Whether you’re a sports fanatic keen to pitch a few articles, or a blogger looking to turn pro, this full-day masterclass on sports journalism will help you get ahead of the game. The day includes talks from leading sports writers and editors on the key aspects of the trade – from how to write compelling match reports, to how to pitch story ideas to editors.
Guardian and Observer football writers Jacob Steinberg and Amy Lawrence give hard-earned advice on how to stand out in a competitive field. You’ll learn how to write creatively at speed and ensure you meet important deadlines for match reports. You’ll also learn about the vital need for feature writing and think pieces in the fast-paced digital age, and receive tips on how to write with colour and depth.
The day includes an in-depth talk from three-time winner of the Sports Interviewer of the Year award Donald McRae. He’ll give advice on everything from how to develop contacts, to how to plan questions and write up an interview piece. In addition, ShortList sport editor Ben Isaacs gives inside advice on how to successfully pitch to editors. Altogether, it’s the perfect primer for sports writers of all stripes who want to learn the tricks of the trade, from some of the best in the business.
This course is for you if...
- You’re an aspiring sports journalist
- You currently run a sports blog or website and want to improve your skills and coverage
- You’re a journalist hoping to branch out into sports writing
- You’re a sports fan who would like to write articles for blog or publications
- You’re a student who wants to learn the key skills of sports journalism
Course description
This full-day event offers practical advice on the key elements of sports journalism, including match-reporting, feature writing, interviewing and pitching. Attendees will have the opportunity to get involved in a practical exercise on match-reporting, and ask questions to some of the UK’s leading sports writers and editors. Topics covered include:
- An overview of sports journalism in the digital age
- Meeting deadlines and writing creatively at speed
- Match-reporting, including how to write a first-edition runner
- The importance of colour, context and depth in features and think pieces
- Writing for live events and press conferences
- How to respond to major news stories at speed
- The changing nature of the modern sports interview
- Securing interviews: developing contacts, dealing with agents, managers, clubs, sponsors and PR fixers
- Essential interviewing skills: researching, preparing, planning questions, recording, transcribing and writing
- The ethics of interviewing
- How to pitch story ideas to editors
- Good/bad pitches
- Q&A with all speakers
Tutor profiles
Jacob Steinberg is a football writer for the Guardian. He reports on various teams for the paper and specialises in writing minute-by-minute reports for the website. He is also a regular on the Football Weekly podcast and a contributor to The Blizzard, a quarterly football magazine.
Donald McRae writes the Guardian’s Sports Interview of the Week – with interviewees ranging from Usain Bolt to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jessica Ennis to Mike Tyson, Michael Phelps to Tony McCoy, Venus Williams to Johan Cruyff. He is a three-time winner of the Sports Interviewer of the Year award, as well as Sports Feature Writer of the Year. He has twice won the William Hill Sports Book of The Year award, and is the author of nine books about legendary trial lawyers, heart surgeons, sex workers and sporting icons.
Amy Lawrence is deputy football correspondent for the Observer. She lives in London, round the corner from the former site of the stadium she fell in love with aged six. In addition to writing for the Guardian and Observer, Amy is a columnist for the BBC Sport website, and is a regular guest on BBC Radio 5 Live and MOTD2 Extra. A football journalist since the early 1990s, Amy has covered the Premier League, continental football and attended several World Cups and European Championships. She has also written a number of football books, the most recent being a study of Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003-4.
Ben Isaacs is sport editor for ShortList, the UK’s most widely read men’s lifestyle magazine. He has 15 years of experience in journalism at employers as diverse as News International and Time Out London. His championing of cycling coverage led to ShortList winning Best Cycling Coverage In A Mainstream Magazine at the 2014 Cycling Media Awards. Away from a keyboard, his work has led him to play tennis with Pete Sampras and score a goal from an Andres Iniesta through-ball. He is a regular guest on sports and pop culture podcast Americarnage and was once on Channel 4’s NFL coverage (for 2 minutes at 4am on a Sunday night – you probably missed it).
Details
Date: Saturday 28 March 2015
Times: 10am-4pm
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £129 (includes VAT, booking fee, lunch and refreshments)
Event capacity: 100
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
