SYLLABUS
JRL 364Z – SPECIAL TOPICS:
SPORTS JOURNALISM
University at Albany
Instructor: David Washburn
Room: Humanities 32
Time: Mondays, 6-9 p.m.
Office time: Mondays, 9-10
p.m., Humanities 317
Phone: 454-5787 (work),
587-7138 (home)
e-mail: dwashburn@timesunion.com or demetria@spa.net
Course
description: This
course provides students with an overview of sports journalism and enhances
students’ writing, reporting, interviewing and editing skills. It focuses on
the unique writing and research style of sportswriters while remembering that
the fundamentals of journalism still apply. Students will learn how to write
game, advance, follow-up, feature and human-interest stories and columns. A
study and analysis of the most successful sportswriters will be included.
Students will learn about writing for newspapers and magazines, from covering
Little League to the Olympics. As with real-life journalism, deadlines are
important and will be taken into consideration for grading.
Goals: Provide students with an
overview of sports journalism. Enhance students’ writing, reporting,
interviewing and editing skills. Expose students to varying aspects of sports
journalism, from deadline writing to column writing. Teach students about the
evolution of sports journalism and today’s trends. And to have fun. It’s why a
lot of sportswriters do what they do.
Prerequisite: JRL 300, Intro to Journalism
Class
structure: We will do a lot of practice writing, analysis and discussion
during class time. There will be some lecture, but this is mostly a hands-on
course of discovery through writing, editing and rewriting. Expect some quick
quizzes, especially based on the reading of "The Best American Sports
Writing," to make sure you are keeping up with the reading assignments. We
will break for 10-15 minutes about halfway through the class.
Correspondence:
I have an office hour Monday night after class, either in the classroom or
in Humanities 317, the journalism office. On other days, I prefer to correspond
via e-mail, as it is both convenient and efficient. My work hours are Mondays 9
a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays
10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Please limit calls to my home to a minimum; however, I can
be reached between 9 and 10 p.m. any evening and during the days on weekends.
Attendance: We will follow the journalism
program policy; that means only one absence allowed because this class meets
only once per week. For every absence beyond the first one, you will lose 1/3
grade point. For example, a grade of B+ becomes B- if three classes are missed.
Grading: Writing assignments (15), in-class
work, quizzes and discussion = 60%
Semester-ending enterprise story = 10%
Midterm = 15%
Final = 15%
Assignments: A hard copy is preferred,
either typed or printed from a computer, double-spaced. Hand-written material
from in-class assignments will be accepted. Some assignments, especially early
in the course, will need to be either mailed or e-mailed. If sent by e-mail, I
will confirm receipt within 24 hours, so if you don't receive a response,
you'll know to send your assignment again or to call me.
You can expect assignments returned with feedback at
the class following the assignment due date.
Books/supplies:
Reporter
notebook(s) and writing utensils (pens and pencils with erasers) are available
at the campus bookstore or an office supply store. Please bring supplies to
class; otherwise you are considered unprepared.
We will be reading and referencing these books:
“Sports
Reporting,”
by Dr. Bruce Garrison, Ph.D. is our general text. Garrison has a Ph.D. in
journalism from Southern Illinois University. He is the author of a series of
journalism books and is an expert in computer-assisted reporting.
“Tuesdays with
Morrie,’’
nonfiction by Mitch Albom, is a quick-read novel. Albom is a multiple winner of
Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
“Best American
Sports Writing 1998,” edited by Bill Littlefield and Glenn Stout, is a reference book after
which you can model your writing.
AP stylebook
Dictionary
ROADMAP OF THE COURSE
First half: Welcome and
get-acquainted time for instructor and students. Walk through syllabus and
answer any questions.
Second half: Sports writing and news
writing. How the fundamentals still apply. How not to write like a fan but as
an observer and recorder of history. Preliminary preparation for next Monday's
basketball game.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Bring
three writing samples of your own, preferably from JRL 300, to class on
Feb. 8.
q
Read
chapters 3-6 of "Sports Reporting."
q
Individual
research and preparation for next week's game. Understand the nature of the
game you’re about to cover and the key sources.
First half: Discussion of sources,
interviewing, observation strategies. Also "The Game Story,"
including no-quote and optional stories. Analyzing the importance of writing a
good lead. Writing a straight lead when you are up against a strict deadline
and writing an optional lead when you have time to do more interviews. Turning
straight leads into optional leads.
Second half: We'll be attending a basketball game:
Albany men vs. St. Joseph, 7:30 p.m. at the RACC. Watch game and conduct
postgame interviews.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Based
on game, write two game stories: one 12-inch, no-quote story and one 15-inch
"optional" story. There is no class Feb. 15, so stories must be
e-mailed to me by Friday, Feb. 12, or sent by mail to my home address (5
Highgate Road, Gansevoort, NY 12831) and postmarked by Friday, Feb. 12.
q
Select
at least two samples each of good and poor sports writing in newspapers and
magazines. Analyze what makes stories good and bad. Break down the elements of
a good story. Bring those samples for discussion Feb. 22.
First half: Discussion of good and bad sports
writing taken from newspapers and magazines during the past week. Game stories
returned with comments/suggestions.
Second half: We'll be attending another basketball
game: Albany women vs. Southern Vermont, 7 p.m. at the RACC. Watch game and
conduct postgame interviews.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Based
on game, write two game stories: one 12-inch, no-quote story and one 15-inch
"optional" story. Stories must be e-mailed or mailed to me by Friday,
Feb. 26 (same guidelines as with Feb. 8 assignment apply). Based on a little
experience, some feedback, some reading and some analysis of good and bad
writing, these game stories should be better than those of two weeks ago.
q
Select
feature story topic and begin preliminary research. Bring topic and angle
proposal in writing to class on March 8; to be handed to instructor at
beginning of class.
q
Read
chapter 7 of "Sports Reporting."
q
Also,
it is suggested you read "Tuesdays with Morrie," or at least start it
if you haven't already. There will be questions on the mid-term exam.
First half: Game stories returned
with comments/suggestions. Discuss feature writing. How to develop a feature
story. Why this type of requires more research, interviewing and rewrites than
game stories.
Second half: More discussion of feature writing.
Breakdown of feature story forms and discussion of feature story types.
Approval of feature story proposals. Also, writing sports columns, opinion
writing.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Write
an 18- to 20-inch feature story about a local sports personality due at
beginning of class March 15.
q
Read
chapters 8-9 of "Sports Reporting"
First half: Guest speaker Steve Campbell,
award-winning columnist of the Times Union. Steve has covered the Super Bowl,
the Final Four, the World Series, the Olympics and other "big
events." Yet his plaudits include winning an Associated Press Sports
Editors award for a column about Watervliet's high school sports woes.
Second half: Further discussion of "big events,"
including my coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics, and column writing. Also,
follow-up discussion of writing feature stories. What went well; what went
wrong; questions answered and suggestions offered.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Write
an 18-inch column about sports topic of your choice. Be sure to be convincing
of your point of view. Due at beginning of class March 22.
Mid-term
exam
This will feature some deadline, in-class writing
and multiple choice and short essay questions based on the AP stylebook (bring
to class), chapters 3-9 of "Sports Reporting" and all of
"Tuesdays with Morrie."
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
four chapters of "Best American Sports Writing": "On Planet
Venus," "Golf's Saving Grace," "Betrayal of Trust" and
"A Man's Appreciation for Women Athletes"
q
Write
18- to 20-inch feature story on topic of your choice, due March 29.
First half: Discussion of the major
project for the second half of course. Students will write a 30-inch story,
either investigative or enterprise, due May 10. Select or research an issue,
use several sources (human, library, periodicals, internet) and write about a
topic such as steroid use among college athletes, Title IX and the University
at Albany, college football: bowls, Bowl Championship Series or playoff?,
Albany's transition to Division I, drug/alcohol policies and college sports,
athletes as role models, the business of college athletics, etc.
Feel free to read ahead in
"Sports Reporting" if your issue deals with a topic that's covered in
a later chapter in the book.
Second half: Tour Times Union. We'll
see writers and editors in action. Spend time with sports and news departments,
tour online department, press and production rooms.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
chapters 1-2 of "Sports Reporting"
q
Read
two chapters of "Best American Sports Writing": "The
Hustle" and "Kid Dynamite Blows Up"
q
Begin
research for investigative/enterprise story.
First half: Discussion of the
evolution of sports journalism, the changes in style, impact of USA Today and The National, and the future of sports journalism.
Second half: In-class interviewing of another
student or students. We will write short stories based on your fellow student's
experiences in the field of athletics or of sports writing.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
chapters 10 and 14 of "Sports Reporting"
q
Read
two chapters of "Best American Sports Writing": "Goofy
Golf" and "The Hit King"
q
Write
12-inch advance story, 15-inch game story and 12-inch follow-up story of event
of your choice OR write two 15-inch feature stories (which weigh equal to three
stories in grading). Due April 12. Note: you can begin this assignment earlier
if you choose.
First half: Writing for the Internet
and using the Internet as a research tool. How sports journalism in the 21st
century might shape up. We'll have to go to a computer lab for this one.
Second half: Discussion and tips on investigative
and enterprise reporting. Also, check on progress of your major story
development.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
chapters 11 and 12 of "Sports Reporting"
q
Read
two chapters of "Best American Sports Writing": "Tackling the
competition" and "Late Boomer"
q
Convert
two newspaper or magazine stories into "Internet" stories, based on
our discussion. Due April 19.
Full night of editing and design. We will discuss
and practice in class how to edit, how to relate to the writer, how to write
headlines, how pages are designed, how a copy desk works, using a dictionary,
thesaurus and AP style book. We will rewrite wire stories and look at how USA Today does a lot of its sports page
cover stories.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
chapter 13 of "Sports Reporting"
q
Read
two chapters of "Best American Sports Writing": "Coming of age
on the 50-yeard line" and "Fallen Star Goose Ligon is looking for a
miracle"
q
Select
two newspaper wire stories or roundups of at least 12 inches and turn them into
shorter roundups of about 8 inches. Originals and rewrites due April 26.
First half: Discussion of broadcast
journalism vs. print journalism. We'll do some in-class practice of writing for
radio and television, including how to write to time constraints.
Second half: Guest speaker Doug Sherman, sports
director of WRGB, Channel 6, talks about broadcast journalism, writing for
television and announcing play-by-play.
ASSIGNMENTS:
q
Read
chapter 15 of "Sports Reporting"
q
Prepare
a three-minute radio sports broadcast, as if you were part of an AM radio news
program. The presentation can include one 15-second sound bite and one
10-second sound bite, both made up but with cue words and speaker
name/identification. Due May 3. Grade will be based upon writing, but broadcast
will be read aloud/performed in class.
First half: Radio performances by
our "sportscasters." Discussion of ethics and journalism. Where are
the fine lines? What constitutes a conflict of interest? Free stuff -- take it
or reject it? Reporter-source relations.
Second half: What is life like as a sports
journalist? Is it something you want to do? If so, how to you get a job?
ASSIGNMENT:
q
Finish
investigative/enterprise story.
First half: 30-inch
investigative/enterprise story due. Discussion of how research, interviewing
and writing went. What went well, what was difficult, what you would do
differently.
Second half: Review of course. Questions, open
discussion, review for final.
ASSIGNMENT:
q
Prepare
for final exam.
NEWSCOLUMN INCH CONVERSION
CHART
Newspaper journalists use the term
"inches" to define the length of stories. At the Times Union,
standard column width is 12 picas and 2 points, which is a little more than two
inches wide. A 10-inch story measures 10 inches vertically in that width.
Here is a chart to convert "inches" to
number of words and number of paragraphs (figures are approximate and may vary
depending upon length of paragraphs):
|
INCHES |
WORDS |
PARAGRAPHS |
|
|
|
10 |
375 |
16 |
|
|
|
12 |
450 |
19 |
|
|
|
15 |
550 |
22 |
|
|
|
18 |
650 |
28 |
|
|
|
20 |
750 |
32 |
|
|
|
30 |
1,100 |
45 |
|
|
STANDARD WRITING ASSIGNMENT
FORMAT
Story
assignments should follow the following format:
CLASS: JRL 364Z
DATE: (date due)
AUTHOR: (your full name)
HEADLINE: (write your own headline;
subheads/deck heads are permitted/encouraged)
DATELINE -- Lead goes here.
Rest of story text goes here.
End of story.
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