The San Antonio Spurs of the college newspaper industry

The Daily Orange sports department is part of one of the most respected independent student newspapers in the country. The Syracuse-based paper has won countless awards throughout the years and consistently churns out quality journalists that have gone on to prosper in bigger markets. They are the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs of the college newspaper industry; fostering a culture of diligence, hard-work, resourcefulness and passion for the craft.

Resourcefulness has been ingrained into the paper’s culture since it became an independent entity in 1971, severing ties to the university, meaning the school could no longer censure or control what content the paper published. Funded by a combination of alumni support and advertisements, the paper doesn’t exactly have a limitless budget, though those limited funds have led to some of the most memorable moments of these young, determined journalists’ lives.

The pathway to becoming the next Pete Thamel, Greg Bishop or Eli Saslow (the full list could finish this article) is by no means a road without its potholes and bumps. But every DO sports writer goes through a proverbial car wash. They enter as young freshman, inexperienced, then after they leave the DO’s tutelage, come out polished, ready to produce fresh content for media conglomerates.

Balancing work with school and social life

Working for the DO is no small task. It requires long hours spent reporting, transcribing, writing, editing and revising that it seeps into other aspects of a student’s life, leaving them to pick and choose how to spend their time.

That feeling of putting your head down and grinding, making those late-night bus trips and walks in the freezing weather just to capture a quote to complete a story on a backup bench player for a smaller team is what it takes to prosper. Classrooms cannot replicate that level of real life experience.

“The DO is a place where you’ll get way more out of it than any class. It’s just a different animal, compared to regular classes. I don't remember any class that taught me these same skills,” former DO staffer, and current UVA athletics beat writer for the Daily Progress, Sam Blum said.

Sam Fortier, a former sports editor, missed almost six days of class when covering the Syracuse Men's Basketball team’s Final Four run in 2016. Matt Schneidman, who now covers the Oakland Raiders for the San Jose Mercury News, skipped a biology quiz because he had an exclusive one-on-one interview with a quarterback who could not reschedule. Jesse Dougherty, now a sports writer for the Washington Post, was consistently devoting seven hours a day to covering the basketball team, and he also missed class in favor of the Final Four. Blum would regularly skip class for media opps availability.

“The difficulty was trying to convince your teachers that it was a worthwhile excuse. And of course it is! It’s the Final Four,” Dougherty said.

“Looking back on it, you ask yourself, ‘Should I have gone to Lucy’s that one Thursday? The answer is probably yes, but I wouldn’t replace the times I’ve had with the DO with anything,’” Schneidman said.

Working as a sports editor and reporter, Fortier noted that it’s not for everyone.

“You get very little workout time, you’re constantly eating unhealthy food and your available social time gets cut down. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea,” Fortier, who will intern with the Post this summer, said.

Working for the DO is a blast, but it’s also work, and that requires sacrificing other chunks of the quintessential college experience.

“But you gotta take those sacrifices,” Schneidman said. “No jobs are going to hound you for your GPA in journalism. It will pay off in the long run.”

Start small, work your way up

This lesson can be applied in almost every career path, and the DO is no different. No matter how many awards a writer got as a high school student, no newbie will walk into a role as the DO’s basketball or football writer. All reporters start small, with sparsely covered sports that provide better access to the players. This small and nurtured environment is perfect for young reporters. Writers get reps and can ask questions to coaches and players in less strenuous environments.

Fortier recalled having reported on 10 total sports throughout his college career.

“Being versatile is huge in this industry. Being able to cover so many sports made me a more well-rounded writer,” Fortier said.

“My first beat was softball. It builds a great foundation and by the time you get to cover football and basketball, it feels like you’re a real beat writer.” Dougherty said.

Build genuine relationships

In today’s day and age, a diploma from a prestigious school and a good GPA is simply not enough sometimes. Fostering authentic relationships with people with hiring power is as invaluable as the work a reporter has under his belt. Due to the DO’s longstanding success, established alumni are scattered across the country, leaving many DO staffers with an inside track, as long as they put in the work.

The Daily Orange sports staff has a mentorship program, where alumni guide their younger brethren and give them advice. Fortier’s mentor, Sports Illustrated’s Bishop, constantly gives pointers on articles and allows Fortier to transcribe some of Bishop’s interviews for spare change.

“Having a mentor is just dope. You really get a peek into the industry and see how these guys operate,” Fortier said.

“Make sure you’re keeping up with people in this industry,” Blum said. “Relationships are vital. Don’t ignore your future. Get your name out there.”        

For Schneidman, when he applied for an internship position with the Buffalo News straight out of school, he was applying to a place with a rich history of DO alumni.     

“They definitely gave me a harder look because of the DO. It’s a great brand name with such an incredible track record of past alumni setting the stage. But it’s not just a name, there’s some substance behind the DO brand,” Schneidman said.

        

Be creative

Beat writing can grow dull. The bland game recaps have rigid structures and feature stories can be shallow due to limited access. But to separate yourself as a writer, digging deeper for those truly interesting stories is a difference-maker, even if those quirky stories occasionally flop.

“Be okay with messing up. Think outside the box and try a funky structure for a feature. Throw stuff against the wall,” Dougherty said. “Ideas are like currency in this business, so be okay with putting yourself out there.”

Schneidman echoed Dougherty’s advice, citing a recent article on Jim Boeheim’s infatuation with yoga classes as a good example of thinking outside the box.

“There will always be the ‘Tyus Battle scores 25 points’ and other mundane stories to write about,” Schneidman said. “But coming up with your own story ideas shows your editors you’re invested. Showing that initiative will get you places.”

Cherish the memories

The grind from churning out stories is only part of the journey though. All the laughs and experiences spent together is what most former DO writers fondly look back on. Dougherty mentioned a heartwarming moment when he and his girlfriend (she also worked for the DO) both walked out of the DO house for the last time. There were tears.

Dougherty and Schneidman recall scrambling to write stories in the backseat of a car returning from a 15 hour long trip. The two would take turns each hour at the wheel while the other slept, and by the end of the drive, Dougherty was so eager to get home, he went 60 miles per hour in a 45 MPH zone and was issued a ticket.

Blum mentions how current staffers still jokingly tweet at him or that one time Fortier started spreading a rumor within the house that Boeheim had called out Blum in a press conference (this did not actually happen).

The memories are endless. Working for the DO is a ton of work, but it eventually pays off.

“It was by far my favorite experience throughout college,” Fortier said. “I’ll never forget the times I spent there.”