APSE | Associated Press Sports Editors

Alternative story forms do more than address the space crunch many newspapers face across the country.

They tell stories in a creative, yet informative way and capitalize on the talents of the writer, editor, photographer and graphics designers.

They can be centerpieces that hold to the cover, deliver tons of information in a quick fashion and keep the readers interest for a substantial amount of time.

Salt Lake Tribune managing editor Michael Anastasi took us into this imaginative world during his two sessions Friday at the Associated Press Sports Editors convention at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh.

Anastasi explained the benefit of using alternative story forms by breaking down several components and provided specific examples of each format.

■ Make a lot of information digestible: In previewing the Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Salt Lake Tribune had breakouts of the local athletes in the events, medal counts, television information and photos.

■ Insider: This gives a beat writer/columnist a chance to utilize his or her expertise in the sport by allowing them to analyze, but do so in short snippets that are quick to read. Allows them to showcase their personality as well.

■ Explain to me: Anastasi showed a page from the Dallas Morning News in which the paper broke down the NFL salary cap charts and graphs and short breakouts. The use of bold type to highlight certain elements made the points more definitive.

■ SOS (Story on a story): Anastasi talked about how when Utah upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, his paper had not plan for it. So the Salt Lake Tribune ran a huge 1A photo with a brief write up to refer to stories inside in the sports section.

While many alternative story forms can get to the heart of the matter in a unique way, Anastasi warns us that they are not a substitute for the following:

With that being said, alternative story forms do provide an alternative for that 40-inch story that's hard to digest.

JUNE 2009 NEWSLETTER STORIES

• Convention slideshows: June 24 | June 25 | June 26 | June 27

• Bednarowski elected vice chair of Southeast Region (6/30)

• On the Move: Ready for changes, Hemphill takes over in Roanoke (6/30)

• Mandatory contest dates selected (6/29)

• Wannstedt won't shy away from media (6/29)

• Outgoing president's speech (from Lynn Hoppes) (6/27)

• General Meeting closing minutes (6/27)

• Red Smith Award winner Doria continues to have impact on sports journalism (6/27)

• Future is now for newspaper industry (6/27)

• How can newspapers afford to cover the big event (6/27)

• Lots of alternatives available to tell stories (6/27)

• Sharing of ideas, changes within AP discussed at small newspaper caucus (6/27)

• Building an audience, community through network journalism (6/26)

• Session on AP comes with tensions, ideas (6/26)

• When it comes to print and online, 'be a leader, not just a manager' (6/26)

• General Meeting opening minutes (6/26)

• Executive Committee Meeting minutes (6/26)

• Plenty of avenues to increase audience online (6/26)

• Nelson elected vice chair for West Region (6/26)

• Workshop materials available (6/24)

• Download the APSE Bulletin (6/24)

• Tweet this: Five ways Twitter can help sports reporters/editors do their jobs (6/24)

• Second VP Anastasi has ambitious plans for website and organization (6/19)

• New First VP Kaplan thinks conventions needs to be changed; wants to look at future of section judging (6/16)

• Howard: With faith, hard work, APSE can still flourish (6/11)

• APSE a leader, not just a follower in social networking (6/6)

• Kaplan, Anastasi elected APSE officers (6/4)

• Southeast Region Meeting report (6/2)

• Complete index