Why athletes and reporters spar at press conferences

+ how to teach K-12 students about the history of US slavery US Edition - Today's top story: Sports writers could ditch the 'clown questions' and do better when it comes to press conferences [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 June 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair If you’ve ever cringed at a dreadful, stupid or downright embarrassing question posed by a sports reporter during a post-game press conference, Nicole Kraft’s article, “Sports writers could ditch the ‘clown questions’ and do better when it comes to press conferences,” [is for you](. My favorite example is the kind of question that incorporates the answer right in it: “How thrilling was it to hit that triple in the ninth inning?” If the goal is to get a player to talk, a question that requires only a one-word answer – “very” – isn’t particularly useful. Kraft, a sports reporter and professor of sports journalism at The Ohio State University, provides a rogues’ gallery of bad reporter-player interactions at press conferences, as well as some advice to reporters who are facing a new reality in the digital age: Sports figures don’t need reporters anymore to communicate to their fans. They’ve got social media. But Kraft outlines some of the things reporters can do to help fans understand sports and its players more deeply. This week, we also liked articles that [explain what the G-7 is](, why scientists [study pathogens in secure labs]( and how much [beer and booze underage Americans drink](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society ‘I’m here so I don’t get fined,’ Seattle Seahawks’ star running back Marshawn Lynch repeatedly told a Jan. 27, 2015, press conference on media day for NFL Super Bowl XLIX. And then he left. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel [Sports writers could ditch the ‘clown questions’ and do better when it comes to press conferences]( Nicole Kraft, The Ohio State University Athletes no longer need the press to communicate with fans. They can do that directly through social channels – and unless sports reporters do a better job asking questions, they may become obsolete. Microbes are everywhere – and they aren’t all friendly. spawns/E+ via Getty Images [Working with dangerous viruses sounds like trouble – but here’s what scientists learn from studying pathogens in secure labs]( Jerry Malayer, Oklahoma State University Scientists get up close and personal with deadly pathogens to give doctors the tools they need to treat people sickened by germs. The key is keeping the researchers – and everyone around them – safe. Two members of the G-7 exchange an elbow bump. Phil Noble, Pool via AP [What’s the G-7? An international economist explains]( Emily J. Blanchard, Dartmouth College The G-7 nations, which include the US and UK, form the foundation of the modern global economy. - [Alcohol companies make $17.5 billion a year off of underage drinking, while prevention efforts are starved for cash]( David H. Jernigan, Boston University In the US, underage drinking accounts for a whopping US$17.5 billion worth of alcohol yearly. New research shows which companies take in most of this money and how little is spent on prevention. - [Here’s what I tell teachers about how to teach young students about slavery]( Raphael E. Rogers, Clark University Few issues are as difficult to deal with in the classroom as slavery in the US. Here, a professor who trains teachers on how to present the topic offers some insights. - [COVID-19 messages make emergency alerts just another text in the crowd on your home screen]( Elizabeth Ellcessor, University of Virginia When emergency alerts are hard to distinguish from text messages and when they announce the availability of vaccines rather than an impending tornado, are they still emergency alerts? - [Lack of burial space is changing age-old funeral practices, and in Japan ‘tree burials’ are gaining in popularity]( - [How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky]( - [What are ‘ghost guns,’ a target of Biden’s anti-crime effort?]( - [Shipping is tough on the climate and hard to clean up – these innovations can help cut emissions]( - [Parking reform could reenergize downtowns – here’s what happened when Buffalo changed its zoning rules]( - [I’m fully vaccinated – should I keep wearing a mask for my unvaccinated child?]( - [A new reason Americans are getting leery of billionaire donors]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451