Breaking into Sports Journalism

Sports journalism is a great career option for those who are sports enthusiasts and have a love for writing. Practising journalists who have a love for sports can also consider specializing in this area. The field offers a variety of career options – in front of the camera and behind the camera. What they like to take up depends upon their personal interests and choices and of course, their qualifications and experience. But no matter whether they are in front or behind the camera, the sports journalism career is sure to be exhilarating and thrilling.

Those considering this career should take into account that breaking into this field is not easy. The job market is fiercer than ever. For making a rewarding career, one must not only be passionate about sports but also need to extremely talented while possessing excellent writing skills and a thorough and technical understanding of various sports.

Getting into Sports Journalism

So, how to get into this career? First of all, aspiring sports journalists should identify what exactly they want to do. Sports journalism spreads across sports:

•   Writing
•   Editing
•   Reporting
•   Broadcasting
•   Commentary
•   Information
•   Show production and direction
•   Show hosting

This is one of the very important considerations that help aspiring sports journalists reduce confusion and put directed efforts towards a single goal.

Education

The next step is to gain the knowledge and skills required to be a sports generalist. There are programs in sports journalism in Canada that prepare sports enthusiasts for exciting careers in the ever changing world of sports media. These programs are designed to help students develop skills in

•   Sports writing – print, TV, radio and online media
•   Broadcasting – production, on-air performance, radio hosting and chase and field production
•   Online – blogging, use of editorial publishing tools
•   Social media – Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook

Students study a wide range of subjects, including sports writing, editing and reporting, the sportscast, sports interviewing and beat reporting, the business of sports, stats and research and on-air performance.

To apply for these programs, candidates must have a college diploma or university degree in any discipline. Candidates with partial post-secondary education with relevant experience in journalism are also considered. With this, they also need to submit their resume, and a portfolio of writing, including three pieces of published or unpublished work. All applicants are also required to complete a writing test.

Practical Experience

Hands-on experience is a major requirement to seek employment in this field. A good journalism program incorporates several opportunities to gain practical experience in sports editing, reporting and show hosting. The college provides opportunities to host sport tournaments and shows in the field as well as studio. It will also help develop a portfolio of published sports stories, events, photos, podcasts, videos, columns tweets and blogs.

Centennial College’s three-semester postgraduate program offers industry field placement, which helps students gain experience while working in a real world setting. In addition to this, it helps students discover new career paths with local, national and international news and multi-platform outlets. The college also has its own sports channel and students can get hands-on sports reporting. Apart from this, it also organizes professional seminars to assist students in job placements.