Does one need a journalism degree to get into sports journalism?

[93Devil]

Damn good point. A friend of mine was a food writer for a major metro but majored in something totally different at USC. In fact, I think she just took master chef classes or something like that to get the gig. She was just a born writer. College did not make her a writer.

But getting that college degree tells me a person is able to follow through on a major project for four years. And in this day and age, having a degree helps so much if you ever want to leave (or run away) from journalism.

If your goal is to be a special-interests writer -- like a food or music critic or a sabermetrician -- rather than a traditional reporter, then getting a degree in journalism is particularly worthless.

As far as your point about needing a degree of some sort, I think your first part is way off and your second absolutely right. I know a number of very talented, very committed journalists who didn't get their diplomas because they started work first and never bothered to go back. If they wanted to leave the field, they'd probably have to get those degrees.

I say that Verse, because only a fraction of what you learn in your career, do you learn in college. That is true for almost all professions, but college is important and having that degree does mean something. At least I think it does. What does it exactly mean? I am not sure, but it is nice to know that you can reach the end of a long marathon. And it is a long marathon.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

No.

 

[writingump]

I went to community college for two years and bagged it. The only journalism courses I took were for two years in high school, so you don't have to take it in college. You just have to work hard, accept that you have to pay dues (which could mean anything from agate page duty to covering Little League, middle schools, etc.) and prove that you'll work hard any time, anywhere.

 

[Dougggggg]

I honestly haven't written enough in that setting to say whether I love it. I have a desire to see if I enjoy it. I do have plenty of people I can talk to about writing things considering that is what my dad does for a living. I am going to go into this experience with an open mind, if I like it, sweet. If I love it, then maybe I have some thinking to do. If I hate it, well it was worth a shot.

I'm actually going to be covering the Tennessee Titans and Vanderbilt Commodores. That worked out pretty well for me since I would be following them for my own interests anyways. I was kinda floored because I didn't expect to be getting a chance to talk about something I am interested in for a job in a sense.

 

[JR]

Chris Jones, well known around these parts, has a degree in, I believe, Urban Planning.

 

[NightHawk112005]

No, you don't need a journalism degree, but if you don't love it, don't do it.

 

[ralph russo]

Me and my communications degree turned out OK. A few years back I heard Tony Kornheiser say his advice would be majoring in English if you want to get into journalism. Learn how to write. Master the language. Learn the rest on the job.

I wish I had done that. I also learned to write on the job (and some might say I still have a lot to learn).

 

[Turtle Wexler]

A more important question: Why do you do poorly in English classes?

 

[Precious Roy]

Chris Jones, well known around these parts, has a degree in, I believe, Urban Planning.

I want him to use that degree to write a nice piece about how a city needs to close certain bars at certain times to make sure the best are open for the most convenient for drunken mobs,

 

[apeman33]

Communication with an emphasis in broadcasting from Pittsburg State. However, I could have gotten this job with a high school diploma. The owner at the time I was hired wasn't especially picky and it turned out the guy who replaced me during the year I was burned out had put college degrees he hadn't earned on his resume. The owner didn't even bother to check his references or his job history (which turned out to also be bogus).

 

[heelsonthefield]

Definitely not. I don't have a journalism degree, but studied business applications before deciding what I wanted to do. I took English courses, but outside of that, my career (eight years now) has been about experience. I'm sure there are jobs that I've not gotten due to lack of a degree. But I've built a career on being a good student. Most editors are more interested in my level of experience and published clips. Newspaper editors hiring me on a freelance basis hired me based on clips. I find that they like seeing a good variety of the type of work you've done, and the number of sports, events, and levels (minor leagues, independent, high school, etc.,)you've covered.

I think the key is building an outstanding portfolio and, particularly today, a strong online presence. Getting myself out there in social media outlets and (hate the word) networking have also helped.

 

[HanSenSE]

A more important question: Why do you do poorly in English classes?

Excellent question. If one is going to be writing every day, then, obviously, command of the language is a must.