Many people think of major roles in sports media as the public facing roles such as anchor, reporter, play by play broadcaster or the color commentator on a broadcast. The reality is sports media encompasses many distinct roles, and the people who occupy these various jobs are responsible for making sure that broadcasts, websites, and print articles showcase the proper context for athletic feats as well as the talent of those who are publicly covering the athletes.
In the broadcast media, there are plenty of behind the scenes jobs that are vital for presenting a slick, finished product for the customer. Some of these jobs require experience in the arts while others are more engineering based. If you love sports but don’t love the idea of being a face or voice of a broadcast, then these jobs are perfect for you. Some of the jobs include working on graphics, production, audio/visual engineering, and even things that may seem mundane like statistician or researcher.
If the idea of putting together a great broadcast is something you’re interested in, then being a producer is an excellent idea. For many producers, this starts with a degree in communications. Communications degrees run the gamut, but the bottom line is you’ll spend plenty of time learning all the different responsibilities behind a broadcast, and this will help you in your professional life. An important part of your college education should be internships. Get internships in all areas of production. This hands-on experience will help you understand the pressure and responsibilities in a broadcast, including how to keep the talent from making statements that could put the media organization in a tight spot. For someone to be a good producer, it’s important to work well in stressful situations and can adapt to changing dynamics as they happen.
For people who like to be involved in a broadcast, but not necessarily in the production aspect, the graphics, engineering, and statistician/researcher positions are great fits. For people who enjoy the prospect of design, the graphic arts are perfect. Television organizations are always seeking to look sleek and well-packaged. Having a background in graphic arts and internships helps you understand the demands of the position and how you can fit in with the production responsibilities.
Audio/visual engineers have different responsibilities. These people could be in the on-site production truck or back in the main studio. What they do is ensure that the picture and audio quality is always excellent for the viewer. You can learn these trades in the communications department of any college, and once again, internships play a fundamental role in developing the skills and contacts needed to earn a great position.
Finally, the statisticians and researchers are an integral part of any broadcast. Ever wonder why announcers always seem to have these amazing facts to drop during a broadcast? The answer is simple – they are given this information by a team of dedicated researchers. Think about a typical football broadcast. Games are nearly four hours long so having information about the players, teams, and other possible events are critical. There is no set education but working in the research department of any organization – especially a media organization – is excellent training. The key is being right with the information and having it quickly. Anticipating the needs of the on-air talent helps make the person in this job nearly irreplaceable, so it’s imperative to be able to plan well and work well on the fly.
For newspapers and other print media, there are different sports media jobs as well. One of the most important is that of the editor. A journalism degree is required here, as this helps you understand the different protocol needed and how to construct a story to maximize readership properly. Internships in news organizations only burnish your credentials, and editors must be able to work quickly on the fly and be assertive. Some writers bristle at having their work edited, so being able to stand your ground while supporting their work is one of those critical people skills that takes time to learn. However, time spent in a newsroom will help you not only learn the people skills but also the technical skills that you need to succeed in this role truly. Remember, when it comes to being an editor, the better the job you do the better the writers do.
Thanks to the proliferation of blogs and other internet media, there is another area for people who seek jobs in sports media. This area is having to do with computers themselves. Web designers and individuals who are responsible for building the structure allowing these sites to flourish are in heavy demand. The way to get these jobs is to get degrees in any information technology field. For web design, known formats such as WordPress is a major asset, but if you can build original sites that are easy to navigate and responsive to users, then the people who produce the content for those sites will end up getting fantastic page views, and that will increase advertising content.
For those who are interested in the structure of support systems, there are plenty of jobs in the IT sector involving servers, cybersecurity, and even cloud support systems. Again, having a degree in an information technology discipline will help, but so will internships and other types of practical work experience. The good news is you don’t need to be directly involved in sports media to make the transition into these jobs. If your resume was burnished with work in another sector, that experience is transferable. The good news is you can work with a major sports media firm enhancing their web presence as well.
Ultimately, there are some themes that you may have noticed with these jobs. One of them is the importance of education; the other is the importance of internships and practical work experience. It’s important for your future employers to know they are getting someone who understands the business they are getting into. With the right experience and education, these sports media jobs are incredibly rewarding and provide you a way into the game where you can be an integral team member.
