What is Sports Journalism? Definition, History, Famous Sports Journalists, Salary, and Future
The passion for sports, particularly cricket, is huge in our country. Check out the role of sports journalism in covering some of the greatest entertainment events.
What is Sports Journalism?
What is Sports Journalism? - Sports is one of the most widely consumed genres, bringing in a lot of viewership, sponsorships, and monetary benefits. Sports is a whole world and generates a lot of employment. From the players on the field to the hawkers standing outside the stadiums, sports is a win-win for everyone, creating ample scope and opportunities for whoever is involved.
Journalism is a vast subject and consists of different types and forms, one such type is Sports Journalism. With the rampant increase in sports events and the masses it attracts, sports journalism has gone on to become one of the most sought-after journalism techniques. It is a style of news reporting where journalists cover LIVE games, analyse them, conduct interviews with players, support staff, and management, and go behind the scenes. In this article, we have covered sports journalism, its definition, characteristics, the salary of sports journalists in India and the future of sports journalism in the country.
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The viewers who love watching their favourite sportsperson scoring goals or making runs, also love watching LIVE coverage, sports reporting, commentary, as well as pre and post-match analysis to better understand the game and satisfy their craving to know the game better. This coverage of the game is known as Sports Journalism. Sports Journalism in itself is a different world altogether and in today’s article on “What is Sports Journalism?” we will be covering everything related to this form of journalism in detail like the perfect definition, brief history, characteristics, and skills required in a sports journalist, famous sports journalists, salary, scope and future of sports journalism.
As per the official notification released by the exam conducting authority, Film and Television Institute of India each question paper will be of 100 marks. 50 marks for descriptive type questions and 50 marks for MCQs. The time duration of the FTII JET exam question paper will be 3 hours.
FTII JET is conducted offline (pen & paper based test).
- Definition of Sports Journalism
- Brief History of Sports Journalism
- Coverage of Major Sports Events
- Characteristics and Skills Required
- Famous Sports Journalists
- Sports Journalists Salary
- Sports Journalism: Future Trends and Career Scope
- Sports Journalism in a nutshell
- FAQs related to What is Sports Journalism?
Definition of Sports Journalism
In simple terms, Sports journalism can be called the mixture of sports and storytelling. It is a form of journalism that focuses on the coverage of sports events, players, and teams. From ground moments to behind-the-scenes narratives, it is the sports journalists who bring forward the best shots, captions, and interesting stories for millions of enthusiasts around the globe.
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Brief History of Sports Journalism
Sports journalism can be traced back to ancient times during the time of the Olympic Games were historians and poets used to cover the moments. However, with the game getting an expansion in the 19th century and the rise of newspapers sports journalism started getting prominent. Earlier coverage was limited to newspapers, but now with the emergence of technology, it has spruced up to radio, television, and digital media.
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Coverage of Major Sports Events
Major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics, the Super Bowl, Cricket World Cup, Cricket Premier Leagues, Football leagues, MMA Sports Events, and the Wimbledon Championships attract massive global crowds.
The FTII JET stands for the Film and Television Institute of India Joint Entrance Examination. It is conducted by the Film and Television of India, Pune which comes unfer the academic institut under Ministry of Information and Boradcasting, Government of India. Candidates who qualify in the exam will be eligible for PG Diploma Courses granted Master’s degree equivalence by AIU. PG Certificate Courses approved by AICTE.
These events are covered by all major as well as minor news outlets and in a very aggressive manner. Sports journalism showcases athletic prowess, human drama, triumph, and resilience in creative as well as extravagant ways.
Characteristics and Skills Required
To excel in sports journalism, journalists must have a special blend of skills and uniqueness, some of which are mentioned below -
- Curiosity about knowing the game
- Passion for sports
- Strong communication skills
- Attention to detail
- The capacity to work under pressure
- Ready to work during odd hours
- Willingness to travel overseas or outstation for game coverage
Along with these, journalists must also have proficiency in multimedia storytelling, research skills, and adaptability to evolving technological trends.
Famous Sports Journalists
In the world of sports journalism, there are a lot of famous journalists who have graced the game outside the field with their unique presentation skills, deep analysis, and expert opinions. Some of them have also gone the way forward to bring us behind-the-scenes coverage of our famous sports. Some of the popular names from India and abroad are mentioned below who have shaped the industry with their talent and dedication -
Famous International Sports Journalists
- Bob Costas
- Howard Cosell
- Christine Brennan
- Peter Gammons
Famous Sports Journalists in India
- Vikrant Gupta
- Sanjeeb Mukherjee
- Kadambari Murali
- Malika Bajaj
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Sports Journalists Salary
In India, sports journalism has witnessed a steady growth in recent years, fueled by the country's burgeoning interest in various sports, especially cricket. The salary of sports journalists in India depends upon various factors such as experience, the media house they are working for as well as the sports they are covering. In India, the salary of sports journalists ranges from INR 30,000 to INR 50,000 for journalists with 4-5 years of experience. With more experience, the salary even goes further.
Sports Journalism: Future Trends and Career Scope
The future of sports journalism has both opportunities as well as challenges. With the increase in digital content consumption, there is a rapid transformation going on in this specific genre. If sports journalists adapt to this transformation by embracing social media, and digital platforms they can grow higher in their careers. With the advent of narrative-based sports coverage, storytelling, data-driven analysis, and interactive viewer engagement sports journalism can go a notch higher. However, if they fail to adapt, they can lose their grip.
Sports Journalism in a nutshell
Sports journalism is about reporting the true essence of human achievement, passion, and perseverance. Sports journalism is not just about covering scores or statistics; it is also about capturing crucial moments, covering never-seen-before angles like the back story of the players, their hardships, their training schedule, and the monetary angle behind sports so that viewers get a holistic view about their favourite sports and they care hooked to their screens.
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FAQs related to What is Sports Journalism?
Q: What is meant by sports journalism?
A: Sports journalism is the form of journalism where journalists cover sports events by reporting from the ground as well as from studios. Sports journalism includes LIVE reporting, pre and post-match game coverage, behind-the-scenes as well as exclusive interviews of the players, support staff, or management.
Q: How can I become a sports journalist after 12th?
A: To become a sports journalist after 12th candidates need to get enrolled in graduation and qualify for it. Post graduation, they can join any media house as an intern. Once they have successfully completed their internship, they can get a job in the same media house or look for a fresher job in a different media house in the same genre.
Q: Which course is best for sports journalism?
A: Any Bachelor's level degree in journalism or mass media is best for pursuing a sports journalism career.
Q: Who is the most famous sports journalist in India?
A: Some of the most famous sports journalists in India are Harsha Bhogle who is a famous cricket commentator, Mayanti Langer who is a famous sports presenter, Vikrant Gupta is also a famous journalist who works for the India Today group.
Q: What is the highest salary for a sports journalist?
A: The highest salary for a sports journalist can be anything between INR 1,00,000 to 1,50,000. This depends upon the media house, the experience of the journalist as well as the project. The salary comes with various other benefits like travel and accommodation to cover the sports event. However, many sports journalists like Harsha Bhogle also earn a salary in 8 figures.
Q: What are the skills required to become a sports journalist?
A: To become a sports journalist, candidates need to have these skills - Curiosity about the game, Passion to cover sports, Strong communication skills, Attention to detail, Research abilities, Readiness to work under pressure and during odd hours, etc.
Global Media Common Entrance Test is an all South Asia entrance examination that offers admission of qualified candidates to undergraduate media courses. The colleges that come under the GMCET exam are - Sharda University, National School of Journalism, Alliance University, Auro University, Presidency University, Noida International University, LNCT University, GITAM University, Mody University, Jagran Lakecity University, Ajeenkya D.Y. Patil University, Centurion University, NSHM Knowledge Campus, Invertis University, Vivekananda Global University, and Bahra University.