JOUR 2235 Writing about Sports
Note to Journalism minors: this course satisfies the requirement for an elective with a craft" orientation." Sports writing has long been the home of some of the best writing in journalism, and it's easy to see why: In sporting events, we have drama and conflict, compelling characters and settings, winners and losers, and sometimes even good and evil. And what's more, the stakes are high enough to grip our attention but not -- in spite of how it might sometimes seem -- a life-or-death matter. In this class, we will take sports as a lens for honing our writing skills, using clear and engaging writing to tell stories that not just sports fans want to read. Guest speakers from the industry will visit to discuss their careers and their craft. The class will also include discussions relevant to journalists, from media contraction to clickbait. You will learn what makes a good story and how to construct one, with the goal of becoming proficient in sports writing, from story idea to final draft.
Course overview
- Department
- Journalism
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.94 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 3.91 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 8
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Jimmy Golen | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 1–3 hrs/week | 8 of 11 |
| Spring 2025 | Jimmy Golen | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 1–3 hrs/week | 8 of 11 |
| Spring 2024 | Jimmy Golen | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 1–3 hrs/week | 9 of 10 |
| Fall 2023 | Jimmy Golen | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 of 8 |
| Spring 2023 | Jimmy Golen | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.7 | — | 7 of 9 |
| Fall 2022 | Jimmy Golen | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 9 of 10 |
| Spring 2022 | Jimmy Golen | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.7 | — | 7 of 12 |
| Fall 2021 | Jimmy Golen | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4–6 hrs/week | 9 of 10 |