Brave new world: The new Times-Union high school sports blogs are up. So far there are only two blogs - one by a sophmore tennis player at Chatham and one by a junior football player at Rensselaer. It's not clear if these two were chosen in a competetive process, or if only two people signed up for fall sports blogging. The writing seems acceptable right now; it remains to be seen if the access that the writers have to their sports teams can be converted into compelling reads.
Usually, to make a blog "work," you need a seductive angle to the journalism. [what's yours - anti-urban cynicism?-ed. I was thinking more "local pop-culturalist." Keep dreaming. -ed. Shut up.] Clearly, the easiest way to do that is through the up close access these writers have to the sports teams. But high school sports is most compelling when either 1) the reader personally knows the team or 2) the team is very good. Absent either of those, you need something else. So we'll see how they do.
One thing the TU doesn't seem to be doing is allowing much creativity in blog design. Both blogs are visually identical. They have comments, categories, and small bios of the writers. And it looks like the posts will come out on a daily or every other day basis. Kudos to the TU for getting the ball rolling with this. Hopefully, both design creativity, and the number of blogs, will expand in the future.
As I've said before, I'm going to try and write at TU blog about Shaker basketball this winter.[and what the heck is your compelling angle? -ed. I've got a few months to figure that out, thanks.] I hope they still want people who don't currently play high school sports.
Usually, to make a blog "work," you need a seductive angle to the journalism. [what's yours - anti-urban cynicism?-ed. I was thinking more "local pop-culturalist." Keep dreaming. -ed. Shut up.] Clearly, the easiest way to do that is through the up close access these writers have to the sports teams. But high school sports is most compelling when either 1) the reader personally knows the team or 2) the team is very good. Absent either of those, you need something else. So we'll see how they do.
One thing the TU doesn't seem to be doing is allowing much creativity in blog design. Both blogs are visually identical. They have comments, categories, and small bios of the writers. And it looks like the posts will come out on a daily or every other day basis. Kudos to the TU for getting the ball rolling with this. Hopefully, both design creativity, and the number of blogs, will expand in the future.
As I've said before, I'm going to try and write at TU blog about Shaker basketball this winter.[and what the heck is your compelling angle? -ed. I've got a few months to figure that out, thanks.] I hope they still want people who don't currently play high school sports.
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on Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 8:29 AM.
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