Building a Career in Sports Journalism
The exact job roles and responsibilities vary widely, depending upon the employer, specific position, type of media they are working in, and formal qualification and experience of an individual. However, there are some general responsibilities typical of most sports journalism positions. These include:
- Sports Writing: The journalists write sports-related articles for broadcasts or publications. They need to stick to the guidelines and deadlines to ensure all content is covered and produced in time. Sports writing may include research, description of a sports tournament, publishing the interviews of sportspersons or writing scripts for broadcasts.
- Sports Reporting: Sports reporters specialize in covering athletic events for newspapers, radio stations, television networks or online sites. They are expected to travel frequently to various locations where sports tournaments are held.
- Sports Editing: Sports editing is done to ensure that the sports content including articles and scripts are free of errors and meet publishing schedules. They discuss assignments, due dates and publishing schedules with their teams and ensure to get the work done in time.
- Sports Broadcasting: Radio or television broadcasters provide on-the-spot commentary, news to the listeners or audience.
- Directing: The directors ensure that the broadcasting runs smoothly and effectively.
The sports journalists are expected to have thorough knowledge in various sports, excellent writing and communication skills, advanced interviewing skills and good interpersonal and networking skills. In order to build a career in this field, they may need to have undergone a formal education and training and learn the best practices.
Building a Career in Sports Journalism in Canada
Before you enter the world of work, you need to fulfill some educational and experience requirements. A program in sports journalism can help you prepare for a career in the world of sports media. You will develop specialized talents in sports coverage, writing, editing, broadcasting and directing. The program also offers you the opportunities to cover local tournaments as well as professional sports to help you learn skills and develop confidence.
Centennial College’s post-graduate certificate program in sports journalism may be right choice for those who:
- Want to build their careers as sports journalists, sports reporters, sports editors, sports broadcast producers, sports information specialists or sports communication officers
- Are already working in this field and are looking to upgrade their skills
- Are looking for better career prospects
The graduates of this program:
- Are capable of writing and telling sports stories in an energetic and interesting manner
- Develop a portfolio of published sports stories, photos, videos, columns, podcasts, blogs and tweets
- Discover new sports journalism career paths with local, national and international news and multi-platform outlets
The three-semester program combines classroom learning and an industry field placement component. It covers a wide range of subjects, such as sports interviewing and beat reporting, sports in Canada, sports reporting, sports internet and social media, sports writing, stats and research, on-air performance and feature writing.
Enrolment Guide
In order to apply for this program, you need:
- College diploma or university degree in any discipline
- Relevant experience in the field of journalism (for applicants with partial post-secondary education)
- A detailed resume
- A portfolio of writing including a minimum of three pieces of published or unpublished work
- To complete a writing test