The question: Which sports news should everyone know? was an ongoing debate for many years, but in recent years, more publications have launched subscription services that provide just that: sports news. There are many reasons for this. Some of these are:
Some sports journalism is focused on daily newspaper deadlines, while others are driven by what readers want to hear. The truth is, many modern fans already know game highlights and snippets. For instance, a recent article on Roma forward Emiliano Sala in the Athletic has driven over 1,000 new subscriptions. This suggests that the public still wants smart analysis, so there’s a place for the sports section of the newspaper.
The goal of a soft news article is to capture the interest of readers and make them want to read more. It begins with an engaging interview. The Vancouver Sun’s Gary Kingston captures Zak Madell’s recollections by using his own words, shaping the narrative with his own insights. For the most important soft news piece, journalists must identify the “so what” of the story and do their research to support it.