Jeff Zillgitt: 3 things

March 31, 2009

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today is that interesting mix of cross platform journalist with brings solid journalism credentials and skills to his work.

Jeff was our guest in class Tuesday. What are the three things you learned from Jeff’s presentation? You have until 30 minutes before the Thursday April 2 class to post your comments.
Our guest Thursday will be the Washington Post’s Len Shapiro, who will talk about beat reporting, covering the Redskins, and covering Tiger.

Who’s your columnist #11

March 30, 2009

Your comment must be posted no later than 30 minutes before the Tuesday April 7 class.

You must include the URL of the column so that your classmates can read the column, too. Let me know if you have any questions.


CBS Sunday Morning: Stop the Presses

March 29, 2009


Watch CBS Videos Online


Nate Ewell: 3 things

March 26, 2009

Nate Ewell heads the the Washington Capitals’ media relations staff. For the past two years, Nate’s group has received the Dick Dillman Award for the NHL’s Eastern Conference, given annually to the team judged to be the best in media relations by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association.

“It is a great honor for us to be recognized by the PHWA,” said Ewell, who I have known since he was assistant sports information director at Michigan State a decade ago. “It is a pleasure to work with their membership and the rest of the media every day. We are blessed with tremendous leadership from our owners, general manager George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau. The players on the Washington Capitals are a special group and deserve a lot of the credit for this award as well.”
The Dillman Award honors the late Dick Dillman, a highly respected media relations director for the Minnesota North Stars. Members of the PHWA are eligible to vote on the award, and voters are asked to consider multiple factors, including fairness, cooperation, efficiency, accuracy and presentation of media notes, quality of media guide and willingness to help facilitate interviews.
Please share the three things you learned from the class Thursday with Nate. The deadline is Tuesday March 31, a half hour before the start of class.

Mike Wise: 3 thing

March 24, 2009

Well, they call him the Wise Guy, and if you don’t know why now, you never well.

As Eric Vitoff put it, Mike Wise‘s presentation (performance?) with us in class Tuesday was “stellar.” There were plenty of little lessons, and both Mike and I look forward to your comments here.

Since we have another speaker Thursday (Nate Ewell of the Washington Capitals), your deadline for this assignment is 30 minutes before class Thursday (March 26). Please remember your questions for Nate.

The picture is of Mike, his dog, and a young GWU law student who lent them an important helping hand a year ago. Just one of a number of stories Mike didn’t have time to share with us.


Who’s your columnist #10

March 24, 2009

Your comment must be posted no later than 30 minutes before the Tuesday March 31 class.

You must include the URL of the column so that your classmates can read the column, too. Let me know if you have any questions.

The photo at the right is of New York Times sports columnist Harvey Araton, who Mike Wise mentioned on Tuesday in class. If you’re not familiar with Araton’s work, you should check it out.


Who’s your columnist #9

March 18, 2009

Your comment must be posted no later than 30 minutes before the Tuesday March 24 class.

You must include the URL of the column so that your classmates can read the column, too. Let me know if you have any questions.


The USA Today way: 5 things

March 2, 2009

Our guests this week are Don Collins, a former assignment editor, and Julie Ward, the former deputy managing editor, of USA Today.

Don and Julie have had much to do with shaping sports coverage at USA Today and will have much to share with you — Don on Tuesday March 3 and Julie on Thursday March 5.
Don Collins graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1976. After graduation, he worked at newspapers in Bowling Green, Ky., Henderson, Ky., and Jackson, Miss. He worked at USA TODAY as an assignment editor from two months before the paper started, in July 1982, until taking retirement in January 2007, except for 14 months as executive sports editor of the Little Rock, Ark., paper.
While at USA TODAY, he served in a variety of roles – editing high school sports, the NBA, NFL, soccer, major league baseball and the Olympics. He was also assistant to the managing editor/sports. He attended two Olympics, six Final Fours, four Super Bowls and three World Series.
Julie Ward was deputy managing editor at USA Today for nearly two decades, from 1989 to 2007. She joined USAT as a general assignment reporter in 1984 and also was an assignment editor for the NBA, golf, tennis, motor sports, boxing, colleges and high schools. She led the USAT team that won the 2002 APSE award for best news story which revealed the 302 members of Augusta National Golf Club.

Before joining USAT, she was a reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, where she covered women’s sports and was a columnist. One of her fondest memories is covering future Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee and watching her practice running the hurdles set among potholes on the street in front of Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, Ill.

Ward is one of 10 women to be honored by AWSM as a national Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner.
Please write a combined five things you learned from Don and Julie no later than 30 minutes before the start of class Tuesday March 17 (I suggest you do this sooner than later).

Who’s your columnist #7

March 2, 2009

Your comment must be posted no later than 30 minutes before the Tuesday March 17 class. Although you have two weeks to post, I hope you will follow through sooner than later.

You must include the URL of the column so that your classmates can read the column, too. Let me know if you have any questions.

Pictured above: George Vecsey, venerable New York Times columnist, who no one chose to follow this semester. So, I often post Vecsey columns on our class blog feed. Why do I like Vescey so much? He often writes about the meaning of sports, much like Robert Lipsyte used to do for the Times and occasionally for USA Today on the Op-Ed page.


Who’s your columnist #6

February 24, 2009

Your comment must be posted no later than 30 minutes before the Tuesday March 3 class.

You must include the URL of the column so that your classmates can read the column, too.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Pictured above: Woody Paige of the Denver Post. Kevin Healy is following the long-time Denver sports columnist and ESPN guest. Paige was one of the first sports columnists to understand the importance of working across multiple media platforms.