A sports journalist has the duty to inform people about what is taking place in the field of sports. Sometimes a sports journalist can focus on one particular sport while at other times he may have to write about all sort of sporting activities. But the later is a junior level, as he attains seniority with experience he will specialize on one sport. Some sports journalists work on a freelance basis as a result their works are published in more than one newspaper or magazines. Others who are employed with a newspaper generally write for it. They also write for websites, blogs, and magazine or television channels. Sports journalists should be able to capture the enthusiasm and interest of the readers and also provide an accurate description of the sport event that they are writing on.
Careers in this field require a candidate to complete high school with good English writing skills and should be interested in sports related subjects. One should have a degree in journalism and specialize in sports. He should look for training programs that provide practical experience which is useful in the field of sports journalism, like internships in newspaper houses. He can even work as an article writer for sports newspapers, sports magazines, television, and radio channels on a freelance basis. This will help him to gain valuable practical experience which will help in surging ahead to obtain a fine job. Sports management programs are also widely offered by many renowned universities around the United States. One can certainly opt for them to increase their career prospects in sports journalism.
Sports journalists should have the capability to work for long hours and still meet deadlines for printing. Most writers have to use computers so knowledge of Word is crucial. As per the editors they should be skilled at usage of editorial and layout tools which will help them in editing much faster. A sport journalist should be creative, should have a thorough understanding of what is the sport about, and maintain a good relationship with athletes, coaches, and managers. A sports journalist should be interested in the sports about which he is writing and updated on all issues pertaining to the sports world. A good sports journalist should also have knowledge of photography to take snapshots on the spot at the event. He has to be very agile and strong as he will need to travel far and wide to cover sporting events. He should have a valid passport to make international travel. He should abide by the ethics of journalism as not to misrepresent any sport related incident or tarnish the image of a sport personality. Most important, he should possess the license to be in the media.
There are many career opportunity in this field as the coverage of sports news is essential to run a media house. So there will be a requirement for sports journalists. But there will be competition for jobs in newspapers, broadcast stations, networks, and magazines of national and international repute. But there are still many opportunities in broadcast stations, publications, online newspapers, and magazines of all sizes. Brilliant writers will always have an advantage over the others.
A sports journalist can get $20,000 a year writing for a local weekly. With knowledge, experience, and skills he can earn about $85,000. As a really popular sports columnist, it's possible for one to draw about $150,000. The average pay for a sports journalist employed with a newspaper is in the range of $25,000 to $45,000. The salary depends on the experience, knowledge, skills, and the employing organization.
Thus there is always a good scope to flourish as a sports journalist. The demand for sports news will never diminish. Job opportunities will steadily be created in this sector.
