<p>If I went to a top journalism school and went into sports journalism, would I be able to get a job? Would there be livable wages? Isn't sports journalism growing as sports gets bigger and bigger?</p>
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<p>I would say that would be a very tough field.</p>
<p>Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try though.</p>
<p>You could always get a graduate degree in something more practical</p>
<p>I’m just wondering if it would be stupid to go into. I love sports, I’m pretty good in front of a camera anchoring, I’ve done a few things, and I can write about sports pretty well. I would think sports journalism is growing because the media is more involved in sports now adays. There are more radio/tv stations, newspapers/websites are still there. I’m wondering if it would be a good idea to go and try and do sports journalism.</p>
<p>Its one of those fields that you have to question whether studying it makes any sense. If you’re and english major or anything else, you can write for your college newspaper or get work covering the games on radio or whatever, usually.</p>
<p>How about this. Call up a couple of your local sportswriters or small time broadcasters and ask them. As far as I can see, the field suffers from the problem that there is a very low barrier to entry, it attracts a lot of people, some of whom are well connected, and its tough to capture the imagination of your audience. </p>
<p>Of course, if you have “it”, either on the air or in print, you’ll be in demand ultimately. But, I think most of the great sports journalists paid plenty of dues in out-of-the-way places, and it took a long time to get to the top.</p>
<p>But wouldn’t it be higher in demand now. I mean there are like thousands of radio stations, websites/newspapers, and more tv stations. I would be equipped in broadcast, writing and editing from a top journalism school. I do know some people in the industry and if I go to this journalism school I would have a strong alumni network as well.</p>
<p>TV news - as well as sports casting - isn’t what it used to be. Fewer people are watching TV news because they get their news from a variety of other sources. And since fewer people are watching, it’s less lucrative. Sports casting may be the toughest area of all as more and more athletes are getting into it, providing a unique perspective that you, even with your top journalism school degree, won’t be able to offer. </p>
<p>To get into sports casting is a long and hard road. To get that first job you’d need a solid ‘tape’ and portfolio. In all likelihood, your first job will be in some tiny market in the middle of nowhere. After a year or two, you’d move to a bigger market. And then bigger yet. Meantime you’re not making a lot of money, working all the time, and moving a lot. And once you settle in a market/job you like, every few years you have to sweat whether your contract gets renewed or not. Unless you’re a superstar, there’s a good chance that a younger, prettier, cheaper sportscaster is dying to get your job. </p>
<p>I’m not saying this to discourage you from pursuing this field. But you need to be realistic. A top journalism school is no guarantee - merely a starting point.</p>
<p>Well if you pay your dues do most end up doing well? Also what are some starting salaries for sports journalists?</p>
<p>[News</a> Analysts, Reporters, and Correspondents](<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos088.htm]News”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos088.htm)</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs017.htm]Broadcasting[/url”>http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs017.htm]Broadcasting[/url</a>]</p>
<p>These will give you some hard numbers.</p>
<p>With new sports TV networks popping up from the BigTen Network to the soon to be other college networks I think there will be some good opportunities. But pay may be pretty low starting out.</p>
<p>How low and by mid career can’t it be a decent wage?</p>
<p>Starting salaries for journalists are commonly in the $20-25,000 range. You’ll likely be at a small local paper, covering mostly high school and local college sports.</p>
<p>Figures from a few years ago – but they haven’t risen much.</p>
<p>Salaries for news analysts, reporters, and correspondents vary widely. Median annual wages of reporters and correspondents were $34,850 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $25,760 and $52,160. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $77,480. Median annual wages of reporters and correspondents were $33,430 in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing, and $37,710 in radio and television broadcasting.</p>
<p>Median annual wages of broadcast news analysts were $51,260 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,000 and $88,630. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,470, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $156,200. Median annual wages of broadcast news analysts were $51,890 in radio and television broadcasting.</p>
<p>Risen? If anything, they have fallen.</p>
<p>Yes, there are a lot of new Web sites/blogs out there, but they hire very few or even zero full-time, paid employees. A lot of them are done by stringers or by people for whom sportswriting is a side gig. It is very difficult to make significant money off it. I know because I tried - I founded and operated a blog covering a D-I FBS program in the WAC for two years.</p>
<p>I agree that it can be very hard to get a full time job through these sites and even a decent ‘mid-career’ wage in the new TV networks. If anything, those jobs are expected to decline, according to government data. </p>
<p>Speaking of mid-career wages… from my circle of peers/friends who started out in TV news/sports I can only think of a few who even made it to mid-career. Most left the business before that for jobs that offered more stability, more/better time off (no weekends or holidays when you’re in TV,) and yes, more money.</p>
<p>Do you have any numbers? Are they livable wages?</p>
<p>uniman, yes numbers and wages were included in the links I enclosed. And in my post #13</p>
<p>As to livable wages – depends where, depends how much, depends how many people they’re expected to support. Generally, once you move up the ladder, yes they’re “livable.”</p>
<p>Lets face it, sports journalism is lots of fun compared to most jobs. Is there any guy who doesn’t want to be a sport journalist? OK, for a few of you engineers and science guys, maybe not. But for most of us, that would be living the dream. So the competition is huge. Sure, the demand is growing, but the supply is incredible!</p>
<p>So it’s tough. To land a really good position, you need to be good, get lucky, and pay your dues. So, go in with your eyes open. But go for it! Be the guy who makes it!</p>
<p>What about advertising. That sounds fun is it a good career? Is it easier to make money in that field?</p>
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