Sports Media Comm 312

1. Sports MediaComm 312 September 25, 2007 Russ Maloney

2. Writing Sports for Broadcast Back to Basics

3. What Makes a Good Story? • Informative • Interesting • Accurate • Pertinent Localization is key!

4. Questions to Ask? • Who am I writing this story for (Audience)? • What is the story about? • Why are we airing/printing this story ? • Does the listener/viewer/reader care (So what test)? • What are the other sides (Balance)? • What are the beginning and the end?

5. 10 Rules for Sports Writing • Use Active Voice • Use Proper Grammar • Pronoun Agreement • Attribution • Use Simple Words and Numbers • Keep Writing Clean and Simple • Use Solid Reporting Skills

6. 10 Rules for Sports Writing • Learn More than Just Sports • Remember Creativity • Clichés • Humanize Your Writing • Sometimes Less is More • Carefully Consider Outside Elements

7. Print Writing Inverted Pyramid

8. Story Construction • Lead • Get the Audience into the tent. Hook them! Why should they listen? • Body of the Story • Deliver the message. • Tag • Leave the audience with something.

9. Tricks of the Trade "Tips are good, but worthless unless you know why...If you don't know why you did something you're just lucky."

10. Three Important Concepts Subject-Verb-Object Attribution Leads Assertion Active, not Passive

11. Broadcast: Attribution Leads Assertion Source says . . .

12. S-V-O Write the way you speak?

13. Active Verbs $$$$$

14. Passive Voice • The passive voice deadens, complicates and lengthens broadcast writing. • The passive voice involves the direction of the verb’s action (not to be confused with tense.) Passive voice exists when the receiver of the verb’s action precedes the verb.

15. Passive Voice In order for a sentence to be passive, the following must exist . . . • A verb phrase • A form of the “to be” verb in the phrase • Receiver of the verb’s action precedes the verb.

16. Passive Examples • “The player was arrested by the sheriff.” • “The game was stopped during the storm.” • “The game was kicked off at noon.” • “The spotlight was focused on the star player.”

17. Passive to Active Solutions • Relocate the actor • Identify and insert the missing actor • Change the verb • Drop the “to be” verb

18. Passive Solutions • “The player was arrested by the sheriff.” • “The sheriff arrested the player.” • “The game was stopped during the storm.” • “The umpire stopped the game during the storm.” • “The game was kicked off at noon.” • “The game started at noon.” • “The spotlight was focused on the star player.” • “The spotlight focused on the star player”

19. Advantages of the Active Voice • Straight-Line Meaning • Tighter Copy • Complete Reporting • More Interesting

20. Verb Tense Present or Past

21. The Lead • The first sentence in broadcast stories • Must draw viewer’s/listener’s attention • Sets the tone for the story • Includes many of the basic facts • Determines whether a story will be heard/watched

22. Avoid Clichés Best way to destroy good copy!

23. Do’s and Don’ts Lead Writing

24. Good Leads Are . . . • Factually accurate and correct • In the active voice • In the present or present perfect tenses • Watch for distorted present tense • Simple • Complete and clear • Written to be read out loud

25. Good leads . . . • Avoid commas and interruptives • Lack participial phrases or dependent clauses • Put attribution before assertion • Follow S-V-O • Limit a sentence to one idea • Place the time element after the verb • Don’t follow newspaper constructions

26. Lead sentences do not . . . • Use prefabricated phrases • Waste words • Use clichés • Start with “There is” or “There are” • Include any form of the “to be verb” • Include “yesterday” • Include “continues” or “still

27. Write to the Video • S-W-A-P: Synchronize Words And Pictures • Tell the story in a way that makes best use of video • Don’t directly describe understandable pictures • Writing & video may tell more than one story at a time

28. Ending the Story • Tell what happens next • Provide a summary • Tell the other side • Include a bit of interesting information

29. Play-by-Play Preparation

30. Preparation “90% of what you do for a broadcast is preparation.”

31. Preparation - Why? “Nothing is more embarrassing than not being prepared” Former NBC Sportscaster Merlin Olsen “Everything will go to hell in a handbasket in a hurry (if you are not prepared) !” Former NBA Sportscaster Ken Double

32. Game Preparation • What do you do to prepare for a broadcast? • Perform research • Assemble research into a usable form • Prepare scorecards/spot charts • Plan broadcast (Pre/Half/Post) • Write open (Very important)

33. Preparation - Finding Info What do you need? • Statistics • Rosters • Background Information • Quotes

34. Preparation - Finding Info Sources of Information • Newspapers/Magazines • Media Guides • Press Releases • Yearbooks • Internet Sites Create a Filing System !!!

35. Preparation - Organization Putting It Together • Create a system that works for you • Background Sheets • Spotting Charts • Scorecards

36. Preparation Helpful Hints • Keeping statistics • Keep paper to a minimum • Tape everything down OVERPREPARE!

37. Preparation - The Lead Write the lead the night before • Get broadcast off to a good start • Set the scene, don’t dramatize • Find a good story • May also write close

38. Preparation - Use it Right Fill air time! Don’t kill air time!

39. Planning the Show Use logs and rundown sheets • Pre-Game • Set the scene • Half-Time • Recap and look ahead • Post-Game • Review and give perspective

40. Sports MediaComm 312 September 25, 2007 Russ Maloney