Announcements All late assignments must be turned in

by Friday Nov 5th in order to receive credit

After Nov 5th assignments not turned in to me or in my mailbox by the Monday after the due date will not be accepted

Review the attendance policy▪ Don’t let poor attendance affect your final

grade

What are some of your favorite sports teams▪ Why are they your favorite▪ When they play do you watch the post game show▪ Why/Why Not

▪ What do people get from the sports game shows

▪ Anyone watch the half-time show for ▪ Football▪ Basketball

Sports and weather▪ Received more coverage than any other

subject▪ Are there any newscasts with sports shows▪ That have a catch name▪ With a specific focus

Think of a famous sports reporter Radio or TV What station or network What makes them famous

Do you have a favorite sportscaster Who are they Why are they your favorite

What is a catch phrase What is one popularized by a sports

reporter What makes a catch phrase memorable

How writing sports differs▪ Sports is more video driven▪ You need good video for highlights▪ Can’t just use file/stock footage▪ Video is self explanatory

Reporter can drop verbs and descriptive comments This wouldn’t work for news story

▪ Sportscasters▪ Use number more freely▪ Often more critical of teams they cover▪ Use more opinion & commentary

Be cautious about these… Being critical ALL the time▪ Can lead to views of cynicism

Always showing praise for a team▪ If it’s your team, be fair in your coverage▪ Whether they’re doing good or bad

Too many clichés in sports writing

“Sports Speak” Language/jargon▪ Terms sportscasters revert to or overuse

Be more clear than clever▪ Can be tough to be creative night after night

Getting Good Bites▪ Try to get sound bites that are not clichés▪ Develop good questions▪ Usually result in better responses

▪ If good questions still result in cliché▪ Look for someone else to interview

Locker-Room Interviews Unlike controlled interviews▪ Locker rooms can be uncontrolled▪ What possible problems to the locker room

interview?

“Rules of the Trade” Get a comment or two▪ About the game & athletes or teams

performance▪ Don’t overwhelm athlete with questions▪ Mood may vary depending on games outcome

Be aware of others agenda▪ Professional courtesy may go a long way▪ Radio deadline may be before yours▪ Deferring to them may set up favor in the future

Avoid the dumb questions▪ Many reporters ask same questions▪ Most athletes respond to them▪ Think about your questions▪ If they are good, repetition isn’t bad

Grammar – Poor grammar make YOU look bad▪ Be aware of grammar use when writing your

copy▪ Sports is often overlooked more than news▪ Poor grammar is reflected during delivery

Examples – Think of team nicknames as nouns▪ Team is singular - Pronoun should be singular▪ Nickname is singular – pronoun should be singular▪ Nickname is plural – pronoun should be plural

▪ Who wants to try a few?

It’s or Their – (Pick the proper pronoun)▪ The Bengals won 3 of ____last 4 games▪ The Heat, with 3 all-stars, won ____ first game▪ Chicago dominated ____ opponents in the last

game▪ The Yankees lost ____ season opener at home▪ Golden State is pursuing ____ first win of the year▪ The Nuggets traded ____ top players in the

offseason

▪ Identify which is correct and why

Be Proactive Audiences have different interests▪ Some people love pro sports▪ They will tune in regularly for info▪ They are not the majority of people

▪ Some people don’t watch pro sports▪ What can you offer THEM during the sports segment▪ What might they watch if covered

▪ What is a non-pro sports story you can think of?▪ How was it or could it have been appealing

DO

Look for features that would interest all viewers

Worry more about being clear than being clever

Find athletes who can talk and ask them good questions

DON’T

Cover only pro sports Get caught up in a

“Sports Culture” Fall into “sports speak” Think that because

you’re covering sports the writing rules don’t apply

How do we avoid falling into the “Sports Speak” syndrome

Why is “Sports Speak” a problem