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Outdoors coverage

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Mark DeCotis, May 23, 2008.

  1. Mark  DeCotis

    Mark DeCotis New Member

    Just curious: How are other newspapers handling outdoors coverage, especially fishing, hunting? Are other recreational outdoor activities such as running, cycling, triathlon, hiking finding their way into regular outdoor coverage?

    Do photos of caught fish, deer, etc. still have a place in your coverage? How about fishing tournament coverage?

    Do you have space dedicated to outdoors each week and if so how much?

    Thanks,

    Mark
     
  2. Mark  DeCotis

    Mark DeCotis New Member

    Thank you.

    It really matters here as well, on the east coast of Florida.

    Trying to take temperatures of other outlets to see they are handling it. Our outdoors guy got bought out last July and this is the first summer without blanket coverage of fishing tournaments and the anglers aren't happy.

    Mark
     
  3. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    We have an outdoors columnist in the chain. He writes a weekly notes package, a feature, a column and one newsy story. All on traditional outdoors coverage — hooks and bullets.
    Some papers spread it over two days, some run it Sunday only and spread it out over two pages.
    If we didn't have outdoors copy, the readers would revolt. Plus it makes money since the outdoors places buy ad placement on the page or pages.
     
  4. dargan

    dargan Active Member

    We have a weekly outdoors column with an outdoors page, and we have plenty of pictures of dead animals: deer, alligator gar, catfish, and wild hogs.

    Since we're heavy on high school sports, we have to come up with a lot of non-traditional sports features for the summer, and outdoors is often the way to go. I did stories on several outdoor events last year, including bass tournaments and "adventure racing."
     
  5. sportsed

    sportsed Member

    Any list of top outdoors writers would have the Times-Picayune's Bob Marshall at or near the pinnacle. The guy gave up the Saints beat for the gig years ago, and he'd tell you it was the best move he's ever made. The paper also has had a separate person who handles fishing as a beat, though I don't know if that's still the case.
     
  6. -Scoop-

    -Scoop- Member

    We run an outdoors column every Sunday, and during buck season we run shots for the local Big Buck contest during winter.
     
  7. SCEditor

    SCEditor Active Member

    I'm at a 16K daily, and we have one person who is responsible for our Outdoors page and Golf page. Of course, he's been here 40-plus years, so whenever he decides to retire, I'm sure that position will cease to exist.
     
  8. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    We used to have an outdoors columnist who wrote every week, but he died last year and we haven't replaced him yet. We still run the dead deer pictures in the winter, I think almost as a tribute to him. The guy was a native of this burg and worked at the paper for at least 30 years.

    On another note, I think we're still looking for an outdoors writer. If anybody's looking for that type of gig, PM me.
     
  9. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    My old paper no longer has a full-timer. Before I left, I hired a freelancer to do 2-3 columns a week with a big outdoors page on Friday that includes a column, a fishing report, a "try this" and events rail. He also does a blog that is updated more regularly than the paper's other blogs. Guy is doing a terrific job.
     
  10. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    The Globe and Herald each have weekly fishing reports (Friday) in the summer and skiing pages (Thursday) in the winter. Hunting coverage is sporadic, but it's tough to shoot a gun off in these parts without hitting something besides game.
     
  11. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    We have two outdoor contributors — a hook guy and a bullet guy.

    The hook guy is regular as clockwork; the bullet guy tends to take it easy in summer after turkey season ends, and before dove seaon begins.
     
  12. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    Our Sunday paper has a separate outdoors section. We all help with that section, not just the sports department.
     
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