Editorial Direction for Bloggers

As we discussed this week in the lecture, blogging has many different directions you can take. Deciding your sport, editorial directions, and use of photography are all important decisions you will need to make. In this week’s blog I will discuss different editorial directions you can take for your blog.

Stats/research is an area that is emerging and gaining popularity in sports. We have seen a major rise in statistics involved in coaching decisions. As sports bloggers we can use these stats to go deeper into why certain decisions was made. A great example of this occurred recently in the NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers were down 31-23 with a little over two minutes to go in the game. On fourth and goal the head coach of the Packers, Matt LaFleur, decided to opt for a field goal to make the score 31-26, rather than risking going for it and getting no points. This may seem like a terrible decision, but there are important statistical/analytical factors to take in. The Packers had all three timeouts and the two-minute warning, this means they would have four stoppages of the clock. Tom Brady, quarterback for the Buccaneers had a rocky second half, throwing three interceptions. These both show that the Packers had a good chance to get a stop and get the ball back, with a chance to win the game. As a blogger we can explain these factors to fans and explain some of the thought process behind these crucial decisions made in sports.

Another editorial direction you can take is expert analysis. To do this, you must first have a great understanding of the sport being covered. Being a casual fan is not enough to give expert analysis. It is also not enough to just rely on your in-depth knowledge of the sport. You must seek out experts in the sport and learn from them. Research is a vital part of being able to provide high quality, expert analysis on your blogs. You must be able to branch out of your comfort zone, this will allow you to have the best information for your blog.

Gossip/opinion is another direction you can take with your blogs. This allows you to be more personalized and really show your voice in the blogs. It is still particularly important to be careful with what you say. You do not want to be slanderous with false claims that could negatively impact an athlete, coach, or organization. This would also dampen your credibility as a blogger. Adding your opinion adds voice, just make sure you do not present your opinion in the form of a fact.

History is a direction you can take that will have a strong appeal to certain audiences. You always want to make sure you correctly represent the story you are covering in a respectful manner. I personally feel if you can connect your story to something today, you can really intrigue readers. This can help readers feel a deeper connection with the story and understand its importance.

With all of this said, I want to ask you, is there a new editorial direction you believe will emerge in this era of social media and instant access?