The Raleigh Reds Team

Archive for July, 2009

Adam McFarland asked:




There are literally thousands of places on the web to get your sports news information. Whether you want the latest headlines, up to the second scores, editorials, or in depth analysis, there are a myriad of choices for you. While some sites only offer one or two of those things, there are several that offer all of those and more. My Top 5 are below:

5. Yahoo! Sports (sports.yahoo.com) – this site is all substance and no flash. It looks essentially the same as it did five years ago. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t knock your socks off. Any information that you need is readily available and up to date. Columnists aren’t as well known as the top sites, but they are solid.

4. FOX Sports (msn.foxsports.com) – a few years ago this site was a mess. It was the anti-Yahoo! – all flash and no substance. In the past few years they’ve toned down the flash and increased the substance. The live gamecasts at the top of the page are extremely innovative. For example, for a baseball game you not only see the score, but also an overview of the diamond and what runners are on base. If you are interested in a specific game you can roll your mouse over it and get more details. If FOX keeps innovating like that, they won’t be number 4 for long.

3. Sports Illustrated (sportsillustrated.cnn.com) – this site excels in two things – editorials and rumors. They have THE best writers (they are Sports Illustrated after all) and they do an excellent job of providing tons of content. Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column is absolutely priceless. They also compile a ‘Truth and Rumors’ section for each of the major sports. It’s essentially a compilation of all of the rumors from local newspapers across the country. The best part about it is it’s free, unlike ESPN’s rumors.

2. CBS SportsLine (cbs.sportsline.com) – everything is great about SportsLine – they are often the first to break news, gamecasts are innovative and effective, and for what it’s worth the fantasy sports are the best on the web. Well, they are great at everything except editorials and analysis, and they are horrible at that. Tony Mejia, Dennis Dodd, Pete Prisco, and Greg Doyle are the worst group of sports writers on the web. Where are the editorials from their on-air personalities like Jim Nantz and Billy Packer? ESPN and FOX manage to get their on-air personalities to write, maybe CBS should consider it. Read the comments at the bottom of any article by any of the aforementioned writers and you’ll realize that I’m not the only one that thinks they are horrible.

1. ESPN (www.espn.com) – they are consistently ahead of the curve in every one of the important aspects. They are the worldwide leader in sports and they show no signs of giving up that crown on the web. I commend them for getting their best personalities – John Clayton, Steven A. Smith, Barry Melrose, and Peter Gammons – to write consistently good articles. The only downside is that too much information is hidden in the ‘Insider’, ESPN’s paid service. It’s frustrating to read a headline, click, and then realize that you can’t read the story because you have to pay for it.

Louise Scarlett asked:




For sports journalism, as with any other specialism, you need to know your subject inside out, be passionate about it, and have the determination and enthusiasm to succeed. But how do you break into sports journalism? Having a qualification behind you is valuable, but it is practical, hands on experience that tells an editor that you are up to the job. One of the biggest challenges faced by a wannabe journalist is how to build a file of published clips if an editor is only interested in hiring someone with experience.

Building up a healthy collection of clips is important so you can show off your capabilities. Quality is more important than quantity, but it is best to have a wide range of samples. Not just different sports, but also different styles of articles, such as features, news and editorials.

Whether you are still in education or trying to land your first job, getting work experience in the field is key. Take any opportunity you are given to build on your experience by getting a reporter job at a weekly or local newspaper, or finding an organization that will offer you an internship or work experience. Make of the opportunity what you can; seek advice, use your initiative and build up your contacts book. It might even lead to full-time paid employment.

Working your way up from the bottom is a good way of gaining valuable experience and getting your foot in the door. By working in a junior or trainee role, you will be gaining practical experience that will help when you are looking to move into a reporting position elsewhere or help you achieve promotion with your current employer.

It may also give you the opportunity to accompany reporters to events and observe how they go about their job, providing you with knowledge of how journalists work and skills that you can later put into practice. You may even be able to put what you have learnt to the test by interviewing colleagues and reporters about their jobs and finding out more about the industry.

The Internet has opened up incredible opportunities for wannabe sports reporters and journalists. Choose a topic, sport, or team that you are a passionate about and start a blog; it is a great way of beginning your reporting career. Citizen journalism sites, such as The Latest.com, are ideal for taking your first steps in publishing your articles. Not only will you build up your portfolio of self-published clips but you might also receive offers of employment from news organizations.

Sports magazines that have online web presence (ESPN and The Sporting News for example) and team network portals, such as Scout.com and Rivals.com are renowned for seeking sports writers and should be considered when establishing yourself as a sports journalist. Although pay may not be overly generous, there are advantages and these jobs are CV builders.

Suite101 and Allsports are also good places on the web to cut your teeth as a writer. Suite 101 allows freelance writers, non-fiction authors and journalism students to publish 10 articles every 3 months. The site is ideal for any writer wanting to get paid for their work, build their portfolio and be promoted. Site 101 also offer free training on writing for the Web and allow you to work 1 on 1 with an editor. AllSports provides free web hosting and lets you choose what sports, league or team you want to cover. They have won awards for their work, making it a well respected addition to your CV

Entering competitions such as the recent Sportingo.com Student Sports Journalism Award 2008 is another way of demonstrating your skill as a sports writer. Competitions like this provide the opportunity to have your work appraised by a team of professional sports editors and have your article published. If you are lucky enough to win an award there are usually added benefits. These might come in the form of a mentorship programme, the chance to report at leading sports events, or advice and guidance on developing as a sports writer. You might also be presented with a portfolio of your work and a reference, sure to open important industry doors.