MarKeting McKenna

News Article | The Cultural Impact of Football in the United States

The Assignment
Write a structured news article using a clear lede, inverted pyramid format, and at least three sources — including two original interviews — while maintaining journalistic objectivity.

The Angle
Football’s influence extends beyond the field. While the sport is physically demanding for athletes, its emotional and cultural impact reaches millions of fans nationwide.

The article explores both perspectives:

• A former player shaped by the discipline and risks of the sport
• A lifelong fan shaped by tradition and community

The Strategy

Strong Lede with National Context
The article opens with the Super Bowl’s national viewership statistics (Nielsen data) to establish relevance and scale before narrowing to individual perspectives.

Inverted Pyramid Structure

• National significance and viewership data
• Player experience (injury, discipline, development)
• Fan experience (tradition, identity, culture)
• Broader cultural conclusion

Human-Centered Sources
Two original interviews anchor the story:

• Riley Smith, former high school running back
• Mason Manfull, lifelong NFL fan

Their perspectives balance the physical realities of the sport with its emotional impact, creating depth without bias.

Credible Supporting Source
Nielsen ratings provide researched data to strengthen authority and ground the piece in measurable impact.

Why It Works

This article demonstrates my ability to:

• Write a clear, engaging hard-news lede
• Structure content using inverted pyramid formatting
• Integrate multiple human sources effectively
• Balance emotion with journalistic neutrality
• Support narrative with researched data

The final piece presents football not just as a sport, but as a cultural force — showing my ability to report on both data and lived experience.

News Article 1: