Chapter 2: Careers in Sport Communication Lecture 3 {Date}

Lecture Outline Careers in management Careers in mass media Careers in support services Careers in entertainment Careers through other opportunities Your keys to entry into the field

Profile of a Sport Communicator: Ron Semiao Position Duties Key career accomplishments Advancement in career

Careers in Sport Communication SI: nearly 5 million jobs –Each job has some component of communication –SC segment is particularly vibrant and attractive What kind of jobs are available in SC? How do you prepare yourself for a position in SC? At the core of the various careers is the ability to communicate with key audiences Convergence of media entities (i.e., print, online, broadcasting) provides opportunities for adaptable people with strong skill sets Careers in SC fall into five major areas... –Management –Mass media –Support services –Entertainment –Other

Major Areas of Careers in Sport Communication

Careers in Management Managers and administrators in SC Wide variety of functions –Manage employees, plan strategies, organize campaigns, and deal with budgetary, policy, legal, and ethical issues –Foster partnerships with stakeholders, oversee the day-to- day operations of the sport organization relative to the sport communication function In sport organizations –Pros: VP of communication, media relations, corporate communication specialist (sport and business media) –Intercollegiate athletics: Associate AD for SC (personnel, radio and TV, SID, Web site, publications, rights negotiations, strategic planning) In sport media: Publishers, producers, directors, presidents, entrepreneurs

Careers in Sport Mass Media Serves to inform, educate, persuade, entertain masses of sport viewers, listeners, and readers Employs thousands –Those involved in the gathering, selecting, processing, and presenting of sports coverage to the masses –Print, electronic and visual media, new and emerging sport technology

Print Media Newspaper, wire services, magazines, books –Business operations (management) and production: Publishing, accounting, administration, marketing, finance, sales, human resources, circulation, promotions, advertising, public relations, corporate communications, business development, acquisitions, press agentry, strategic planning –Editorial side: Writing, reporting, editing, designing, and photography –Editor in chief, executive editor, managing editor, sports editor –Copyeditor, sports designer, graphic artist, layout specialist –Author, biographer, chronicler, sports columnist, beat and feature writer, general assignment reporter, agate clerk, photographer, correspondent, freelancer

Electronic and Visual Media Radio (first broadcast medium) and television (most influential) –Business and operations: Sports programmer, director, producer, technical director, video technician, media production assistant, audio consultant, tape librarian, film editor, news writer, engineer, corporate officer, advertising sales coordinator, media buyer, new media, market researcher, business manager, account executive, GM, sports operations staff and manager –Performance: On-air or on-camera (sports anchor, broadcaster, reporter, photographer, talk-show host) Other: Producing sport training materials, sport videos, commercials for and of sport, sport education materials

New and Emerging Sport Technology Web –Developer, designer, multimedia project manager, marketer, content writer, animator, Web master, content coordinator –Those working with business development, online and off-line promotion, sales, Web maintenance and management, e-commerce, analysis, administration Support services in the field: Computer-assisted design, consulting, graphics and animation, operations, database administration, desktop publishing, management, sales, technical support, technical writing, Web page design and maintenance, word processing, wireless SC, informatics

Support Services Sport advertising –Craft and communicate messages regarding products to key audiences to convince members to purchase (pros in sales, management, media buying, sponsorships) Sport PR –Goal is to generate awareness for sport product –Focus is to manage information flow between the sport organization and its key publics –Fostering relationships with public, media, community (pros in PR, sport media relations and sports information, community relations)

Careers in Entertainment Video gaming: Graphic artist, designer, quality assurance tester Movies and music –Writing, directing, producing –Nontraditional sport events (e.g., music tours)

Other Opportunities Sports arenas and stadia: Technicians, master control operators, PA announcers, audio engineers, videographers Sport media buying: Securing media purchases for sport organizations Teaching SC Corporate consulting and training Motivational speaking Theoretical and applied (sport media) research

Entry Into the Field Career preparation: Develop skills, knowledge, experience, distinction Self-evaluation: Examine skill set, passion, interests, personality, values, work style (personal reflection, reading, consulting with a friend, surveys) Education Networking –Conduct info interviews, attend conferences and meetings –Meet professionals, remember names Experiential learning Job search: Select positions, craft resume and cover letter, prepare for interview process

Discussion Questions In what ways are careers in sport media organizations and careers in the SC areas of sport organizations different? How has technology changed the way pros in the field perform their jobs? What are the major trends in SC careers? How would you rank the major areas according to those with the highest demand for SC pros? What influences the ways in which SC pros communicate with their key publics? Why are SC opportunities described as having “breadth and width”? How do the varying roles of SC pros affect the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the sport organization? What is the current status of the SC job market? How do trends in the industry and trends in the global economy influence the demand for SC professionals? What are the most crucial skills required for a SC career?