Sports journalism is a style of reporting on matters relating to sports related events. Sports journalism began in the late 1800s when it primarily was aimed at the elite social elite and eventually transitioned to a part of the mass media business with numerous daily newspapers featuring specialized sports sections. It became widely accepted by the general public and was embraced by the rest of society when popular sports people such as Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox became popular faces of their respective sports.
Sports journalists, especially in major sports news outlets, are expected to be up to date with all aspects of sports from national and international level championships and events, to minor league baseball, NBA, NFL and NHL games. The sports media also covers other non-sports events such as politics, current affairs, local events, and any other information deemed relevant to sports. In addition, as the August deadline approaches for players to report for workouts and the preseason, many sports journalists follow the trends created by the players and combine it with news worthy items from the field.
Although there are some challenges associated with writing a sports related news story, there are also plenty of opportunities. The athletes are celebrities and the focus of the sports column in every newspaper, whether it is the popular sports magazines or the broadsheet news daily, is the athlete and all that they do. Because of this, the athlete is given much more attention than a regular person who is not a professional athlete. A non-athlete may cover the story avidly, but a sports writer will spend significant time going over basic details about a specific athlete in order to provide accurate and interesting information to the readers.
Sports journalism requires strong written communication skills in addition to excellent judgment and reporting abilities. Many reporters and columnists are college or professional athletes themselves and have had years of experience covering different sports. As such, they have developed a keen ability to cover the games and players with care and clarity. It is not uncommon for sports journalists to write entire articles based on one game and to never look at a second of the game from a different perspective. If a sports writer covers multiple sports, he or she will be required to keep that particular focus throughout the duration of a period.
Today, most newspapers, radio stations, television stations, and magazines offer extensive sports reporting. For example, a sports magazine such as Sports Illustrated will feature stories and reports about the most popular and newsworthy topics related to sports. Many television networks and even some sports websites provide coverage of sports. These sites and networks will often air replays of games without commentary from the sports reporting team. This type of reporting creates a unique opportunity for sports writers because it allows them to get a look at a game that may not normally be covered unless it is for a major sports event.
If you enjoy writing about sports news, consider a career in sports journalism. It can be both rewarding and exciting. The sports reporting career can allow you to explore new arenas and to put your opinion and creativity to work. Sports journalism can also allow for creativity and innovation because the world of sports has many avenues to explore and to cover. And, best of all, sports journalism is a great way to learn and to experience a wide variety of aspects of sports.