Although I am abroad in Denmark at this time, I have been continuing to read the Argus to keep up with Cardinal Sports. And right now, I am very disappointed in the way they are being covered.
As a former sportswriter and assistant editor for the Argus, I believe it to be the sports section’s responsibilit—o, make that obligatio—o inform the Wesleyan community about the pulse of our athletic programs. But certain writer—’m not gonna name names; you know who you ar—re not living up to that duty. When I wrote for the paper, I had a strict two-quote minimum, each from a different source, for every article. But many articles have only that minimum, and some not even that. You can’t get that pulse from just two quotes. Some writers have been quoting the same two players every time. Try to get some variety. If the coach limits your contacts, fine, but if none are placed, talk to everyone if possible.
And when the match is at home, please go to the game and take notes on what’s happening. Not doing so is cheating both yourself and the reader. It can provide an atmosphere for those who didn’t attend and allows you to explain events like key stops and spectacular goals in detail. Name opposing players who made good plays too; they’re not nameless drones. Yes, I occasionally got in a bit of trouble for my methods, but I did it in the name of journalistic integrity and accuracy, which is what we are all about. Remember: a newspaper is supposed to be objective, so if the team struggled, say so. We’re not Fox News Wesleyan.
Furthermore, don’t just interview the players. Get to know the coach at all costs. Nobody knows the pulse of the team better, and they can provide expert analysis that no captain can. And don’t just ask about basic stuff either. Find out what kind of style of play they’ve been using or why a particular player has either been on fire or struggling lately. Tell us both who and what needs improvement, because things cannot possibly be looking up when the team has lost four straight and is facing the nation’s top-ranked squad next week. Also, always think about the next game, so tell us what they’ll try to do to win against their upcoming opponent. I always asked these questions. My methods were unorthodox, but the coaches always loved the coverage they got from me.
One last thing: bringing a tape recorder to interviews might be a good idea if you have a bad memory. Or send questions by e-mail, and use their answers as quotes. I’m not saying you’re doing poorly, but I know for a fact you can do better than this. So to quote Jon Stewart: stop hurting Wesleyan Athletics.
Leave a Reply