Center for Sports Media Hosts Best Sports Writing Book Panel

The Center for Sports Media rang in the 2024-25 academic year with its 23rd Speaker Series event, hosting an exclusive release of The Year's Best Sports Writing 2024 - an anthology showcasing the finest sports stories of the year, handpicked from top newspapers, magazines and digital publications.

The two-hour event featured insightful discussions with the book's contributors and editors. Audience members were given insights into the series' history, how an award-winning story is formed and other storytelling tidbits from some of the most accomplished sports journalists of the last 40 years.

Jane McManus and Glenn Stout discuss the Best Sports Writing Series.

Glenn Stout, founder of the Best Sports Writing Series, and Jane McManus, 2024 editor and founding executive director of the Center for Sports Media, kicked off the event with a discussion regarding Stout's creation of the series over 30 years ago, unique stories the series has featured and McManus's process of editing a book that has become the cornerstone of sports writing excellence.

"My favorite stories in the book were always about a subject I knew nothing about, written by a writer I had never heard of, in a publication I had never seen," Stout said. "That was always the joy, finding those nuggets out there you couldn't get anywhere else."

Following Stout and McManus, three-time Sportswriter of the Year Peter King and longtime USA Today NFL columnist Jarrett Bell engaged in a candid conversation regarding Bell's story "Tragedy that put Andy Reid's son in prison can't be ignored at Super Bowl 57." The duo, who have over 80 combined years of experience covering the NFL, gave students valuable insights regarding how a story is composed and why it is important to go against the grain.

"Even though the world has changed, the way news is consumed has changed," Bell said. "If you're a young, aspiring journalist, I think it is paramount you make it a priority to have the old-school principles as you go about your career. The principles of journalism, storytelling, networking, sourcing, credibility and accuracy have to be essential."

King offered his thoughts on the idea that no job is too small for an aspiring journalist.

"It does not matter what level of journalism you are at," King said. "You have to establish this level of connection with people that is going to remove you as a member of the throng and is going to make you more identifiable."

The last duo on stage was ESPN writer Ryan Hockensmith and Center for Sports Media founder Bob Ley to discuss Hockensmith's story "The $1 million shot that changed sports contests forever."

Detailing Dan Calhoun's famous three-quarter court heave during a 1993 Chicago Bulls mid-game promotion, the story proved to be more than what meets the eye.

Hockensmith discussed his process in pitching the story to his editors, advising students to chase their passions.

"My best stories, when I am talking to my editors about them, I am so passionate about," Hockensmith said. "And when I'm not, they're not into it either. I find that if you have an infectious desire to chase something, when something captivates you, you will write it great."

Students receive book signatures and professional advice from Jarrett Bell and Ryan Hockensmith.

The event concluded with a book signing for attendees. Students had the opportunity to meet Bell and Hockensmith and pick the brains of two longtime journalists in an ever-changing industry.

"The annual Best Sports Writing anthology has been an institution for more than 30 years," said Seton Hall Center for Sports Media Executive Director B.J. Schecter. "Writing, reporting and storytelling is such an important part of media … on any platform. Students got to hear directly from the authors themselves and the advice they gave was inspiring. To produce impactful content you have to put in the work. There are no shortcuts."

A recording of the event can be found on our website.

Categories: Athletics

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