Newswriters Tips

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

My career goal in life is to be a sports newswriter, and I know there are plenty of people that write sports related articles here, such as Kori, timvp, and uh, well other people.

And I would deeply appreciate it if you would give me some advice on how to properly write an article and some guidelines that you follow when you're writing an article. I'm gonna try to start writing articles soon and be posting them on different message boards and, hopefully, here, and I'm also gonna try to get a job in my local paper.

I'm thinking I'll get started writing them around Finals time, and I want to get as much information as I can get on how to write an article people WILL want to read. Thanks for everything you guys can give me, I deeply appreciate it. :tu

[AlamoSpursFan]

A copy of this was mandatory reading way back when I attempted to major in Journalism. Of course that was 20 years ago...

http://www.literarynurse.com/assets/images/Elements_Style.jpg

[pussyface.]

There's a lot of rules to follow to be a great sports writer. The path is long, winding, difficult, and in most cases pretty ill-paying.

To be a famous sports writer, however, all you have to do is find a way to fill newspaper space talking out of your ass and throwing out bullshit rumors. And kiss plenty of athlete ass. There's probably nothing easier than to become a famous sports writer.

[td4mvp21]

1. Never use any personal opinion unless it is an editorial or column.

2. Avoid the words: "I", "we", "our", "my".

3. Who, what, when, where, why, how-you should cover those in EVERY news story. If the reader can't draw the latter conclusions, it isn't a good article.

4. Make a good lead-most people only read the first sentence or two of an article and if those are boring, chances are they won't read the rest of your article.

5. Always attribute your facts-whether it be to a person, website, organization, etc. Let the readers know that you are credible.

5.5 Make sure the people you interview are credible and relevant to the topic of the article.

6. If it's a sports article, include team goals, team plans (offensive & defensive strategies), the team's record as relevant to the topic at hand, what the team has accomplished so far, quotes from coaches, quotes from key players, etc. (At least this is the case for high school sports. Professional sports would be a little different, I'm assuming)

7. If it's a feature story, try to tell a story through quotes and information.

8. Don't use too high of a vocabulary in high school papers. Chances are most of your peers won't know what the fuck you are saying.

Those are basic ones I picked up, I'm sure you could get more detailed ones.

[td4mvp21]

Also, learn AP style (there's books about it).

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Thanks for the tips so far guys. Keep it up! :hungry:

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

A copy of this was mandatory reading way back when I attempted to major in Journalism. Of course that was 20 years ago...

http://www.literarynurse.com/assets/images/Elements_Style.jpg

Still is. I keep a copy at my desk.

[Kori Ellis]

How old are you? If you want to write a sports blog and get paid a small amount of money, email me at [email protected] and I might have something for you.

[bendmz]

Perhaps the best sports story I have read was about two years ago I think. The year John Jay won the State Basketball Title.
I normally read the sports page to catch up on the local goings on but when I began to read that story, I could not stop reading. The emotion, the passion, the truth in sport that is the essence of life was put into that story. It made me feel like I was there in the stands watching these young men play this game.
Maybe someone can link you up to that story, but it was written by Ken Rodriguez of the Express News. He's not doing sports anymore just the local political bs.............

[GoGatos]

Still is. I keep a copy at my desk.

I also have a copy at work. Used to write at the University Star (worked with JohnnyBlaze back at TxState) and also wrote for some local papers from the time I was 16 until I was 22 (3 years at the Star). I decided I liked radio cause there really weren't any deadlines....I hate deadlines. However, the best piece I could give is to read, read, read.

The more columnists, etc., you read, the more you can develop your own style. Pick and choose different aspects of writers you really like to read and incorporate them into your work. I was always a big fan of the way Bill Simmons wrote his columns and tried to incorporate some of his style into my own.

[pooh]

or write books like me

[Man of Steel]

Study off the cuff remarks by George W. Bush