Sports Journalism
COMM-326-001
Spring 2009
Thursdays, 5:30-8 p.m.
MGC
American University School of Communication
Don Markus
Email: [email protected]
What We'll Study
Welcome to "Sports Journalism", a multi-dimensional course that will delve into the evolution of how the media has covered sports from the early part of the 20th century into the new millennium. What was once a genre dominated by newspapers has been altered significantly, first by television and now by the Internet. With sports becoming a 24/7/365 proposition, its importance and influence in society has broadened. We will combine the practical skills such as writing game stories, features, columns and blogs with discussions about the issues and breaking news stories of the day in order to provide a well- rounded and interesting class. We will also take advantage of AU's proximity to award-winning sports reporters and columnists from the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, USA Today and local television stations in order for them to give you a glimpse into their world.
Among the topics that will be covered:
How to write a game story, blog, personality feature, and sports column, and the different skills used in each.
How to conduct an interview with athletes, coaches and other sports personalities. The emergence of women in sports journalism. Discussions with some of the top female sports journalists in the area about how their role has changed.
How sports coverage has changed with the Internet, particularly with the explosion of blogs.
Scandals in sports, including discussion of the Black Sox scandal that imperiled major league baseball during the early part of the 20th century to the BALCO scandal that brought down Barry Bonds and Marion Jones in recent years.
How niche sports become mainstream, such as NASCAR, and whether UFC is the next mainstream sport. Also, discussions about how certain niche sports are wildly popular in other parts of the world.
Our class sessions will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Attendance will be taken and I will reserve the option to consider absences, late arrivals and early departures in determining final grades. Please be sure to notify me in the event that you will not be able to attend the class, arrive late or if you have to leave early.
Participation will be a factor in the final grade. Given that this is a discussion-oriented class, be respectful of your peers. This is not AU's answer to "Pardon The Interruption" or "Around the Horn", but those who contribute to the class in a positive, insightful way will be rewarded. If you are not a sports fan, you need to become one by watching ESPN and reading the sportspages in your favorite newspaper or on your favorite website. If you are an overzealous sports fan, you will have to learn how to separate your rooting interests from your journalistic pursuits.
Inclement weather can disrupt class schedules during the first weeks of the spring semester. Please call University extension 1100 for word about early closings since this is a late afternoon, early evening class.
Assignments are to be completed and submitted at the specified deadline. Please follow the assignments. Quality will be rewarded, not quantity. Please double-check accuracy, grammar and spelling. Late assignments will be not accepted unless there are truly exceptional circumstances that prevented you from completing them on time.
READINGS IN SPORTS JOURNALISM
“Game of Shadows”, the award-winning work of former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru- Wada (now with ESPN.com) and current Chronicle investigative reporter Lance Williams detailing the BALCO scandal that ultimately brought down two of the world’s most celebrated athletes, baseball home run king Barry Bonds and track star Marion Jones.
“How Soccer Explains The World”, a revealing book by Franklin Fohr, who went around the globe for a year detailing the rivalries, personalities and subtleties of the world’s most popular – and beautiful – game.
Photocopies of shorter readings will be distributed in class or posted on the class "Blackboard" site.
It is also recommended that you obtain a copy of the Associated Press stylebook as well as a tape recorder for interviews.
THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
By registering for "Sports Journalism", you have acknowledged awareness of the University's Academic Integrity Code. You are obliged to become familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the Code, which can be found online at: http://www.american.edu/academics/integrity/index.htm.
Violations of the Code will not be treated lightly. There is simply no place in "Sports Journalism", or in any class, for plagiarism, cheating, tampering with quotations, and the like. Make no mistake that disciplinary action will be taken if violations are discovered. In flagrant cases of academic dishonest, a failing grade will be recommended.
It has been my experience that Code violations often are related to unwise choices made in the fact of acute time pressures. If you do find yourself in a tight spot as deadlines approach, please let me know.
GRADES AND DEADLINES
Grades in "Sports Journalism" will be determined on the following assignments, which are listed chronologically, according to their due date:
Super Bowl reaction paper: Due at the end of class on Feb. 5 (10 percent). Personality Feature: Due at the end of class on Feb. 12 (10 percent).
Game Story: Due at the end of class on Feb. 19 (5 percent).
“Game of Shadows” critique: Due at the beginning of class on Mar. 5 (15 percent)
“How Soccer Explained The World” critique: Finished in class Mar. 26 (10 percent percent).
March Madness Blog: Due after the NCAA men’s championship basketball game on April 6 (10 percent)
Critique A Columnist: Due at the beginning of class on April 23 (15 percent)
Final Exam: A three-part exam that will take into account some of the previous assignments and discussions, including writing a game story, short feature and an essay. (15 percent)
Participation, In-Class writing assignments and Attendance: (10 percent)
ASSIGNMENTS
Super Bowl Reaction: After discussing what goes into covering an event such as the Super Bowl during our class on Jan. 29, you will have two options in analyzing how the upcoming game in Tampa was covered. I would like you to either analyze how the rights-holder covered the game, from the pre-game shows to the post-game analysis, including the famous or infamous commercials and sometimes controversial halftime show. If you would prefer not to watch the game, pick a newspaper that sent one or more reporters to the game and analyze their coverage. Typically, newspapers from cities with one of the competing teams or the host city (or one nearby) has the most extensive coverage. We will continue our discussion about the Super Bowl in the first class after the game. The paper will be finished by the end of class on Feb. 5.
Personality Feature: We will have a couple of opportunities to interview AU athletes and coaches during the first few weeks of the semester. After conducting those individuals, both in class and outside of class, you will be asked to write a 750 word profile or feature (about a team) that will be due at the beginning of class on Feb. 19.
Game Story: During the week of Feb. You will be asked to cover either the men’s basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 4 or the women’s game on Feb. 7. (For those unable to cover either game because of academic conflicts or other commitments approved by the instructor, you will need to cover another AU sports event during that week. You will be asked to write a 500-word game story (including quotes) that will be due at the end of class on Feb. 26.
“Game of Shadows” critique: After reading this ground-breaking investigative book by Mark Fainaru- Wada and Lance Williams, and listening to Mr. Fainaru discuss how his work at the San Francisco Chronicle with Mr. Williams led to them writing it, you will be asked to write a review of the book as if it were to appear in a newspaper or magazine. You will need to compare their work to others in the genre, and either recommend or not recommend this book to future Sports Journalism classes. The piece should be 4-5 pages double-spaced and is due March 5.
“How Soccer Explains the World” critique: Similar to the critique of “Game of Shadows”, you will read Franklin Fohr’s interesting book that is part travelogue, part culture analysis and part soccer. You need to include some of the comments Mr. Fohr makes in his visit to the class. This critique will be due at the beginning of class on March 26.
March Madness Blog: Beginning with either the Patriot League finals (if AU makes it) or Selection Sunday, you will be asked to create a blog (a catchy name will help) and post items throughout the men’s (and women’s if you’d like) basketball tournament. Each item should be between 250 and 350 words, and you should have a minimum of six items, a maximum of 10. The final blog item should be posted after the men’s final on the night of April 6 and the link to the blog should be sent to me no later than April 5.
Critique A Columnist or Column Writing: Column writing has become a significant part of current sports sections. Some newspapers prefer to have only one voice while others want a multitude of different voices that represent a cross-section of the population. Some columns are glorified game-stories or even sidebars, while others have the kind of edginess to attract readers who react both positively and negatively to the columns. We will hear from some local columnists how they get their ideas during a class in mid-March. For this assignment, I would like you to pick one columnist to follow over a month's time to see their versatility, their ability to create a buzz and certainly their talents as story-tellers. I will help you get in touch many of these columnists for a short interview. You will be asked to write a 4-page review as well as a 600-750 word column on a topic of your choice. The critique will be due at the beginning of class on April 23. and the column will be due that night by the end of class.
Final Exam: The final exam will consist of two essay questions (out of possible three choices) about topics that we discussed in class, as well information to put together a short game story or personality piece. We will talk about possible essay question material as the semester goes on. The required essay will be worth 50 points, the other essay will be worth 30 points and the game story or personality piece will be worth 20 points. The final exam date and time will be determined later in the semester.
I can be reached by email at [email protected] and, in the event of an emergency, by telephone at 301-325-0022. While I do not have office hours, meetings can be arranged before or after class.
About the Instructor: I have been a sportswriter for more than 30 years. After working in the New York area for 10 years, I've worked for the Baltimore Sun since 1985, covering a variety of sports including golf, college and pro football, college and pro basketball, the Olympics and baseball. During my career, I have covered more than 40 major professional golf championships, 20 Final Fours, 10 national championship football games (BCS and pre-BCS), two Olympics and one Super Bowl. I have taught Sports Journalism at AU for the past four years and also started a Sportwriting class last fall. I have also coached youth sports in soccer, basketball and baseball. I live in Montgomery County, Maryland with my wife, Judy, an interior designer, and have two sons, Russell (a junior at Indiana) and Jordan (a sophomore at Wootton High School in Rockville).
SCHEDULE FOR SPORTS JOURNALISM CLASSES
Jan. 15: Introduction to Sports Journalism
Go Over Syllabus and Assignments
My Sports Journalism” moment either as an athlete, fan or journalist.
Write Recommendation for the class by interviewing one of your peers.
Discuss the “Five Biggest Sports Stories” of the week
What do you hope to get out of this class?
Jan. 22
Discussion: The Big Event -- How It Has Changed in Sports, how various media outlets cover it. TV Personality vs. Newspaper Columnist vs. Blogger ; Talk about how big sports events were covered 20 years ago compared to how they are covered now – doing more with less. Guests will includes at least one local sports journalist. We will look into the concept of pack journalism, and how difficult it is to break away from the pack at big events.
Practical: Interview techniques. In many ways, covering sports can be different than covering politics or culture. In some ways, it is the same. Your subjects might be cautious to reveal their innermost thoughts, or they might be quite candid in their opinions. The setting might also come into play in the story, adding or detracting from the story. As a class, we will either go to a team practice and spend some time with a coach and a few athletes for a 700-word feature or have an athlete and coach visit the class for interviews. You will have the option to write about these people or teams, or set up your own interviews with another AU sports personality. The material obtained in these interviews will be used for a story due on Feb. 19
Weekly Dialogue: Discuss the ”Five Biggest Sports Stories” of the week. Is the buildup to the Super Bowl overshadowing everything else?
Jan. 29
Discussion: The Super Bowl: Is it the biggest event in sports? Is it anticlimactic? Will the commercials keep people interested if the game turns out to be a blowout? Are the peripheral events such as the pre-game coverage, halftime show and commercials bigger than the game itself. How much does the football game and the teams impact the coverage every year?
In Class Assignment No. 1: Write a 500-word commentary on what makes the Super Bowl the biggest event in sports or a 500-word counter argument about why it is not.
Assignment No. 1: Write a 5-page paper analyzing the coverage of this year’s Super Bowl, either from a newspaper, website or television network. What made the coverage special, or what made it ordinary? Piece is due at the end of next week’s class.
Weekly Dialogue: the 4 other biggest sports stories of the week.
Feb. 5
Discussion: Your impressions of the Super Bowl, the coverage, etc.. Did it live up the hype? What kind of coverage did you focus on? Was there a significant difference in the way the event was covered by newspapers, television and the Internet?
Assignment No. 1: Finish Super Bowl analysis paper.
Weekly Dialogue: Is there life after the Super Bowl? With the big event out of the way, what sports and events will fans and journalists focus on in the coming weeks. What do you think the top 5 sports stories will be in the next month?
Feb. 12
Discussion: Sports Scandals. Scandals have been a part of sports since newspapers athletes began being treated differently than the rest of the general population. The biggest scandal for years had been the Black Sox betting scandal in Major League baseball around 1918, but future scandals have replaced it. In your estimation, which is the biggest scandal to rock sports in the last 10 years? The last 20? How about the last 50? What makes it a scandal, and what gives it shelf life?
Assignment: Begin reading “Game of Shadows”, an investigative work about the BALCO scandal.
In-Class writing: After discussing various sports scandals, make a case for which is the biggest sports scandal of all time and which might be the most overblown.
Practical: Covering an AU sports event. In many ways, covering the Super Bowl is a lot easier than covering an AU men’s or women’s basketball game or wrestling match. It’s not always as exciting or interesting, and your reporting skills might be tested to a higher degree. We will go over the basics of covering a game, as well as the specifics for preparing your coverage and carrying out the assignment. Make plans to cover an AU sports event during the week of Feb. 15 to Feb. 21. The women’s basketball team will be playing at home on Feb. 18 and the men’s team on Feb. 21. For those unable to cover one of those games, please consider covering another AU event during that week or a game at one of the other local colleges. I will help you get credentialed.
Feb. 19
Discussion: We will be joined via conference call by Mark Fainaru of ESPN.com, co-author of “Game of Shadows”. Mr. Fainaru will talk about what went into writing the book, how it changed his perceptions of the athletes he covered and what impact he believes his book, written with San Francisco Chronicle investigative reporter Lance Williams changed how sports was covered.
Assignment: Finish writing the feature story in class. For those who covered the women’s game on Feb. 18, you can start working on your game stories as well.
Weekly Dialogue: With the baseball season still a couple of months away, and the basketball season not quite reaching the hype of March Madness, what are the top 5 sports stories for this week? How much shelf life do they have?
Feb. 26
Half the class will be attending the Capitals game vs. the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday night during class time, and the other half will be attending the Wizards game vs. the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. We will divvy up the assignments based on class time, conflicts, etc.
March 5
Discussion: How important are sports at AU? A year ago, the men’s basketball team reached the NCAA tournament as a Division I program for the first time in history, and the women’s team won the Patriot League regular season title to earn an invitation to the women’s NIT. On top of that, several other programs and athletes made a name for themselves. Has that momentum carried over into this year or has AU reverted back to the sleepy little school it was when it comes to sports in terms of fan interest and media coverage? We will be joined for our discussion by either an AU coach or athletic department administrator.
Practical: How to write a sports blog. What goes into writing an interesting sports blog? Which sports blogs do you read? How do they differ from regular stories? We will be blogging throughout the month of March about that phenomenon known as March Madness.
Assignment: Write a 500-word piece about your experience of being at a pro sports event. Were you able to separate the fan from the aspiring sports journalist? Try to write it as if you were writing a blog.
March 12: No class (Spring Break)
March 19
Discussion: Baseball might be America’s pastime and the NFL is the country’s most popular spectator sports, but niche sports have found their way into our consciousness as well as into daily coverage in newspapers and websites. A few years ago, it was NASCAR, now it’s UFC and MMA. Where does soccer fit in, if at all? With the reading of “How Soccer Explains The World”, we will begin looking at the impact of niche sports in the culture. We will be joined in class by Franklin Fohr, author of “HSETW”.
Practical: How to write an effective book review. How much do you want to regurgitate from the book, and how much do you want to get your own opinions in the piece? Should you compare that book to others written on the subject? We will begin writing the reviews, assuming you have finished the book.
Weekly dialogue: What are the best story lines going into this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments? What do you think you’re going to blog about?
(A Note: If either the men’s or women’s team from AU is in the field, we will try to make it a part of our class. Last year, we went to a portion of the men’s practice for a feature/advance story on the team’s game against Tennessee.)
Start thinking about your Critique a Columnist Assignment.
March 26:
Discussion: Has March Madness overtaken sports in the same way as the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, or the baseball playoff and World Series? Does the women’s tournament get shortchanged?
We will work on our March Madness blogs during a portion of class.
Discussion: What makes a good columnist? Is it their writing or their opinions, or both? What columnists do you like to read? In the next month, you will focus on the writing of a regular sports columnist (appearing at least three times a week) in order to analyze their success or failure in reaching his or her audience. You will also be asked to get in touch with that columnist to write a short interview, as well as write a column of your own.
April 2:
Discussion: How does the Final Four compare with other big events such as the Super Bowl, World Series and even the upcoming Masters in terms of hype? How has the Final Four changed over the years, and is it for the better, in terms of sports journalism?
In-Class Writing: Work on your sports blogs. By the beginning of next week, you should have eight to 10 short blog items to be posted the night of the men’s final. No exceptions will be made.
Weekly Dialogue: With the baseball season approaching, we will talk about how relevant a sport America’s pastime remains given the popularity of other sports, including rising non-traditional sports such as NASCAR, soccer and UFC.
April 9
Because this class falls on the second night of Passover, the schedule for this class will be posted at a later date. In the past, when class conflicted with Jewish holidays, I had a guest lecturer talk to the class. Those who are not excused will be required to attend and write a short blog item on the class.
Discussion: What makes a good sports town. Does D.C. qualify? How does the nation’s capital compare to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles? We will be joined by one local sports journalist to talk about their experiences.
April 16
I am working on the class attending a Nationals game that night and covering the game as you would if your were a sportswriter, either with a game story, feature, column or blog. If this works out, we will meet up as a class during the late afternoon at Nationals Park.
April 23
Discussion: What makes a good sports town? Does D.C. qualify? How does the nation’s capital compare to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles? We will be joined by one local sports journalist to talk about their experiences.
Your critique a columnist assignments will be due at the end of class. We will work on finishing the assignments in class, and I will give you some suggestions on the column writing itself.
We will also review for the final exam.
All missed assignments will be due on this day.
April 30-May 6
Final exam.