We are living in a country where sports are religion and people are crazy about it. The last two decades have seen massive dynamic changes where several sports other than cricket like hockey, chess, kabbadi, and badminton have gained the momentum. If you are passionate about sports then the article is a treat for you.
The parameter of sports journalism is wide and covers all aspects of specific sport through various modes like newspapers, Internet, magazines, and radio. Popular media houses, big sponsorship companies, and enormous audience involved have resulted in making the sports industry grow massively. Various sports are rising in terms of development and progression. Introduction of Indian Premier League (cricket), Indian Super League (football) and Pro Kabbadi League (Kabbadi) with the involvement of high scale players the sports industry has grown immensely. Thus the need of qualified personnel who can cover the news are required.
Types of courses for careers in sports Journalism:
Sports journalism courses are available in different formats in India. The courses that are in high demand in the country are as follows:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- PG Diploma Program
- Master’s degree program
- PG Certificate programs
- Phil and Ph.D. programs
Top 10 colleges to study sports journalism in India:
Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi.
Christ College, Bangalore
School of Communication, Manipal
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, New Delhi
Indraprastha College for Women, New Delhi
Kishinchand Chellaram College
Kamala Nehru, New Delhi
Madras Christian College
Career Prospects and types of roles in Sports Journalism:
Sports Editor
The sports editors are journalists are seniors in the profession. They assign and edit stories on sports and athletes. He needs to maintain a professional network with writers and journalists in the fraternity and assign the job to reporters to cover the story. They work closely with marketing and sales department of the media house.
Sports Writer
The person who writes features and article that comes across several media outlets like ESPN, Cricbuzz, Cricinfo, and sports columns in the newspapers is called sports writer. People who have skill and knowledge are hired to write opinionated pieces whereas the beginners are given the job of writing fact based materials for the audience. TV cannels also require formulating a script for the show or provide interesting content for the sports industry.
Sports Reporter
The sports reporter travels to different venues where sports events are being organized. They need to collect information and cover the live events and record it for future reference. They interview the players, coaches, and sponsors.
Sports Anchor
Like any other TV or radio show host, a sports anchor is in charge of reporting sports-related news and stories to the audience on screen. The anchors need to present themselves as strong personality and have knowledge of the languages like English and Hindi.