彩民宝典

(Bus鈥�89, MJour鈥�96) 鈥⑻齋portswriter 鈥⑻齈ulitzer Prize Winner

John Branch isn鈥檛 your average sports writer. He鈥檚 written front page stories for听The New York Times听that reveal how groundskeepers for Major League Baseball stadiums听听into the grass, examine the听听of pioneering BASE jumpers and听听of the field-sized flags that fly at major sporting events.

In 2013, Branch won a Pulitzer Prize鈥攖he most prestigious award in journalism鈥攆or his article 鈥�,鈥� a pioneering effort in multimedia journalism, which tells the story of a deadly avalanche in the backcountry of a Washington ski resort. 鈥淓very day I鈥檓 amazed that I get paid to do what I do,鈥� he says of his job.

Branch has accomplished a great deal in sports writing, especially for someone who began his career as a business reporter. Two years into his first job at The Colorado Springs Gazette, one of the paper鈥檚 sportswriters died suddenly鈥� 鈥榶eah, I鈥檒l go try that.鈥� 鈥樷��

鈥淚 have license and liberty to go where most people aren鈥檛 welcome.鈥�

-John Branch

Even now, being open to unexpected ideas is key, as Branch seeks story ideas in unusual places. 鈥淪ometimes I just step back away from the press box and ask, 鈥榳hy is this happening this way?鈥欌�欌�� He even gets some story ideas from questions his kids ask. Whatever story he pursues, he focuses on the human element鈥攁 tactic that led him to refine 鈥淪nowfall鈥� from a broad article on avalanches into a detailed story about a single slide and the group of skiers it swallowed.

Branch believes such flexibility and focus are crucial in journalism, especially for young journalists. 鈥淲e have no idea what this journalism world will look like in 10 years, so you need to be open-minded,鈥� he explains. The role of CMCI鈥檚 journalism department 鈥渋s to open as many doors as possible. And it鈥檚 the student鈥檚 role to walk through those doors.鈥�