Between You and MEdia - Michael Sielski
Posted by [email protected] on Oct. 24, 2023 / Subscribe
Why did journalism seem like the career you wanted to pursue?
I was a huge sports fan as a kid, and I'd always enjoyed and been pretty good at writing. (At least, that's what my teachers told me.) When I started at La Salle University as an undergrad, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in sports media, but I didn't know yet what kind of career. Once I started writing for the student newspaper, though, I realized I liked the sense of accomplishment writing gave me. I loved *having written* something to which people responded positively or that had "moved the needle" in some way. I was hooked.
Covering Philadelphia sports must be equally exciting and daunting, with so many teams, players, and coaches to write about! Can you share your approach to selecting which stories to write and publish in The Philadelphia Inquirer?
I have a pretty cool role at The Inquirer. As a columnist, I weigh in on Philly sports at least twice a week. But I also get to write deeper enterprise pieces -- features and narratives that run a few thousand words. Mostly, I'm looking to write about a topic or athlete or issue in a new and fresh way. With my columns, I don't want to yell and scream and shout in a hot take. I want to make people think. With my longform stuff, I want to tell a great story, something with stakes and drama, something more than just what goes on between the lines.
In addition to your work as a columnist with The Philadelphia Inquirer, you are also a book author. Tell us a little bit about your book "The Rise" and where readers can find a copy.
"The Rise" is a biography of Kobe Bryant. It focuses entirely on his early life, particularly his four years at Lower Merion High School. My elevator pitch for it was ... "This book will be BATMAN BEGINS for the Black Mamba." Readers can get it pretty much anywhere they buy books: Amazon, B&N, local independent bookstores, etc.
Can you share a few tips for the public relations professionals reading this article who have a sports story to share. Is there anything that makes a pitch stand out in your inbox?
I get reams of pitches from PR people who clearly haven't taken the time to understand what I cover and how I cover it. I'm not going to write a 200-word story about a new product or an athlete's public appearance. That's not what I do. My advice to a PR professional would be to frame a pitch in the right way to a particular reporter or media member. "Hey, I saw that you did a story/column about X. This would be a lot like that."
Is there a particular subject that you’ve always wanted to cover but haven’t had the opportunity? (Or, perhaps just an area that you’d like to cover more).
The Olympics. I've never covered an Olympics. Would love to do that.
Can you share one of the most memorable events from your journalism career?
There have been a few. I've covered six Super Bowls, the World Series, the Stanley Cup Final, the NBA Finals, the Final Four, etc.
Just for fun - if you could watch the next Philadelphia Eagles game with a celebrity guest of your choosing - who would it be?
Taylor Swift or Bradley Cooper ... provided they'd be willing to have me interview them for a story or column or book.
What is your contact information/preferred mode of contact?
Return to list
0 Comments