Emerging Trends and

Opportunities in Sports
UNIT-IV
 Sports Writing
• News writing style is just as important for sports
reporting as it is for general news, business stories or
any other journalistic work.
• The advantage of sports writing is that you are allowed
a little it more margin in your choice of words. In crime
or business writing, you are restricted in your use of
adjectives and adverbs and are encouraged to focus
more on nouns and verbs. Sports writing, however,
allows you to go to town in describing plays the
atmosphere fans and other colorful aspects of a plays,
atmosphere, sporting event.
• Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on
sporting topics and games. While the sports
department within some newspapers has been
mockingly called the toy department, because sports
journalists do not concern themselves with the
'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports
coverage has grown in importance as sport has grown
in wealth, power and influence.
• There are lots of different kinds of stories you can write
on the sports beat, but probably the most basic is the short
game story. A short game story, usually 500 words or
less, follows a straightforward format that can be applied
to any game you cover. Here’s the format:

• The Lede : The lede of your story should include the final
score and some details about what made the game
interesting. Generally this means focusing on the efforts
of an individual player.
• The Body of the Story: The body of your story should
basically elaborate on the lede. If your lede was about
the benchwarmer becoming the game’s star, then the
body should go into more detail about that. Often a
simple chronological account works best.

• The Wrap Up: The wrap up or ending of your story

usually centers on quotes from the coach and players
gleaned from post-game interviews or press
conferences. Getting great quotes for sports stories can
sometimes be tough – coaches and athletes often speak
in clichés – but a snappy quote can really be the icing
on the cake of your game story.
• Use of precise, concise, lively, attractive and informal
language because some critics refer to the sports
department as the toy department of newspapers.
• Sports Vocabulary: A sports journalist should know
about the terminology and vocabulary of the sports.

• People: Athlete, champion, winner, star, sportsman,

sportsmanship, first runner up second runner up
contestant competitor etc. runner-up, runner-up,
contestant, etc.
• Places: Talkatora Stadium, Jawahar Lal Nehru
National Stadium, sports venue, Sports Authority of
India, Feroz Shah kotla, Indra Gandhi Stadium
Complex (IGSC), Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range
(KSSR) etc.
• Actions: Tournament, contest, competition,
championship, match, round, the final match,
semifinal, acrobatics, lOO- meter dash, 4x200 m
relay, 200 m freestyle relay etc.
 Writing for the print
The news story format is one of the basic forms of writing
for the mass media, and students need to have a good
grounding in writing the news story before they tackle other
forms of writing. Learning to write a basic news story
teaches the student the importance of gathering accurate and
complete information, making judgments about that
information as to what is important and what is not, and
writing so that the content and not the writing itself is what
makes an impression on the reader.
Writing news teaches the student many of the
disciplines that he or she will need to be successful in
working in the mass media. Students should be
reminded that the news story form is one that is used not
only in newspapers but in many publications,
particularly those produced by public relations
departments. The habits that a person gains in writing
news will be the habits he or she takes to other forms of
writing for the mass media.
Inverted pyramid: This is the most common news
story structure. A lead paragraph contains the most
important information that the writer has to tell the
reader, and most of the story should in some way refer
to the lead paragraph. A story written in the inverted
pyramid form is rarely narrative; instead, the writer
must make decisions about what information is most
important and what is of lesser importance. A news
story should have unity -that is, it should be about one
subject - and this unity is gained through a logical and
coherent presentation of the information and an
effective use of transitions transitions.
 Some characteristics of sports writing in
print media:
• Precision: The most important aspect of sports
journalism is precision.
• Information: Sports writing covers basic information
about the game, such as the teams involved, the score,
and when and where the game was played.
• Personality: Sports writers tend to be organized and
detail-oriented, and they like working in a structured
environment.
• Format: Sports features can be based on sports,
athletes, or sporting events.
• Setting: Sports fiction is usually set in the real world,
typically during present-day, but sometimes during a
historical period.
• Fairness: Sports writers must be fair and unbiased in
reporting, even though they may have a favorite team.
• Reporting: Sports writing is a form of journalism or
creative nonfiction.
• Subject: Sports journalism focuses on subjects and
events related to the world of sports.
• Skills: Sports journalists must have excellent writing
skills, a well-developed ability to synthesize
information, and a strong sense of analysis.
• Engagement: Sports writing uses headings, short
sections, and short sentences to make the writing easy
to digest.
• Impartiality: Sports writers should be professional,
rather than behaving like fans.

• Headline: One of the most important media writing

skills and characteristics is to create strong headlines.
 Writing for the Broadcast
• Writing for broadcast takes a different level of skills than
writing for print. The writer must use all of the techniques that
he or she has learned in writing for print and must refine those
techniques for broadcast copy. The most important of these
techniques is that of condensation. The broadcast writer must
learn to select and condense information. The writer must
learn that an even higher value is placed on brevity than in
writing for print.
Writing for television radio or video requires a different
set of skills than television, writing text. Clear and
condensed writing is key. After all, a radio listener or
TV viewer can't go back and re-read a sentence.
• Write like you speak: Write in your own voice, in a
conversational tone, as if you’re speaking to only one
listener. Keep sentences short. If you have a long
sentence, follow it up with a short one. When you go
back and read your narration aloud, do you truly
sound like yourself?
• Keep it simple: Allot a sentence to each idea. Be
clear and concise, stick to the story and don't try too
hard to be "clever." Too much detail can become
irrelevant and make the story lose focus. Avoid most
multiple-syllable words, words that are tough to
pronounce and long convoluted sentences long,
sentences.
• Provide specificity: Although the goal is to write
clearly, you must also avoid being too general.
Reporters should provide context for anything that
may cause confusion or "raise eyebrows."

• Tell stories in a logical order: Make sure that your

content has a beginning, a middle and an ending.
Don't bury the lead; state the news near the top,
without too much buildup.
• Use the present tense and active voice: You're
writing for flow and to express what is going on now.
Broadcast strives for immediacy. To convey this to
the listener, use the active voice whenever possible.

• Write to the pictures: TV and video audiences will

see why something happened. In television, the
phrase “write to tape” is used to describe the way a
story script is built around the visual images you have
gathered. Don't write any longer than the story or
pictures warrant.
• Use imagery: Radio audiences need to imagine the
people, places and things in your story. With your words,
create powerful and straightforward imagery. Use
descriptive verbs instead of adjectives. For example, if
you say “he struts or saunters” you’re giving a picture
without using an adjective. But don't let vivid,
imagery-rich writing turn verbose. Use words sparingly.
• Let the speaker speak: If you’re hosting a show or an
interview, be the host. Don't overpower the subject of the
story. When interviewing, "Don’t 'mm hmm' them and
don't keep talking and talking about yourself,". "You’re
just a conduit whose job it is to relay a
story/experience/emotion from the guest to the
audience."
• Write short, simple sentences: Sentences should be
between 8 and 12 words and contain only one idea.
• Focus on what's happening now: Broadcasters should
focus on what is happening in real time.

• Don't overuse numbers and statistics: Numbers can

lead to confusion for the audience.
 Writing for the Web

1. Scannable- We’ve all experienced landing on a

website that tries to pack too much information into too
small a space. The result? We’re left pouring over the
page trying to find what we’re looking for is hiding.
Because users look for quick answers, make it clear and
easy for them to find what they need on your pages as
quickly as possible.
Here are some tips that will help:
• Use journalism’s inverted pyramid and place
important information first. Additional details can
follow. Remember you’re not trying to build suspense
so there is no need to hold back.
• Break your information into chunks, and use short
paragraphs within those chunks.
• Use bullets or numbered lists to reduce copy. Present
each topic or point separately.
• Use images, diagrams, multimedia to add interest,
and reinforce text.
• Edit, edit, edit to use the least number of words to get
your point across to the reader. Less is more.
• Create white space. Less copy means more soothing
white space.

• Each page should stand on its own. Your website is

not like a book – there are no guarantees the reader
has read any of your other pages first.
• 2. Readable- Write for your customers. Understand your audience and
know what they are looking for…and then make your copy as simple
to understand as possible.
• Ask yourself: What do users want to do on the page? This is like
setting your thesis.
• Use the active vs. passive voice, i.e. “Sarah wrote the content” vs.
“The content was written by Sarah”.
• Write as if you are speaking. If your sentence sounds right spoken, it
will make sense written.
• Have we mentioned edit? Again, use the least amount of words
possible to get your idea across to the user.
3. Actionable- Visitors are looking to learn or do something.
Help them accomplish that quickly with the following:
• Write clear headlines and subheads so the user knows
what they are getting into on the page.

• Questions make great headings – what easier way to find

the answer for which you are searching?

• Never use ‘click here’. Link language should describe

what a reader will get if they click the link.
4. Optimizeable- Optimizing your website means
making it as fully functional as possible.
 Commentaries
• The role of the commentators is very important. They
have to provide commentary about the game and to
entertain at the same time. They have to deal with the
unfolding events on the pitch linguistically without
hesitation. The nature of their job and the unusual
linguistic setting is what makes their speech so
specific.
• The word commentary is generally understood as “a
spoken account of events which are actually taking
place” (Crystal / Davy 1969: 125).
• However, this is a rather broad definition that can
apply to multiple linguistic activities. In such a
situation, perhaps a more fitting term sports casting
will be used, already adapted in this particular context
by Ferguson (1983). He describes sports casting as
an oral reporting of an ongoing sporting activity,
combined with colour commentary . Colour
commentary is a vital and requisite part of the genre
and thus cannot be omitted in its definition.
 Tips for making your live commentaries
• Preparation is key: You won't have any time to do any research
during the action, so find out as much as you can beforehand - from
things like tricky spellings of players to interesting statistics. It is
really important you know the basics about the event you will be
describing and think about what you might write at different times
when it is taking place.
• Get others involved: Part of this preparation is making sure everyone
in your team knows what they will be doing and when. Make sure the
other people who will be telling you information know exactly what
you need and that you will need it quickly!
• Engage your audience: Live text commentaries should
never sound like one person airing their views - make your
readers feel part of the action by getting them involved.
Invite them to give their views on the action or ask them
questions that they can answer. You can do this with
people who might be sitting nearby, or are with you in the
classroom.
• Make them feel like they are there: Even if you are not
in the stadium or place where the sport you are
commentating on is taking place, you will (hopefully!) be
able to see it on TV.
• Keep cool: In live sport, lots of things often happen
at the same time. As a live text commentator you
should get that information across as quickly as you
can, but also as accurately as you can. Don't lose
your concentration if lots of people are telling you
things at the same time, because those are the times
when you can make mistakes.
• Enjoy yourself: Don't kick yourself if you do make
an error. Everyone does it even me! Point out what
you got wrong apologise (by cracking a it, wrong,
joke if you like!), correct it, and move on - don't
dwell on it! You are watching live sport and every
sort of commentator - TV, radio or live text - will get
something wrong at some point. You would have fun
if you were doing these things while talking with a
friend, so make sure you have fun doing the same on
a live text commentary too!
 There are three main types of sports
commentators:
• Play-by-play announcers: Describe the game as it happens, often
calling out the action they see.
• Color commentators: Also known as color analysts, they provide
additional information about plays, statistics, and athletes to
complement the play-by-play announcer's descriptions. Color
commentators are often former players or coaches who can use
their past experience to offer insights on the game.
• Sideline reporters: Interview players and coaches on the field and
provide commentary from the sidelines of a game.
 Live telecast
• A live television or radio programme is one in which
an event or performance is broadcast at exactly the
same time as it happens, rather than being recorded
first.
• The broadcasting of sports events is the live coverage
of sports as a television program, on radio, and other
broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more
sports commentators describing the events as they
happen
• An instance when a Live Television Event is
broadcast on the same day, but not at the exact
same time as its occurrence. Ancient Indian
Television coinage to imply that the telecast is
almost as good as a "Live" telecast.
 Sportscaster
• A sportscaster is a broadcaster who provides sports news or
describes a sports event on television or radio. The term was
first recorded between 1930 and 1935.
• Sportscasters may also be known as "color men" because
their commentary adds "color" to the game, often while
being broadcast on radio. In the era of black-and-white TV,
"color men" added "color" to the game because the TV itself
could not.
 Job responsibility of sportscaster
• A sportscaster is responsible for reading out and
announcing various sports related to sporting events
related news and information to the audiences either
through the medium of radio or television.
• Another job responsibility of a sportscaster is to
provide commentary for various sporting games on
either television or radio.
• It is the job responsibility of a sportscaster to write
stories about sporting events and interview sports
personalities etc.
• It is the job responsibility of a sportscaster to
investigate various sporting issues; controversies etc
and make a well organized and well researched report
on the same so as to present it to the viewers or
listeners.
• Another job responsibility of a sportscaster is to
attend news conferences and travel across the world
to collect sports news
 Online Magazine
An online magazine, also known as an e-magazine or
eZine, is a digital version of a print magazine that is
published on the internet or through an app. Online
magazines are interactive and multimedia, allowing
readers to engage with the content. They can be viewed
on computers, tablets, and smartphones.
• Online magazines (or ezines, e-zines, eMagazines,
webzines) are digital magazines that are hosted,
distributed, and read online. While they share some
characteristics with online newspapers and blogs, the
editorial approach for digital magazines remains more
like traditional print magazines.
 Benefits of online magazines
• Much cheaper than printing.

• Digital distribution costs are a fraction of conventional

media distribution
• Greater circulation and subscription potential – global
coverage

• Huge advertising potential with capacity for interaction

and web traffic referrals for advertisers
• Highly targeted – email direct to your target audience
• High brand exposure potential throughout
• Ideal for any industry
• No technical experience required to create and
distribute
• Bring your content to life with video, sound and
interactive links
• Make your entire back catalogue available online
• Access the magazine anytime, anywhere
• Download now – read later
• Visually appealing – vibrant colours, easy to read and ‘clean’
format
• Easy to use – simple page turning functions, zoom and search
facility
• Flexible – print selected pages or run off the whole publication
• Enriched and interactive content
• Easy to circulate the email or URL to friends, family and
colleagues
• Click straight through to advertiser’s websites
• Meets the growing global preference for web-based content
 Disadvantages of Online Magazines
Competition
• Creating an online magazine is easier than printing one, making it
a market for anyone who knows web design and how to write
articles. This large population of online magazines hurts the odds
of your magazine getting popular, gaining revenue or getting
noticed.
No Physical Presence
• It does not have a physical presence. Having a magazine online
will not allow a reader to simply toss the magazine into her
carry-on while flying or heading to work. While magazines can
be read on e-readers and tablets, the inability to mark pages and
feel it in e your hands does not appeal to those who prefer
handheld reading material.
Social Forums
• The social networking that is usually desirable with
online magazines can also be a hassle for keeping a
clean quality magazine. Social networking and
forums on the magazine’s website can lead to open
“haters” voicing their opinions, making forum and
website moderation important.
Suspicious Profits
• If your website is not doing well in terms of visitors it
will be hard to make a profit. Poor advertising of your
magazine will result in lack of visitors.
 Blog
• A blog is a discussion or informational website published

on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often

informal diary-style text entries ("posts"). Posts are

typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that

the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web

page.
• Until 2009, blogs were usually the work of a single
individual occasionally of a small group, and often
covered a single subject or topic. In the 2010s,
"multi-author blogs" (MABs) have developed, with
posts written by large numbers of authors and
sometimes professionally edited. The rise of Twitter
and other microblogging“ systems helps integrate
MABs and single-author blogs into the news media.
Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain
or add content to a blog.
 What Is a Blog Used For?
• To Educate Others and Build Online Presence

• To Help a Business With Brand Awareness

• To Promote Programs And Attract Visitors
 Type of Blogs
1. Informative Blogs: Educating and Inspiring-
Informative blogs exist to provide insight into specific
topics related to your industry. The more informative and
engaging, the faster the blog will grow its audience.
For example, let’s say you sell kitchen appliances to
average consumers. One of the best ways to provide
valuable information related to those appliances is to share
recipes with your audience. These recipes can be simple
and easy to make, especially if the reader has a particular
appliance or tool.
Overall, the primary purpose of an informative blog is to
add value to the reader.
2. Personal Blogs: Sharing Experiences and Stories-
Personal blogs are all about the individual running the
account, even if they outsource the writing. The purpose
of this blog is to share one’s experiences and insights,
typically centered around a specific topic.
One example of a personal blog could be someone who
is living as a digital nomad. They could write about
what it’s like to be a nomad, how they find work, how
they manage different aspects of daily life, and more.
3. Niche Expert Blogs: Establishing Authority
An expert blog is kind of the reference section of a
library ‒ the point is to become a trusted resource within
your industry. In this case, instead of writing fun and
casual blog posts, each post should be informative and
professional enough to be a reference source for
someone else.
4. Visual Blogs: Engaging Through Images and
Videos-Although all blogs incorporate visual elements,
a visual blog puts these pieces front and center, typically
with text as a secondary option. A perfect example of
this is a video blog, which uses video segments instead
of written articles and posts.
Since video marketing is such a valuable tool for
businesses, it makes sense to host a vlog. However,
video content is also a lot more expensive to produce, so
it’s imperative to have a lean production and publication
process that can turn ideas into full-fledged videos as
efficiently as possible.
 Advantages of Blogging for Students
• Sharpen your writing skills.
• Improve your critical thinking skills.
• Practice in-depth research.
• Gain a better understanding of specific subject
matters.
• Make reading a more rewarding habit.
• Gain recognition from education organizations.
• Connect with your role models.
 Role of sports journalist in promoting physical
and mental wellbeing through sports

• Humanizing athletes- By sharing athletes' personal

stories, sports journalism can inspire and motivate
people, and highlight the resilience that helps athletes
achieve success.
• Reporting on mental health- Articles that challenge
the idea of prioritizing sports over wellbeing, and that
educate people about mental health, can positively
impact societal attitudes. This may encourage more
people to report their mental health, including elite
athletes and the general population.
• Encouraging physical activity- Mainstream media can
encourage people to participate in physical activity
and watch recreational sports, which can improve
physical development.

• Building relationships- Sports journalists can build

relationships with athletes, coaches, psychologists,
and other sportspeople.
 Sports can help promote physical and
mental health in many ways:
• Physical health: Regular physical activity through
sports can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases,
improve cardiovascular health, and increase bone
density. It can also help prevent hypertension,
overweight, and obesity.
• Mental health: Physical activity releases
endorphins, the body's natural “happy chemicals,”
and reduces levels of the stress hormone
cortisol. Sports are associated with lower rates of
stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal
behavior. Team sports can also enhance resilience,
empathy, confidence, and empowerment.
• Quality of life: Sports can help improve the quality
of sleep and living standards.
• Values: Sports can help teach children important
values like discipline, teamwork, and equality.
• Confidence: Sports can help build and enhance
confidence levels.
• Other health benefits: Sports can help control
weight gain, lower cholesterol levels, improve blood
circulation, and strengthen immunity and muscles.
• Help moderate stress. Sports help you manage stress.
Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, the
chemicals in your brain that relieve pain and stress. It also
reduces the levels of stress
hormones, cortisol and adrenaline.

• Improve your mood. Playing a sport such as golf or

skiing forces you to put aside your worries and
concentrate on the task at hand. This helps you clear your
mind and calm down. It also helps you sleep better.
• Produce long-term mental health effects.
Participation in sports can have long-term effects on
your mental health. Researchers studied 9,688
children who had bad childhood experiences, such as
physical and sexual abuse, or emotional neglect. They
found that those children who took part in team sports
had better mental well-being when they were adults.
• Boost mental health with team sports. Taking part
in sports in a group has a greater impact on mental
health than individual sports. Researchers in Australia
found that women who played tennis and netball in
clubs had better mental health than those who
exercised alone, like walking or working out at the
gym. There were no differences in physical health
between the two groups.
• Help fight addiction. A study of Norwegian teenagers
found that those who played in team sports were less
likely to smoke cigarettes and use cannabis as adults.
Researchers in Korea recommended the use of sports
to help teens combat internet addiction.

• Help with depression. Sports help treat depression.

Studies show that exercise improves symptoms of
depression and reduces the risk of relapse. Exercise
was found to be as effective as standard antidepressant
treatment in one study, with modest amounts of
exercise helping to improve depression.
 The Future of Sports Journalism
• Generational Shifts in Sports Journalism
Consumption
• Social Audio Channels
• Live-Streaming Reporting and Analysis
Career prospects in sports journalism
• Sub-editor
• PR executive
• Club content producer
• Social media executive
• Photographer/Video producer
• Press officer
• Radio/TV host
• Regional newspaper/Magazine reporter
• Blogging:
• YouTube content creator
• Podcast:
• 1. “India is not a sporting nation”
give arguments in support of this
statement.

• 2. Describe the role of Sports

Journalist towards society.