Demographics/Target Publication for Feature Article

Name of Magazine: ESPN the Magazine www.espnthemag.com

Demographics:

Total # of readers: Whoever wants to read it
Gender: Geared toward sports fans so mostly males but not to disclude female sports fans
Age Range: There are sports fans of all ages so no particular age group
HHI: It should be pretty affordable for just about anyone
Education Level: It will be put into terms that the average fan can understand


My idea is to write an article about the need for a salary cap in Major League Baseball. Guys like the heat of battle and competition so I would talk about how a salary cap would make the league more balanced and therefore create more exciting playoff races and ultimately put an end to all these postseason sweeps. The last few postseasons have not had more than one or two exciting series out of seven total series.

Careers in Writing: Technical Writing

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."

- Mark Twain


I really like this quote because it holds true. Only you know what you're really thinking. You can try to make a point but if you don't use the right wording then your audience may get the wrong message.

The letter that was written to the plant manager at Three Mile Island was very confusing. Acronyms were not defined and the intended message was not real clear. If Babcock and Wilcox wanted to warn the plant manager then they should have been more to the point and they should have explained the terms that they used a lot more clearly. This just looked like a lot of words to me and I had no idea what it meant. It should have been put in simpler terms so that it wouldn't just scare someone away when they try to read it. Technical writing should be very simple for any reader to understand and the point should be made quickly and accurately. If a reader doesn't feel lost and confused in the first few sentences of what they're reading, chances are they will probably read the whole thing.

The Writing Life: "Hunkering Down"

Stanley Karnow said, "When I'm doing my best work, I'm not in control." I found this interesting because I too find that sometimes my imagination takes me to places I never thought I could go. When Karnow asked Georges Braque how he decided on his images, he responded, "If I knew what was going to come out, young man, I wouldn't paint it." I also found this very interesting. The unknown in life is more exciting than the known and a person can experience the best life has to offer when they set no limits or boundaries. Sure, you could take the road that's known and followed and feel comfortable about it but it's the same old thing. Or you could take the unknown, more adventurous road that will have a high risk or high reward type effect. I believe that if you want to take anything you're doing to another level, you need to go outside of your comfort zone. Nothing is gained by sheltering yourself from the outside world. You will fail many times before you succeed but you will never succeed if you don't make an attempt. It is difficult to go places when you're sitting still.