DS Year 12 interested in sports journalism...

And their alumni are? That’s what really matters.

Loads of my old colleagues teach the courses there! Well worth a look I would say.

We were at University of Derby open day on Saturday and they do 3 Journalism degrees:
Journalism
Sports Journalism
Football Journalism (very specific!)

The curriculum was wide and quite flexible with quite a lot of module options for 2nd & 3rd year

The huge problem with sports journalism is it’s crowded with ex players! Just look at cricket, rugby, racing, athletics, etc. Columns all penned by former players or those in the game at a high level. It squeezes others out. The BBC got rid of loads of sports journalists to make way for retiring players. They are everywhere! Plus fewer jobs for men as women are getting more roles. I would avoid a journalism undergrad degree and do a masters at somewhere where alumni get jobs. Definitely get as much work experirbve and published work as possible before seeking a job.

Fair enough @Piggywaspushed - but obvs the sooner you start writing, the better.

I don't mean anyone here (obvs!) but I have come across ppl who dreamily say "I'd like to be a journalist" while having done nothing and read nothing! as if the BBC is going to scoop them up and send them to report on Westminster politics or the Oscars.

To be fair clary my DS has only just decided he might like to go into journalism, although he has always been nerdily interested in sport. He started uni with a view to joining the Civil Service. He is finding it relatively easy to get writing experience at uni. But definitely if wanting to apply for an undergrad degree the writing and so on should already be happening.

He met a Guardian sports journalist recently, by the way, OP . Young chap. Did his degree in journalism at Bournemouth.

Or he could start a school newsletter! Tbh if he isn't doing some writing already I would question whether he really wants to do this. Does that make sense? - not "oh I want to be a journalist so I better start writing" - it should be "wow I love writing, here is all my written work, oooh maybe this could be a career".

I suspect that sounds harsh but it is such a tough career to get a foothold in now. And yet thanks to the internet it is easier than ever to get your content published. I used to send reviews and the like to my local paper and of course they rarely used them. Much much easier now.

Just o add bacon, if he is thinking of applying to an undergraduate journalism degree some ask for evidence of interest. This might be evidenced via the personal statement but a few ask for a portfolio so he does need to get started if he hasn't.

As he does film, writing some film reviews/making a film blog would be a good place to start. Not many schools have magazines these days but if his school does, he could submit to that.

Great posts already @BaconAndAvocado and I would definitely echo all those saying get experience.

Some really good ideas here too! So often ppl say vaguely "write for the local paper" but that's not easy. What is, is to get your writing out there. A blog, great. Parkrun report is a brilliant idea.

What sport does he love? Find the local club and offer to write reports for their website. I run the website for my athletics club but I don't have time to chase up content so I would snatch his hand off!

Before I have recommended a journalism degree as I suspect increasingly, journo employers have them and thus look for them (unlike old hacks like me). But I am coming round to the idea of another subject eg science, a good string to your bow, then maybe a masters.

Film and SM skills are so important. Lad I know works in SM writing about footballers basically. Man he works hard tho. It's never been an easy role but it's so tough now. Good creators of content ate still needed tho.

https://apply.workable.com/telegraph/j/040C02D3FC/ may be of interest to him and other potential journalists.

If he's involved in any local teams get started by asking to run their social media pages. That'll test how committed he is!
And start a blog/ fan page and promote that via social media to try to get seen.
There are loads of sports journalism course - but as per previous poster, pick one with links to the sport they are passionate about. Lots of unis offer it. Manchester, Brighton, Solent, one in Preston too I think (or Lancashire).
Or consider a degree in a wider subject area then MA. Follow Lewis Coombes on social media. He started at Solent a few years ago and went to the bbc. He's very approachable.

Ermmm, yes, it does. It's an essay subject.

Presumably he will need to offer at least one proper essay-writing subject, and ideally English, at A level for a journalism degree. Writing clearly, concisely & accurately under time pressure is obviously a fundamental skill. Not sure if film studies would suffice.

I work in sports journalism. I’d probably not advise a child of mine to follow me for lots of reasons (terrible contracts/pay, race to the bottom in digital churn content, etc etc) though if you are passionate about it the work is endlessly interesting.
I would strongly advise a degree in something with wider career applications, then do as much student journalism/work experience as they can and consider a journalism training course or apprenticeship after.
feel fee to dm me

Sadly, I personally know several of those redundancies. It's tough.

I got a journalism degree a million years ago and only a fraction of my cohort is still in it. Most went into regional or local news (one is killing it in farm media) lots went to PR and drifted into other comms roles.

Journalism is cut throat and there have been mass layoffs, another announced last week at the largest chain of UK local media.

I wouldn't discourage your DS and he could be one of the lucky ones- but I'd highly highly recommend he do a double major/ dual degree in something useful just in case.

www.poynter.org/business-work/2023/how-layoffs-closures-affect-young-journalists/

pressgazette.co.uk/media_business/2023-journalism-news-job-cuts-redundancies/

pressgazette.co.uk/news/reach-450-redundancies/

What sports does he like? It's not a bad idea to choose a uni accordingly... eg my DS likes football and cricket and is ideally placed to report on those in Birmingham ( he's interviewed Rooney!).

Ds is looking into this and we are lucky enough to have a sports journalist friend who advised as follows.

• don’t do a journalism undergrad degree. Most journalists did something else for their first degree, and doing this will stand you in better stead in all sorts of ways.
• Consider a journalism MA though.
• Most importantly, write. Have a blog and promote it. Offer to cover local lower league games (or equivalent) for the local paper, free sheet or parish mag. Write in the school magazine. Write when you get to uni and ideally also edit- all unis have student papers. Have a website where your work is displayed along with some background and spend time making it look professional.
• Podcasts. These days you need to be multimedia. It’s harder to get this started than a blog but definitely worth it. Find other people starting out in podcasting and invite them in your show and go on theirs in return.
• It’s hard to get started in papers these days- opportunities are scarce (although great if you can get them) and people are now so used to free content that making a living (unless employed) is hard. A lot of freelancers supplement with copy writing etc.
• Don’t rule out broadcast journalism. Channels like Sky Sports occasionally run work experience programmes so research everything and make sure you apply. Far more likely to succeed if you can show a body of work as above.

Oh whoops! Cross Post!

Chichester?

Oops sorry University of Chichester!

Yes, the Manchester campus is based between The Eithiad stadium, a very snazzy building in the centre and Salford media city.

And yes to getting experience, the only actual young sports journalist I know is doing history at uni and his rugby podcasts on the side.