1) For those who didn't get the opportunity to take broadcasting classes in college, what is the best way to dip your toes into that field if you're interested?
2) What is the most exciting part of TV?
3) What made you want to be a columnist instead of exploring other aspects of sports journalism?
4) Was there ever an opinion you took or a column you wrote that you were afraid of the repercussions that would come from it?
5) What are some good interviewing tips you could give us?
6) How many times were you rejected before someone finally gave you a chance?
7) What is the relationship with your editor like?
8) How do you know when there is a subject you want to tackle in a column/show?
9) Has there ever been a topic you took on that ended up not being what you expected?
10) How do you deal with the pressure of deadlines?
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Questions for Bonnie and TJ
1) What made PEDs a topic you wanted to investigate/report on further?
2) What has been the most interesting thing you have found in your research and reporting on PEDs, as well as on the athletes that have confessed to or have allegedly used them?
3) What is your opinion on the entire A-Rod controversy? He's recently met with the NY Yankees to formally apologize.
4) Why do you think PEDs are a huge scandal in one sport, but not in others? (I feel that baseball takes them seriously, the Lance Armstrong controversy blew up, but we rarely hear about huge repercussions about PED use in football - at least, I haven't.)
5) What is your own personal process about crafting feature stories? Bonnie's feature on the Marathon bombings was so vivid.
6) How do you know when a story is a story? Is there a special feeling about it, or are stories something you can craft into greatness?
7) What is your writing process like?
8) How many drafts does your story go through both personally and editorially until it's published?
9) Has there ever been a time your editor wanted to make a change that you felt strongly it should remain unchanged? How do you deal with something like that?
10) Why did you choose to go into sports reporting?
2) What has been the most interesting thing you have found in your research and reporting on PEDs, as well as on the athletes that have confessed to or have allegedly used them?
3) What is your opinion on the entire A-Rod controversy? He's recently met with the NY Yankees to formally apologize.
4) Why do you think PEDs are a huge scandal in one sport, but not in others? (I feel that baseball takes them seriously, the Lance Armstrong controversy blew up, but we rarely hear about huge repercussions about PED use in football - at least, I haven't.)
5) What is your own personal process about crafting feature stories? Bonnie's feature on the Marathon bombings was so vivid.
6) How do you know when a story is a story? Is there a special feeling about it, or are stories something you can craft into greatness?
7) What is your writing process like?
8) How many drafts does your story go through both personally and editorially until it's published?
9) Has there ever been a time your editor wanted to make a change that you felt strongly it should remain unchanged? How do you deal with something like that?
10) Why did you choose to go into sports reporting?
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
10 Questions for Eric Neel & a Story Pitch
1) What got you into sports journalism in the first place?
2) What are the best and worst things about writing/editing long-form stories?
3) What's your process on coming up with a good story subject?
4) What's the hardest part of being a sports journalist?
5) What is the best interview you've ever done?
6) What is the hardest story you've ever worked on?
7) How do you separate your personal feelings (like your favorite team) if you're covering them?
8) If you could do it all over again, would you still step into this field?
9) Is it harder to come into sports journalism today than when you came into it?
10) How has the development of online media platforms (i.e, so many print outlets going out of business or having their business be affected by online platforms) affected your personal work?
2) What are the best and worst things about writing/editing long-form stories?
3) What's your process on coming up with a good story subject?
4) What's the hardest part of being a sports journalist?
5) What is the best interview you've ever done?
6) What is the hardest story you've ever worked on?
7) How do you separate your personal feelings (like your favorite team) if you're covering them?
8) If you could do it all over again, would you still step into this field?
9) Is it harder to come into sports journalism today than when you came into it?
10) How has the development of online media platforms (i.e, so many print outlets going out of business or having their business be affected by online platforms) affected your personal work?
I want to take a closer look at addictions and mental illness in the NHL, with a specific look on how brain injuries could be a cause of these illnesses. The lens I want to use is to look at NHL enforcers specifically. This story would take a look at concussion protocols back when fighting was an integral part of the game in comparison to how the NHL deals with concussions today in light of the deaths of Rick Rypien, Derek Booguard and Wade Belak, as well as the heated debate over whether fighting is still an important part of the game.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Super Bowl Coverage of Domestic Violence
The coverage of domestic violence leading up to and after the SuperBowl has been disappointing to say the least. I saw one commercial floating around - the one with the lady pretending to order pizza to a 911 operator - prior to the SuperBowl and I was impressed with it. I saw the story of that conversation months prior to the SuperBowl and I was happy that they decided to incorporate it into the SuperBowl, especially given the events happening throughout the NFL this season. The commercial was powerful, poignant and had the capability of silencing everyone in the room.
I was disappointed to see that they cut the commercial from one minute to 30 seconds. I feel that the NFL has some serious work to do when it comes to educating their players, coaches and fans about domestic violence and the many forms it can manifest. The controversy about Ray Rice - and subsequently, Adrian Peterson - came solely from the fact that people everywhere were outraged. If the TMZ tape of Ray Rice didn’t leak, I don’t think Peterson’s punishment would have been so harsh. I seriously doubt certain NFL teams care or take this very common issue seriously. The Ravens, who cut Rice only after the tape leaked, still employ Terrell Suggs, who has been accused of beating and spilling bleach on his girlfriend.
Given how lax Rice’s punishment was to start (for context: Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for the 2014 season due to failing a marijuana test, yet Rice originally only got suspended for two games) Those atrocious, embarrassing commercials they’ve been playing all season long embarrass me every single time. Media outlets have praised different NFL players for taking part in a commercial where they cry, act speechless, truly seem to be wrestling with some inner pain before declaring that there should be “no more” domestic violence. Every single time I see praise for those commercials, I am dumbfounded. We often hold our athletes on a pedestal, and sometimes that includes turning another cheek when it comes to breaking the law, and maybe that’s the reason these guys are receiving so much praise for “taking a stand” against domestic violence - even though your average person could probably tell you at age eight that you shouldn’t be violent towards significant others or family members.
I think the media and the NFL could have done a lot more in regards to education on domestic violence. Devote commercials to battered woman syndrome, agencies and shelters for the abused, charity organizations aimed towards helping victims. Mandate that your players and coaches learn about the vicious cycles that take place, and make sure authority figures in the NFL and outside of it do the right thing when it comes to human beings, rather than the sport. Make sure Roger Goodell is doing the right thing for the men - and their families - of the NFL, rather than for the league as a whole. Protecting an abusive athlete just because he earns a lot of money for the league and you want to avoid controversy doesn’t do anything other than encourage the abuse to go on.
I was disappointed to see that they cut the commercial from one minute to 30 seconds. I feel that the NFL has some serious work to do when it comes to educating their players, coaches and fans about domestic violence and the many forms it can manifest. The controversy about Ray Rice - and subsequently, Adrian Peterson - came solely from the fact that people everywhere were outraged. If the TMZ tape of Ray Rice didn’t leak, I don’t think Peterson’s punishment would have been so harsh. I seriously doubt certain NFL teams care or take this very common issue seriously. The Ravens, who cut Rice only after the tape leaked, still employ Terrell Suggs, who has been accused of beating and spilling bleach on his girlfriend.
Given how lax Rice’s punishment was to start (for context: Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon was suspended for the 2014 season due to failing a marijuana test, yet Rice originally only got suspended for two games) Those atrocious, embarrassing commercials they’ve been playing all season long embarrass me every single time. Media outlets have praised different NFL players for taking part in a commercial where they cry, act speechless, truly seem to be wrestling with some inner pain before declaring that there should be “no more” domestic violence. Every single time I see praise for those commercials, I am dumbfounded. We often hold our athletes on a pedestal, and sometimes that includes turning another cheek when it comes to breaking the law, and maybe that’s the reason these guys are receiving so much praise for “taking a stand” against domestic violence - even though your average person could probably tell you at age eight that you shouldn’t be violent towards significant others or family members.
I think the media and the NFL could have done a lot more in regards to education on domestic violence. Devote commercials to battered woman syndrome, agencies and shelters for the abused, charity organizations aimed towards helping victims. Mandate that your players and coaches learn about the vicious cycles that take place, and make sure authority figures in the NFL and outside of it do the right thing when it comes to human beings, rather than the sport. Make sure Roger Goodell is doing the right thing for the men - and their families - of the NFL, rather than for the league as a whole. Protecting an abusive athlete just because he earns a lot of money for the league and you want to avoid controversy doesn’t do anything other than encourage the abuse to go on.
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