Sports Illustrated & SI for Kids
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020-1300
Editor's Note
: You might think that the writers and reporters at Sports Illustrated would be extremely hard to reach given the magazine's breadth and depth. But we were able to get in touch with three editors who work at the magazine or its publication for kids - and that was even while the Olympics were being staged in Nagano and right before its famed swimsuit issue hit the stands. Sports Illustrated circulation is 3,150,000; SI for Kids: 1,061,320.
| SECTIONS | EDITORS | DAYS TO CONTACT/ DAYS TO AVOID | METHODS | COMMENTS |
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Sports Illustrated This weekly magazine runs the gamut of sports coverage from star athletes to long-anticipated events like the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. "Scorecard" is the first editorial portion of the magazine - an "anything goes" section that will examine a controversy in the NBA or provide an off-beat piece such as nude golfing in Alaska. |
Senior Editor, "Scorecard" Rich O'Brien Fax: 212/522-4543 |
Since the staff attends weekend sporting events, their days off are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which doesn't give you a lot of days during the typical work week to contact them. Your best bet is to reach O'Brien early Thursday if you have an idea for the next issue. Monday is deadline day. | O'Brien prefers faxes since a phone pitch often means he might miss out on some crucial detail or angle. He is one of the few editors we've come across who tries to call back people who send faxes and want to know if they were received. E-mail is also OK for following up. | We don't know if O'Brien was a former school teacher but he's one of the most patient fellows we've come across. O'Brien says it's a must for you to know the name of the section you're pitching an idea to or otherwise "you'll get off on the wrong foot." O'Brien responds best to scoops and it's rare that any cookie-cutter story that's airing on CNN or ESPN is going to do much to pique his interest. |
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Sport Illustrated for Kids The monthly children's edition of Sports Illustrated is for ages 8-14. It covers a broad-based range of sports, from professional league to Pop Warner football. Profiles with celebrity sports figures are a mainstay: In this month's issue, Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons talks to kids about "hoops, hobbies, and hanging out." |
Assistant Managing Editor Stephen Malley Fax: 212/522-0120 |
Any day is as good as any other - the staff works Monday through Friday from 10-6 p.m. Issues are thought out and stories are assigned months in advance. | Malley prefers faxes (he deletes e-mail that's not urgent or internal). | SI for Kids doesn't have a product section, so Malley doesn't want product pitches (that doesn't, however, rule out the chance that a product item may occasionally pop up in any section of the magazine). Photo opportunities that are mass-distributed to many sports media outlets aren't going to get him to take the bait but athletes who work with companies on "kid-friendly" activities or blockbuster deals might whet his appetite. Malley stresses that a lot of the material sent his way may not be used immediately but will probably be filed away for possible future use. |
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Editorial Contacts at Sports Illustrated & SI for Kids Main Number - 212/522-1212 |
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Sports Illustrated
Editor In Chief - Managing Editor - Senior Editor, Olympics, Gymnastics, Senior Editor, SI Presents - Senior Editor, Boxing, College Football - Senior Editor, Swimsuit - Senior Editor, NHL, Inside the NHL - Senior Editor, NBA, Women's Basketball - |
Senior Editor, NFL, Inside the NFL - Mark Godich, 212/522-5630 Senior Editor, Golf Plus - Jim Herre, 212/522-4921 Senior Editor, College Basketball, Inside Baseball - Gregory Kelly, 212/522-5782 Senior Editor, CNN/SI TV - Stephanie Krasnow, 212/522-3124 Senior Editor, Inside Auto, SI Presents - Stephen Madden, 212/522-5965 Senior Editor, Scorecard - Rich O'Brien, 212/522-4543 Sports Illustrated for Kids Managing Editor - Assistant Managing Editor - Senior Editors - |