W
Write-brained
Guest
As a news guy with occasional sports experience, I'll readily admit that you sports guys have more challenges facing you in live interviews than our side of the newsroom.
I think that's why a lot of reporters, quite a few on the national stage, struggle with it. For instance, "Talk about" or "Can you tell me what happened ..." are natural ways for us to start an interview, especially if we weren't there to witness the event ... once I have their perspective I can then poke holes in it from my reporting, depending on what I'm writing about ...
Plus, in general - definitely not all cases - a politician, a cancer survivor, or even an eye-witness at a murder scene tend to be a little more conversational than a quiet athlete whose been hammered by an SID or coach to watch what he says.
I definitely don't envy guys who cover tempermental coaches at bigger college and sports programs during the press conferences after a loss ... Obviously it's key to develop a good relationship with the coach or else they'll misconstrue every "Why" question you throw at them ... of course, I've had asshole prosecutors and attorneys who were the same way after a loss ... so in a lot of ways it's the same.
I think that's why a lot of reporters, quite a few on the national stage, struggle with it. For instance, "Talk about" or "Can you tell me what happened ..." are natural ways for us to start an interview, especially if we weren't there to witness the event ... once I have their perspective I can then poke holes in it from my reporting, depending on what I'm writing about ...
Plus, in general - definitely not all cases - a politician, a cancer survivor, or even an eye-witness at a murder scene tend to be a little more conversational than a quiet athlete whose been hammered by an SID or coach to watch what he says.
I definitely don't envy guys who cover tempermental coaches at bigger college and sports programs during the press conferences after a loss ... Obviously it's key to develop a good relationship with the coach or else they'll misconstrue every "Why" question you throw at them ... of course, I've had asshole prosecutors and attorneys who were the same way after a loss ... so in a lot of ways it's the same.