JOUR 571: 21st Century Storytelling 3 Units Fall 2017 —

Tuesdays — 10 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Section: 21688

Location: McKay Center Room 152

Instructor: Alan AbrahamsonOffice: ASC G21DOffice Hours: 12:45-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays, or by appointmentEmail: ayabraha@usc.eduOffice phone: 213-821-5398Cell phone: 310-658-0505

I. Course Description

In the summer of 2015, as the U.S. women's soccer team was preparing to take to the pitch for its game against Colombia, the president of the United States took to his Twitter account:

A few days later, after the U.S. defeated Japan, 5-2, in the World Cup final, with the American striker Carli Lloyd scoring three first-half goals, the president again knocked out a few lines on Twitter:

The president followed that up with a phone call to the team.

All this, and more, for soccer?

Sports offers a prism unlike any other into virtually every facet of the world around us. Indeed, it sometimes allows us an entree into people, places and things that so-called "hard" news simply can't, or won't, because sports – like music – offers a way for people to communicate that is, or at least can be, universal. It's why there are more national Olympic committees marching in the opening ceremony of the Summer Games than there are member states in the United Nations. It's why two of every three people around the globe tune in to watch that ceremony. It's why there are Kobe Bryant jerseys on sale everywhere in China; why Michael Phelps ads have adorned bus stops in Shanghai and the Qatar Foundation paid a bundle to put its logo on the jersey fronts of a soccer team that plays in Barcelona; why seemingly everyone everywhere knows Michael Jordan.

The thrill of covering sports is still just that – it can be enormously great fun. At the same time, convergent trends have made it far more complex. The lines between "hard" news and sports have increasingly blurred. Financial realities make getting to the big game or event a practical challenge, indeed. Once there, the pressures of pack journalism can often be potent. And the demands of social media have layered yet more onto the to-do list in what can, to begin with, frequently be a jam-packed day-to-day routine.

The emphasis in this course will be on the craft of storytelling and, even more important, on relationship journalism rooted in credibility and integrity, and on the courage of one's conviction to tell a story the way it deserves to be told.

II. Overall Learning Objectives and Assessment

To approach games and sports news events with a dispassionate, critical eye

To write about sports with authority

To develop the ability to write the building blocks of sports writing: game story, preview, profile, feature

To produce these stories on deadline

III. Description of Assignments

Sports writing is not a theoretical exercise. The way to learn is by doing. Students will cover real games in and around Southern California – professional, college, high school or club. Moreover, they will cover practices. They will be responsible for securing game and practice credentials and accreditations. In short -- they will, for the semester, be sports writers.

The course demands travel around Los Angeles. Students are responsible for getting themselves to games, practices and events, whether it is by personal vehicle, public transit or Uber/Lyft.

Students should have access to a car and should hold appropriate auto insurance and a valid driver's license.

Students will be expected to review the Los Angeles Times, Daily Breeze and New York Times sports sections every day, and to watch at least one edition nightly of ESPN's "SportsCenter." The Daily Breeze section notably concentrates on high school sports.

Over the course of the semester, students will write 12 stories. The idea, in essence, is to be a beat writer – with a taste at the end of the semester of column writing. The assignments include three game stories, two previews, two profiles, three features and two columns.

IV. Grading

a. Breakdown of GradeGame Story 1: ungraded, but will be edited and critiquedGame Story 2: ungraded, but will be edited and critiquedGame Story 3: ungraded, but will be edited and critiquedPreview 1: report and write a game preview, ungraded but will be edited and critiquedPreview 2: report and write a game preview 5 percent Profile 1: report and write a 600- to 1,000-word profile 15 percent Profile 2: report and write a 600- to 1,000-word profile 15 percentFeature 1: report and write a feature of at least 800 words 15 percentFeature 2: report and write a feature of at least 800 words 15 percentFeature 3: report and write a feature of at least 800 words 15 percent

Column 1: report and write a column of 600 to 800 words 5 percentColumn 2: report and write a column of 600 to 800 words 5 percentFinal exam 5 percentClass participation 5 percent TOTAL: 100 percent

Notes:

The format of the game previews will be discussed with the instructor; previews in particular lend themselves to a variety of formats beyond the basic 600- to 800-word story, including multimedia presentations.

The use of multimedia elements in profile and feature stories is also highly encouraged. To be discussed with the instructor.

As in a working newsroom, students will be responsible for identifying the subjects of their profiles, features and columns, and ensuring that the instructor has approved the story ideas. The instructor, himself a longtime working reporter and columnist, well understands that sometimes things happen and stories don’t develop. The instructor pledges to be as flexible as possible. The instructor also well understands a lesson from his own practical experience, however: ultimately it is the reporter’s responsibility, not the editor’s, to develop and write the story, and to meet appropriate deadlines.

Class meets on Tuesday. Assignments must be filed by 11 p.m. Sunday before that week’s class.

The assignments are keyed to specific weeks. See below.

Answers to some recurring questions: What is a game story? Even in our time, dominated by internet crawls and

SportsCenter, it remains the case that we have to start with some basics: Who won? Who lost? Where was the game played? Who scored the winning touchdown or the most points? In this context: what is a nut graf? The instructor notes, and for emphasis: the course materials rely on AP Style.

In that same spirit, readers still love to read, hear or watch previews – tales about the people, the stats, the lore of the game about to happen tonight or this weekend.

We are all human beings. People want to know what makes other people tick. The best profiles make you put down the paper or iPad, or whatever, and go, wow. The best profiles are soulful.

A feature can be a profile. But it can be literally about anything – emphasis, anything – in the world of sports. Example: so-and-so is a quarterback for USC, and a profile tells how when he was a boy he saw the Trojans lose to Notre Dame and swore right then and there he was going to grow up and avenge that loss. A feature tells how, using that anecdote as just one sentence, he prepares for this year’s game using analytics; or has developed a unique relationship with one or two of his wide receivers; or a special bond with a coach; or sits only at one spot

on the bench at Notre Dame Stadium; or is in the running for the Heisman. Whatever!

The hardest part about a column is trusting your voice. You must not only have an opinion. You must express it. To do so, you must take a position and then back it up. With facts. Again – opinions rely on facts.

b. Grading ScaleGrading will follow the official Annenberg schema – that is, 95-100 is an A; 90 to less than 95 an A-minus; and so on.

95 to 100: A 70 to less than 75: C+ 45 to less than 50: D-

90 to less than 95: A- 65 to less than 70: C 0 to less than 45: F

85 to less than 90: B+ 60 to less than 65: C-

80 to less than 85: B 55 to less than 60: D+

75 to less than 80: B- 50 to less than 55: D

C. Grading Standards An “A” grade means you have a full grasp of the concept are doing exceptional

work. That work is completed on time, and with minimal editing. You exhibit professionalism.

A “B” or below means you need more extensive editing, miss deadline or don’t grasp the concept – or otherwise show in your work or effort that it is not up to the highest professional standards.

A “C” means you turned the story in, albeit with a minimal amount of effort. The work is done, but requires a fair amount of editing. It is clear you might not have done in-depth reporting or research, and the assignment does not meet professional standards.

A “D” requires excessive rewriting, features numerous errors and should not have been submitted.

An “F” fails to meet the major criteria of the assignment, is late, contains numerous errors or both. Your copy should not contain any errors in spelling, style, grammar and facts. Note: any factual error will lead to an automatic “F.” Why? Accuracy is the first law of journalism. The following are some other circumstances that would warrant a grade of “F” and potential USC/Annenberg disciplinary action:

Fabricating a story or making up quotes or information. Plagiarizing a script/article, part of a script/article or information from any source. Staging video or telling interview subjects what to say. Using video shot by someone else and presenting it as original work.

Shooting video in one location and presenting it as another location. Using the camcorder to intentionally intimidate, provoke or incite a person or a

group of people to elicit more “dramatic” video. Promising, paying or giving someone something in exchange for doing an

interview either on or off camera. Missing a deadline.

V. Assignment Submission Policy

A. Class meets Tuesdays. All assignments are due at 11 p.m. the Sunday prior. Example: for the class that meets September 19, that week’s assignment is due 11 p.m. September 17.

B. Lacking prior discussion and agreement with the instructor, late assignments will automatically be given a grade of F. In the real world, late assignments can – indeed, will – get you fired. Best to learn this lesson in school.

C. Assignments must be submitted via Blackboard. There are no paper submissions in this course. It is entirely electronic.

D. Assignments must be submitted in Microsoft Word. No other application will do. If you file in Text format, or Pages, or some other word processing application, it will result in an automatic F.

E. Every assignment must contain, in the top left corner, these three items, on separate lines: your name, the due date, the course name (JOUR 571). In addition, each and every assignment – that is, every story – must also start with a byline and, when appropriate, a dateline. Failure to adhere to these elemental rules will also mean an automatic F.

F. This course maintains a strict adherence to the Associated Press Stylebook. Please become familiar with it.

VI. Required Readings and Supplementary Materials

The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (any current version will do), [the instructor is using the 2010 version, 448 pages] – highly recommended: buy the electronic version for use on your laptop, iPad or smartphone. See https://store.apstylebook.com/

The Best American Sports Writing of the Century, Mariner Books, 1999, 816 pages

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem. Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-year friendship On and Off the Court. New York. Grand Central Publishing, 2017

Carroll, Pete, with Roth, Yogi, and Garin, Kristoffer A. Win Forever: Live, Work and Play like a Champion. New York: Penguin Group 2010.

VII. Laptop Policy

All undergraduate and graduate Annenberg majors and minors are required to have a PC or Apple laptop that can be used in Annenberg classes. Please refer to the Annenberg Virtual Commons for more information. To connect to USC’s Secure Wireless network, please visit USC’s Information Technology Services website.

Bring your laptop to class. This should be obvious but if it’s not – again, bring your laptop to class.

Add/Drop Dates for Session 001 (15 weeks: 8/21/17 – 12/1/17) Friday, September 8: Last day to register and add classes for Session 001Friday, September 8: Last day to drop a class without a mark of “W,” except for Monday-only classes, and receive a refund for Session 001Tuesday, September 12: Last day to drop a Monday-only class without a mark of “W” and receive a refund for Session 001Friday, October 6: Last day to drop a course without a mark of “W” on the transcript for Session 001. [Please drop any course by the end of week three (or the 20 percent mark of the session) to avoid tuition charges.]Friday, October 6: Last day to change pass/no pass to letter grade for Session 001. [All major and minor courses must be taken for a letter grade.]Friday, November 10: Last day to drop a class with a mark of “W” for Session 001

VIII. Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown

A note about some of the reading selections below. If students can write as well or better than some of what you read, fantastic; if not, no need to be intimidated. The aim is to learn from some of the very best sports writing and to be inspired. As Deion Sanders said in his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech, "If your dream ain't bigger than you, there's a problem with your dream."

As always, the schedule is subject to revision as news develops.

Week One – Aug. 22

There's no cheering in the press box. That's rule one. So getting over being a fan is the first big hurdle. Next is getting prepared to do what for generations has been at the core of sports writing: the game story. Who are your sources -- athletes, organizers, managers, coaches, agents? What are your tools -- accreditations, contact lists, pathways, press boxes, locker rooms, mixed zones, technology and info systems, telecommunications, media managers, the AP style guide? The importance of style and consistency plus a glossary of terms -- "pitch" instead of "field," a "field of play," a "venue media center," an "earned run average" and more. Also this week: the increasing use of social media in sports writing, including the launch of Twitter accounts related to this class.

-- Floyd Landis, Positively False, Chapter 11, Presumed Guilty, pages 195-216

-- Cyclist Armstrong Denies Doping: Statement Comes After Former Teammate Landis Admits to Banned Performance-Enhancing Measures, Accuses Others, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703691804575255410855321120.html

Armstrong Drops Fight Against Doping Charges, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/24/sports/cycling/lance-armstrong-ends-fight-against-doping-charges-losing-his-7-tour-de-france-titles.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

-- Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane - An Illustrated Autobiography, by Marion Jones and Kate Sekulkes (2004), pages 173-175- Government's Sentencing Memorandum, United States of America v. Marion Jones, S6 05 Cr. 1067 (KMK), pages 1-9

-- David Maraniss, Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed The World (excerpted in Sports Illustrated June 2, 2008), http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/05/27/rome.1960/

-- Barbara Keys, “Birth of a New World? The Rome 1960 Summer Olympics,” Myths and Milestones in the History of Sport, ed. Stephen Wagg

-- http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9454322/why-stayed and http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20130728/kolber-olbermann-espn-fox-sports-1/?sct=hp_wr_a3&eref=sihp

Week Two – August 29

Red Smith once said, "I've always had the notion that people go to spectator sports to have fun and then they grab the paper to read about it and have fun again." So what is the game story? Its essential pieces? How, amid the cacophony of sound and the fury of distraction that is the stadium or arena, when you are cramped into a press tribune with stat sheets, your notebook, your microphone, your laptop and a cup of coffee littering the space, when everything is all elbows and knees, do you write the game story when you have five or 10 minutes to make deadline? Even better -- when the press box is outside (NFL games, San Diego), and it's 34 degrees (night games, playoffs)?

Grantland Rice, New York Herald Tribune, Oct. 18, 1924, Notre Dame v. Army http://archives.nd.edu/research/texts/rice.htm

W.C. Heinz, The Sun, July 29, 1949, "Death of a Racehorse" http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/index.php?topic=28073.0

Dave Kindredhttp://sportsjournalism.org/sports-media-news/a-plea-for-a-fading-form/

Week Three – September 5

The game story is in the midst of tremendous evolution. Is it more relevant for sports that are chronically in the spotlight (pro football) than those that are not (high-school wrestling) -- or the other way around? How to keep the game story fresh when you write for a sport such as major-league baseball when there are 162 games in a season?

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times, 1998-season NFL playoffs, San Francisco 49ers 30, Green Bay Packers 27 http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jan/04/sports/sp-60288

Dan Jenkins, Sports Illustrated, 1966 college football "national championship" game, Michigan State 10, Notre Dame 10 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1079307/index.html

John Branch, May 28, 2011, New York Times, Champions League Final: Barcelona 3, Manchester United 1 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/sports/soccer/in-dominant-display-barcelona-wins-champions-league.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Jason Fryhttp://sportsjournalism.org/sports-media-news/let’s-reinvent-the-game-story/

DUE: GAME STORY 1 (REMINDER -- DUE BY 11 P.M. SUNDAY BEFORE CLASS MEETS TUESDAY MORNING – THAT IS DUE, 11 P.M. SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11)

Week Four – September 12

The game story is not limited, nor has it ever been, to the newspaper form. Some of the best American sports writing in longer, manuscript form has revolved around, in essence, the game story. As ever, whatever the length, the trick is in the attention to detail.

David Halberstam, The New Yorker, Dec. 21, 1998, "Jordan's Moment," http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1998/12/21/1998_12_21_048_TNY_LIBRY_000017085?currentPage=all

John Updike, The New Yorker 1960, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," The Best American Sports Writing of the Century," pages 304-317

Mark Kram, Sports Illustrated, 1975, Ali v. Frazier, the Thrilla in Manilla, "Lawdy, Lawdy, He's Great" http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005750/1/index.htm or "The Best American Sports Writing of the Century," pages 741-746

George Plimpton, Sports Illustrated, 1981, "Medora Goes to the Game," http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124989/index.htm or, "The Best American Sports Writing of the Century," pages 466-477

DUE: GAME STORY 2

Week Five – September 19

The Preview Story

Readers crave previews -- back stories, coaching changes, match-ups, technological advances, what's a cover-2 and who's playing it this season, who's playing the 4-3 defense and who the 3-4, why does Boise State have a blue field -- and so on. They want to go where the cameras can't take them. They want to feel smart. They want to feel connected. That's the value of the preview -- even if, as is traditionally the case, the predictions in the preview (who's going to win what) are almost always wrong.

Phil Steele's 2016 College Football Preview

Sports Illustrated's 2016 college football preview issue

Sports Illustrated’s 2016 NFL, NBA or NHL preview issue

DUE: GAME STORY 3

Week Six – September 26

Previews, part two. Trends, capsules, angles, stats, top 10-lists.

http://onsportz.blogspot.com/2008/08/primer-for-writing-football-preview.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/08/15/camps/index.html?xid=siextra_081511http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/sports/basketball/lebron-james-tilts-edge-to-heat-in-nba-finals.html?hpw

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/sports/basketball/for-heat-and-spurs-a-fitting-end-to-a-wild-finals.html?ref=sports

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/week-3-n-f-l-matchups-2/#more-82439

DUE: PREVIEW 1

Week Seven – October 3

Previews, part three.

The Super Bowl takes 60 minutes to play. Super Bowl week takes, well, a week. All that build-up to the game itself -- which has become a de facto national holiday -- takes a lot of copy. Why all that copy? The built-in pause before and between games provides the time and space to discover, and more often to discover anew, the stories that make up the traditions and legends of sport. Or something completely different.

Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, Issue 55, Feb. 28, 1974, "Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl"

DUE: PREVIEW 2

Week Eight – October 10

Profiles, part one.

A great profile offers a window into the soul of another person. A really good profile leaves the reader thinking, wow, I didn't know that. A badly executed profile is either an opportunity missed or worse -- it's where you, the beat reporter, walk into the clubhouse or locker room the next morning and see the faces of the people you have to deal with day after day looking at you and you go, uh-oh. What makes up that great profile? What separates it from the flat one? What distinguishes the great, the good and the uh-oh?

Norman Mailer, "Ego," 1971, The Best American Sports Writing of the Century, pages 713-737 -- on Muhammad Ali

Gay Talese, "The Silent Season of a Hero," Esquire, July 1966, http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/talese/essays/dimaggio.html -- on Joe DiMaggio

Richard Ben Cramer, "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" Esquire, June 1986, http://web.archive.org/web/20031005163703/http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030905_mfe_cramer_2.html

Roger Angell, Once More Around the Park: A Baseball Reader (1991), pages 43-63 -- on former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass

Lee Jenkins, “New Commissioner Adam Silver is His Own Man,” Sports Illustrated, May 26, 2014, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140520/adam-silver-nba-commissioner-donald-sterling/

DUE: PROFILE 1

Week Nine – October 17

Profiles, part two

For a certain number of years, Sports Illustrated celebrated the profile, perhaps like no other publication before or since. It gave voice to a wide range of voices, many of whom would become established as some of the brightest lights in American sports journalism. Despite enormous differences in style, which were to be expected, these sorts of profiles always delivered the goods. Why?

Frank Deford, "Raised by Women to Conquer Men," 1978, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1005527/index.htm -- on tennis champion Jimmy Connors

Tony Kornheiser, "A Voice Crying in the Wilderness," 1983, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120767/index.htm -- on NBA star Rick Barry

Rick Reilly, "The Mourning Anchor," 1988, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067784/index.htm -- on sports television anchor Bryant Gumbel

DUE: PROFILE 2

Week Ten – October 24

Profiles/features

Other writers at Sports Illustrated have arguably become far more famous or perhaps made more money. Some have gone on to star on television. Gary Smith has continued to work at the magazine since 1983. He writes four stories a year -- essentially, four profiles or extended features. He has won the National Magazine Award four times; his stories have appeared in The Best American Sports Writing roughly a dozen times. What makes his stories so rich, so compelling?

Gary Smith, "As Time Runs Out," Jan. 11, 1993, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137534/index.htm -- on former North Carolina State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano

Gary Smith, “Lying in Wait," April 8, 2002, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1025474/index.htm -- on football coach George O'Leary

Gary Smith, "A Boy and his Bot," Aug. 1, 2011, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1188682/4/index.htm -- on Lyndon Baty of Knox City, Texas

S.L. Price, “The Greatest: Gary Smith is retiring from magazine writing,” April 28, 2014, Sports Illustrated,http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20140428/gary-smith-retires-sports-illustrated-retrospective/

Alan Siegel, “What I Learned from Gary Smith,” May 2, 2014, Sports Illustrated, http://deadspin.com/what-i-learned-from-gary-smith-1570929568

A special college football 2016 note – October 29: Northwestern at Ohio State, at the Horseshoe in Columbus

DUE: FEATURE 1

Week Eleven – October 31

Features

A feature can be about a person, obviously, but it can be about so much more -- about the depth and breadth of human experience. What sets the feature apart is the context, timing and intent.

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN.com, June 19, 2014, “The last sad chapter of Sterling’s life,” ESPN.com, http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11105717/sad-last-chapter-donald-sterling-life

Sam Borden, New York Times, July 5, 2014, “For Bellicose Brazil, Payback Carries Heavy Price: Loss of Neymar,” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/sports/worldcup/for-bellicose-brazil-payback-carries-heavy-price-loss-of-neymar.html

Jere Longman, New York Times, Aug. 9, 2011, "After World Cup Thrills, Players Return to Unstable Women's League," http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/sports/soccer/unsteady-financial-footing-for-womens-soccer-league.html?ref=sports

William Nack, July 23, 2001, Sports Illustrated, "A Name on the Wall,"http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023026/index.htm -- on Bob Kalsu, the only U.S. pro athlete to die in the Vietnam War

The 1966 Notre Dame-Michigan State 10-10 tie 20 years later http://articles.latimes.com/1986-09-19/sports/sp-10822_1_terry-hanratty

On Instagram, Madison Holleran’s life looked ideal, espnW.com, May 7, 2015http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/12833146/instagram-account-university-pennsylvania-runner-showed-only-part-story

DUE: FEATURE 2

Week Twelve – November 7

Features, part two

A feature can be about -- anything. It can be written in the classic style, as a reporter doing his or her job, reporting about something. Sometimes, however, it can be written -- to great effect -- in the first person.

Wright Thompson, ESPN.com http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=fathersday and see http://sonofboldventure.blogspot.com/2011/02/five-for-writing-wright-thompson.html

Wright Thompson, ESPN.comhttp://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9338962/when-beautiful-game-turns-ugly

DUE: FEATURE 3

Week Thirteen – November 14

Column

The first point to be made about a column is that you have to have a point of view. But what else? Are you there to entertain? To annoy? To be a shtick-meister? To lampoon? To be right when everyone else in the universe is so obviously wrong? Why do some columnists prove so exasperating to so many readers -- and is that a good thing?

Red Smith, "Miracle of Coogan's Bluff," 1951, pages 150-152, "The Best American Sports Writing of the Century"

Dick Young, "Obit on the Dodgers," 1957, pages 174-177, "The Best American Sports Writing of the Century"

Jim Murray, "If You're Expecting One-Liners," pages 178-180, "The Best American Sports Writing of the Century"

T.J. Simers, "U.S. women's loss to Japan in World Cup final was disgraceful," July 19, 2011, L.A. Times, http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0719-simers-20110719,0,4611578,full.column

DUE: COLUMN 1

Week Fourteen – November 21

One of the most consistently difficult tricks in column writing is to be funny or to have an edge. It's consistently difficult because the line between success and failure can be precariously thin. When you succeed, though, you really succeed.

Jason Whitlock, "Deion Fails to Get His Point Across," Aug. 8, 2011, FoxSports.com,http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Hall-of-Fame-Deion-Sanders-wasted-opportunity-to-make-a-difference-080711

Jason Gay, "No Fighting Chance for Baseball, Aug. 8, 2011, Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904007304576494440128632246.html?mod=djemMTIPOFF_h

Bill Barnwell, "Hard Lessons," June 27, 2011, Grantland.com,http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6707994/hard-lessons

Joe Lindsey, Friday Night Lights Out, Aug. 28, 2012, The Boulder Report, http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2012/08/29/friday-night-lights-out/

DUE: COLUMN 2

Week Fifteen – November 28

The wrap-up and look-ahead.

Wait 'til next year. In Chicago they have been saying that about the Cubs since 1908. The fact is, every season comes to a close and hope, as the saying goes, springs eternal. The fact also is that even for the team that wins the World Series or the Super Bowl, the only constant is change. Players, coaches, general managers -- the team that starts the next season will not be made up of the same faces and personalities as those that ended this one. Thus the wrap-up and look-ahead piece. It doesn't need to be formulaic. It can be smart.

The Red Sox win the 2004 World Series after 86 years -- now what? http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/redsox/2004-10-28-redsox-cover_x.htm

The Cubs won the World Series in 2016 after a wait of 108 years. The Dodgers have not won since 1988 …

Final Exam Period – Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Final exam.

IX. Policies and Procedures

Attendance

Because the class meets only once a week, attendance has to be a priority. Religious holidays and medical/family emergencies will be excused with advance notice.

Students absolutely will be expected to participate in class discussion.

The Digital Future is the Digital Present

Students will be highly encouraged to make active use of digital and multimedia formats. Suggestions would include but not be limited to web posts with photos; with an audio interview; with a video interview or audio slideshow; with a Google map, narrated slideshow, or audio, video or still photography. Students will be required to file regularly to Twitter and to Facebook accounts, using both to enhance and to promote their reporting.

Again, to quote President Obama:

It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper. Now you have a few newspapers that make a profit because they are national brands, and journalists are having to scramble to piece together a living, in some cases as freelancers and without the same benefits that they had in a regular job for a paper. What’s true in journalism is true in manufacturing and is true in retail. What we have to recognize is that those old times aren’t coming back.

-- July 31, 2013, http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/president-barack-obama-interviewed-in-free-kindle-single_b75128

Internships

The School of Journalism has long recognized the value of professional internships as part of the overall educational experience of our students. Accordingly, while internships are not required for successful completion of this course, any student enrolled in this course that undertakes and completes an approved, non-paid internship during this semester shall earn academic extra credit herein of an amount equal to 1 percent of the total available semester points for this course. To receive instructor approval, a student must request an internship letter from the Annenberg Career Development Office and bring it to the instructor to sign by the end of the third week of classes. The student must submit the signed letter to the media organization, along with the evaluation form provided by the Career Development Office. The form should be filled out by the intern supervisor and returned to the instructor at the end of the semester. No credit will be given if an evaluation form is not turned in to the instructor by the last day of class. Note: the internship must be unpaid and can only be applied to one journalism class.

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

a. Academic Conduct

Plagiarism

Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words - is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards (https://policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b/). Other forms of academic

dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct (http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/ ) .

USC School of Journalism Policy on Academic IntegrityThe following is the USC Annenberg School of Journalism’s policy on academic integrity and repeated in the syllabus for every course in the school:

“Since its founding, the USC School of Journalism has maintained a commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found plagiarizing, fabricating, cheating on examinations, and/or purchasing papers or other assignments faces sanctions ranging from an ‘F’ on the assignment to dismissal from the School of Journalism.” All academic integrity violations will be reported to the office of Student Judicial Affairs & Community Standards (SJACS), as per university policy, as well as journalism school administrators.”

In addition, it is assumed that the work you submit for this course is work you have produced entirely by yourself, and has not been previously produced by you for submission in another course or Learning Lab, without approval of the instructor.

b. Support Systems

Equity and Diversity

Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity (http://equity.usc.edu/) or to the Department of Public Safety (http://dps.usc.edu/contact/report/). This is important for the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community - such as a friend, classmate, adviser, or faculty member - can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services (https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/) provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage (https://sarc.usc.edu/) describes reporting options and other resources

Support with Scholarly Writing

A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing. Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute http://ali.usc.edu/, which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs

http://dsp.usc.edu/ provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations.

Students requesting test-related accommodations will need to share and discuss their DSP recommended accommodation letter/s with their faculty and/or appropriate departmental contact person at least three weeks before the date the accommodations will be needed. Additional time may be needed for final exams. Reasonable exceptions will be considered during the first three weeks of the semester as well as for temporary injuries and for students recently diagnosed. Please note that a reasonable period of time is still required for DSP to review documentation and to make a determination whether a requested accommodation will be appropriate.

Stress Management

Students are under a lot of pressure. If you start to feel overwhelmed, it is important that you reach out for help. A good place to start is the USC Student Counseling Services office at 213-740-7711. The service is confidential, and there is no charge.

Emergency Information

If an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu/ will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.

X. About the instructor

Associate professor Alan Abrahamson is an award-winning sportswriter, best-selling author and in-demand television analyst. For the past seven years, he has run his own website, 3 Wire Sports, widely regarded as the world’s best source of information about the sports, politics, business and culture of the Olympic movement. From 2006-10, he served as chief columnist at NBCOlympics.com. Before that, he spent 17 years as a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times. He co-wrote Michael Phelps’ and Apolo Ohno’s books; both are New York Times’ best-sellers. As columnist for NBCOlympics.com, Alan is the winner of three Sports Emmys (2016, 2014 and 2008 Games). Other honors include: AP Sports Editors’ award for enterprise reporting; National Headliner Award for sports writing; international aquatics federation’s first-ever World Journalist Award; Track and Field Writers of America’s award for excellence in online journalism. For more, see www.3wiresports.com/about