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COOKING UP A SPORTS FEATURE STORY Dissecting the writer-editor decisions and operations that lead to sports features making it to publication by MARK SELIG Master’s Candidate, Missouri School of Journalism DECEMBER 2015 Jacqui Banaszynski, Committee Chair Greg Bowers Joy Mayer Acknowledgments There’s no way I’m going to get this done. There was a moment this year — late winter or early spring, before I even decided what my final project would be — when I walked into a stairwell at work and stared out a window in desperation. I’m typically even-keeled, stoic, assured I’ll finish what I start. But for the first time in a long time, I had doubts. Nothing on the other side of the window provided answers. My project, chair, Jacqui Banaszynski, did. Struggling to find a topic to research or a practical project to propose, I emailed Jacqui and set up a meeting that week. By the time I left her office, I was back to my old self. I can do this. No sweat. Thank you Jacqui for all of your guidance and suggestions, and for reading crappy first drafts that turned into better final products post-edit. You are the smartest person I know, and knowing that the smartest person I know is on my team gave me confidence everything would turn out all right. Thank you Greg Bowers for challenging me to do better, whether you were inspecting my blog or editing my articles. I wouldn’t be known worldwide as “award-winning columnist Mark Selig” without your help. In all seriousness, I’ve absorbed a lot of journalism and life lessons from you over the past two years. They will serve me well as I move forward. Thank you Joy Mayer for setting up your students to succeed, no matter what they want to do next. I still think “Participatory Journalism” is the wrong name for your class, but I also think I’ll get a job doing something digitally because of it. Other thanks go to those who impacted me from afar. Thanks Dad for always supporting my decisions, even if they’ve taken me farther and farther away from the family. Thanks Dave for providing a great example of how to succeed in this fickle business. Before this uncharacteristically sappy note closes, I have to shout out my boo, Lee Anne. Thank you for making my decision to come to Missouri my best decision yet. From pancakes to pudding, every hour of every day with you is exciting and fulfilling. I love you. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………… ii CHAPTER 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… 1 2. Field Notes ………………………………………………………………………… 4 3. Personal Evaluation …………………………………………………………. 31 4. Physical Evidence …………………………………………………………….. 34 5. Analysis …………………………………………………………………………… 138 APPENDIX Original Project Proposal ……………………………………………………………. 163 Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………. 174 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………. 190 Appendix to Original Proposal …………………………………………………….. 195 Changes to Original Proposal ………………………………………………………. 198 iii Chapter 1: Introduction When a guest speaker called in to class, it was the best 75 minutes of the week. My first semester at the University of Missouri I enrolled in Greg Bowers’ sports journalism course. The discussion-based class often featured guest speakers, and these visitors (or Skypers) represented a who’s who in today’s narrative journalism landscape. Sports Illustrated’s Thomas Lake talked about boiling down his articles to a single word. And about how the best time to write a story is often a year after it is newsworthy, once the dust has settled. ESPN the Magazine’s Wright Thompson described his pre-reporting process and detailed his experiences covering Michael Jordan post-retirement. Freelancer Justin Heckert shared advice on recreating a scene through interviewing. He also displayed his unusual aptitude of remembering ledes — everybody’s ledes. I never wanted these conversations to end; there always seemed to be more to explore. These are the types of conversations I hope to have as part of my next job. After graduation I will try to become a sports editor for a newspaper or web-only publication. Narrative feature writing is an interest and skill of mine, and I’d like to help other writers’ features sing. What interests me most — and what still makes newspapers relevant to me — is the writing. As an advisor to undergraduate reporters, I’ve been forced to think about and articulate what makes writing successful. Prior to my enrollment at Missouri, I served four years as a sports reporter for the Daily News-Record in 1 Harrisonburg, Virginia. I’m proud of my work there. I produced award-winning stories and dominated a beat. But sometimes the daily grind left little room for reflection. My strategies had become more instinctive than calculated. Through challenging courses and 20-plus hours per week serving as the assistant sports editor at the Columbia Missourian, I’ve broadened my outlook on journalism. While no single class has given me expertise in a particular area, each has shown me what is possible — and has provided the basic foundational knowledge to explore further. Working in the newsroom in a managerial position has taught me a different level of responsibility juggling and personality management. It’s also given me dedication to a product bigger than my own. My role as an editor at the Missourian has been refreshing in that I can revisit the building blocks every semester when we inherit a new staff with varying skill levels. As I prepared for similar jobs with very different staffs, I wanted to pick the brains of more experienced writers and editors. My project was two-fold. For the professional element of my project I created a blog in which I highlighted meaningful sports journalism and discussed craft — what makes a story fun and engaging to read? — with the reporters and editors responsible. For my professional analysis, I focused on the process of developing story ideas, and the considerations writers and editors make before deciding to devote significant resources to a sports feature story. I talked to writers I’d been reading since I first learned what a newspaper was. Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan is the first person I remember calling my favorite journalist. In recent years, my favorite has been Lee Jenkins. In the last 2 several months, I might have found a new one — John Branch. I chatted with each of these writers about their storytelling strategies. This is like a young basketball player asking LeBron James about his post-up game. But this project wasn’t about hero worship; it was about learning tricks of the trade I could pass on to others. I developed a small community of journalists who appreciated that I did this and kept asking for more. That was the most gratifying part — knowing I was not only learning but also teaching. Hearing the stories behind the stories allowed me to analyze, critique and be more conscious about reading like a writer — habits that will serve me well as an editor. It also helped me create contacts in the industry as I networked with well-known journalists. And speaking to writers and editors for the analysis portion of the project allowed me a better view of how these story ideas actually come about. If I plan to work as a sports editor, I need to know the types of conversations editors have with their writers before green-lighting a major feature story. I need to be aware of all the considerations journalists make: What are your main sources for brainstorming? What makes a story interesting? How does audience reception influence the work you do? Finding answers to these questions will help me from an operational standpoint as I reenter the industry. They can help me be a more informed editor who’s cognizant of the thought processes of both writers and editors. This project is the final step in earning my master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. I will now rejoin the work force as a more thoughtful, experienced, skilled and connected journalist. 3 Chapter 2: Field Notes Week 1 (June 1-7) WHAT I DID • I interviewed ESPN’s Leon Carter for an hour. While Carter has worked at he New York Daily News and recently took a job at the still-to-launch black culture site, The Undefeated, I asked him to remark on his time at ESPN New York, where he served as the VP and executive editor since 2010. • From Carter, I received contact info for ESPN NY columnist/feature writer Ian O’Connor. Carter and I specifically discussed one of O’Connor’s stories. I am substituting this duo for ESPN’s Mary Byrne and Coley Harvey (because Mary’s new job — she recently moved from USA TODAY — is not exactly what I anticipated). • O’Connor agreed to speak with me Wednesday, June 10. • Sent email invite to Joe Sullivan of the Boston Globe. He agreed to an interview and said he’d know of a better time next week • Sent email invite to Mike Svetitz of the Richmond Times Dispatch. • I created a spreadsheet with each of my targets, their email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses (for thank you notes), as well as my progress in contacting/interviewing them. WHAT I LEARNED • Can’t say there were many surprises from my conversation with Carter, but I have a better understanding of his overall job and its demands. • Interesting nugget: When Carter lived in New York he used to ask cab drivers what they thought of his stories/website. He wouldn’t tell the drivers who he was (for fear that they’d ask for tickets) but he liked their raw, honest opinions.

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