Sports Reporting

You are covering a softball game and the starting pitcher just threw the first ever no hitter in school history. It’s an emotional moment for her, her teammates, coaches and her parents. It’s starting to rain, and you can tell you’re only going to be able to get one interview before everyone runs for his or her cars. Who do you choose?

• The short stop who had the best view of the game.

• The pitcher who threw the no hitter.

• The pitcher’s mom who really, really loves her daughter.

• The coach who taught the pitcher everything she knows.

You have been assigned to cover the boys’ soccer team this season. You’ve never covered soccer before. You’ve never played the game, either. Which of the following things should you do prior to the first game?

• Study the rules of the game online.

• Get a copy of the team roster.

• Introduce yourself to the coaching staff.

• Go to practice and observe, observe, observe.

• All of the above.

Your school is adding a boys’ lacrosse team this year. What type of story should you write in your student newspaper to announce the formation of the new team?

• Preview Story

• Game Story

• Feature Story

• Sports Column

True or False: Every sport has its own jargon. Because of that, it’s acceptable to use jargon in your sports reporting

• TRUE

• FALSE

Which of the following might be a headline you’d find on a feature story?

• Eagles down Ravens 59-47

• Eagles regionals win first in 13 years

• Eagles must win regionals to earn respect

• Eagles’ point guard dreams of college spotlight

True or False: If you are assigned to cover a sporting event and the school is selling tickets, you should buy one in order to get in.

• True, because of journalistic ethics

• False, because of journalistic ethics

Maintaining objectivity is important when you’re covering a sporting event. Which of the following might be considered a bad wardrobe choice while covering a high school track meet?

• A baseball cap from the local Major League Baseball franchise

• Tailored shorts and conservative tie

• Blue jeans and a sweatshirt with your school’s mascot on the front

• All of the Above

It’s a busy Saturday at your school. It seems just about every team has a game scheduled. Which do you cover?

• Boys' basketball

• Girls volleyball

• Boys & Girls Swimming

• Girls Badminton

• All of the above

Your school’s baseball team is playing tonight, but your paper doesn’t publish again for four more days. By that time, they will have already played another game. Which is the best platform to report live updates from the game?

• TikTok

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

True or False: The Associated Press has a set of rules designed to standardize sports terms.

• True

• False