Breaking into sports journalism--YouTube

Breaking into sports journalism. For your viewing pleasure.

 

Agree with the statement that, "How does it feel?" is the stupidest question that a journalist can ask after a championship game. There are a ton of lazy sports writers out there you do that over and over again. Are there more parts to the panel discussion? If so, please post the link.

 

Wait. So, "Talk about ..." is no good?


Damn.

 

Interesting little snippet... where did this take place? Are there links to the full discussion floating around cyberspace any where?

I was a bit surprised by the wall street journal guy's take on locker room access. But he makes a tremendous point. If I was just getting out of the shower and had a recorder shoved in my face to answer the same F'ing question I'd answered the previous 87 nights, i'd probably give a lame response to. If players take the time to answer our questions, we owe it to them to be as courteous and intelligent in our interview as possible.

 

It appears that this is a preview of a full 1:15 discussion/course from Mediabistro.com. I looked at the course description on the Web site and it looks like just more of this kind of discussion. It said that it was $20 for the full video (flash, of course, so that you can't share with your friends) and $15 for Mediabistro.com subscribers. If that helps.

 

hmmmm... $20 makes it a little less appealing. For a broke young journalist like me, that's a lot of ramen noodle I'd be sacrificing.

That being said, I'll still probably take the plunge. that snippet did its job -- it left wanting more.

 

Wow, I hadn't even thought about the electric chair when I said no earlier.

I was squemish about the injection. There's no way in hell I'd want to watch some one get the chair.

That being said, I don't think my lack of interest in seeing an execution means I'm anti-death penalty. There are a lot of sick freaks out there who deserve to get what's coming to them.

 

The preview wasn't that bad.

 

well played, good sir

 

they should have let the hot chicks speak more.


sexist bastards.

 

Phrased correctly, I think it can elicit a good response. Was hoisting that trophy as euphoric as you imagined it would be? Maybe reference a low point in the player's career. "What's this mean to someone who was released by the Alabama Assbandits of the independent league after hitting .033 in 500 at-bats?"

I still think if you're writing a championship gamer, the immediate reaction quote has to be way up there. Just my opinion.

 

A part of our job -- a big part of our job -- is to make the reader or viewer feel like they were there. That means explaining how it feels to win a Super Bowl, pitch a perfect game, strike out in the bottom of the ninth, whatever. Very few people in the world will ever live those experiences. It doesn't mean you have to phrase the question, "how does it feel ..." But if that elicits a good answer, good for the person who asked it.

Also, how many people on that panel have ever had to face an athlete or coach after criticizing them in print? It seems a bit easier if you can pontificate or rant about, say, Gary Sheffield's ability to hit left-handers or his thoughts on racism, and never have to look the guy in the eye. There was a time when sports journalists were expected to be accountable. Bloggers have changed the rules, probably not for the better.
And the guy who described east coast journalists' inability to get to the locker room after a game and then insinuated they were lazy is as insulting as he is dumb. He ought to try writing a coherent gamer, column or sidebar in 20 minutes.