Dan Steinberg is now authoring a daily email called the DC Sports Bog newsletter. We spoke about that and a lot of nerdy journalism things.
Eight months ago, the Washington Post announced that columnist and DC Sports Bog founder, Dan Steinberg, would take a step back from writing and slide into an editor’s role at the newspaper’s blog desk. The move was bittersweet for many. Steinberg “is not only a great reporter and writer; he has a keen eye for what makes a good story,” sports editor Matt Vita wrote on January 26.
After becoming a pioneer of a blogging style that many now ape a decade later, the beloved sports journalist admitted in an interview with RMNB that he “was just kind lost” as a writer. But last week, Steinberg began typing words again – this time in a different medium. Steinberg is now authoring a daily email called the DC Sports Bog newsletter which you can sign up for here. The move allows one of the Post’s most captivating sports writers to blaze another new trail. It also capitalizes on a growing trend by media companies to use email marketing as a way to connect directly with their readership and drive traffic to their websites.
Steinberg, using his signature style with article titles in the newsletter’s subject lines, brings to readers’ inboxes content that is unique, insightful, honest, and a step removed from the sports desk’s reporting. For instance, earlier this week, Steinberg interviewed and challenged Barry Svrluga on why he thought Bryce Harper wants to stay with the Nationals. Steinz also makes jokes. “The meat of the [newsletter] will remain our coverage of D.C. sports, which continues to be the core of our department’s mission. (That and eating doughnuts).”
I recently reached out to Dan and asked if I could interview him about his new project. He said, sure!, but with the caveat that no one will read this. I talked to Steinz about writing, the good and bad of the DC blogosphere, Alex Ovechkin, The Athletic (who reportedly tried to hire him to their new DC vertical), and the journalism brilliance behind Adam Kilgore’s Partying Caps story.
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