This document provides an overview of the topics covered in a Sports Writing class (JOU 3304) on October 15, 2020. It discusses sports reporting ethics, including guidelines for independence, balance, and avoiding legal issues like libel. Students were assigned to watch a video on sports ethics and complete a Blackboard assignment. The document outlines what is considered fair to report on athletes, both on and off the field, and the importance of giving athletes a chance to provide context. It stresses writing defensively, getting multiple perspectives, and expressing opinions as such rather than facts. The checklist reminds students to be fair, accurate, and consider societal values and harm to reputations. The final assignment is to continue research for a sports fan

1. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Professor Michael Rizzo
Director, Journalism Program
Division of Mass Communication
Collins College of Professional Studies
Presentation for October 15, 2020

2. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Last Presentation – October 12
Sports reporting ethics

3. JOU 3304
Sports Writing
Today
More about ethics

4. Recap
You are a professional sportswriter,
not a fan with a free seat in the
press box
Know your organization’s guidelines
Follow the APSE guidelines
Independence makes you trustworthy

5. Assignment for today
You needed to watch the NSSA
panel discussion video on sports
ethics.
Complete the assignment now on
BlackBoard about that video

6. What’s fair game for reporting on
athletes?
Anything they do on the field/court?
What about anything they do off
the field/court?

7. When a private act becomes PUBLIC,
it’s fair game and SHOULD be
reported. When a player’s action
affects his team, it should be
reported.
But what must you do when an act
occur that is good journalism ethics?

8. At a minimum, give the athlete the
chance to provide balance, context
and their side of the story.

9. Be careful about GENERALITIES
especially with accusations.
Drug use can mean different things
Choose your words and descriptions
carefully and EXPLAIN what the
details are so no one
MISUNDERSTANDS your meaning.

10. Try to avoid potential legal
problems.

11. Libel is an accusation that you have
defamed someone in writing where
they claim your writing has injured
their reputation, opened them up
to dislike, hate, ridicule or
disgrace.

12. Libel must be published. The
person must be identified in the
story but leaving out a name is
NOT necessarily a winnable
defense in court.
Libel does NOT require literal
language.

13. Your protections:
Write defensively.
The only absolute defense in court
is the truth.
Getting quotes from others can be
OK but make sure you present the
complete and proper context
(Remember the APSE guidelines!)

14. Malice is publishing something you
know is false or publishing a story
with reckless disregard for the truth.
Writing your opinion as “fair
comment and criticism” is a much
better way to proceed than stating
your opinion as if it is fact.
What does this mean?

15. You report on matters of public
interest, writing fairly and display
an honest purpose.
You can prove the facts you cite are
true.
You explain you are writing an opinion
using words like “think,” “believe,”
or “consider” but don’t make
judgments you cannot substantiate.

16. Other checklist items for
preventing legal problems
Be fair, accurate and balanced
Give all parties a chance to comment
Write objectively
Think before you write something that
has the potential to harm a person’s
or sports organization’s reputation.

17. It’s the eye/ear of the beholder (the
reader, the audience) that decides how
the sportswriter’s work is received.
“…with so many parents presenting
wealthy athletes as role models –
fans deserve to know the truth
about the teams they patronize
and the stars they idolize.”
Skip Bayless, Chicago Tribune, October 30, 1999

18. Most sports fans want to know the
cost to THEM about their teams
(and cost may not just mean ticket
prices or cash costs).
Look at TRENDS, put numbers in
CONTEXT, seek out HISTORICAL
connections, and COMPARE,
CHARACTERIZE and ANALYZE what
it all means.

19. Checklist for ethical judgments
Follow societal values
Write the truth
Write justly and honestly
Be humane
Be independent (of pressure on what to write and from groups
that restrict your ability to adhere to journalistic standards)
Look out for others
Know your organization’s code of ethics
Be careful of award voting
Be careful of unnamed sources
Eliminate race and gender inequalities

20. Assignment for Monday October 19, 2020
1) Continue your research and preps for
your sports fan interview about the
MLB postseason.
2) We are changing the course outline:
do not worry about pages 336-343
and 355-358. Instead, move on to
reading Chapter 10 of the textbook:
Visual Storytelling

21. STAY WELL
AND
STAY SAFE