As we look back on the great journalism that ESPN produced in 2017, Front Row put together a list of our favorite 17 showcase items of 2017 (in no particular order).
1. Reporter Pedro Gomez shares how he formed a relationship of trust with former Marlins’ pitcher Jose Fernandez’ mother.
2. Reporter Marty Smith discusses the most revealing interview he’s ever conducted with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Reporter Jim Trotter discusses how an all-access feature on Jerry Jones came together.
4. Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap discuss what it means to them to have their own studio dedicated to storytelling while Steve Fainaru talks about the challenges of E:60’s critically-acclaimed Syrian soccer story.
5. Investigative reporter Tisha Thompson shares how she uncovered important evidence in the kidnapping of two Rochester football players.
6. Reporter Ramona Shelburne discusses the challenges of covering the intersection of sports and politics when the Warriors were “disinvited” to the White House.
7. Producer Russ Dinallo shares how a story of a young hockey player who became paralyzed came together.
8. Jeremy Schaap discusses his relationship with Mike Tyson and his most revealing interview to date with Tyson, where the ex-champ opens up about being molested as a child.
9. Reporter Jen Lada discusses how her sister-in-law played a role in her preparation for a feature that dealt with the sensitive topics of suicide and depression.
10. Features producer Kristen Lappas describes her heartwarming “Arthur” piece came together.
11. Reporter David Purdum describes the environment in Las Vegas just days after the tragic shooting.
12. Pelicans beat writer Justin Verrier describes what it was like covering the All-Star game and finding out about the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
13. Reporter Will Reeve opens up about how his own tragic loss helped him relate to Reds’ pitcher Michael Lorenzen for a special Father’s Day E:60 feature.
14. ESPN the Magazine’s Mark Fainaru-Wada discusses how a story about former NFL player Rickey Dixon became a story about the many women who take care of former NFL players suffering from ALS and CTE.
15. Reporters Bonnie Ford and Wayne Drehs discuss how they used their combined resources to write a story together on the 2024 and 2028 Olympic bids.
16. Reporter Sam Borden talks about the emotional challenges he faced while working on the Chapecoense soccer piece for E:60.
17. ESPN The Magazine’s Tom Junod takes readers through the process of creating his story on the people who laid Muhammad Ali to rest.
Journalism Showcase will return on January 5.
