Len Shapiro: 3 things
Len Shapiro has been reporting for the Washington Post for more than 35 years, covering the NFL and Washington Redskins, professional golf and Tiger Woods, and the media.
What were the three most important things you learned on Thursday from Len’s comments during class? You have until Tuesday April 7 a half hour before class to make your comments.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Brendan Murphy
Communication 371-001
Sports Reporting/Klein
3 Things I learned: Len Shapiro
1.Always cover your bases. Research, research, research.
2.The telephone is your friend. The more calls you make the more you’re going to get. The more information you have and the better you can present your information, the chances are higher that your reader will read your entire article.
3.If you go, something will happen.
April 5th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
1. “if you go, something will happen” (as compared it to “If you build it, they will come.” from FIELD OF DREAMS. Don’t worry Len, most of us being sports fans have seen the movie.
I wish life was really that easy, though.
2. If the crime for which a professional athlete commits carries a sentence of 15 years, don’t for a minute think that athlete is going to be in prison for 15 years.
3. The telephone, except when you’re getting a call from your mother-in-law, is your friend. Things happen when you make calls. Shapiro FACT
April 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
3 Things I learned from Len Shapiro:
1. Research, research, research before you ask the first question.
2. If you go, something will happen. Great example with the vandalism at the athlete’s house.
3. Jay Mariotti is notorious for not showing up to locker rooms, etc., after being critical of someone.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Three Things from Len Shapiro:
1. Always cover your bases. Research, research, research before you ask your first question.
2. The object is to get the reader to read the entire story, from beginning to end. The more information you have in the story, the more likely this is to happen.
3. “If you go, it will happen.” If you have a chance to go somewhere, be sure to follow through with it.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Len Shapiro
– “Fight for every break you get.”
– “If you build it, they will come…If you go, it will happen.”
– If you’re going to write/say something strong, you have to face the consequences after and show face in the locker room.
April 6th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
3 things I learned:
1 If a writer criticizes a player, a writer must be willing to face that player in person.
2) Joe Gibbs was easily accessible to the media in his early coaching years but, after he became successful this was harder to do.
3) If you go, something will happen. Example Larry Brown’s door.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:56 am
1. If you go, it WILL happen.
2. Coaches generally become jaded towards the media over the years.
3. Mariotti is as spineless as he appears to be on TV.
April 7th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Three Things I learned from Len Shapiro:
1. You can never research too much. It is easier to write a comprehensive story when you have a great deal of data.
2. The telephone is your friend. Always make that extra call.
3. If you go, it will happen.
April 7th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Three things:
1. Reporting is so much easier then it was when he started. You have the web, internet, and research access at a moment’s notice. You can know so much info on what you are covering that “it’s scary.”
2. The more calls you ‘re on the phone and info you gather, you can turn it into a 1,000 word story packed with quotes, etc. that will make your reader be invested.
3. “If you go, it will happen.”
April 7th, 2009 at 11:32 am
1) Internet has made reporting a lot easier
2) Always research before asking the first question.
The more calls you make the more you are going to get.
Gather as much information as possible.
3)If you go, it will happen. You never know what can come up.
April 7th, 2009 at 11:44 am
3 Things I learned from Len Shapiro:
1) Always cover your bases. Research, research, research.
2)The phone is your friend.
3)If you go it will happen. You may find something that can add to your story.
April 7th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Communication 371-001
Sports Reporting
3 Things I learned from Len Shapiro
1. Do research!!
2. If you go, something will happen.
3. Nixon drew up plays for skins in their superbowl win!?!
April 7th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I clearly wasn’t at class so I learned nothing from Len Shapiro.
However, I did read everyone’s “3 things” so I learned from Eric. Never would I think I could learn from Eric Vitoff (just kidding Eric, how’s my fantasy baseball team doing?)
I like the research comments. Fight for your break is a good quote too. Shapiro isn’t a Mariotti fan. I don’t want to drop names, but Jay has been a really good guy to me personally, so I take Shapiro’s comments with a grain of salt.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
1. If you’ve made 12 calls, make a 13th.
2. Research is the best way to ensure an accurate story. It also helps you to find a unique angle.
3. Go to an event … something will happen.