MIDYA: Sports Writing Webinar

Resource Speaker: Ramon Rafael Bonilla, Section Head, Manila Bulletin

Highlights:

(1) Sports Angle- ang puso ng article; main factor to earn a victory

Kinds of Sports Angle

In-game angle- observation/nakuha mismo sa laro; ito ang ginagamit for straight/regular/conventional
lead

Out-of-game angle- observe the weather, crowd, player appearance, athlete’s background, interviews;
ito naman ang pwedeng ingredients for novelty leads

For Bonilla:
Open ako sa lahat ng style, walang standard dapat.

: kapag kinabisado mo lang ang jargon/slang, mababa ang chance mo manalo kasi maaaring marami
kang kamukha na gagamit, cliché; walang nananalo na may kamukha.

: Power of anticipation is key- i.e. umalagwa sa third quarter (baka marami na gumamit nyang angle na
yan? Isip kayo ng ibang key moment na babagay naman o baka mag-novelty na ako para mag-standout).

: ‘Wag tayo sasabay sa agos.

: Mag-isip kayo ng ibang approach. Hindi n’yo madaraan sa ganda ng slang/jargon.

: If winning is your stuff, you should work hard to everything- interview, observations, backgrounders

: Knowledge about the game is primary skill; Secondary lang ang writing skill

(2) Tips to ponder

*Avoid clichés and unnecessary statistics. Focus on key moments (‘wag kayong mema sulat lang, kesyo
chronology sinabi ng judge na gusto nya eh pinagsunud-sunod nyo na lang. Dapat highlights lang.)

*Read. Read. Read.

*Include emotions, external opinions, and analysis

*Avoid quotes that are not interesting

*Keep it simple; Avoid being wordy

*You are a writer, not a cheerleader kaya ‘wag kang nakatutok sa pogi o magandang athlete

*Be original
*Headline, lead, second paragraph ay kinakailangang malakas ang charisma sa judge para basahin ang
buong article

(3) Headline variety

*During the contest, tanong mo na sa judge preference nya para hindi ka misguided

*Basic headline approach: winning team-verb-losing team (pwedeng ganitong ka-basic kung beginner
ka, pero kung gusto mo manalo ay dapat higit pa rito.

*Kapag nagamit na ang particular verb sa headline, h’wag na gamitin sa lead

*Use surname or monicker (if sikat)

*Proper name: pangalan ng team, school (Adamson University, Barangay Ginebra, Miami)

*Monicker: Soaring Falcons, Kings, Heat

*Kapag gumamit ng proper name sa winning team, dapat proper name din sa losing team (dapat
parallel: Heat dinurog ang Clippers)

*Improve your headline using significance: what’s next? what’s at stake?

*Player-oriented: nakatutok ang headline sa key player

*Highlight-oriented: nakapokus sa key moment

*Double barrel/double headline combo: mamili kung player or highlight + significance

*Main headline- double barrel, player/highlight, basic

*Others: Kicker + main headline

PBA Governor’s Cup 2019

Yap binuhat ang Elastopainters kontra Beermen

Harden pumukol ng 20 puntos sa third frame

Rockets inungusan ang Lakers para sa playoff spot

-Kung ano sinulat sa kicker, hindi na dapat ulitin sa main headline

*Hammer headline + Main headline

-nasa taas ng main headline, centered format

-all capital letters, 1-4 words
-tinatawag ding punch line
-summarizes the message of your main headline
-pwede may exclamation point like: KASAYSAYAN!
-hindi pinagsasabay ang kicker at hammer headline

(4) Lead paragraph

For Bonilla:
Dapat unang sinusulat ang lead paragraph, saka mo i-summarize para makagawa ng headline (time-
consuming kasi kung baligtad)

*Lead content: highlights of the game, teams/players involve, type of sport, score/outcome, when and
where the game was played, so what if that’s the outcome? (parallel/magkatugon dapat ang headline at
lead)

*Ang lead ay may upper half at lower half

Upper half: nakasulat ang angle (player, key play); angle-sino naglaban-outcome

Lower half: What, when, where

*Straight/Conventional/Regular Lead Angle

In-game angle: dominant player angle, turning point of the game, come-from-behind, big runs/big
rallies, game winning shot/game winning angle, defensive play of the game, brawls, injuries

Novelty: weather, crowd, appearance, background, interview, human interest (featurized/descriptive)

(5) Sample story flow

*The lead- 1st paragraph

*Climatic moments- 2nd-5th paragraph at most (highlights of the game winning moments before doing a
summarize
-Supporting details- scores of top players of winning team-

*Quotes from winning coach/player- 5th or 6th

*Chronology of the game- 3-4 paragraphs at most (don’t write from the very start, medyo fast forward
na sa latter part)

*Best player, moments, quotes from the defeated side (dulong part na ng story/additional details)

Note: Sa body ng story, pwede naman 2 sentences maximum

*Optional: next game

*kapag team event- quotes from coach muna kaysa kay player

*kapag individual event- quotes from player bago si coach

*wala sa unahang part, nasa gitna ang chronology ng game (3-5 paragraphs), isulat lang ang
kinakailangan, ‘wag mema

*between chronology and additional details, pasok ulit ng quotes (direct and indirect)

(6) Types of Sports Coverage

*stand alone- isang sport event

*composite- 2 o higit pang sports event

*umbrella article- isang sports pero maraming events (like athletics, swimming)

Bonus

*Tips to find similarity for composite- baka galing sa iisang team, school, probinsya

*Kung walang similarity- i-pokus sa record-breakers, dominating win ang headline/lead

Similarity:

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Cavite State U finishes overall champ in athletics, cycling

Aabante sina Mark Allain Cruz at JonVic Bermundo sa taunang Regional Athletic Meet matapos kargahin
patungong kampeonato ang Alabang School for Boys sa division level boxing at badminton events, ayon
sa pagkakasunod, sa San Juan Arena kahapon.

Prepared by:

Paul John Villamor