For the most avid sports fanatic, being a sportswriter can be considered a dream come true. It is the chance to fulfill your inner-most dreams and fantasies (Sports related, that is). The best part of it all is that you get paid for doing something that you truly love.Being a sportswriter can be rewarding, and at the same time, brings even the most veteran reporter to his or her knees. Imposing deadlines, temperamental players, limited media access, and other hurdles are issues that reporters face on a daily basis.
The key to unlocking the doors for the successful writer is to be as knowledgeable as you possibly can about the subject that you are covering, or at least to know how to get the information needed for your article.
The biggest hurdle for any freelance reporter is getting the respect that you need from the players and coaches in order to get the interviews and features that every newspaper or magazine is starving for.
The best way that I have found to gain credibility as a sports reporter, especially if you are just starting out, is to offer your services for free to any and all publications that cover what you are willing to write about.
Many web sites offer services that provide a way to get your articles published and your name out to various newspapers or magazines that frequent the sites looking for their next feature writer or columnist.
Another way that offers the credibility that you need to be successful as a freelance reporter is to publish your own sports site on the web. This way is the most rewarding that I have found and in-turn the most time consuming.
If you are willing to put forth the effort required to maintain your own site, you can take advantage of the many possibilities that most people think are set aside for “big-time” publications.
One of the biggest advantages that I have found with creating and maintaining your own site is that if you treat it just like having your own small business, designing your own letterhead and business cards, then the sky’s the limit for what you are able to do.
Most sports teams and media relations departments (especially smaller schools) will grant you access to locker-room interviews and on-field access if you present your request on company letterhead before the event.
Some sites on the web even provide the sportswriter with the credentials and backing needed in order to be able to gain full access to any event that you would be willing to cover.
The more sites and publications that you write for, the greater the chance that you will be granted the availability to players and coaches by the media relations department that will boost your career.
Just remember to act like a professional when covering any of these events, your reputation is on the line and the chance of getting additional coverage depends on you. So like the old saying goes “Act like you’ve been there before” and chances are you will be back.
One reply on “So You Want To Be a Sports Reporter”
Nice suggestions One more thing I would add to that list. If you’re looking to build up a sample story or three that are worth showing around, pick one team and cover it for the year. A local high school football team, even.
By the time you’re into week seven or eight, the players will know you, the coaches will have started lightening up if you played your cards right, and you’ll have enough background info to deliver some stories with depth.
Plus, there’s no group of athletes more eager for media attention than kids. When the weekly paper I work for gets dropped off at the schools, the football team grab stacks of them and pass them out in the halls to make sure everyone reads them.
You could easily build up a similar following on a website by letting the kids know when their story will go live.