Sports Journalists and Sportswriters
Dramatic contrasts exist in newspaper careers. Paul Smith has written for a variety of newspapers including the Harrisburg Patriot, the Journal, the Philadelphia Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pittsburgh Press, and the News Dispatching Michigan City, Indiana. Smith has enjoyed assignments such as covering the Chicago Cubs and White Sox during the baseball season, Notre Dame Football in the tall, and Indiana, Purdue, and Notre Dame during the basketball season, as well as local sporting events. His advice to aspiring writers: "The romantic bloom comes off the rose early in the profession, but if you stick with it, it has its rewards."
Contrast Smith's meandering with Tony Leodora, former sports editor at the Times Herald in Norristown, Pennsylvania, who served over 15 years with one newspaper. Following college Leodora took a position in business hut was able to pursue his lifelong interest in sports through working part-time at the news paper as a stringer (correspondent) that would attend local events and write about them for the paper. Eventually Leodora decided to go full-time, and upon the retirement of the sports editor, he was promoted to that position.
Leodor as schedule varied. Mornings found him in the office; afternoons were free except when he had an interview or game to cover. Evenings found him covering an athletic event and then often returning to the office to write up his story and coordinate the sports pages; other times he was able to send his story to the paper via computer. He got excellent seats at all athletic events, met regularly with professional sports stars and coaches, occasionally traveled to events in other cities-and got paid for it all! In particular, he loved baseball spring training in Florida. But it is not all fun and games. There were many long days, and writing is hard (though enjoyable) work.
For many years, some of the finest journalism has been found on the sports pages of America's papers. It is here that lively, fast-paced, colorful action writing appears. Some sportswriters have become well-known for adopting a uniquely aggressive style, such as Christie "Jock Talk" Blatcheard of the Toronto Financial Post, Tim Murray of the Los Angeles Times, and Bill Conlon of the Philadelphia Daily News. The size, circulation, and location of the paper will determine to a large degree the activities of the sports writers. The sports department of a small-town newspaper normally has an editor and one other writer, and perhaps a couple of part-timers who cover local weekend events. Such a paper will rely upon the wire services (such as Associated Press) for national stories.
A large-city daily may have a staff of 10; several of these will have a particular specialty, such as golf, football, boxing, or the high school scene. While these reporters cover other events during the off-season, they write several articles a week related to their expertise when their sport is underway.
Frequently, reporters work unusual hours and days. For example, those employed by a morning? News paper usually will work late afternoon and evening hours, five days a week, including Saturdays (if there's a Sunday edition). They then would have two weekdays off. Major papers will send a reporter along with the team to cover out-of-town stories. While this sounds glamorous, it frequently is time-consuming and hectic. Following the event, the writer will use his or her notes to prepare the article, looking for a particular angle or interesting aspect to highlight for reader appeal. The writer calls in the completed article (usually preparing and sending it via computer) and finally gets to sleep, usually about 2:00 a.m.!
Preparing for Your Sports writing Career
Many opportunities exist on small, local, and weekly news papers to begin your career. If a vacancy does not exist in sports, take a position writing news; it will help you build your craft of writing and will aid you in making a switch to sports when an opening occurs.
There are a lot of free tickets, but newspapers remain notorious for paying mediocre salaries to their professionals, and smaller papers pay even less. Of course, it's possible that you will gain a reputation and be given your own column, which could lead to a more substantial income. Having a column means that your work appears regularly in the same location in the paper, usually under your photograph. Your column would be commentary rather than straight reporting. In terms of your career, a column marks your success as a sportswriter.
At one time, reporters began their careers as copy aides, helping around the office by performing clerical tasks. Having proven themselves reliable, they might be asked to join the staff as cub repairers. This would involve small, unspectacular assignments eventually leading up to important tasks. Today, few sports writers start this way. Most attend college and pursue course work in the department or school of journalism or communication arts. If you plan such a career, include several courses in writing; grammar skills will be a necessity. You also should consider building a strong background in the humanities and using your free electives in sports courses from the physical education program. Courses in photography will increase your chances of obtaining a job, particularly with smaller papers.
Sportswriter Jackie Lobin suggested for those still in school that while you're in your last two years of college, you make an especially strong effort to land a summer or part-time job on the local newspaper; constant new experiences are the key to becoming a good sportswriter. These experiences will greatly enhance your ability to obtain a full-time position following graduation.
Characteristics of Sports Writing
In recent years, the expansion of television and radio coverage of sporting events has resulted in a modification of newspaper coverage. A decline in straight factual reporting and an increase in features has occurred. Not only does the reader want to know what happened, but such additional information as the condition of the player injured, who might be traded, and the likelihood of the team's success against the next opponent. Some outstanding features have resulted from careful, excellent investigative research revealing serious abuses in sports. However, most common in features are interviews with an athlete answering a series of questions about an aspect of her or his career.
Despite its outward appearance, the life of a newspaper person has its lonely side. In fact, one observer found that "creative loneliness" is an important characteristic of successful writers. After the big game or press conference, the hard work of writing, editing, and rewriting must be completed alone-and prior to the deadline!
A newspaper writer has a very special obligation to society to remain vigilant for excesses that may destroy sports. Too frequently, athletes, coaches, and administrators have engaged for personal benefit in conduct detrimental to their own profession. Coaches have forced injured players to participate; athletic directors have condoned illegal recruiting; players have put their own importance above that of their team and their sport; youth league managers have played only to win; and coaches have publicly abused players for mistakes. Even some parents unduly pressure their children to be superstars. It is here that the writer can make an important contribution.
Career Opportunities for Sports writers
The number of big-city papers has diminished in recent years; however, many papers have expanded and many others begun in new locations. Opportunities exist for well-prepared and knowledgeable candidates. In considering this career, sportswriter Jackie Lopin has said that sometimes it's glamorous, usually it's exciting, and always it's very hard work. Even the writers considered the best in the country will tell you that it took years and years of dedicated effort to develop their craft.
Books
Many writers also produce books as a sideline. This serves as a creative outlet for their talents as well as an additional source of income. A considerable market exists for sports books, and publishers often look for manuscripts from newspaper people. Sportswriters commonly will coauthor a book with a sports figure. Likewise, sports magazines seek freelance articles.
Magazines
The growth of national, regional, and specialty magazines provides a ready market for the sportswriter. While major periodicals (Sports Illustrated, Inside Sports) have fulltime staffs, they often utilize freelancers for specialty pieces. Sporting News and similar national newspapers make extensive use of purchased articles. Although less lucrative, regional magazines buy manuscripts, as do a host of specialty publications-sports yearbooks, college and professional football and basketball game programs, professional and minor league game programs, college and professional media guides, and others. Specific sport magazines-Volleyball, Muscle and Fitness, Soccer Magazine, Hockey Player, Golf Digest, Skiing Magazine, Swim Magazine, Tennis and others-provide additional outlets. National publications of a general nature-New York Times Magazine and Parade Magazine, to name a few-often run sports stories. If you wish to write, and have the necessary skills, you should be able to find a format and an outlet.
Sportscasters
Sports casters have swept over the land of North America, settling down in every locale. They have fan support and strong ratings.
Most large cities in North America can boast of sports talk shows. Some even have all-sports radio stations with round-the-clock sports talk hosts, most of them excellent. In addition, nationally syndicated shows are offered by personalities such as Brent Musburger, Pete Rose, John Madden, and Pat Summer all.
The growth of sports talk radio has reached phenomenal proportions. Founded in the 1970s by sports talk giants Art Rusk, Jr.(WABC-AM), Don Henderson (WCAU-AM), Ira Faistel, and later Lisa Bowman (KABC-AM) and Pete Franklin (WWWE-AM), sports-based radio programs have become immensely popular. Not a substitution by a coach or a call by an umpire goes unchallenged by fans. Occasionally, the fans who phone in operate from a lack of knowledge about the essence or subtleties of the sport involved and, when challenged, become highly emotional and irrational, adding to the shows' interest. It is rumored some stations have banned certain callers!
