Yet another reason to learn online skills

Newspapers across the country are moving rapidly to online production, as you probably already know. Some newspapers, like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, have imploded the traditional news structure, eliminating news and sports departments in favor of departments like 'news and information' and 'enterprise,' according to Sporting News EIC Jeff D'Alessio. The AJC is not the only newspaper re-organizing its news rooms. (Still think the Internet is a fad?) Newspapers are actively seeking reporters with new media skills.

Every college newspaper (and yearbook) should develop a sports blog that addresses individual sports or sports in general on campus. Reporters should post info daily regardless of the print publication schedule. Post all breaking news online. These sports blogs should include photos, breaking news, practice notes, and, sometimes, a short feature or profile. And make sure you include internal links within each item, something that enables readers to dig deeper into issues and news. This additional research will also make you a more informed reporter.

If your news publication does not create a sports blog, develop your own as some college students, like an enterprising reporter at Davidson did for basketball. First, you must learn basic journalism skills, but apply them online as well. Frankly, this is no longer an option.

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Nothing inconceivable about Davidson writer's success

Davidson had just pulled off two improbable victories. Stephen Curry scored 30 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer with a minute left to lead the Wildcats to a mild upset of Gonzaga, 82-76, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Curry then helped Davidson erase a 15-point second-half deficit to stun Georgetown, 74-70, to advance into the Sweet Sixteen.

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The cheering in the RBC Center in Raleigh was deafening. Students on campus were screaming and yelling. And the school's marketing director was probably popping champagne.

The college's newspaper, unfortunately, did not post anything on its website, leaving readers of the Davidsonian with a column on racism and a feature assessing student involvement on campus. (By the way, the paper gave fans an A- for fan support at basketball games but only a D+ for support at other school athletic events.) That schools do not regularly post online is -- I feel like Vizzini from the Princess Bride but I'll say it anyway -- almost inconceivable. Yet, there you have it.

The weekly paper did not have a word about a story that transcends sport. It is breaking news. In its defense, the school has only 1,700 students and does not have a journalism program. Thank goodness, Will Bryan stepped in to fill this void for Davidson basketball fans by covering games, notes and issues on his terrific blog. Will's World offers TV clips from interviews on Pardon The Interruption, CBS highlights of games, as well as commentary, gamers - and a live blog, or glog.

Will introduces readers to Davidson in a recent post, explaining that the college (not university) has both an excellent academic and athletic history (Lefty Driesell twice coached the school to the Elite Eight in the 1960s.)

More impressively, Will has been blogging since 2005. Like many bloggers, he first wrote more about his personal life. Eventually, he explored other subjects and approaches like making NFL picks. By 2006, he had started to write more regularly on the Davidson basketball program. Will clearly has learned much about new media and writing from his regular postings. I will repeat: Every young journalist needs to start blogging on a regular basis. Will proves that you do not have to work at a daily paper to write daily. Start one today. You won't regret it.

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Immerse yourself in the new world of sports journalism

Don�t despair when you read that newspapers are losing readers or that news organizations are laying off workers. Seriously.

That people are losing jobs is sad news, to be sure, but this is no reason to abandon hope in journalism. Newspaper websites are gaining readers online, specifically younger readers who are engaged in today's news and issues, according to several surveys. And online advertising is solidly growing, accounting for about $2.3 billion of total newspaper revenue last year -- more than twice the total from 2003.

These changes have also created more opportunities, says Chicago Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath. "We know the audience is out there," McGrath said during a panel at the Illinois College Press Association last week. "We just need to find a way to reach them."

Phil Hersh, who has covered international sports since 1987, says he can now reach a much wider audience at all times of the day. No longer do newspapers rely upon a 24-hour cycle. News is breaking? Put it online. Readers are on all sorts of time schedules, something that is clear to Hersh, who files stories and gamers at all hours of the day at the Tour de France, World Cup Soccer, and the Olympics. "There's no paradigm shift like we've had with the Internet," he told the students in Chicago. "When we had the goalie controversy with the U.S. women's team last year, I sent five paragraphs on my Blackberry at four a.m. (CST). By five a.m., we already had five comments."

McGrath said game coverage is changing quickly, especially at events that are completed early in the day, like the U.S. Soccer World Cup and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In these instances, the traditional news cycle implodes. By noon, the paper will probably file the traditional game story online for events that had concluded earlier that morning (in U.S. time). Then, the writer may revise this gamer with updated information and the featurized leads typically reserved for second-day folos. By the next morning, this story is already old news to many readers, meaning newspapers may opt to either published a condensed version or instead use a featurized story long on storytelling

As newspapers shift coverage, they'll offer more features and columns in printed sports sections. That means storytelling (and deeper reporting) will take on an even larger role in presenting sports. (Fiction writing should be a required class for all sports reporters wanting to learn structure, character, plot and conflict. Just don't make anything up when you return to journalism work.)

Blogs are also playing a bigger part in news rooms. College newspapers should include at least one sports blog for breaking news, notes, observations at practices and commentary. Higher profile programs may merit an additional, separate blog where several writers can contribute from the field, filing on laptops or cell phones. To some degree, blogs are often abbreviated columns, where writers test ideas and offer snippets that may evolve into longer pieces. "My blogs tend to be columns in blog form," Hersh said. "I may put out five snarky little paragraphs (like some other blogs), but not that often." Unlike most fan bloggers, journalists offer more significant and relevant information, said McGrath. "Everybody has an opinion," he said. "We just have to have an informed opinion. A columnist who does little reporting will not be very helpful."

Make sure you learn the basics of reporting. But also seek to learn other presentation methods like podcasts, slideshows, and v-casts. News will regularly be read on iPhones, Facebook and other media before you know it. Some news organizations are also producing videos for YouTube. It's a whole new world for journalism - and one that is not nearly as scary as it seems if you prepare yourself well.

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Two great learning opportunities

You may want to check out the Sports Institute at Boston College, where you can spend four weeks learning and practicing sports journalism. The literature says this course offers practical hands-on training in print, broadcast and multimedia reporting. The faculty are experienced as well. You can learn more by going to their website.

The Poynter Institute offers a more abbreviated immersion into sports journalism that features journalists from Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and the Sporting News, among others. The Sports Journalism Summit attracts professional and academic applicants. But this summit also accepts college students so check out the site for this three-day session to be held in St. Petersburg. Application deadline is in a few weeks. Good luck.

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IAAF denies double-amputee Olympic opportunity

So I guess losing one's legs is now considered an advantage -- at least in the world of track and field. The world's governing body for the sport says Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee from South Africa, uses technology that is unfair to other Olympians who will compete in the 2008 Games. Therefore, he won't be eligible. The International Association of Athletics Federation says Pistorius's carbon fiber prosthetics "give him an advantage over athletes not using them." Instead, these other able-bodied runners are stuck with their own muscular legs.

Yes, it is easy to attack the IAAF on this issue as the big bully picking on the poor, challenged kid. And, yes, there may be a time when technology prevents paralympians from competing -- but now does not seem the time. Based upon the IAAF's study, Pistorius's prosthetics are more efficient than a human ankle, allowing him to run with about 25 percent less expenditure than able-bodied sprinters. For all the advantages Pistorius's prosthetic legs give him, though, he still has not matched the qualifying time for the 400 meters, which is 45.55 seconds. This ruling is sad news for all people faced with the challenge of fitting in after accidents or after birth defects. Seeing Pistorius sprinting down the track in Beijing could have inspired a whole generation to start viewing physically-handicapped people as more than victims. Here's hoping the IAAF changes its mind.

[The New York Times put together a great multimedia package to illustrate how these prosthetic legs work during a sprint.]

Online skills are essential

No matter where you're working or taking classes, I hope you're working on some online skills as well. There continues to be great debate whether print publications are doomed. A former writer for the New York Times argues that print publications will fade away like parchment, typewriters and, perhaps, CDs. Digital is the future, this writer claims. Even books and magazines will die off in time, Adam Penenberg writes, eventually turning into artifacts that are either sold on eBay or tossed into land fills.

I'm not so sure that newspapers will suffer such a swift burial, but print publications are definitely hurting so much that online readership will be counted in the next Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) reports, which should be announced in the next few weeks. The Audit Bureau, which is the primary circulation audit group in the United States, will not just publish paid print circulation in its biannual reports. Instead, the ABC will combine print and online numbers, probably in order to soften a steady drop in print circulation. No surprise: More and more readers are headed online. But, many are headed to newspapers' online editions. Newspapers remain the most credible news sources.

Sports readers are probably even more active than the average reader, constantly looking for scores, results, and commentary about their favorite teams. Fans will even follow games online through blogs. Sports readers also love to react to one another, something that is clear when you check comments below stories. Tonight, nearly 400 readers posted comments on a brief NFL story at Deadspin. That number of responses would make any newspaper editor envious.

So what does this mean for sports journalism, where online sites like CBSsportsline, ESPN, and Deadspin already publish scores, commentary and news independent of a print publication? That means more opportunities for writers who have learned how to write for this new audience, for readers who expect quick takes, concise writing, strong opinions, and interactive content. That means you better learn how to link to related content, how to add video and audio, and how to file quickly. Clearly, those with strong journalism skills (reporting, interviewing, observing) will do much better than most bloggers, although there will always be room for witty, engaging writers like Bill Simmons and Will Leitch.

Don't abandon your print publications just yet, though. There is much to be learned from this experience -- and print publications remain the most significant sources of news. (Even Leitch, the founder and key editor for Deadspin, said writing his regular column for the New York Times gives him an extra thrill.) Just don't limit yourself to writing for print editions. Collect some audio, find related stories so you can link to them off your online stories, and write glogs (live game blogs) for live events on days when you do not print. And, of course, read as much as you can, whether that is picking up the Best Sportswriting series, reading excellent sports journalists, or checking out sports blogs and websites.

You can start slowly, perhaps by writing a weekly sports blog for your school's online publication, something that is especially helpful for weekly newspapers where sports news can age rapidly. You might even want to start your own sports blog on a local sports team if you do not write for a school publication. Keep evaluating your own work, and ask others to offer criticism. Learn the basics, hone your skills and take some chances. And, most of all, have some fun along the way. After all, this is sports we're writing about.

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College sports blogs are mostly blah

The Daily Pennsylvanian does a pretty good job with its sports blog, offering daily updates on both soccer and football. The sports staff at the newspaper understands the role of a blog for its print publication - offering news, analysis and entertainment. The Daily Pennsylvanian focuses more on the news and analysis parts. The beat reporters are more restrained in their posts, something many readers will appreciate. The beat reporters offer careful analysis supported by reasons and examples.

Sports reporter Sebastien Angel offers this assessment on the men's soccer team:

"The men are difficult to pin down, especially since they've yet to play at home. The bad loss to Seton Hall was a surprise, but Fuller's teams have started slow before - last year's 2-0 defeat to Lehigh comes to mind. (In fairness, Lehigh went on to have a great year.)

I think even less can be pulled from this weekend's performance in California. The optimist might be tempted to read a lot of good things into a competitive 1-0 loss to No. 7 Cal; it's easy to say you were one goal away from a tie - of course, it's much harder to actually get it.

A good barometer will appear this weekend at the Penn Soccer Classic at Rhodes Field. Penn's two opponents, Hartwick and La Salle, gave the Quakers close games last year. A couple of wins - or even a win and a tie - would set them on the right track. The important thing will be to avoid getting swept, though. The chances for non-conference wins and momentum are running out."

The post includes a clear statement, offers some history, and analyzes a recent win rather evenly (no 'homer' comments here.) He also looks ahead to some games later this week.

Two other reporters add to this sports blog that included eight items during 13 days. Most posts where fewer than 300 words. But even the longer post, a 600-plus word piece that outlined Penn's football depth chart, was written concisely.

This is the best of the dozen sports blogs I've reviewed so far. This paper uses three reporters to cover three beats, offers news and updates about its sports.

Blogs, of course, can contain a wide variety of elements, such as more opinionated columns and more in-depth assessment. There's nothing that says blogs need to be mostly notes packages.

Some papers have started to offer game blogs, which, really, ought to be named glogs (or live game logs.) Check out cbs.sportsline.com and ESPN.com for terrific examples of live game reports on the MLB, NBA, NHL and other sports. ESPN.com golf editor Jason Sobel even glogged four days of the Master's, something that was a witty, informative and entertaining read -- and exhausting to Mr. Sobel.

Younger sports reporters need to check these out before diving into this area, otherwise they will be left with bloated, cliche-ridden writing and boring play-by-play. One college publication's live game blog called next week's game against a conference opponent a "must-win," a game that "will be a gut-check." Then, the reporter added: "Yes, there is plenty of football to be played." Blogs are not an excuse to bust out wit da slang and cliches, brother. Instead, they are a place to offer short, informative takes. Don't mistakenly believe that slang and cliches equate to witty, interesting writing.

Make sure you have something to say in the game logs. Offer play by play, but mix in some analysis at the same time. Glogging can be difficult for this reason -- the blogger is expected to be both play-by-play announcer and color commentator. (But isn't that also the role of a sports columnist?)

The Michigan Daily did a fine job offering a running commentary during the Wolverines' loss to Oregon:

First quarter, 5:29 Henne connects with Arrington in the back of the end zone on a short third-and-goal to put Michigan on board. Great throw by Henne to catch Arrington cutting across the back, and Arrington jumps up to grab it. Capped off a solid 10-play, 71-yard drive, highlighted by some nice runs by Hart and 17-yard Manningham reception. Michigan kicks the extra point and is up 4. Michigan 7, Oregon 3

First quarter, 4:40 Wow. That was quick. On Oregon�s second play of the drive, wide receiver Brian Paysinger beats cornerback Brandon Harrison on a fade and takes it 89 yards for the touchdown. One two-point conversion later, and Oregon has a four-point lead. Michigan 7, Oregon 11.

Do not waste space in your glog, as one school did last weekend: "Nothing new to report here as the offense remains ineffective..."

Make sure you are writing for your readers. Do not be self-indulgent, writing about yourself or offering your predictions. Who cares who you picked for the week (or even the score you cited?) Instead, analyze the week's match-ups by comparing one team's passing game against the other team's secondary. Offer comments from players on both sides, from coaches who have played both teams, and include stats that support your statements. Don't just write some general comment and offer a score. Nobody really cares.

The blog for one college publication was particularly self-absorbed. During the past week, one reporter tried to defend a column, another writer made some NFL predictions, calling the local team "our boys." And another posting made sportswriters look like a bunch of free-loading slobs:

"If there�s one thing I enjoy about being a sports reporter, it�s all the free stuff � especially the food.

With two meal tickets redeemable for a hot dog or bratwurst, unlimited soft drinks and coffee, it�s a cheap college student�s dream. Sure, I have to �work� to earn these amenities, but it�s well worth it.

After two 24 ounce Mountain Dews and two bratwursts smothered in mustard and chopped onions, I was feeling adventurous. Considering I only slept two hours Friday night (really, morning � from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m.), I decided to go for the free cappuccino.

Real nice. Credibility shattered. Stereotype strengthened. Thanks.

One final note: Don't be a homer. Create some distance betwen you and the team, even in columns and blogs. Don't write 'us' or 'we.' Sure, you may love your college, but that does not mean you have to be an apologist. Reporters across the United States love our country but still attempt to deliver the facts in a more objective manner. Just as there is no cheering in the press box, there is no rah-rahing or swearing allegiance to one's school in a blog. ("I bleed green and ...")

Learning something new can be difficult. Learning something that is still evolving is even more challenging. So read and assess respectable, professional sports blogs to develop an approach to blogging. You'll need to learn this skill sooner than later because blogs are here to stay for a while.

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Blogging policy shows the NCAA is out of touch

So the NCAA just ejected a sports writer from a regional baseball game for blogging.
Just as I told my class today, sports is all about making money. Sadly, that also includes those who run collegiate athletics. NCAA officials are concerned about live broadcast rights, believing such blogging will affect its ratings, so they told a beat reporter for Louisville Courier-Journal to leave the stadium in the fifth inning of the Cardinals� 20-2 rout of Oklahoma State in a baseball supersectional that sent Louisville to the College World Series. The newspaper claims it will fight this policy as a First Amendment issue. Really, this is really a common sense issue.

The NCAA receives hundreds of thousands of column inches of free advertising each year from reporters at professional and college news publications, not to mention from bloggers. Certainly, news publications also benefit, selling newspapers to readers about these events. It�s a symbiotic relationship that has worked for a hundred years, since newspapers first started reporting on college football in late 1800s. At the time, college football gave up control of its games in order to sell their universities through sports coverage � a Faustian deal, to say the least.

Now, colleges want to promote their institutions and to pile up a fortune in advertising revenue � even if that means stepping on rights and liberties. Universities are supposed to be bastions of higher learning, where one can even debate issues that some find loathsome in order to elevate learning and to provoke higher thinking. I�d hate to see how the NCAA would run academics. (Journalism classes would be run by public relations managers and business departments would be run by the highest bidders.)

The NCAA�s argument is ridiculous. Blogs are no more a �live representation of the game� than a newspaper story. Blogs contain commentary about a game typically read by those who cannot watch on television. Blogs, also referred to as live-game logs (or glogs), are growing at news sites across the country. Gloggers comment on games at CBSsportsline.com and at mlb.com, among other places. These reports apparently threaten the NCAA, an institution stuck in the past. More and more, newspapers are relying on glogs and blogs to capture and retain readers who can easily access results as they happen. If the NCAA wants to continue to promote its sports (and academics?), it must face this reality. Ultimately, these collegiate sports will earn higher ratings thanks to the interest created by newspaper coverage. (And, who knows, a rich alum might plunk down some money for the ol� alma mater.)

Maybe, the NCAA wants to horde everything for itself, in much the same way MLB was trying to control broadcasts of its games earlier this season and the way the NFL appears to be leaning. Still, I cannot imagine even the dictatorial NFL refusing credentials to newspapers that glog (although I suddenly have some worries.)

The NCAA clearly needs to rethink this ridiculous policy � and not just for some �bleeding heart liberals� who believe free speech is a pretty darned good thing. But also for self-preservation. The NCAA will lose revenue if it continues to refuse coverage to newspapers� online editions. Instead, newspapers might spend more resources on other things to cover, something more dear to readers� hearts, like Little League. And, believe me, readers will follow.

The NCAA will not win this argument in the world of public opinion. Reporters and public citizens will find a way to get information out to others. Newspapers can station a reporter in front of a TV, have sports writers file outside the press box, tell reporters to call in information, or ask fans to be citizen-reporters. There are ways of getting around this ridiculous policy. The NCAA�s own blogger calls his organization �arcane,� knowing that reporters already cover so many other events on the Internet. According to the NCAA blogger: �I don�t know anybody in their right mind who would choose in-game commentary on a blog over a television broadcast, so I don�t see how there�s competition between our partners and independent bloggers who have received credentials.�

The NCAA needs to realize it no longer has control over media coverage. Heck, newspapers no longer control the news, not with blogs and message boards and web sites dedicated to commentary and news. The Internet is an intrinsic part of journalism today. Even newspapers realize this. The NCAA needs to face this fact as well, and change its policy. Either way, bloggers will find a way to report the news in some other manner. Ultimately, the NCAA will look all the more foolish for not understanding something it is supposed to be king of � marketing its sports.

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Keep writing: Start a blog

Most beginning sports writers look forward to the day when they can cover professional sports, whether that is major-league baseball, professional football or a PGA event. There's a certain appeal to covering pro sports. We grow up as sports fans, admiring athletes on our favorite teams, so we want to be a part of it all. Some of us even dreamed of playing professional sports. So this is our shot at joining the sports fraternity. In time, we learn we are part of another brotherhood (sports journalists) and we find that it is just as good. We work side by side with hard-working, dedicated, sharp editors and writers to win battles against deadlines, to cajole reticent sources, and to fully capture the essence of a game, person or event. Journalism is also a team sport.

Eventually, we find we love it just as much. We no longer have an emptiness that drives us, or a need to hit the ball fields in the spring, our hands itching without a glove or bat in them. Instead, we are sated by keeping score and watching others enjoy the games we loved to play. We pull for the kids in high school and Little League games, and we wince when they make a mistake. These games are much less jaded than professional (and college) games, although there are other problems afoot (like hyperactive, pushy parents who scream at kids, coaches and umpires.) Or the parent who is suing her kid's coach and league for failing to show him how to slide. We watch these kids and recall days spent shagging fly balls, turning double plays and sinking last-second shots in the drive way. Or we played one-on-one wiffle ball, using our fave teams' lineup and emulating their stances and quirks at the plate (like Joe Morgan's hitch or Willie Stargell's looping windup.)

Now, we realize covering high school and recreation teams is just as much fun as covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Florida State. We realize we just love to get out, to be a part of the experience, and to write. Not everybody gets a chance to write for a newspaper, though. Some kids get a chance to do some stringing at the local newspaper, some college students get a chance to work as interns, and some graduates land that first job quickly. Others, especially, younger sports journalists struggle to find a place to practice. Thanks to the Internet, that is possible for everybody. Create a blog.

Then, head out to the local ball fields where you can speak with coaches and players and report on your own web site. You can write stories and columns and gamers. Tell your friends, family and parents about the URL for your blog. After a while, you'll have readers -- and once you do, you'll realize that's why we write: for others.

Perhaps, you can even fill a need in your town. Most newspapers (especially bigger ones) do not cover recreation sports or Little League in depth. You can become the main source for this news, offering statistical break down, game stories, team and player notes, and feature stories. Eventually, you will become the expert. And maybe the local newspaper will take notice and hire you to cover these (and other) sports. Some newspapers, like Florida Today, have sites dedicated to Little League (more on that later.)

Finally, ask a local journalist to critique your site, a professional who can offer specific hands-on advice. Plus, read and critique your favorite writers by taking note of story angles, listing words and phrases you like, and analyzing leads. By the end of the summer, you will be better for the effort. Many people say they want to be a sports reporter (colleges are filled with hundreds of grads each year), but not everybody is willing to work to get there. So, if you are not currently working as a sports reporter this summer, start a blog or web page.

If you are covering kids, be gentler in your commentary and game coverage. After all, these are not paid athletes. These kids will make mistakes, just as we all do when we learn something new. Most are playing for the love of the game, just pleased to be out playing on a field or a court. That's something worth watching (and writing about.)

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Old school vs. new school sports journalists

Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, writes a terrific column on old school vs. new school sports journalism. Clark focuses on what some perceive as a dramatic shift in sports coverage.

Clark is right on the money in regards to debates between old vs. new. I have heard more than a few old-timers lament about people like ESPN's Bill Simmons. I myself chafed until I took him as he was -- a fun-loving guy who sees sports beyond the stats and standings. I also like Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who does some of the same things. Jerry Greene at the Orlando Sentinel is also an entertaining, knowledgeable sports columnist.

You also might want to check out Clark's column on Mitch Albom from a few years ago where Clark talks about the perils of sports columnists as celebrities and franchise players for newspapers. It's an excellent read. Check them both out.

There are also some spots left for Poynter's sports journalism summit in St. Petersburg, Fla., next week. Click here to learn more.

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