The fifth annual Sports Journalism Summit took place in Mitten Hall at Temple University on Monday, November 14th. The event consisted of guest speakers from the sports journalism industry, including keynote speaker Jade McCarthy of ESPN.
The event kicked off with students having the chance to speak to a panel consisting of four sports broadcasters. These speakers offered their insight into the realm of sports journalism as well as how they got to where they are (because they are all very successful in their field of the industry).
The panel consisted of Michael Bradley, writer, broadcaster and professor of journalism at Villanova University, and John Kincade, sports radio host at WCNN 680 “The Fan” in Atlanta, as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame and Eagles radio analyst, Ray Didinger, and Phillies PA announcer, Dan Baker.
The group started off by telling students that they must constantly “out-hustle” the person sitting next to them. Temple graduate John Kincade said, “Competition is now…so take advantage of it.”
Michael Bradley made it known that only doing well in the classroom isn’t nearly enough to succeed in this field. Although unfortunate, Bradley shared that potential employers rarely ever pay attention to the applicant’s GPA, rather their relevant experience in the field.
Kincade added, “You’re not stepping into Channel 6 tomorrow, but take the job that’ll get you there.” Explaining that a student’s first job most likely will not be their dream job, but in order to reach that potential job, students should take what’s handed to them at first.
When Kincade spoke about having to bring his personality to the industry, the information he shared allowed the students to realize that it’s sometimes more than just knowing facts and news about sports. He reminded students that anybody can produce game statistics, but the reason they tune in to his radio show is for the purpose of finding out what he is going to say about a game. His personality and opinions essentially become part of his audience’s life.
Following the panel, ESPN anchor Jade McCarthy kicked off her portion of the event by sharing one of her favorite quotes: “Opportunity favors the prepared mind.”
McCarthy reinforced the importance of powerful interview questions, proposing that reporters need to be asking different questions than everybody else, or at least asking their questions in a different way, if they expect to gain information, and different viewpoints, that nobody else has. “Asking wise questions will bring out the best responses from the interviewee, putting them in a good public spotlight, as well as allowing the audience to mark the reporter as being respectable.” she said.
“Jade McCarthy was my favorite speaker at the event because I love hearing from women who are in the industry,” said Tessa Sayers, freshman journalism major. “So many times I’ve heard that I don’t belong in the industry, or have gotten surprised looks from people when I tell them that I want to become a sports journalist. Hearing that there is a place for women in the industry, from someone who is so successful, gave me a lot of hope.”
Wrapping up her time at the event, McCarthy said, “You can’t always act like you belong somewhere; you just need to belong because of the knowledge you have. You have to be confident in that, and if you don’t know something, ask. Your colleagues will respect that you want to increase your knowledge. It’ll only make you a better teammate.”
Scott Franzke, Phillies play-by-play announcer, also made an appearance, holding a discussion with students about his career as well as the industry as a whole.
Sharing that one of his early internships consisted of reciting informational readings for a phone book, Franzke revealed that it’s often possible to find valuable experience in “silly” internships. He said that this internship actually bettered his ability to read out loud, on cue, without making mistakes – a vital skill in the world of broadcasting: being able to read accurately, on the fly, without problems.
The final segment of the 2016 Sports Journalism Summit allowed students to interact with a panel consisting of four sports columnists who spoke about developing one’s voice through writing.
The panel consisted of Tara Sullivan, Bergan Record/northjersey.com columnist, and John Smallwood, Daily News columnist, as well as Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford, and Scranton Times-Tribune columnist and beat writer, Donnie Collins.
John Smallwood told students, “You need to be effective in your own voice.”
Tara Sullivan added to Smallwood’s statement by explaining how “you must write like you’re there. You need to interview, research, and report.” She strengthened her argument by stating that it’s not very compelling to write about things that anyone watching the event at home can figure out for themselves.
In reply to a student question wondering if better stories came from wins or losses, Bob Ford said that throughout a game, “you must root for the story!” Whether the outcome for the home team is a win or a loss, it’s vital to be watching the game with the purpose to produce a good story. Ford shared with students that most of the time, the best stories actually come from losses.
Freshman journalism major, Meghan Tome summed up her experience at the event, saying, “This event really informed me about what to realistically expect from the industry and inspired me to study and work hard to be able to be part of it.”
With the interest in sports journalism on Temple’s campus being higher than ever, this event brought students together and taught them valuable lessons about the field. Thanks, Temple, for making this happen!