How to Become an NFL Beat Reporter
- 1). You will probably start off covering high school sports. Accept these assignments with gusto and don't act like covering a basketball doubleheader is beneath you. You may face difficult conditions, such as coaches who don't want to talk or rainy conditions in the pressbox that may smear your notes, but don't let anything stop you from writing the best high school sports story possible.
- 2). After you have finished the assignments that the sports editor has given you, present him with a list of NFL stories that you would like to write. There may not be much room in the paper for them, but your boss will be impressed with your ability to come up with ideas and the fire you bring to the job.
- 3). Read every bit of information that you can about the NFL. Stay on top of key issues. In addition to coming up with feature ideas, let your boss know what is going on and why a particular story would be of interest to your paper's readers. If you can do that you are more than halfway there.
- 4). Your boss assigns you to do a story about your local team. Your first inclination may be to scream and shout with joy, but remember you are a professional. Wait until you get in your car and you are on your way to the team's headquarters to work on your assignment. You are going there in person to introduce yourself to key members of the team. That includes the owner, the general manager, the coaching staff, the scouts and as many players as you can. Once you do that, pursue your story.
- 5). Ask direct questions of your subjects and look them in the eye when you are doing it. Bring a tape recorder and a notebook, but don't get obsessed with technology. The key to building a rapport with your interviewees is for you to show that you are a genuine person who is interested in doing his or her job professionally. If you keep your eyes averted you will be sending the message that you are scared or in over your head.
- 6). Write your story and check your facts. A quote is one thing but if you are trying to present facts in your story, you must research them and provide adequate proof that they are true. This is not as difficult as it sounds when you are covering the NFL. There are many sources to check your facts and get the references you need.
- 7). Read your story over before you hand it in. You have written your story with effort and enthusiasm, but that doesn't mean you haven't made a typo or another type of mistake. Reading over your own work critically will help you find that error and prevent a mistake from being published.
