Who do you write for?

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WaylonJennings

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As many writers do in this day and age, I frequently come down from Mount Olympus and host an Internet chat with readers about the fortunes of the team I cover.

It usually gets some good traffic and a steady stream of inquiries.

But I have also seen people complain on some of the message boards, usually along these lines: "He didn't tell me anything that I or anyone else who frequents this board doesn't already know!"

And yet, unlike those people, who subscribe to Scout.com, Rivals.com and about five different NFL Draft sites, probably 90 percent of the fan base isn't aware of the depth chart down to the fourth string left guard. So those people indeed are getting questions answer, interactively, that they may not previously have been aware of.

Anyways ... the question is, when you sit down to write, who are you aiming to reach? The 5 percent of the fans who know every player's hometown and major? Or the 95 percent who need things spelled out for them every day because they tend to miss one here and there, maybe flip on the game on Saturday (or Sunday) and just check in occasionally otherwise? Would that be fair to the people who actually do read every single day?

Should you write about the quarterback every chance you get, because that's what the lowest common denominator demands? Or is it also important to occasionally go deep regarding the injury situation at the nickelback position, and how it may affect things in 3rd-and-long?

Who do you write for?
 
We've been through this before, but perhaps answers will change in the current economic climate. Sometimes I feel like I write for the boss' boss, because he has some very well-defined ideas about what should be in the sports section. (Luckily, it doesn't involve his kids!)

I try to write what I'd want to read, which means less play-by-play and more anecdotes about athletes.
 
I write for the players' mothers and grandmothers. They need scrapbook fodder.
 
I write for whoever I think will read the story, which means my audience changes slightly from story to story, but is generally based on an average reader: me.
 
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The kids that try really hard.

It took that long to hit that softball? Come on!!!
 
Gomer said:
I write for whoever I think will read the story, which means my audience changes slightly from story to story, but is generally based on an average reader: me.

Same.
 
I used to have sooo much passion for my job. But now, I'm the equivalent of a paycheck player.
I don't care about learning new skills. I'm done volunteering. Which also means i'm done being exploited for my extra effort.
 
93Devil said:
The kids that try really hard.

It took that long to hit that softball? Come on!!!

Well, who else is going to help them get scholarships?
 
WaylonJennings said:
As many writers do in this day and age, I frequently come down from Mount Olympus and host an Internet chat with readers about the fortunes of the team I cover.

It usually gets some good traffic and a steady stream of inquiries.

But I have also seen people complain on some of the message boards, usually along these lines: "He didn't tell me anything that I or anyone else who frequents this board doesn't already know!"

And yet, unlike those people, who subscribe to Scout.com, Rivals.com and about five different NFL Draft sites, probably 90 percent of the fan base isn't aware of the depth chart down to the fourth string left guard. So those people indeed are getting questions answer, interactively, that they may not previously have been aware of.

Anyways ... the question is, when you sit down to write, who are you aiming to reach? The 5 percent of the fans who know every player's hometown and major? Or the 95 percent who need things spelled out for them every day because they tend to miss one here and there, maybe flip on the game on Saturday (or Sunday) and just check in occasionally otherwise? Would that be fair to the people who actually do read every single day?

Should you write about the quarterback every chance you get, because that's what the lowest common denominator demands? Or is it also important to occasionally go deep regarding the injury situation at the nickelback position, and how it may affect things in 3rd-and-long?

Who do you write for?

I've always found that the people who brag that my news isn't "news" to them enjoy their insider status...or at least their perceived insider status. So actually, giving them something they already know is self-affirming and welcome to many of these folks.

Those aren't the people I'm writing for. I'm writing for the person who is interested, but not in the know. Covering a D-I mid-major beat, I got as much or more positive feedback for the coverage of the basketball team that was lucky if it got 1,000 fans into the arena as I got for the football team, which regularly led its conference in attendance.

You get big readership from people who care, but not enough to go to the game. So your reader with a combination of basic knowledge and enough detachment to need someone to fill them in, that's the guy you target. Every story isn't going to read like a 101-level text on the subject, but it's not going to be jargon-filled insider stuff either.

I'm one of those "interested, but detached" readers these days for most of the teams I grew up watching. I'm one of them with the presidential debate tonight. I care, but I'm too busy to watch. Tell me what happened, Mr. Newsman.

And if you watched the game I covered too and recognize everything I wrote in the story, well, bear with me through the familiar stuff while I give you insight you probably don't know...but not without neglecting the poor saps who missed the game.
 
This is gonna sound selfish, but I write for myself.

I have a little freedom, so I try to find stories that I find interesting or funny. I'll craft an entire story around one little intimate stretch of dialogue or hidden humorous scene.

I know it's noble to say we write for the readership, but if you do your job well, you serve the masses anyway. Some like what I do; some don't. I figure it evens out in the short term and I'll win over the critics (everyone's an expert these days) in the long.

Got to believe in yourself. Got to be willing to break from the pack. Not always, of course, but enough to be true to your inner voice and creative spirit.

Don't misunderstand: I'm not saying it's wrong to write for readers, just a little overwhelming and unsatisfying. My biggest pet peeve -- and this is something I see a lot -- are reporters who write for the coaches, players and teams they cover. Usually to try and show how much they know. These people serve nobody.
 

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