The cell phone that helps my articles

Everybody used ample technologies in the duration of this term, obviously. I could write about the most common ones used (computers and word processors), or most suitably, I could write about slideshows, because I like them and have done a few of them. However, I use a common technology in an unordinary way for journalism. Since I think journalism, as my major, is more important and broad than one course, I will speak about a technology I use to assist me in completing pieces of journalism which are then printed in the local newspaper.

The technology I use is a cell phone.

You must be puzzled in how a cell phone can possibly assist in writing (and it’s not for phoning sources…). I cover sports for my local paper, The Burford Times. I sometimes cover the pro circuits, but generally, when someone picks up a local paper, they don’t wanna read international stories. When they pickup Burford, they want to read Burford (or the surrounding area, I suppose). So I have been asked to cover local sports primarily (hockey and slo-pitch).

I remember growing up as a hockey player, and reading the articles in the paper. They were so bland, and as un-creative as one could imagine. I recollect reading the articles written in my playing days, and I really wish I would’ve asked to write them myself. Then at the least, they’d be interesting. And it would have given me experience for the career I’m set upon now (and it's not like 'a conflict of interest' would be the reason why I couldn't write, since it was normally players' parents writing anyway!). The articles used were just like reading the gamesheet, in written form. They would even say “Goals scored by Justin Zylstra, Brad Durham, and Jesse Ferguson (two).” Two in brackets?? That really tells the story (NOT).

("NOT: in brackets. HA... there's a pun).

What about the nuances? What if a banner fell out of the rafters on the goalie’s head, thereby distracting him long enough to give me one of my goals? What if Bill Olmstead and his team was drinking beer in their bench and while he was the winning run, tripped over the first baseline? These details may not even be mentioned.
If I didn’t play in the games, or had my name written in the text, there is no way I would want to read it. So why would anyone else? So, not by coincidence, my mantra when writing is, When you read my article, I want you to feel as if you were there.

So after taking in a game I cover, I take the gamesheet home, and usually as soon as I get home, I write the story, while the info is still fresh.

This is where my phone factors into the equation. The gamesheet provides vital info, like who scored the goals, or the runs. But to write like I want to, there is no chance that this provides enough detail; the gamesheet is just a reference.
My phone is used to write down specific details into a text message and save the message after I jot down the detail.

Details, such as, “Bill Olmstead turned on the inside pitch and drove it down the left field line, right off the foulpole for a homerun”; or “Derek Manning used a spinorama to split the defense, and when he found himself a clear path to the net, faked to his backhand before knocking the waterbottle off the roof of the net with a wristshot.”

Okay, my texts aren’t that glorious. They are much more plain and use many shortforms. They are short for a few reasons: 1. Because my phone only has so much memory, 2. So I don’t miss the game!, and 3. because the texts are actually just a queue for me to read and revert to something I remember. Maybe I write “7, dangle” and that is my queue find number 7’s goal on the gamesheet and recall the play so I can re-create it if it was worthy enough to write about (which is why writing it soon thereafter it happening is vital).

After a noteworthy play happens, I save the message to Drafts. Then, when I want to write more, I go into Drafts, open the message and continue writing– drafting if you will– the text message. I repeat this process until the game is over.
When it’s over, I retrieve my reference (the gamesheet), and then I can leave.

After I go home, I plug my phone into the outlet (so the screen stays lit when I’m not hitting any buttons), and then I transcribe from phone to computer, ousting the shortforms, and adding some specific details I remember (because the text message is a queue, remember?).

By this time, I have some time to reflect on the game. I usually have an idea of my headline already, as well as the direction, and the feel of my story. Then I revert back to the gamesheet and fill in the basic details of who number 7 was, etc.

This is how the technology of cell phones, combined with SMS service, help me write my glorious, rich, filled with detail, stories that everyone can enjoy. Even if you weren’t there, after reading my article, you should be able to fool someone that you were.