yourstorytrulyis.It’sonethingtodocumentsomeone'sthoughtsandexperiences.
Themorecrucialstepistosynthesizealltheelementsintoawell-definednarrative.
Here’sFainaruexplainingwhatheandFainaru-Wadadecidedwasthecruxof
Borland’sstory.
SteveFainaruaudio
September11,2015—AmasterclasswithDonVanNattaJr.
Thiswasacomplexstory—onewithamostsecretiveinstitutiontocrack—but
DonVanNattaJr.is“thebestreporterinAmerica,”accordingtotheguywhojust
workedwithhimforfourmonths.
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Becauseofthat,VanNattaandESPNcolleagueSethWickershamwereableto
deconstructRogerGoodell’sNFL—andthewayitoperatedthroughtwoNew
EnglandPatriotsscandals.
Inhiscareer,VanNattahasinvestigatedBillClinton’simpeachment,post-9/11
counterterrorismandthecontroversial2000presidentialelection.Add“Spygate”
and“Deflategate”—lazysuffixesbedamned—tohislist.
“Thedegreeofdifficultyonthisstorywasveryhigh,”VanNattasaidonthephone
fromanESPNofficeinBristol,Connecticutthisweek.“MostprojectsItakeonare
difficult.It'sjustthenatureofthiskindofwork.Butevenbythatstandard,thiswas
aparticularlydifficultonebecausealotofpeoplewerenotmotivatedtotalk,
obviously.”
WickershamdescribedworkingwithVanNattaasanacceleratedmasterclassin
investigativereporting.Herearesomeofthebestlessons,toldthroughtheir
experiencesonthisstory.
FINDINGSOURCES
InMay,rightaftertheNFLreleaseditsarguableWellsReport,VanNattaand
WickershambeganreportingastorythatwouldfocusonhowGoodellhandled
DeflategateinrelationtoSpygate.Thereporterscompiledlistofpotentialsources,
orderedbythelikelihoodthey’dtalktooneofthem.Theoddsweren'tgoodfor
many,becausetheNFLisaninstitutionruledbyomertà.
Thereportersknockedondoors,but“peoplewerescared,”Wickershamsaid.They
madephonecalls,manyofwhichprovedfruitless.
Wickershamsaidatypicaldayincludedcallsto15sources…
§
§
§
13ofthemwouldn’trespondortalk.
1wouldtalkofftherecordbutlie.
1wouldtalkofftherecordand,Wickershamsaid,“maybesayoneinteresting
detailthatyouneededtotrytofollowupandgetotherpeopletoconfirm,and
youhavenoideahowtogetthosepeople.”
WickershamandVanNattaestimatedtheyeachtried100peoplewhowouldn’tplay
ball.
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Theyhadtofindsourceswithareasontospill—whetheritbeadesiretosharethe
truthoranaxetogrindwiththePatriotsorNFL.Often,acomplicitsourcewould
provideanothernamethereportersshouldtry.Ultimately,WickershamandVan
Nattacombinedtointerview90people.
BUILDINGTRUST
Whentryingtobuildtrustwithsources,visitingsomeoneinperson,ratherthan
relyingonaphoneconversation,canleadtopaydirt.
VanNattaflewfromMiamitoIdahotospendadaywithformerSt.LouisRams
coachMikeMartz,whoseRamslosttothePatriotsinSuperBowlXXXVIandwere
neverthesameagain.Inacabininthemountains,Martzdeliveredwhatwould
becomesomeofthemostmemorablemomentsintheESPNstory,includingGoodell
beggingMartztowriteastatementthatwouldhelpexoneratetheleague.
"Itmakesallthedifferenceinthesetypesofstories,”VanNattasaidofin-person
visits.“It'stoearntheirtrust.Andwhenyouseesomebody,it'saloteasiertoearn
theirtrustthanifyoujustdoitoverthephone."
VanNattawenttoIdahoprepared,too.Wickershamsaidhispartnerbroughtakey
documenttoMartzthatallowedMartztostronglydisputethecontentofit.
Ofcourse,noteverynewsoutletaffordsitsreportersthetimeandresourcesto
travelthecountryinsearchofgoldennuggets.Whenhemustsettleforaphonecall,
VanNattasaidhekeepsaconversationaltonethatcancomforthissources.
“Alotofinvestigativereportersarekindofballbustersandtheydon’thavethebest
socialskills,butthey’rereallydoggedbulldogs,”Wickershamsaid.“Donisarare
combinationofalotofthings.Heappliesthehumantechniquesthatyouwould
wanttoapplyinaprofiletoinvestigativereporting.”
Thosetechniquesarethinkinglong-termandtreatingsourceswithdignity.You
neverknowwhenyou’llneedthatsourceagaindowntheline.
DETAILS,DETAILS,DETAILS
Anotherfeature-styletechniqueofVanNatta’sisminingfordetails.
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VanNattawillabandonhisconversationaltonetopeppersomeonewithquestions
aboutdetails,whichhesaid“addacredibilityandauthenticitytowriting."
Ifsomeonementionsbeinginacar,he’llaskforthemake,modelandcolor.If
someonementionsthedestructionofvideotapes,he’llincludeavividsceneofNFL
executivesinaconferenceroomstompingthetapesintosmallpieces.
CLEANTHESPOTSOTHERSMISSED
Thiswasn’tthefirsttimeVanNattatriedtoreportaboutSpygate.Hewas
stonewalledinthepast,butremainedreadyforapotentialstory.
Hekepthundredsfilesonhiscomputerandwouldlookatthem“whenhewas
bored,”Wickershamsuspects.
AbreakthroughinthisstorywasacquiringkeyfilesfromtheArlenSpectorarchives
attheUniversityofPittsburgh.Detailsfromthosepublicfileshadneverbeen
reported,simplybecausenootherreporterbothered.
“Investigativereportingisgoingbackoverthethingsthefirstpeoplereporting
didn’thavetimetodo,”Wickershamsaid.
BEBULLETPROOF
VanNatta’sreputationisimportanttohim.Whoseisn’t?
Butinthebig-stakesarenaofinvestigativereporting,it’svitaltoprotectthat
reputation.
Heusesoff-the-recordsources(peoplewhoprovideinformationthat’snotfor
publication)toconfirmwhatothersourcessay,ortomakeinformationwhathe
calls“bulletproof.”
Evenifthestoryisasbulletproofasabankvault,readerswillcriticizeinvestigative
work(especiallyifthey’rePatriotsfans).
Wickersham,whenwespokeFridayafternoon,wasfrustratednotbyfans’
skepticism—whichwasexpected—butbythedisbeliefofBostonmediapeople.
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Turnsout,todoinvestigativereportingyourskinmustbebulletproof,too.
“There’sareasonwhyalotofpeopledon’tdoinvestigativereporting,”Wickersham
said.“Becauseit’sincrediblychallenging,yourreportinghastobeunassailable,and
thenwhenyou’redonewithit,everybodyjustcallsyouanasshole.”
September15,2015—Layoffs,Schmayoffs,PatrickStevenskeepsworking
WhentheWashingtonTimeswipedoutitssportsdepartmentattheendof2009,
PatrickStevens,newlyunemployed,wenttoworkthenextday.
He'dbeencoveringcollegesports,anddidn'tseeanyreasontostop.Sohestarted
ablogandcontinuedtowriteaboutD.C.-areabasketballprogramsinhiswellresearched(andsometimessnarky)style.
"Theredidn'tseemlikemuchofareasontoslowdownatthatpoint,"Stevenssaid.
"Basketballseasoniskindofmybreadandbutter,andIreallydidn'twantto
disappearoffthefaceoftheEarth—thoughtthatwouldn'thavebeenaverygood
idea,andIthinkthatthat'sathemethat'scontinuedthrougheachofthese."
Byeachofthese,hemeanslayoffs.Allthreeofthem.
AfterlosinghisjobattheTimes,StevenscopyeditedfortheWashingtonPostuntil
theTimesrevitalizeditssportsdepartmentandrehiredhim14monthslater.It
wasn'tlongbeforeanotherroundoflayoffsslicedthestaffinhalf.Stevenswasa
casualtyagain.
Hefoundpart-timeworkprojectingtheNCAATournamentbracketsforUSATODAY.
Alesser-knownJoeLunardi,hecorrectlypredictedall68teamsinthe2013field.
Syracuse.comhiredhimtocovertheACC,andhecorrectlypredictedthebrackets
againin2014.
“Thethoughtthatproducingprojectedbracketshashelpedpaythebillsherefora
fewyears,Imean,GodBlessAmerica,right,”Stevenssaid.
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Butitwon’tpaythebillsforever.Therewasn’tenoughinterestinACCcoveragefor
theSyracuseMediaGrouptojustifykeepinghim.
AttheendofAugust,hispositionwascut,makingStevens,onceagain,a"mediafree
agent,"ashecallshimselfonTwitter.
Sadly,layoffsatnewspapershappenwithgreatfrequencythesedays.TheLos
AngelesTimesappearstobethelatestoutfittoshreditspayroll.Manyinthe
industryarereconsideringtheircareers.
Forthepastsixyears,Stevenshasponderedothercareeroptions,too.Buthe’syet
tofindapalatablealternative.“That’sprobablywhyIkeepknockingonthedoorI
keepknockingon,”hesaid.
He’ssomewhatlimitedbywherehecanwork.Stevensboughtahousein2005in
GlenBurnie,Maryland,andhedoesn'twanttomove.(Itwouldbeburdensometo
relocatethe15shelves-worthofmediaguidesStevenshasinhishomeoffice,yet
therearebiggerreasonsheopposesamove.)
Stevenshasbeenabletodealwithaficklecareerpartlybecausehedoesn’thavea
wifeorkidswhodependonhimfinancially.Forthisreasonandothers,Stevens
doesn’tseehimselfasanexemplarofajournalistwhoweatherslayoffs.Certainly,
eachperson’slifecircumstancesmustdictatethepaththeytakewhenfacedwitha
proverbialpinkslip.
Still,Stevens’resilience—hecallsitstubbornness—isinstructivetothosein
similarspots.Thathecontinuesworkingdespitebeingunemployedisasmartmove
forseveralreasons.
Thefirstisinertia:Anobjectatreststaysatrest;anobjectinmotionstaysin
motion.IfStevensstopped,itwouldbethatmuchhardertostartbackupagain.So
hestaysinmotion.
Anotherreasontokeepworkingistostaysane."Itwasbetterforme,andIknewit
wouldbebetterformetobearoundpeoplethantobesittinghomealone,"Stevens
saidofthefirsttwotimeshewaslaidoff.
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Also,workingwithoutapaycheckshowsStevens’dedicationtothejob.Itkeepshim
relevant,too.Potentialemployershavehimontheirradarbecausehe’sconstantly
producingcontent.
Itdidn’ttakelongforStevenstolandpart-timeworkafterhewasletgotwoweeks
ago.Thiscollegefootballseason,he'llbewritingacoupleofwebpiecesaweekfor
TheWashingtonPost.
Stevensisaknowncommoditybecauseheneverstopsproducingcontent.
“I’mnotsurethisisapaththatanyonewouldwanttoreplicate,”Stevenssaid.“I’m
notsurethere’smuchthatanyonewouldtakefromit.ButI’mjusttryingtohangon
andseewhatcomesnextofit.”
September17,2015—AssessingaccessintheSEC
BobHoltrememberstheearly-80sfondly.WhenHoltbegancoveringtheArkansas
footballprogramin1981,LouHoltzwasthecoachandmediaaccesswaspractically
unrestricted—atleastcomparedtotoday’slimitedandcontrolledarrangements
acrossthecountry.
Everypracticewasopentothemedia.Whenpracticeended,areporter“just
grabbedwhoeverwewantedtotalktothatday,”Holtsaid.Assistantcoachestalked
tomediawhentheyleftthelockerroom.Aftergames,thelockerroomwasopen.
Reporterscouldevengoinsidethetrainingroomtogetaninjuryreportduringthe
week.
“Onsummation,wegotwhowewanted,whenwewantedthemforaslongaswe
wantedthem,”Holtsaid.
In30-plusyears,teams’relationshipwithmediamembershasobviouslychanged.
Justhowmuch?
Togetanextensivepictureofthechallengesreportersconfrontincoveringcollege
footballtoday,Ipolledreportersfrom12ofthe14SECteams(mediamembersfrom
OleMissandTexasA&Mdidnotfulfillmultiplerequests).
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Theyansweredquestionsaboutaccess,restrictions,treatmentcomparedtonational
outlets,andrelationshipswithPRpeople.
Belowaresomeofmyquestionsandtheirresponses.Someanswersareshortened
oromitted.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,howconfidentareyouthatyou
canget10-15minutesforaninterview?
Emerson(Georgia):“Somewhat.”
Tucker(Kentucky):“Very.”
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Crepea(Auburn):“Absolutelynochancethiswillhappen.”
Suttles(Alabama):“Thisisachipyoucanplayatbesttwiceaseason.”[Suttlessaid
themostaccesshe’sreceivedforastoryinthepastyearwas10-12minuteswith
LandonCollinsandT.J.Yeldon].
Holt(Arkansas):“I'vehadsomesituationswhereIwasabletogetaone-on-one
withaplayerduringtheseason,butthat'susuallyifit'saplayerwhoothermedia
aren'tinterestedintalkingwithatthattime.”
Bonner(MississippiState):“I'dbeprettyconfident.EverytimeI'veexplainedthe
ideaandstorytotheSIDs,they'vebeenmorethanwillingtoarrangethetime.”
Kendall(SouthCarolina):“Notatall.I'vehadonetrueone-on-onesinceI'vebeen
here(fiveyears),anditturnedouttobeagreatstorybecauseit'sawaybetter
interviewformat.”
Dopirak(Tennessee):“Lastyear,answerwasnotatall.Thisyear,answerismuch
more,butIunderstandthetimelineislongerandtherearenoguarantees.
[Tennesseehasanewmediarelationsdirector].Ihave,Ithink,fourstanding
requestsforone-on-ones.IfIgettwoofthoseI'llbeecstatic.”
Canyousetupinterviewswithathletesdirectly?
NobodyintheSECispermittedtodoso,butsometimesmediamemberstryifa
playerissuspendedorhastransferred.Inmanycases,athletesaretrainedtonot
answermediarequests.Itwasn’talwaysthisway.
Holt(Arkansas):“Believeitornot,inthe1980s,theyusedtoputplayers'home
numbersinthemediaguidebios.”
Howmanyopportunitieseachweekdoyougettotalktotheheadcoach?
Georgia’sMarkRichtisthemostfrequentlyaccessible,accordingtoreporters’
responses.He’savailablefourtimesaweek:TuesdayandWednesday,aftergames
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onSaturday,andthenSundaynightonateleconference.Othercoachesaroundthe
leagueareavailabletwoorthreetimesaweek,includingtheirWednesdaySEC
teleconferenceappearance.
Howmuchpracticedoyougettowatch?
Fallpracticesarecompletelyclosedatmostplaces,butagain,Georgiaprovestobe
mostaccessible(atleastforalittlewhile).OnTuesdaysandWednesdays,reporters
arepermittedtowatch12-15minutesofpractice,Emersonsaid.Tennesseelets
reportersintofallpractice,allowingthemtocomeonTuesdays.Floridagrantsits
reportersaccesstwiceaweek,butonlyforsixminutes.
Mostoftheotherschoolsallowsporadicaccessduringpreseasonandspringcamp.
Whatreportersseeismostlystretching.
Missouriprovidesaccesstotheteam’sintrasquadscrimmages,butlittlemorethan
stretchingonotherpreseasondays.
SparksatVanderbiltcantakeinfivepracticesduringbothfallandspringcamps,but
nothingduringtheseason.Hecoveredmid-majorMiddleTennesseefor10years,
andsaidallpracticeswereopen.
Arethererestrictionsonwhatyoucancoverorwhoyoucanspeakto?
Truefreshmendon’ttalktomediaatFloridaorAlabama.AtAuburn,freshman
becomeavailableoncethey’veplayedinagame.AtMississippiState,freshman
aren'tallowedtospeaktothemediauntilthey'vecontributedenough.“The
modifierisdeterminedbythecoachingstaffandSIDs,”Bonnersaid.
Meanwhile,atArkansas,freshmendointerviewsrightaway.EachsummerHolt
writesaseriesontheRazorbacks’newcomers,andhegetsassistancefromthe
schoolinarrangingthoseinterviews.
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AtSouthCarolina,Kendallsaid,it’sSteveSpurrier’scall—andit’ssubjecttochange.
“Heletsfreshmentalkbuthemightnotletaseniortalkifhe'supsetwiththeplayer
orthinkstheplayerwillsaysomethinghedoesn'twantsaid.”
AtGeorgia,“alotofplayersarekeptofflimitsforunexplainedreasons,orbecause
thecoacheshavedeemedthemtootalkative,”Emersonsaid.
SparkssaidaquarterbackcompetitionatVanderbiltthispreseasonmadethe
potentialQBsunavailableforcomment.
Schoolsalsotrytorestrictreportersfromwritingaboutcertainthingstheyseeat
practice.Thesepoliciesvaryinformality.
“Accordingtotheteam’smediapolicy,reportersareprohibitedfromwritingabout
thecontentofpractice:injuries,depthchanges,strategies,etc.,”Mattersaidabout
Missouri.
AtTennessee,“Wecan'tputoutanythinguntilthepracticeisover,”Dopiraksaid.
“Wecan'treportonschematics.Wecanpointoutwhoispracticingwiththefirst
teamandsecondteam,butwecan'treportanythingthatgivesawayaformation.
Forinstance,ifafullbackonlycomesoutinacertainpackage,wecan'tputthatout
there.Asfarasinjuriesareconcernedandplayersthataremissingpractice,wecan't
reportthoseuntilweatleastaskaboutitafterpractice.”
Ifyoucalledtheheadcoach,whataretheoddshe’danswerorrespond?
Dellenger(LSU):“50-to-1”
Suttles(Alabama):“Noshot”
Tucker(Kentucky):“Verygood.”
Matter(Missouri):“MostlikelyIwouldcontacthimviatextmessagefirst.Whether
ornothe’dagreetotalk,onorofftherecord,woulddependonthesubjectmatter.
Mostlikelyhe’drefermetohismediarelationsstaff.”
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Bonner(MississippiState):“Itdependsonthetopic.Atfirst,theoddswerezero.
However,asIgainedexperienceandtrustonthebeat,theoddsareprettygood
now.“
Kendall(SouthCarolina):“IcanusuallygetSpurrieronhiscellifIneedhim,butI
imaginethatputsmeintheminority.”
Sparks(Vanderbilt):“There'sadecentchancehewouldanswer,butitwould
probablydependontheperceivedreasonforthecall.”
Doestheprogramgivepreferentialtreatmenttonationalmedia?
Suttles(Alabama):“Yes.ESPNoftengetsaccessregularbeatreportersdonot.”
Andreu(Florida):ESPNandSECNetwork“seemtogetone-on-oneswithwhoever
theywant.”
Tucker(Kentucky):Tuckersaiditdoesn’thappenforKentuckyfootball.“Thisis
muchdifferentwithUKbasketball,though.”
Dopirak(Tennessee):“Whenthenationalguysshowup,theygettheredcarpet.
One-on-onewith[coachButch]Jonesplusanyplayerhewantstotalkto.HollyRowe
gottogotoaclasswithJoshDobbs.NotsureifIcould'vedonethatornotbutI
doubtit.”Dopiraksaidthatnationalmediamembersdon’tgettowatchmore
practice,though.
Holt(Arkansas):“Theschoolsknowthelocalmediaaregoingtocovertheteamno
matterwhat,sothey'regoingtorollouttheredcarpetforthenationalguys.I'mnot
sayingtheydon'ttreatuswellordon'ttrytheirbesttohelpus(Ibelievetheydo),
butthenationalguysaregoingtogetspecialtreatment—especiallyESPN,which
withtheSECNetworkisabusinesspartneroftheSEC.That'sjustafactoflifethese
days.”
ReportersfromGeorgia,LSUandMississippiStatesaidtheygetfairtreatment
comparedtonationaloutlets.
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Kendall(SouthCarolina):“[Spurrier]isanoldschoolnewspaperguy,Godbless
him,andfrommyperspectiveasthebeatwriteratthelargestlocalpaper,that's
great.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.Withallthisgroupstuffeverybodygetsthe
samething.Withsocialmedia,it'salloutthererightaway,soifyou'retryingtoput
somethingtogetherforlaterintheweek,thequotesarestalebythetimeyourun
yourstory.”
Matter(Missouri):“Therestrictedaccessmakesitdifficulttowriteoriginalstories
orget1-on-1timewithplayersorcoachesbecauseonlyalimitednumberare
availableeachday.Morereporterscovertheteamnowalso,whichmeansbigger
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crowdsaroundplayersandfewerinterestinginterviews….[Ontheflipside]Having
accesstotheassistantcoachesisvital.”
Crepea(Auburn):“Playeraccesshassteadilyworsened.Wehaven’tbeenformally
askedbyanSIDwhowewouldliketotalkto,otherthanafteragame,inovertwo
years,thoughIsubmitrequestswhichalmostalwaysgounfulfilled.I’vesubmitted
asmanyas20namesbeforeandnotgotten1playerfrommylist.Weroutinely
aren’tinformedtheplayerswewillbespeakingtountilthemomenttheywalkinto
theroom,soplanning/budgetingisimpossible.TheonlytimesI’vehad1-on-1swith
aplayerwereifIfollowedthemoutofagroupinterview.Weconductallinterviews
inanauditoriumwiththeplayersatapodium,whichisnotconducivetoasking
questionsofamorepersonalnature.”
Emerson(Georgia):“Overalldissatisfied”becausecoachesandplayersaretalking
lessandlesstothemedia.”
Bonner(MississippiState):“I'mverysatisfied.AsIsaid,certainlynocomplaints
regardingaccesstoplayersandcoaches.”
Kendall(SouthCarolina):“Ithinkaswriters,wealwayswantmoreaccess.Ihave
theopportunitytogetmostoftheteam'splayersandcoachesonceaweek,whichis
enoughtodomyjob.It'sverymuchontheirschedule,though,soourcoverageplans
havetobedictatedbytheaccessschedule.”
Dopirak(Tennessee):“Moderately.…IspentfiveyearscoveringIndianafootball
andbasketballandIcoveredfootballatPennStatewhenIwasincollege.I'vecome
totherealizationthatIwillneverbehappywithaccessaslongasIcovermajor
collegesports.”
Holt(Arkansas):“Giventoday'slimitationsthatIthinkareafactoflifewithevery
majorcollegeteam—andalototherteams,too—IthinkArkansasdoesapretty
goodjobasfarasopeningsomepractices,settingupinterviews.Wegettotalkto
assistantcoachesduringtheweek,andalotofschoolsdon'tallowtheassistant
coachestotalk,sothat'sabigdeal.”
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Suttles(Alabama):“AccessisonlyOK.Allplayerinterviewsareconductedina
groupsetting,noone-on-ones.Onlycertainplayersarebroughtintothemedia
room.Assistantcoachesareofflimits.”
Miscellaneoustidbits
AndreuhasbeencoveringFloridafootballsince1993.“WhenSteveSpurrierwas
here,theaccesswasunbelievable,”hesaid.“Youcouldrequestanyplayeryou
wantedforafterpracticeandwouldhaveaone-on-onewithhimifnooneelse
requestedhim.Wealsowerefreetotalktoalltheassistantcoaches,whichallowed
reporterstocreatearelationshipwiththem.Now,therearenoone-on-one
interviews,basically.Allgroupstuff.”
NowatSouthCarolina,theOl’BallCoachisstillpleasanttoworkwith.“Spurriersets
hisownschedule,”Kendallsaid.“Hehasspokenafterallbutonepracticethis
season.Iambettingthathehasbeenavailablemorethananyheadcoachinthe
countrythisyear,whichisgreat.”
ThechangeinheadcoachatMissouriin2001drasticallychangedaccessthere,too.
DuringtheLarrySmithera,allspringandpreseasonpracticesandmostregularseasononeswereopentothemedia,Mattersaid.Thereusedtobeweekly
luncheonswiththecoachwheretheycouldchatofftherecord.WhenGaryPinkel
tookover,thistypeofaccesswasstripped.
AtGeorgia,Emersongotincreasedaccesswhenhewroteaboutsomething“closeto
thecoach'sheart—onhowhesetupanetworkforhisformerplayersastheygo
intothebusinessworld—hesatdownwithmeforahalfhour,andgaveme
numbersofsomeotherpeopletocontactforthestory.”
It’sseldom,butsometimesSECplayersopenuptheirlivestoreporters,too.
“Iwasabletogointotheplayers'filmroomwithquarterbackDakPrescott,hooka
PS3uptothewall-sizedscreensandallowPrescotttobreakdowngame-situations
usingthevideogame,”Bonnersaid.Wefilmeditandmadeafeatureoutofit.Ittook
about30-45minutestotape.”
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September21,2015—MeettheeditorbehindWrightThompson’sstories
WrightThompsonhasreceivedplentyofpraiseforhisstoryaboutNewOrleans,
whichnearlyfilledanentireeditionofESPNTheMagazine.TitledBeyondthe
Breach,it’salandmarkpieceofjournalismbecauseofitsintimatereportingof
charactersandplace,andalsobecauseofthewaythemagplayedit.
It’srarethatareporterdoesinterviewsafterafeaturestory(usuallythathappens
followingbreakingnews),butThompsonappearedonagamutofESPNplatformsto
discussthestory—SportsCenter,theHis&HerspodcastandESPNFrontRow.
Inthatlastlink,you’llnoticeaneditornamedPaulKix,amanwithperhapsthemost
thanklessjobofall:Cut15,000wordsoutofastorybyoneofthemostdistinguished
sportswritersontheplanet.
Ittook"almosteverywakingmoment”oftwoweekstoexecuteproperly,Kixsaid
lastweekaswediscussedhisbehind-the-scenesroleinmakingThompson’sstory
happen.
Kixhelpedturna40,000-worddraftintoamorestreamlined25K.Hemadeathird
ofabeautifullywrittenstorygopoofforthesakeofconcision.
Throughfouredits,heusedanaxe,abutcherknife,ascalpelandeventuallya
polisher.
KixknewThompsonwouldbringthegoods."Ialsoknewthatthisthingwasgoingto
beabeasttotame,"hesaid,"becausetheschedulewassotightandsounrelenting,
thatIknewonceitactuallykickedin,itwasgoingtobepainful."
Totellthestorybehindthisstory,let'sflashbacktoearlyMay,whenESPN
publishedThompson'sfeatureonTedWilliams'daughter—apiecealsoeditedby
Kix.Ittook13draftsbeforethatstorywasready,andwhenitwasdone,Kixtold
Thompsonitwasthebestthinghe'severwritten.Theytoastedthemselves,Kixsaid,
andthenplannedtogetsomerest.
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Butbytheweekend,Thompsonalreadyhadanotherstoryhewantedtowrite—
aboutatop-ratedfootballprospectoutofNewOrleans.Afterpitchingittomagazine
editorinchiefChadMillman,theseedlingofastoryturnedintoafargreaterproject
onNewOrleans,10yearsafterthestorm.
WhileThompsonhasproventhroughouthiscareerthathecanhandlestoriesof
greatmagnitude,logistically,thisonewouldrequireanotherlevelofattention.
EnterKix.
Somepeopleoutsidetheindustryassumeaneditorjusteditswordsandsentences.
Theterm"editor,"truthfully,isquitelimiting.Sure,Kixeventuallyeditedthestory
forcontentandclarity,butsomuchmoregoesintothejob,especiallyforaproject
likethis.
HeparticipatedinseveralmeetingswithESPNhigher-upstodetermineastrategy
forproducingandunveilingthewholeproject.AndleadinguptothetimewhenKix
receivedafulldraft,hewasrightalongsideThompson,ridingshotguntohis
thinking.
KixvisitedNewOrleansinJune,andthetwomappedoutanoutlineofthestory.
AnimportantprocessforKixwasfinding"connectivetissue"betweenthe
charactersThompsonwaswritingabout.Havingthecharactersinteractorganically,
ratherthanThompsonstretchingtomakeconnections,wouldenrichthestory.
Thompson'sreportingwassofullofconnectionsalreadythatitdidn'tneedawriter
manufacturingthem.
ThompsonfinishedhisreportingonJuly1andthendisappearedtoChicagoforfour
daysforaGratefulDeadconcert.WithanAugust1deadlinelooming,hebegan
writinginmid-July.In16daysorso,Thompsonwrote40,000words.
...WhichmakesKix'sjob,toedititintwoweeks,soundeasy.Butreading40,000
words—letalonereadingitascarefullyasaneditormust—takestime.
Kixsaidhisinitialreadlastedsixorsevenhours.
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"Theonlywayformetoworkisjustreadthestoryonce,”hesaid.“ThenIsortof
thinktomyself,'Howdoesthis'taste,'Iguess,forlackofabetterword.HowdoIfeel
whenIreadit?AmIsatisfiedwiththis?AretherethingsIwishthereweremoreof?
Thisisn'treallyevenanintellectualexerciseatthatpoint;it's'HowdoIfeel
emotionally,'havingfinishedthisstory?”
Afterfourorfivedays,KixsenthisfirstroundofeditsbacktoThompson.
"Thesecondtimeyoureadit,youthink,'Alright,thisis40,000words.'Thebothof
usknewthatwaswaytoolong,"Kixsaid."Sothesecondtimeyoureadit,it'slike
'Whatisnotworking?'Anditbecomesmoreofanintellectualexercise."
Theycutanentirechapter,includingtheoneThompsoninitiallypitchedaboutthe
footballprospect.
Kixdescribedtheprocessofeditingtheself-assuredThompsonasplayfuland
argumentative.Thetwohaveworkedtogetherforfouryears,andhavedevelopeda
trustandshort-handlanguage.TheycanalsosiftthroughtheB.S.andsaywhatthey
thinkwithouthurtingoneanother'sfeelings.
"EverystorywithWrightisacompletegive-and-take,"Kixsaid."Iwillgivehiman
editandhe'llcomerightbackandsay'Whydidyouthinkthat?Whydidyoudo
that?'Orhe'llsay'You'restupidhere.'Orhe'llsay'That'sadumbsuggestion.'"
Kixsaysthiswistfully.WorkingwithThompson,whilenoteasy,issomethingKix
savors.
Thompson’sstorywasworthit.ItshowshowabatteredNewOrleanshas
recovered,andinsomeways,howitanditsinhabitantswillalwaysbedifferent
post-Katrina.
Eachchapterbroughtforthcompellingnewcharactersthatmadeitreadlikea
novel.
It’spowerful,comingfromawriterwhoclearlyfeelsakinshipwiththecity.Youfeel
Thompson’spresenceinthestory.Maybe,ifyoureaditagain,you’llfeelKix’s.
He’stheonewhomadeallthose“dumb”suggestions.
120
September23,2015—ForBishop,anoutlineisamaptoagoodstory
AfterGregBishopfinishesreporting,andbeforehestartsdrafting,theSports
Illustratedfootballwriterdoesthis...
IfhisnotebooklooksliketheworkofaBeautifulMind,well,itismathematicalina
way.It’sBishop’sformulaformagazine-lengthfeatures.Hecallsit“pre-outlining.”
Togatherhisthoughtstowriteastorywitharc,Bishopgoesthroughanow-trusty
process,whichincludesanentiredayspentoutlining.
ForhismostrecentmagazinepieceonAaronRodgers,Bishopconducted30
interviewsandaccumulated83pagesofnotesandtranscriptions.Hereadthrough
thosenotesandorganizedthemintothemes,whichyoucanseeonthenotepad
TherewasathemeonRodgers’privacy,oneonhistrainingregimen.Oneonhis
evolution,andanotherontheskillsthatmakeshimsuchagoodplayer.
ThisprocesshelpsBishopconnectthedotsforalargerpictureofanathletelike
Rodgers,who’sreceivedplentyofmediaattentioninhiscareer.
“Ifthepageisprettyblank,you’reintrouble,”Bishopsaid.
Bishop’s,clearly,isplentyfull.Itdoesn’talwaysworkoutthisway,butthethemes
onthenotepadeventuallybecamesectionsofhisstory.
ForBishop,afteroutlining,thewritingprocesstakeshalfthetimeitusedtoforhim
becausehe’ssopreparedwhenitcomestoactuallytypingoutthestory.
AftergraduatingfromSyracusein2002,BishopworkedattheSeattleTimesforfive
years.
Bishopdidn’toutlineearlyinhiscareer.Hesaidheusedmoreflowerylanguage
“thatcoveredupsomeprettyseriousdeficiencies”instorytelling.
121
WhenhetookajobattheNewYorkTimes,heknewheneededtostepupasa
writer.
“Ican’tbelieveIactuallyhadlikeafive-yearcareerwhereIdidn’toutline,”said
Bishop,who’sbeenatSportsIllustratedclosetotwoyears.“Itsoundsalmost
recklesstomenow.Ithinkit’sthemostimportantthingIdo;everythingelse
followsit.Itbecomesmorelikeamathematicalkindofthing,ratherthan‘I’ma
writerandI’mgoingtopullmyhairoutforeighthours.’”
September29,2015—JustinHeckert’sLeGrandstoryshowseffectiveuseof
second-personPOV
JustinHeckertwantedtowriteabout"therealshit."
That'showformerfootballplayerEricLeGrand—paralyzedafterafreakinjuryat
Rutgers—describeswhat'strulygoingoninhislife.Questionslike"How'srehab
going,"aregeneralandboring.
Buttherealshit?That'swhatwe'reallcuriousabout.
What'slifelikefora25-year-oldwhotalksaboutwomenbutcan'tenjoysex?
Howdoyouusethebathroom?
That'stherealshit.
Heckertfoundoutwhatit'sliketobeEricLeGrandafterspendingfourdayswiththe
formerplayerandhismother.
Sometimes,whenLeGrandexplainedhissituation,hespokeinsecondperson.You
dothis.Youdothat.
HeckertthoughtitmightbesmarttellingLeGrand'sstorythatway,too.
HewantedthereadertobeabletoseelifeasLeGrand,eveniftheycouldn'tliterally
feelit.
122
Writinginsecondpersonandcapturingtherealshitwerewaystodifferentiate
Heckert'sstoryfromothersonLeGrand.
"IjustthoughtthattherealerIcouldmakeit—goodandbad—wouldbetrueto
whathe'sexperiencing,"Heckertsaid.
Second-person(puttingthereaderintheplaceofasubjectbyusingthepronoun
"you")doesn'talwayssoundnatural.Itcanseemforced.
Heckert,askilledfreelancer,usedtherighttouch.
ThereasonHeckertbelievesitworksforhisstoryisbecausethereportingisthere.
HespentfourentiredayswithLeGrandandgotanintimatelookhislife.
"There'snosuppositionalsecondpersonofmeimagining,"Heckertsaid."I'masking
himwhateverybitofthisislikethatIwroteabout.Soit'sreallyfromhis
perspective,butit'sjustswitchedtosecond-person.Noneofitismeimposing
somethingonhim."
(Heckerthastriedsuppositionalsecond-personbefore.Whenhewasatthe
UniversityofMissouri,hewroteamagazinestoryfromtheperspectiveoftwodogs
hewatchedfordays).
WithLeGrand,conversationwaseasy.Heckertfeltascomfortablewithhimashe
hasanyothersourceinhis13-yearcareer.Thatalsogavehimconfidencetotakethe
strategyhedid.
ThestorywasactuallysupposedtoappearinEsquire,buttheeditor-and-chiefdid
notwantittorun.EsquiregaveHeckertasecondcrackatit,andhewroteitinthe
morecommonthirdperson.
Hisnewlede:"EricLeGrandwantedtowatchfootball.Buthecouldn'tturnonthe
TV.Thatwasbecauseoffootball.Hewasinthehallwaythatledtohisbedroom,a
nylonjacketzippeduptohisneck."
Still,Esquiredidn’twantit.
123
SoHeckertpresentedbotheffortstoESPNTheMagazine,whereheusedtobeon
contractbeforeleavingin2010topursuenon-sportsstories.
ESPNchosetheoriginal,insecond-personpointofview.
Here'stheledeweallgottosee:
IT'SYOURNOSEthistime.Youtrytodowhatyoucanforit,sittingaloneinyour
bedroom,armsrestingoneachsideofa$40,000wheelchair.Youareparked
beneathagiantTV,watchingfootball.Youscrunchyoureyesandflexyourcheeks,
wriggleeachnostril,stretchyourmouth,untilyourentirefaceisdancing.Butthe
itchwon'tgoaway,soyoucallouttoyourmaforthethirdtimeinthepasthour.
"MAAAAAA!"
October1,2015—Mark’sPicks(September)
MySeptemberpicksincludestoriesaboutfootball,tennis,baseball,baseballcards,
basketballandbasketballlogos.Thetopicsandapproachesdiffer.Butforthemost
part,thesestoriesstandoutbecauseoftheaccessacquiredbythereporters.
Enjoysomeofthebestworkfromthepastmonth.
AdayonthebubblewithPackers’AlonzoHarris,byMichaelCohen
LeadinguptothemomentwhenNFLteamstrimmedrosterstoafinal53,Cohengot
accesstoPackersrunningbackAlonzoHarrisandhisfamilyastheywaitedin
conferenceroomforHarris’fate.Cohenusesagoodmixofinformationand
descriptivescenewriting.
Harris,aburly6feet1inchand235pounds,withaninvitingsmileandlaid-back
personalityreflectiveofhisAlabamaroots,isuncharacteristicallyfidgety,anxious.
Histongueflicksbackandforthonaseriesofmintcandies.Hiseyes,glassyandlow,
suggestalackofsleepevenbeforeHarrisadmitshewenttobedaround4a.m.,a
mere60minutesfromhistypicalwakinghourduringtrainingcamp.
ThedefinitiveNBAlogorankings,byZachLowe
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You’veseenthistypeof“journalism”everywhere:awriterranksthe30logosof
NBAteams.TheBulls’logoisthebest.TheThunder’sistheworst.Butwhatdidwe
learn?
Actually,inthispiece,alot.Insteadofproducingalazyclickbaitslideshow,Lowe
researcheseachlogoandincludesexpertisefromvariousdesigners.Surethe
rankingsaresubjective,butthey’realsoinformationalandthought-provoking.
Inoneinning,Nationals’bullpendeliversatoughtruthandtougher
consequences,byBarrySvrluga
SavvydeadlinewritingfromBarrySvrluga,especiallyconsideringthisgame
changedsodrasticallyinthelateinnings(whentheNationalsblewa7-1leadinthe
seventh).Thestoryputsentireseasoninperspectiveafteragamethatservedasa
microcosm.Andthatwasevenbeforetheteam'scloserchokeditssuperstar
outfielder.
Theengineeringof15-year-oldJoshMcKenzie,byMatthewStanmyre
MatthewStanmyrefolloweda15-year-oldsuper-athleteformorethanayeartosee
howhiscirclehasgroomedhimtoeventuallybecomeaprofessional.Thetop
footballplayerandwrestlerinhisagegroup,thisteenappearsworthyofthehype,
butStanmyreisn’tblindtotheperilsofbigexpectationsforakidwithsuch
preternaturalabilitiesandmaturity.
WhattheworldgotwrongaboutKareemAbdul-Jabbar,byJayCaspianKang
JayCaspianKingprobablyknewhe’dgetlittlefewquote-worthysound
bitesfrominterviewingKareemAbdul-Jabbar,who’snotoriouslyclosedofftothe
media.Sohedidextensiveresearch,spentadaywithhissubjectanddidn’tusea
quotefromAbdul-Jabbaruntilthefinalsixparagraphsofthisentertainingmagazine
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story.Abdul-Jabbarisawell-documentedcharacter,andthispiecestillrevealsnew
informationaboutthebasketballlegend.
TimWallachfanhasarealhouseofcards,byZachHelfand
Thisisthetypeofabsurdstorythat'sfuntoreadnomatteryoursportsallegiances.
ThereexistsaTimWallachbaseballcardcollector—somebodywhoworshipsa
career.257andistryingtodowhatheknowsisimpossible:collecteverycardever
printedofTimWallach.Thewriter,ZachHelfanddoesn’thavetotakethestorytoo
seriouslybecausethecollectorandhiswifedon’treally,either.
ThenightKansasCitybaseballcamebacktolife,byAndyMcCullough
AndyMcCulloughrelivestheRoyals’wild-cardplayoffwinfromlastyear.Waitinga
yearandallowingthedusttosettleprovidesanopportunityforkeysourcesto
speakwithperspective.AnyRoyalsfanwillreadthisstory,consideringallthe
happymemoriesitbringsback.
ForRedSoxbroadcasterDonOrsillo,amovinggoodbye,byGordonEdes
InaRedSoxseasonthat’slongbeenover,themostimportantstorySundaywasn’t
thegame.ESPNBoston’sGordonEdesinsteadtailedplay-by-playannouncerDon
Orsillo,whosestationcontroversiallyreleasedhim,effectivetheendofthisseason.
It'sadayinthelifeofOrsillo—averyspecialday.
RockyPerone’squesttoplayproballwasjustthestartofhiswildtale,by
ChrisBallard
Thisstoryis,asthewriterdescribesit,“partSiddFinchandpartCatchMeifYou
Can.”
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Itbeginsmysteriouslyandrevealsjustenoughtokeeptheontheedge.Eventually,
welearnofacomplexbaseballmanwho’ddoanythingtostayinthegame.
TheaudacityofPeytonManning,byKevinVanValkenburg
Whathaven’treporterswrittenaboutPeytonManning?KevinVanValkenburgfinds
something—thepainfulprocessofthe39-year-oldquarterbackremovinghis
equipmentafteragame.Theledeworksbecauseitssovisualwithadjectivesand
verbs:“Hissockscomeoffafterseveralviolenttugs,revealingtoesthataretwisted
andbentintoobtuseangles.”Muchofthestorycoverstopicsoftendiscussedabout
Manning,buttheimageryatthetopmakesthispiecememorable.
SeeastoryyouloveinOctober?Letmeknowatmarkrselig@gmail.com.
October5,2015—What’sthatinGayTalese’spocket?
FrankSinatrahadacoldandGayTalesehadastory.Butonlyafterhehadanoutline.
TwoweeksagoSportsIllustrated'sGregBishopsharedhisoutliningstrategieswith
theblog.Successfulnarrativejournalismisoftentheresultofadedicatedoutline
thatorganizesideas.
Thiswastrue,eveninthe1960s.
InreferencetoBishop'slessonsonoutlining,theNewYorkTimes'JimLuttrell
passedalongthesephotos.TheyshowTalese'soutlineforhisfamousEsquire
piece,FrankSinatraHasaCold,widelyconsideredoneofthegreatestprofilesever
written.
Talese,aTimesalum,oncevisitedsomemembersofthenewspaperandtalked
abouthiscraft.
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"Healsoshowedussomeofthenoteshetookwhilereporting,"Luttrellsaid."He
cutsupcardboardfromnewshirtsbecausetheyfitneatlyintheinsidepocketofhis
suitjacket."
Asmartnote-takingprocessmusthavebeenessentialforTalese,whosestoryon
Sinatraistranscendentinpartbecauseitwasfilledwithobservationsratherthan
interviews.
October6,2015—TheBestAmericanSportsWritingseriesandtheeditor
behindit
Asoftoday,The2015BestAmericanSportsWritingpaperbackisavailableon
Amazon,whichmeanswritersrangingfromaspiringtoaccomplishednowhavenew
materialontheirreadinglists.
I'veboughtthebookannuallysincetheearly2000s,andalwayswonderedwhat
goesintoitsmaking.Wondernolonger.Theserieseditor,GlennStout,explainedthe
processlastmonth.
Stout,wholivesonLakeChamplaininVermont,readsvoraciously,oftenwhileusing
anellipticalmachine.Sometimes,he'llreadjustthebeginningandendofastory,
andifhe'sstillengaged,finishtherest.
Hechooses75storiestonominatetotheedition'sguesteditor,thisyearWright
Thompson.
Stoutsendseachstoryasaworddocumentwithouttheauthor'snameor
publication,thoughthat'seasyenoughtofind.Theguesteditoriswelcometo
choosestoriesStouthasnotnominated.
"IjusttrytopickstoriesthatIwanttoreadagain,"Stoutsaidofhisphilosophy.
There'sacertainliteraryaspecttotheworkStoutchooses.Somesportswriters—
notablyBobRyan—havecommentedaboutthelackofdeadlinenewspaperworkin
thebookseries.Thosewriterswhohaveregisteredgripesfailtounderstandthe
missionofthebookseries,Stoutsaid.
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"Fromtheverybeginning,thisbookhasbeenBestSportsWriting.Twowords.
Writingaboutsports.Notsportswriting,"Stoutsaid."Thosearetwodifferentthings.
There'sanoverlap.Butthey'retwodifferentthings."
Stoutsaysthere'sawiderdefinitiontosports[space]writing,whichopensthe
seriestomorematerialthanstrictlywhatyou'dseeinadailynewspaper.Inthe
2015entries,you'llfindjustonestoryfromanewspaper(afeaturebyTimGraham
oftheBuffaloNews).
Thisyear'sbookincludesnarrativeworkfromESPN,Esquire,GQ,Buzzfeed,SB
Nation,Jacobin,NewNowhere,SportsIllustrated,SportsOnEarth,FoxSports,The
DailyBeast,TheNewYorker,TheNewRepublicandYahoo!
"Thevarietyofworkbeingdonenowisreallyunparalleled,"Stoutsaid."Thisgenre
wasdominatedbynewspaperpeoplewritingtakeouts,andmagazinepeople.You
hadtobeintheclub.Now,withtheproliferationoftheweb,therearesomany
placestowrite,there’ssuchanexcitementforwritersandreaders.Peopleareso
inventivenow."
Who'sStout?
Alongtimefreelancewriter,StoutnoweditstheacclaimedLongformsectionofSB
Nation.
StoriesfromStout'ssectionhaveappearedonthisblogmultipletimes.They're
typicallyvividwithdescription,deeplyreportedandwrittenlikemininovels.
"Ourgoalistowritesomethingthat’sgoodenoughfortheBestAmericanbook,"said
Stout,whosestoriesareeligibleforhisbook."Let’stry.Wewon’talwaysgetthere.
"Oftenpeoplearen’taskedtodotheirbestwork.They’rejustaskedtodowork."
WhileStoutwantsthebestoutofhiswriters,thosewhoworkwithhimcharacterize
hiseditingstyleascollaborative.
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"Idon’twanttosayhe’safatherlyfiguresomuchasabuddywhoknowswhat
you’regoingforandhowtogetyouthere,"saidRickPaulus,whosestorytitledThe
BatDoctorIsInappearedonSBNationthissummer.
"...He’saliterarydorkinagoodway."
Stoutmightgobackandforthwitheditseightto10times.He'slookingfirstfor
reporting,structureandnarrativearc.Then,whenthat'suptostandard,hebegins
tinkeringwithwhathecalls"thegoodstuff"—theshapeofthestoryandthesound
eachwordmakes.
Everystoryhasitsownlanguage,hesaid.A2013featureonlateNASCARdriver
DickTrickle,forinstance,neededtoconsistonlyofwordsthatTricklemightsay—
wordsthatkeepthereaderintheplaceandfeelofthestory.
"Ithinkthatlaststep,"Stoutsaid,"iswhatcantakeastorythatisotherwisefinebut
eminentlyforgettable,andturnitintosomethingthat'smemorable,thatcanbe
shared,andwhenyoufinishit,youturntosomebodyelseandsay'Youhavetoread
this.That'sthegoal."
October12,2015—Interactivejournalismexecutedwell
Lastmonth,withtheU.S.Opentennistournamentbeginning,theNewYorkTimes
openeditsreaderstoworldsthey’veneverseenorevenrealizedexist.
ThisTimes’interactivestoryshowswheretheworld'sbesttennisplayersfirst
learnedtoplay,andblowsuptheperceptionthateveryoneinthesport
wasafinanciallyprivilegedkidpracticingonmanicuredcourts.
“They’reallshowcasedatthesepristinevenues,”sportseditorJasonStallmansaid
ofhowtennisplayersareshownduringtelevisionbroadcasts.“Wewantedtotake
readersbacktowheresomeofthetopplayerscamefrom,thoseplacesthatbear
littleresemblancetoWimbledon,RolandGarros,BillieJeanKingNationalTennis
Center,etc.”
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Theprojectfeaturesvideosofeightcourtswherecurrenttennisprosbeganplaying
askids.A1-or2-minuteaudiointerviewaccompanieseachvideo.
It’sonethingtodescribetheComptoncourtswhereVenusandSerenaWilliamsfirst
hammeredforehands.It’sanothertoseekidsplayingonittoday,whileIshaPrice,
theWilliamssisters’sister,explainswhatVenusandSerenalearnedthere.
“Wearealwaystryingtofindsmartnewwaystotellstoriesandconveyinformation,
toexploitthepossibilitiesofferedbydigitaljournalism,”CatrinEinhorn,a
multimediareporterwhoworkedontheproject,wroteinanemaildiscussingthe
project.“SteveDuenes,whorunsgraphics,cameupwiththeidea.Acoupleyears
ago,hesawanimageofacourtinComptonwhereVenusandSerenaWilliams
playedaschildren,andeversincehe’sbeenlookingforawaytogetbacktoit.We
likedtheideaofbringingpeopletocourtsaroundtheworldandlettingthem
comparethecourtsvisually,withaudioofsomeonewhorememberedtheplayeras
achildprovidingthecontext.”
Tappingfriends,familyandoldcoachestoratherthaninterviewingtheplayers
directlywassmartjournalism.Itofferedbetterperspectiveandprovidedanecdotes
aprowouldn’tthinktoorwanttoreveal(oneplayerclutchedastuffedanimalwhile
shefirstplayed).
“Askyourselfwhatyouwerelikeatage4or5,”Einhornsaid.“Nowaskyourmomor
uncleorareallyimportantteacher.Theyprobablyhavealotmoreinsight.”
Theprojecttookamonthtocomplete,accordingtoEinhorn,whowasoneofeight
staffmembersworkingonit.TheTimesalsousedfreelancerstohelpcapturevideo
andaudioacrosstheglobe.TheprojectfeaturedcourtsfromSerbia,Scotland,
VenezuelatoSwitzerland,Japan,India,RussiaandAmerica.
Tokeepeachstoryconsistent,Einhorncreatedalistofquestionscoveringthree
themes:theplayersaschildren,theevolutionofthecourtsandhowthecourt
affectedtheplayer.
In10-15minutes,wegetaglobalviewandexperienceoftennisanditsstars'roots.
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October16,2015—Passan’sstorystandsoutafterhistriptothebleachers
WearingadressshirtandtiewhereeverybodyelsedonsCubsjerseys,JeffPassan
didn’texactlyblendinwiththefansintheWrigleyFieldbleachers.Afterall,he
neverexpectedtobetherewhenhewenttoworkMonday.
Butthebleachers—andthepeopleinthosejerseys—providedanopportunityfor
Passantotellastorythatdifferentiatedfromthoseofhispeers.
TheCubsbashedarecordsixhomerunsintheirGame3NLDSwinovertheSt.Louis
Cardinals.Thestorylineforanyjournalistwaseasy.Passan,whowritescolumnsfor
Yahoo!Sportstriedsomethingdifferent.
“Youcanwriteaboutthesixhomeruns,whicheveryonedid.Oryoucancoverthe
sixhomerunswithatwist,”PassansaidFridayeveningashedrovefromhisKansas
CityhometoKauffmanStadiumforGame1oftheALCS.
(READPASSAN'SSTORY)
Passan’stwistwasinterviewingthefanswhocaughtKrisBryantandAnthony
Rizzo'sback-to-back,fifth-inninghomerunballs—theCubs’thirdandfourth
homersoftheday.TheideacamefromaYahoo!blogeditornamedKevinKaduk.
Passanwatchedreplaysofthehomerunsfivetimesapieceandthenleftthepress
boxtofindthelandingspots.
AsPassaninterviewedthemanwithBryant’shomerun,CubsoutfielderJorge
Solerhitanotheroneinthesixth.
Anewstoryemerged.“Igottafindallofthem,”Passanthought.
HewentacrossthebleacherstogettheguyinrightfieldwhocaughtRizzo’s.Then
hefoundthekeepersoftheshotsfromSoler,StarlinCastroandKyleSchwarber.
Surroundingfansshouted“Don’tgiveittothem!”and“GetticketstotheWorld
Series!”—theythoughttheoverlydressedPassanwasaCubsrepresentativeasking
fortheballs—whilePassanaskedeachball-bearingfanthesamesetofquestions.
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Didyouactuallycatchit,orwhatwasthestorybehinditendinginyourhands?How
longhaveyoubeenaCubsfan?Howdeepdoesyourfandomgo?Isthistheyear?
AsPassanheadedbackuptothepressbox,DexterFowleraddedasixthhomerunin
thebottomoftheeighthinning.Onemoreluckyfantointerview.
Afterthegameended,PassanwenttotheCubs’clubhousetochatwithplayers.He’s
typicallythelastreporteroutoftheclubhousebecause,ashesaid,“Thebestwork
canbedonewhenthefewestpeoplearethere.”
Or,itturnsout,whenthemostpeoplearethere—solongasyou'reinthebleachers
andthenearbypeoplearen’totherjournalists.Leavingthepressboxisawaytofind
adifferentstorythanthepack.In2012,Passanmadeasimilarmovefora
quitedifferentstorydocumentingtheemptinessofYankeeStadium.
“Youhavetotakeadvantageofthingslikethat,”Passansaid.
TakingadvantageofYahoo!’ssoftdeadline,PassanwrotehisCubsstoryinthree
hoursandsettledonachronologicaltelling.
Itturnedoutpoignantandmemorable.Andcertainlydistinct.
October20,2015—Ifcollegeteamsdon’tprovideaccess,let’sreportwithout
it
Mississippi’sbiggestnewspaperwillstopcoveringitshometownteamuntilitgets
accesstoplayersandassistantcoaches.
AfterJacksonStateUniversityfireditsfootballcoachthismonth,theinterimcoach
hasbeentheonlyvoiceavailabletomediaforthelastthreeweeks.It’shischoice,
theschoolsays,torestrictaccess,andthat'swhathewantstodoinordertokeep
hisplayersfocused.That’snotOKwithTheClarion-Ledger,whichislocatedin
Jackson,Miss.
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“Thiskindofrestrictionkeepsareporterfromproperlydoinghisorherjob,”The
Clarion-LedgersportseditorDavidBeansaidinastoryannouncingtheGannett
paper’sdecisiontomoveitsJSUbeatwriterontoothercoverage.
Mytwodivergentthoughts:
1.)KudostoTheClarion-Ledgerfortakingastand.Asjournalistsweshouldshow
solidarityinthefightforaccess.
2.)Accesstoacollegefootballteamisoverrated.
Whilethere’sgreatmeritinjournalistspushingforaccess,andwhileJacksonStateis
arroganttosquashinterviewopportunities,therestrictionsshouldn’thandcuffThe
Clarion-Ledger.
Journalistsmustusetheirpowersofobservation—andmoreoftenthannot,these
observationsaremoreinterestingandrevealingthantiredplatitudesfromfootball
players.
Howmanytimeshaveyoureadastoryandskippedoverthequotesbecausethey’re
sopredictableandshallow?
Sure,interviewingisaboutmorethangatheringquotes.Experiencedreportersuse
thesesessionstodevelopanunderstandingforasituation,gainbackground
informationandverifyfacts.It’sabitlimitingifanewspaperisblockedfromdoing
this.Butit’snotcrippling.
Oneofthebestprofileseverwrittenwascompletedwithoutasingleinterviewof
themaincharacter.GayTalese’s“FrankSinatrahasaCold”gottothesoulofthe
famouscroonerthroughobservationandinterviewswithSinatra'sentourage
members.
A50-year-oldfeaturestoryandcontemporarycollegefootballcoveragearen’t
synonymous,butbothpresentstrategiesonecanemploywhenstonewalledfrom
access.
WanttowriteaboutaJacksonStatelinebacker?
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Talktorecentopponents.Talktofamilymembers.Often,tangentialsourcesyieldfar
betterinformationthanthepeopledirectlyinvolved.Iftheteamdoesn’twantto
providecontextfromitsownpointofview,that’samissedopportunityfortheteam.
AntonioMorales,whowashiredinJulytobetheJacksonState/SWACreporter,said
hewillcovertheSouthwesternAthleticConferencegamebetweenMississippi
ValleyStateandhostGramblingStatethisweekend.TheClarionLedgerplanstonot
sendareportertoJacksonState’shomecominggameagainstArkansasPineBluff.
Moralesdidn’tchoosetoleavehisbeat,butheunderstandswhyhiseditorwantsto
deployhimonagamewherehecanactuallytalktoplayers.Heseestherestricted
accessasalose-losesituationforeverybody.
“We’relosingoutonthecoveragethatwehad.Fansarelosingoutonthestories,
playersarelosingoutonexposure,”Moralessaid.“Idon’tthinkthisisawinning
scenario.Everybody’slosingoutonsomething.”
Onceuponatime,athleticprogramsneedednewspaperstoremainrelevant.
Reportersgotaccessbecause,well,whatotheroptiondidateamhavetobenoticed,
sellticketsandlurerecruits?
Now,everyteamhasitsownwebpagewithitsownsubjectivereporting.Aprogram
canframestorieshoweveritwants,makeplayersavailableforin-housepromos
wheneveritwants.Withdigitalmarketingtools,ateam’sreachoftenismuchlarger
thanthenewspaperthatcoversit(thoughprobablynotthecasewithJacksonState,
whichiswhyTheClarionLedger,whichalsocoversOleMissandMississippiState,
hassomeleveragehere).
WhenIpolledSoutheasternConferencereportersabouttheiraccessthissummer,
mostweredispleasedbutresignedtotheirless-than-idealsituations.
Whileteamsiteshavetheresourcestoproduceandpromoteflashycontentfortheir
fans,traditionaljournalistsconvincethemselvesthey’revaluablebecausetheyare
watchdogswhodisseminatethetruth,withoutspin.
Andtheycanbe,withorwithoutaccesstoplayersandcoacheswhoprovide
perfunctoryquotesaboutfocusingonthenextgame.
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Weshouldlookpasttheobvioussourcesinsearchfortherevelatoryones.Ifplayers
onlyspeakwhenapacksurroundsthem,findrelatedsourcesthatarelessin
demand—beithighschoolcoaches,relativesorfriends.Atpublicschools,wecan
requestrecordsthatrevealtheunderbellyofanathleticsdepartment’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’sreceivedcriticismintheindustryforpublishinglowqualitycoveragefromitsunpaidcontributors.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’stheonlyfulltimestaffwriterintheLongformdepartmentthatEichenbergeroversees.
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.
Multiplereporterssaidathrowawaylineinanewsstorycanturnintoafullblownarticleforthem.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
159
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
160
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.ItwillalsohelpmecreatecontactsintheindustryasInetworkwithwellknownjournalists.I’dliketobecomeaknowncommodityinsportsjournalism
circles;Iwanteditorstolistentomydiscussionsofjournalismandwonderhow
theycangetmeontheirteam.Iwillalsolearntheworldofbloggingandplaywith
theideaofcreatingabrand—somethingI’velearnedtodofortheMissourian
(ratherthanformyself)throughacourseinParticipatoryJournalism.
Thisprojectwillbethefinalstepinearningmymaster’sdegreeinjournalism
fromtheUniversityofMissouri.IintendtofulfillthisrequirementinDecember
165
2015andthenrejointheworkforceasamorethoughtful,experienced,skilledand
connectedjournalist.
2.Professionalskillscomponent
Becausetechnologymakesremotecommunicationsoeasy,andbecauseIstill
haveresponsibilitiesattheMissourianthroughDecember,Iwillmostlyremainin
ColumbiaasIconducttheskillscomponentofmyprofessionalproject.
Ihavenavigatedthegraduateprogramwithoutadefinedareaofemphasis
(beginninginconvergencebutultimatelyenrollinginclassesacrosstheboardto
fulfillmygoalofachievingthemostwell-roundededucationtocomplementmypreexistingskillset).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
166
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,quickhittingones—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
170
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).Someeditorsusesocialmediaasanewsgatheringtool—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).
175
“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
176
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).
Evenapassiveaudienceimpactsthegatekeeperbecauseofitspresenceinthenewsexchangerelationship.“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
177
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).
178
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
179
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.)
180
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).
181
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
182
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.
183
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
184
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.
185
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
186
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
187
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-awardwinnerhimself.
ForatentativelistofquestionsI’lluseduringtheinterview,pleaseseethe
appendixatthebottomofthisdocument(page30).Thatlistisonlyastartingpoint;
Iintendforaconversationalsessionthatallowsforfollow-upquestionsand
explorationofnewdiscoveries.
188
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.
189
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Proposalappendix
Questionsforwriters
• Bioboilerplate
o Age?Education?Experience?
o Howlonghaveyoubeenatthisjob?
o Whatotherjobsdidyouholdbeforethis?
• What’sthegenesisofastoryidea?
o What/whoareyourmainsourceswhentryingtogenerate
ideas?
o Whatelementsorthemesareyoulookingforwhen
determiningwhattocoverindepth?
• 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?
195
•
o Whatdoyoubelievearethereasonsthosestoriesover-or
under-performed.
Howoftendoreadersuggestionsturnintostories?
o Howdoreaderscontactyou(email,Twitter,phone)?
o Whenareaderproposesanidea,whatstepsdoyoutaketo
researchitfurther?
o Doyouactivelyseekoutideasfromreaders,andhow?
Questionsforeditors
• Bioboilerplate
o Age?Education?Experience?
o Howlonghaveyoubeenatthisjob?
o Whatotherjobsdidyouholdbeforethis?
• Takemethroughatypicaldayassportseditor
o Whatareyourrolesandresponsibilities?
o Canyouexplainyournewsroom’sconstructionandhow
storiesgofromideastoproducts?
o Whatdoyouaccomplishatbudgetmeetings?
• What’sthegenesisofastoryidea?
o What/whoareyourmainsourceswhentryingtogenerate
ideas?
o Whatelementsorthemesareyoulookingforwhen
determiningwhattocoverindepth?
• Whatpublicationsdoyouread,beyondyourown?
o Howoftendoyoudrawinspirationfromthosestories,andin
whatshapedoesthatinspirationtake?
o Doyoureadotherpublicationswiththeintentofdoingoneof
itsstories“better?”
o Ifacompetitorbreaksastory,howdoyouproceedwith
coverage(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’s
happeningonthefield?
o Whatistheexpectationyourelaytoyourreadersintermsof
capturinganarrativestory?
o Whatdoyouthinkyoudodifferentthanyourcompetition?
196
•
•
•
•
o Doesyoursectionhavearesponsibilitytoreportonthe
politicalandmoralissuesinvolvedinsports?
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?
Howmuchdoesthefinancialhealthofyouroutletcontributetothe
decisionsyoumakeonstoryselection?
o Ifyouknowsomethingisavehicletosellads
§ Opportunitytoattachvideos,whicharelucrativee
Howdoyourequestresourcesforaprojectorlargerfeaturestory?
o Whatareexamplesstoriesyouinvestresourcesin?
o Whatstoriesdoyouwishyoucouldpublishbutdon’tbecause
theresourcesyouneedaretoomuchtojustify?
o Howmuchofyourbudgetdoyoureserveforspecialprojects
andfeatures?
o Whatdowritersneedtoshowyoutojustifythatwork?
197
Changestotheproposal
Themostsignificantchangedtomyproposalisthegroupofwriters/editorsI
interviewed.Iknewgoingintotheproposalthatmylistwastentative,andImade
significantchangesbasedonavailabilityandanaimfordiversity.
AtESPN,IinterviewedLeonCarterandIanO’Connor,ratherthanMary
ByrneandColeyHarvey.Byrnehadn’tyetworkedtherelongenoughformetodive
intoherroutines,soIchoseCarterinstead.MyinterviewwithCarterledmetohave
questionsofO’Connor,soIsubbedhimin.
AtBleacherReport,IinterviewedLarsAndersoninsteadofJasonKing.I
didn’tknowatthetimeofmyproposalthatKingwasafreelancerratherthanafulltimewriter.AndersonistheLongformsection’sonlyfull-timer,andalogicalchoice.
AtGrantland,IswappedSeanFennesseyandRobertMaysinforAndrew
SharpandBryanCurtis.Ididnotreceiveresponsesfromemailstotheinitialtwo,
whereasIhadcontactinformationforMays.Fennesseywashiseditor,soIwanted
tokeepthatconsistent.
AttheBostonGlobe,IspoketoShiraSpringerinlieuofAdamHimmelsbach.
ThiswasatthesuggestionofeditorJoeSullivan,whotoldmeSpringerwouldbethe
bestpersontodiscusstakeoutfeatures.
InsteadoftheRichmondTimes,Iinterviewedawriter/editorpairfromthe
SanDiegoUnion-Tribune,becauseitgavemeperspectivefromtheoppositesideof
thecountry.
198
Othersmallchangestotheproposal:Ipublishedfewerblogsperweekbut
morelengthyonesthanIplanned.Ifoundearlyintheprocessthatmyquick-hitting
pieceswithouttalkingtoanybodywerenotrewarding,soImadeeachblogmore
thoroughandbasedoffatleastoneinterviewwithawriteroreditor.Ialsostarted
thebloginJune,ratherthanJuly.Iwasexcitedabouttheprojectandwantedtoget
goingonit.Lastly,IdidnothavemyblogregularlypublishedontheAssociated
PressSportsEditors’website.ThepeopleIspoketoatAPSEwerereceptiveabout
theideabutnotparticularlyresponsivewhenitcametoactuallyputtingtheblogs
onthesite.
199