Sports journalists bring depth, nuance, and humanity to the sports we play in many ways. Use in-depth statistics to paint a picture of how your players are changing your game in subtle ways.
Sports journalists tell us what to expect from the athletes we follow. They remind us of the importance of athletic performance and paint a picture of each player, coach, and team's arc and narrative. In doing so, they make these "larger-than-life" people more real and more accessible to their audience.
The portraits they paint draw us in and invest us in the outcome of the game and season. When we consume the work of skilled sports journalists, their love and passion are so powerful that we weave the sport we follow into the fabric of our lives.
It is undeniable that the entire journalism industry has been in serious decline since the Great Recession of 2008. Most Americans aren't exactly aware of the financial situation of the media industry and how dire the employment of local news organizations is. Despite these troubling trends, what many people don't realize is that the demand for sports-related content has grown every decade, and audiences are now larger and more engaged than ever before.
The explosion of internet media has changed the landscape and now there is a wider variety of media and many new kinds of opportunities for sports journalism graduates with the right skills.
The rise of social media means that fans, players, and journalists are more connected than ever before, and sports-related content is in greater demand than ever before. So, if you are willing to invest in your education, have the right skills, and are resilient and determined to pursue a career with passion, now could be a great time to start a career as a sports journalist.