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How best to turn yourself from sports fan to professional sports journalist? Quickly moving beyond general guidance about sports writing, Joe Gisondi focuses on the nitty-gritty, with hands-on, practical advice on covering 20 specific sports. From auto racing to wrestling, you’ll find tips on the seemingly straightforward—where to stand on the sideline and how to identify a key player—along with the more specialized—figuring out shot selection in lacrosse and understanding a coxswain’s call for a harder stroke in rowing. Preparing you for just about any game, match, meet, race, regatta or tournament you’re likely to cover, Field Guide to Covering Sports is the ideal go-to resource to have on hand as you master the beat.
Using his Prepare-Watch-Ask-Write approach in each sports chapter, you will learn:
- What to understand before play begins
- What to look out for during competition
- What to ask players and coaches
- What essentials to include in your story
In addition to brief chapters on writing, interviewing and blogging, the Guide features useful “primers”: knowing the APSE ethical guidelines, avoiding clichés, working with Sports Information Directors, covering fantasy sports and broadcasting on the radio. A series of annotated score cards shows how reporters can keep track of stats and details, and assignments at the end of the book get you applying your new-found sports knowledge.
Two additional features round out helpful coverage:
- Sports Insiders include important tips based on author interviews with athletes, coaches and experienced sports reporters.
- Digital Assist boxes showcase models to emulate when reporting with new media.
No sports reporter’s collection is complete without this unique guide.
Click here to visit the author’s new web site and blog for regularly updated sports journalism coverage, advice, and more.Coverage of Twenty Sports, Including:
- Auto Racing
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Ice Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Triathlons
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Formats Available from CQ Press
| ISBN: 978-1-60426-559-0 |
Format: Print Paperback |
Retail Price: $29.00 |
Price to Bookstores: $23.20 |
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Table of Contents
Foreword by Will Leitch
Preface
PART I. GETTING STARTED
1. From Sports Fan to Sports Reporter
2. Writing Game Stories
3. Getting the Most Out an Interview
4. High School Sports
5. Beyond Games: Developing and Writing Features
6. Blogging: Finding a Unique Perspective
PART II. COVERING A BEAT
Auto Racing
Baseball
Basketball
Bowling
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Rowing
Rugby
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Triathalons
Volleyball
Wrestling
PART III. EXPLORING FURTHER
Primer A: Working with Sports Information Directors
Primer B: Avoiding Clichés
Primer C: Ethics: Sports Writers Can’t Act Like Fans
Primer D: Broadcasting Games on Radio
Primer E: Covering Fantasy Sports
Appendix: Assignment Desk
Notes
Index
Testimonials
Joe Gisondi's Field Guide to Covering Sports is a must-read for sports journalism students and beginning sports reporters. Newcomers to the trade will get valuable tips on covering a range of sports, interviewing, even blogging. And it doesn't read like a textbook. Instead, it is a collection of anecdotes, real-life examples, and ‘Sports Insider’ advise from well-known sports journalists. Readers of this book will feel like they got personal career guidance from some of the most respected names in the business.
- Michelle Kaufman, veteran sportswriter, Miami Herald, adjunct journalism professor, University of MiamiGisondi's upbeat, well-informed and well-written book is sure to energize aspiring reporters as it provides them with the nuts and bolts of good reporting. His formula -- prepare, watch, ask, write -- is simple and memorable, yet comprehensive. And his use of expert voices from the field along with smart, up-to-date tips for multimedia storytelling add excitement to this practical and well-organized text.
- Marie Hardin Associate Director, Curley Center, Acting Associate Dean, Administration, Penn State University
Bio(s)
Joe Gisondi, Eastern Illinois University
Joe Gisondi covered sports and worked as a sports copy editor for more than 20 years at several newspapers in Florida, including the Fort Myers News-Press, Clearwater Sun, Florida Today and Orlando Sentinel. He started writing for a weekly sports publication in Coral Springs, Fla., at age 15. He’s been hooked on sports journalism ever since. He is now associate professor and faculty adviser to the Daily Eastern News at Eastern Illinois University where he teaches courses on newswriting, advanced editing, sports and the media, and sports writing.
