JOU 3304 October 8, 2020 Class Presentation

1. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Professor Michael Rizzo
Director, Journalism Program
Division of Mass Communication
Collins College of Professional Studies
Presentation for October 8, 2020

2. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Last Presentation – October 5
Shaun Powell news conference

3. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Today
Shaun Powell news conference
follow-up

4. MID-TERM GRADES ARE IN
MID-TERM GRADES ARE SIMPLY THAT –
GRADES FOR YOUR WORK UP TO THE
MIDPOINT OF THE SEMESTER.
IF YOU SEE A ZERO GRADE FOR AN
ASSIGNMENT IT MEANS I DON’T SEE
ANYTHING THERE.
IF YOU SUBMITTED SOMETHING, EMAIL
ME AND WE’LL RESOLVE THE ISSUE OF
THE MISSING WORK.

5. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
ABOUT ASSIGNMENT GRADES, EMAIL
ME AT RIZZOM@STJOHNS.EDU TO SET
UP A TIME WHEN WE CAN CHAT BY
PHONE OR WEBEX.
THE COURSE OUTLINE HAS MY OFFICE
HOURS BUT I CAN MAKE OTHER
ARRANGEMENTS IF YOU ARE BUSY
DURING MY REGULAR OFFICE HOURS.

6. Recap
Ask open ended what how and why
questions
From Shaun Powell: read a lot and
practice your writing a lot

7. Shaun Powell

8. What is your story on Powell’s
news conference.
Just read us the lead of your story.

9. Chapter 3
Getting the most of the interview

10. Interviewing
Get quotes on what motivates
people about the sports topic
you are interviewing them about
Expose their reasoning
Look for reactions to emotional or
conflicting situations
Do NOT just record what’s said

11. Keys to good interviews:
Gear is good to go: pen and notepad
or recording device
Research has been done
Anticipate story focus
Make the interview and “in and out
of body” experience

12. Use all your senses during the
interview: read body language,
listen for inflections and pauses.
When does the interviewee get
animated?
Immerse yourself in the interview.

13. Interview techniques:
Ice breakers may be appropriate
Ask open ended questions
Ask for stories not just answers
Avoid cliché questions
Be quiet

14. Interview techniques:
Be involved
Be conversational
Don’t presume you know what
they’re talking about – get
clarification
Ask what hasn’t been asked before
Check and confirm
Don’t accept first answers –
follow-up!

15. Writing the story after the interview:
Convey comments not just answers
Paraphrase some comments and
leave the most dramatic comments
to specific quotes
Paint pictures with your words and
the interviewee’s words
Let the reader be a fly on the wall –
unseen but seeing all.

17. Sack the clichéd responses
Get athletes to show and not just
tell.
“Quotes should answer questions,
not create them.“

19. • Listen
• Be prepared
• React
• Probe (for an athlete’s interior
thoughts)
• Drill deeper

20. Look at pages 41-42 in the text for
an analysis of other questions
you should ask when you get
those generic answers from
athletes to reporters’ questions

21. Assignment 1
See the actual cliché/generic comments
athletes say at news conferences and in
interviews posted in as assignment on
BlackBoard.
For each comment, craft a question you
would ask after that comment that could
elicit a more insightful quote from the
athlete.
Use the textbook as inspiration.
This assignment will post shortly

22. Assignment 2
Following the course outline,
read pages 323-329 of the textbook
on ethics.
Be prepared to discuss and apply the
concepts in this part of the text

23. Assignment 3:
Think about a sports fan you could
interview about the MLB playoffs
Start to craft questions you’d ask them
and do research on what you could tell
readers that make your interviewee
newsworthy to interview.
There’s nothing to submit for this.
Just prepare.

24. Assignment 4:
Rewrite and resubmit your Powell news
conference story if you want after
hearing our discussion today.
I will post a REVISED Shaun Powell
news conference story assignment.

25. STAY WELL
AND
STAY SAFE