Full-time Programs
SPJN - Sports Journalism
Program Entry
SEPTEMBER
Program Length
One-Year Ontario College Post-Graduate Certificate
| Contact: | E-mail: |
|---|---|
| Mary Jollimore | mjollimore@loyalistc.on.ca |
On This Page
Highlights
- The demand for journalists with specialized skills in the sports arena is on the rise.
- Prepare yourself for an exciting, fast-moving career that can take you around the world.
- Students develop enhanced skills in the full range of sports journalism including reporting, interviewing, editing, shooting, hosting and writing.
- Gain on-air experience at 91X, the College radio station – and 6:30 News, the College's television newscast.
- Enjoy individual attention from a dedicated faculty.
Career Opportunities
Intensive training prepares graduates to enter the exciting, ever-changing, deadline-driven field of sports journalism. Employment opportunities exist in both large and small markets – and with media outlets that provide national coverage – in positions including sportscaster, producer, writer and researcher. With practical hands-on experience, graduates are prepared for positions within the radio, television, print and online media sectors. To maximize career opportunities, graduates should be willing to relocate.
Program Description
This program has been developed to enable students to gain enhanced skills in sports journalism – with a primary focus on the broadcast media; however, print and online media are also included. Students gain hands-on experience in sportscasting, interviewing, hosting, editing, shooting and writing. They develop critical thinking skills and learn to differentiate sports journalists from sports fans.
Students receive on-air performance coaching and gain experience
doing play-by-play reporting during live sporting events – including phone-in reports for use on 91X – the College’s radio station. In addition, students are assigned to work one day per week at 91X, generating profiles for broadcast.
Students are also assigned to work with the College’s 6:30 News team, writing, reporting, shooting and editing feature stories to be streamed on the Internet.
Approximate Cost
Tuition: $2,833 (two semesters)
Consumable Fee: $500 (approximate) (hard drive, audio recorder, thumb drive, microphone)
Admission Requirements
High School Graduates – High school graduates must first complete either a college diploma or university degree.
Loyalist Graduates – Loyalist students in the Print or Broadcast Journalism programs are able to reserve a place in this program. Students who identify this choice no later than the third semester, and successfully complete their initial program in the normal four semesters, can move directly into the Sports Journalism program in their fifth semester.
College Graduates - College graduates with a diploma in a non-journalism discipline also may apply for entry into this program. Their eligibility for admission into the Sports Journalism program will be considered on an individual basis. A student with a college diploma in a non-journalism program, who has successfully completed one year of a college or university journalism program, may also apply to the Sports Journalism program.
Direct entry from degree or diploma programs or work-related experience – Applicants who have earned a degree or diploma from another recognized post-secondary institution are invited to apply. Applicants who have significant work-related experience will be considered for entry based on a review of their demonstrated competencies and academic credentials.
Curriculum
Semester One
SPJN 1000 Radio Sports 1
Workshops in sports writing, interviewing, reporting, and instruction in the use of radio newsroom technology. Learners will then generate sports content and anchor sportscasts on 91X-FM.
SPJN 1001 Issues in Sport
A critical analysis of current issues in sport including the politics, business, ethics, and history of sport. This course has significant Web-based and seminar discussion components. The goal is to reinforce the notion that sports journalists are not sports fans.
SPJN 1002 Advanced TV Production Techniques 1
Workshops in TV sports writing and reporting, with instruction in the use of TV newsroom technology for shooting and editing. Learners will then generate sports content for broadcast in “6:30 News”, the college’s daily TV newscast.
SPJN 1003 On-air Performance
Workshops in the use of the voice, designed to develop good vocal habits, clarity and proper articulation, and pronunciation. Learners will gain an understanding of the importance of background research to provide knowledgeable play-by-play of live sports events.
SPJN 1004 Print/Online Writing for Sport
Writing for newspapers, magazines and on-line publications with a focus on reporting more than just the game score. This course will emphasize the proper use of grammar, copy-editing, generating story ideas, reporting (observing, researching, interviewing), and writing to deadline.
Semester Two
INTN 1004 Internship
Under the guidance of faculty, each learner locates and organizes a minimum four-week (140-hour) placement in April. These internships typically occur in broadcast media outlets, but may also include print, on-line, or other journalism-related opportunities.
SPJN 1005 Radio Sports 2
A continuation of SPJN 1000 with an emphasis on enhanced hands-on broadcast experience in radio. Learners will produce, report, edit and anchor a documentary-style sports radio program for broadcast on 91X-FM. (Prerequisite: SPJN 1000 Radio Sports 1)
SPJN 1006 TV Sports/On-air Performance
A continuation of SPJN 1003 with an emphasis on enhanced expressiveness and broadcast performance techniques for television. (Prerequisite: SPJN 1003 On-air Performance)
SPJN 1007 Psychology/Sociology of Sports
An examination of sport as a microcosm of society. Learners explore the development of sport from the youth to elite level; examine the role racism and sexism play in sport; and apply critical thinking to the way in which athletes may become iconic figures. Learners also gain a journalistic perspective on the psychology of sport in terms of motivation, stress, aggression, and personality.
SPJN 1008 Advanced TV Production Techniques 2
A continuation of SPJN 1002 with an emphasis on enhanced hands-on experience. Learners will produce, report, edit, and anchor a documentary-style TV sports program. (Prerequisite: SPJN 1002: Advanced TV Production Techniques 1)
