Sports Journalism Majors

<h3 id="section---WhatYouNeedToKnow">What You Need to Know</h3> <p>Sports reporters work in all forms of media, from up-to-the-minute online news to television and print. Sports journalism is a specialty area of a journalism curriculum, sometimes referred to as a communications curriculum. Earning a degree can prepare you for a career in sports reporting and broadcasting, sports photojournalism, editing, public relations, and sports marketing. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degrees</b></td><td> Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Journalism; master's degrees are also available</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Hands-on Learning</b></td><td> Internships with sports media outlets, school journalism publications, or on-line sports news outlets</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Careers</b></td><td> Broadcast, print, or online sports reporter, editor, or analyst</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---WhatWillILearnInASportsJournalismProgram">What Will I Learn in a Sports Journalism Program?</h3> <p>Your program could be interdisciplinary; you would take courses through a university's department of journalism or communications, and you would take some courses specific to sports journalism. Possible degree titles include a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism or Communications with an emphasis in sports journalism, or a Bachelor of Journalism. Courses might include the following: </p> <ul><li>Multimedia sports journalism </li><li>Newspaper reporting and editing </li><li>Interviewing essentials </li><li>Radio and television reporting </li><li>Sports and society </li><li>Ethics in journalism </li></ul><p>You'll also take general education courses, like English composition or college algebra. Many schools offer internship opportunities with sports radio programs, campus and city newspapers, college websites or even local television stations. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSportsJournalismProgramsExist">What Sports Journalism Programs Exist?</h3> <p>You have many schools, courses and programs to choose from when preparing for a career in sports journalism. Classroom-based programs differ in prerequisites and length and are designed to teach journalism, with a further emphasis in sports journalism. While there are online general journalism courses, specific sports journalism programs typically are classroom-based. Some schools also offer master's degree programs specifically in sports journalism. </p> <p>Schools that offer sports journalism courses and programs include the following, among others: </p> <ul><li>University of Missouri </li><li>University of Texas at Austin </li><li>Syracuse University </li><li>University of Maryland </li><li>University of Massachusetts </li><li>Arizona State University </li></ul><h3 id="section---HowWillILearn">How Will I Learn?</h3> <p>On-campus courses often combine formal classroom instruction with hands-on learning projects, such as a sports reporting on the campus newspaper staff. Methods may vary from school to school, but you can expect to find professors who implement the latest technology and social media outlets to help students prepare to enter the ever-changing sports journalism workplace. </p> <p>Some larger schools have on-site television studios, in addition to student-run radio stations, websites and newspapers. Many undergraduate programs also have robust internship programs where you can learn sports journalism skills while assisting professionals in real-world environments. Through an internship, you may spend several months working in a television newsroom, a magazine office, a radio station or a newspaper office. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSTheCareerOutlook">What's the Career Outlook?</h3> <p>Graduating sports journalism majors may find work as broadcast news analysts or reporters. Analysts discuss breaking news stories on television and radio programs; many specialize in a particular field, like sports. Reporters write news stories based on subject interviews, photos and other documents. </p> <p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), broadcast news analysts, reporters and correspondents earned a median annual salary of $48,370 in 2021 (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). The BLS noted that the number of employed news analysts and reporters was expected to decline by nine percent from 2021-2031 due to declining advertising revenue within the industry.</p>