Sports Journalism Vs. Sports Broadcasting

By: Brandon Blackmore

Sports Journalism

What is Sports Journalism?• Sports journalism is a form of writing,

either on a paper or internet medium, for sports teams, players, or sports in general.

Duties• Write, research, and present information on

sports, whether it be a certain team or the whole league in general on an online media (website) or paper media (newspaper, magazine.)

Working Conditions• Depending on the sport or sports that you

write for, you need to be able to write for the whole season. Sometimes you will write in the offseason about key acquisitions, team previews, and other important topics.

Training• Internships with smaller sports

organizations such as minor league baseball teams.

• There are also internships for smaller colleges in sports.

• The more experience that you have prior to your employment, the more likely you will get the job.

Earnings• Depending on who you work for, the

earnings vary. The typical earnings of a sports journalist are $25,000-$45,000 per year.

Perfect School/ Degree• The perfect school for being a sports

journalist according to education-portal.com, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) is the best school overall ($25,800/yr.) You need a bachelor’s degree with a major in English to get a job.

SPORTS BROADCASTING

What is Sports Broadcasting?• Sports broadcasting is the same as

sports journalism; but instead of writing, you are speaking. It could be on TV or on a radio station.

Duties• The duties of being a sports

broadcaster are researching sports scores, players, and teams and discussing them with a powerful voice. This could be at the games or in a studio.

Working Conditions• Presenting information and opinions

on sports to an audience of people watching or listening. Also going to games and doing play-by-play broadcasting.

Training• As with sports journalism,

internships with smaller colleges and sports teams are helpful to getting a job and having experience.

Earnings• The average annual salary of

sports broadcasters is $59,000 as of 2013.

Perfect School/ Degree• The perfect college in the US for sports broadcasting

according to PhD’s education index, Belmont University ($23,770) in Nashville, Tennessee is the best sports broadcasting college in the US. You need to have a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and communications.

Similarities / Differences• Both of these careers have to do with

sports. The only difference is that in sports journalism, you are writing things down, and in sports broadcasting you are talking.

My Choice• Since I would like to stay in Michigan

for college, I would like to become a sports broadcaster. I like to talk and according to PhD’s Education Index, Central Michigan is ranked 9th in the U.S. for best sports broadcasting schools.

WORKS CITEDPhD’s Education Index. The Best Sports Broadcasting Schools- Rankings Table and Overview.

PhDs.org.

Education Portal. List of Sports Journalism Colleges and Schools. Educatian-portal.com

Angst, Frank. Job Profile: Sports Writer. About.com

Molis, Jim. The Average Salaries of Professional Sports Announcers. Chron.com

Sports Journalist’s Association (SJA.) Training. Sportsjournalists.co.uk.

Journalism Degree. Sports Journalist Job Description. Journalismdegree.com.

Education Portal. Sports Broadcaster: Job Profile and Educational Outlook.

Education-portal.com