Austin Novak

Sport Reporter

 

 

When you watch a Denver Nuggets game it’s easy to wonder how many points Carmelo Anthony is going to score, or if Keyon Martin is going to play. As a fan you only see what is happening on the court and only a smidgen of the press conferences. But there is a whole new ball game when it comes to media and what they do on a daily basis. 

Every other semester Byron Evers takes his sports reporting class on a field trip that they will not forget, and this year his class had an opportunity to be press at the Denver Nuggets vs. the Detroit Pistons game on Friday in Denver.

It is a constant go, go, go for not only the guys who are broadcasting a game but the writers who have to get a deadline in two hours after the game is over. 

While they were there the class had a chance to talk to Benjamin Hochman, the main writer who covers the Nuggets for the Denver Post. One of the first main things that Hochman told the class was that story telling is crucial.

“If there are 18,000 people at the game and we’re all watching the same game, if I handed a laptop to everyone of those people in the crowd they could write something about the game,” Hochman said. “The difference and the pressure is that as a journalist we have to write something different. Let the readers know something they don’t know.” 

Being prepared is the most important part of being a journalist, if there is a game on Thursday, then on Monday or Tuesday a reporter will go to the practice and get quotes from the coach or players for pregame stories. 

There are different types of writing that journalists do when a sporting event is going on. While the game is going on they are writing a game summary so when the game ends they immediately get a story on the internet for the fans who missed the game. After the game is over he goes and gets an interview from players and coaches, expanding on the initial coverage.

The pressure managing time against a deadline is always important. Whether you have been a writer for 30 years or just starting out, the people who make it are usually among the hardest workers. 

“You might not be the best writer there but if you work the hardest and work crazy hours then you’re going to get noticed,” said Hochman. 

Being a writer might not be the highest paying job but if you have a passion for sports and writing then this job is for you. 

Just remember, as Hochman likes to live by, “tell me something I don’t know.”

 

 

anovak@mesastate.edu