Sports journalism is an exciting and rewarding career. It is suited to those with excellent communication skills and extensive sporting knowledge. But what exactly does a sports journalist do, and how does one go about becoming a sports journalist? We answer these questions and more below.

A Sports Journalist

A sports journalist is responsible for researching and writing sporting news stories, and also creating match and game reports. They may attend press conferences and even undertake interviews with athletes.

Sports journalists may produce written articles and reports for sports news sections broadcast on television or radio. Sports journalism also includes roles as dedicated sports photojournalists. Sports journalism roles offer access to exclusive events and can involve extensive travel.

Sports Journalism Entry Requirements, Skills and Knowledge

To become a sports journalist, you must have an accredited journalism qualification. There is no requirement to have a specific sports journalism or sports communication qualification, but it will certainly help in your application if you do. You’ll find dedicated sports journalism courses at the School Of Journalism.

Once you have the right qualifications, it is essential to try and get some work experience, even if that means spending some time doing an internship, or even writing for free. The more published work you can show potential employers, the better.

You’ll also need to be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of sport in the UK and, to a lesser extent, the whole world. It’s expected that you have broad sporting knowledge, which means you’ll need to be as clued-up on darts and golf as you are on football and cricket.

You should also be able to demonstrate an understanding of the industry at large, not just the specifics of the game. As well as having a deep understanding of the world of sport, you’ll also need the ability to write in a coherent and accessible way.

A sports journalist may create a variety of stories, articles, and reports related to sporting events and the industry at large. They may work on television, radio, print media or online.