Trudy Joseph '17 is a social producer for ESPN's First Take.
Are you interested in a career in sports journalism?
The UMass Journalism Department offers a specialized concentration geared toward students interested in sports journalism. The SJC is a unique focus of study, combining both in-classroom instruction with hands-on internship experience in the field. Learn how to cover a beat, blog, craft column and feature pieces, utilize multimedia and shoot sports photography.
Students also analyze the politics and issues in sports as well as the study of sports film and literature. The UMass Journalism Department is home to new multimedia facilities, a state-of-the-art studio and high-caliber equipment that foster an innovative environment for creating future journalists.
How to apply:
- If you are switching from another major on campus, you will want to request a meeting on Navigate with a journalism advisor.
- If you are already a UMass Journalism student, email your Journalism advisor to let them know you would like to join the SJC.
- If you are applying to UMass as a high school student or transfer student, you'll mark Journalism on your application. Then you can let your advisor know you would like to join the SJC during new student orientation.
Questions about what it's like to be in the Sports Journalism Concentration? Contact Greeley Kyle, Sports Journalism director.
Requirements:
Visit this page to learn more about the concentration requirements.
SJC Faculty:
Faculty within the Sports Journalism Concentration provide our students with guidance and oversight from their experience as journalists. Whether it be ESPN, The Washington Post or The Daily Hampshire Gazette, our Sports Journalism faculty come from a range of backgrounds and media outlets, giving our students a quality learning experience.
Events:
Each semester, the UMass Journalism Department hosts guest speakers, seminars and presentations for our students. These events allow our students to listen and learn from professionals in the field and are held in both individual classes and as larger presentations. Students often get the opportunity to network with the speakers after events.
Some of our past speakers include:
- Adrian Wojnarowski (Woj): ESPN Senior NBA Insider
- Kate Fagan: Columnist and Feature Writer for ESPN, espnW and ESPN The Magazine
- TJ Quinn: ESPN Investigative Reporter
- Bonnie Ford: ESPN Enterprise Reporter
- Jody Avirgan: Podcast Host and Producer for ESPN’s FiveThirtyEight
- Jemele Hill: ESPN's The Undefeated
- Howard Bryant: ESPN Senior Writer, NPR Correspondent, Author
- Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru: ESPN Investigative Reporters and Authors of League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis
Student Work Opportunities:
Students are encouraged to gain experience through campus media outlets. Newspaper, radio, TV and multimedia outlets are available to journalism students and specifically give SJC students experience covering a beat or respective sport. Students interested in broadcast media can also gain experience in our studio with live shows.
Our campus media outlets include:
Amherst Wire
Amherst Wire is the digital-first student-produced publication of the Journalism Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. We cover topics of interest to today’s students, and our focus is on good storytelling, colorful multimedia, interactivity and fostering community dialogue on the issues that affect our lives.
Amherst Wire TV
Amherst Wire also has a broadcasting component, Amherst Wire TV. Those interested in broadcast journalism can pitch, shoot, write and edit their own video stories for the Wire as well.
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is the independent student-operated newspaper at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that has been serving the UMass community since 1890. It is published daily Monday through Thursday during the calendar semester. The Collegian has the most comprehensive print and online coverage of UMass news and campus-related events.
UVC-TV 19
UVC-TV19, part of Student Engagement, is UMass Amherst's student-run television station. Our mission is to serve as a training facility for all facets of video production, while providing undergraduate students with a welcoming environment in which to learn. We broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on HSCN channel 19 on the UMass campus.
WMUA
WMUA 91.1 is “The Radio Voice of UMass Amherst.” WMUA offers radio opportunities in news, sports and music. The sports department hosts live on-air shows weekly and covers UMass sporting events as play-by-play and color commentator voices which you can listen to on 91.1 FM. WMUA is also the official voice of the UMass Women's Basketball team.
Summer Broadcasting Camp for High School Students:
Love sports? Love broadcast journalism? You’ll love this 2-week hands-on sports broadcasting program at UMass Journalism. Learn the basics of sports broadcasting in our new state-of-the-art broadcast studio with experienced UMass Journalism faculty as your teachers. Apply here.
You will:
- learn about story idea generation, game preparation, interviewing, script writing, camera work, video/audio editing and on-air presentation.
- cover actual sports stories in the Amherst area to gain experience in the field.
- learn how to use our cutting-edge cameras and equipment
-have a great time with new friends in the process.
Sports Program Bundle:
Save $500! Want to dive deeper into the sports industry? Spend 4 weeks immersed in the world of sports at UMass Amherst. Apply for both Sports Broadcasting and the Sport Management & Leadership Academy and save $500. Discount will be applied automatically at registration.