By Caitlin Swieca
In an industry where professors preach the value of objectivity and neutral reporting, it was refreshing to hear Bryan Burwell, sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, speak about the misguided value of “fairness.”
Burwell came to teach us the art of column writing, but ended up speaking about a number of topics. After telling us how important a conversational interview style was, he showed his gift for conversation by answering our questions for almost two hours.
One of the most striking things he said was that he doesn’t want to be fair, he wants to be right. Although beat writers have to remain objective, I think this is a great lesson for all journalists to keep in mind, especially in the face of criticism from readers, who often call stories unfair.
In an era where ESPN urges its viewers to “Embrace Debate,” it was also refreshing to hear Burwell say that not everything has to be a debate. Beliefs, which are the basis of columns, are not meant to be debated.
Burwell reinforced a lot of what I’ve learned at the Missourian about the value of finding a story others don’t consider. For an example, he talked about his column from the 2011 World Series that focused on the fan experience rather than the game itself.
This approach is probably most valuable to column writers, but it’s also important for beat writers to occasionally think outside the lines. This can set their stories apart from the pack.
I also asked Burwell about his recent book about John Madden. He said that when writing a profile, he did tons of research beforehand, sorted it into categories, and did several interviews of others before even approaching his subject. Even though I don’t plan on writing any books in the near future, I think I’ll use this method when I write profiles in the future. Lessons from Burwell – about finding voice, hunting unique stories and doing your research first – will definitely come in handy no matter what jobs we end up with.
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