Merrill Students Leave Motown with Inspiration

Editor’s Note: You can read Zainab’s piece on the APSE conference here. 

Representatives from nearly 100 different publications as well as a dozen universities attended the 2013 Associated Press Sports Editors Conference in Detroit, last Wednesday through Saturday.

Traditionally these conferences include just editors and writers of AP publications. But the addition of students this year proved that the conference workshops are just as valuable to college students as they have been to sports journalist nationwide for the past 40 years.

Getting young journalist involved was a major focus for the APSE officers this year and will continue to be for years to come, managing editor at CBSSports.com Tim Stephens, who will be next year’s conference president, said.

He believes that there is a mutual gain that can be made by having two different generations of journalist in attendance.

“We’re dealing with a lot of challenges in our own newsrooms and in the profession,” Stephens said. “And to see young students who are extremely eager to learn and are extremely passionate about sports journalism at a time where a lot of people are asking questions about the future of our business is very encouraging.”

The conference offered many opportunities for students to learn from and share their thoughts with the leaders of the industry on some of the most pressing topics in sports journalism, such as ethics, social media, and the future of print in the digital age.

“I hope [the students] walk away with good ideas and inspiration,” Stephens said.

One of the students in attendance, Vincente Fernandez, a fourth-year Cinema and Media Studies major at the University of Chicago was able to use the conference to improve and promote an idea that he had already put into action.

Fernandez is the co-founder of SportsManias.com, a new website that compiles all the twitter feeds of beat writers nationwide, eventually allowing users to customize what feeds they want to read.

“One of the exciting things about this conference is that it’s allowing us to form relationships with newspapers’ sports editors across the country that we haven’t had in the past,” Fernandez said. “And without a conference like this that would not be possible.

“It’s also nice to know that the people who are running our industry want us here, they want to have a conversation with us, and they value our opinion. They want to help us be successful.”

Perhaps the highlight of the conference for all who were involved came on Friday at the Red Smith Award Luncheon, where the APSE honored Dan Jenkins.

The 83-year-old Jenkins spoke before a room full of those who have admired his work for decades. And to make it even more special, his daughter and Washington Post feature writer Sally Jenkins presented him with the award.

The Golf Digest writer-at-large and former Sports Illustrated writer told of his journey to becoming one of the most prominent voices in all of sports journalism and shared with the audience words of advice on how to write with your own voice.

“I think you just have to write within you and how you see things and that comes with experience,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins is notorious for writing with uncanny wit and humor but said he never forced a joke at the expense of fact or truth.

“I hope I never wrote a sentence I didn’t believe,” Jenkins said, “whether it was funny or not.

“If it was funny, then that’s because that’s the way it struck me.”

But when it comes to the next generation of journalist trying to find their own style of writing Jenkins said a lot can be learned from what already exists.

“Read all you can. Read the best people. Read the old masters…I learned from the old guys. I stole from them, I copied them, and I imitated them.”

What may be most interesting about Jenkins’ way of writing is his mentality going into it.

He said that once an event he was covering ended and it was deadline time he felt like he was now on stage.

“Now it’s my turn to perform,” Jenkins said, “but not to perform but to inform.”

After all the learning and networking that took place the “Mo” in Motown may now stand for motivation to the students who attended such as Maryland rising senior and journalism major Zainab Mudallal.

“We got to physically see different ways of conveying news that are very far from the traditional version, which is where the industry is heading.

“I thought I knew a lot about the industry but it made me realize that I still have a lot to learn, which is a good thing.”

As the newly appointed president for next year’s conference, Tim Stephens hopes the APSE can continue to be, “a beacon of light for the students of today and the leaders of tomorrow.”

“Diversify your skills, and truly understand and learn what it means to compete,” is the biggest advice Stephens could offer to students.

“To compete on a beat, to compete for a job, to compete for good sports journalism and high standards.”