If you have developed a strong relationship with individuals in the media, they are less likely to criticize you for minor mistakes - although you can't count on your relationship to prevent major news from being published or aired. In fact, asking them to withhold news will quickly sour a good relationship. Every time someone from the media wants to talk to you, you have the chance to promote yourself and your team. While beat writers may become more familiar to you because they are around more often, they must still remain impartial. In Abilene, beat writers can double as columnists, so don't be surprised if something you say on game night is used later in a column.
Columns are a more creative and opinionated form of sportswriting.
You might not always agree with what the columnist writes. Many people get their news from TV instead of newspapers, and local news programs have large audiences. However, most sportscasts are only three to four minutes long, so they usually only have time for game highlights and scores. If extra time is available, they might air a short sound bite from an interview. You might be asked to do a taped or live pre-game or halftime interview.