The UMass Journalism Department offers a four-course Sports Concentration. An internship in sports media is also required as part of the Concentration. If you want to join the Concentration, please contact Professor Fox or Professor Sibii.
I. Sports Journalism (Steve Fox):
This is a hands-on course where students will learn how to write, edit and cover sports stories. Interviewing skills will be honed in this class, and you will need a flexible schedule in order to cover games outside of class. Students will learn to write a variety of stories ranging from straight game stories to previews and features. Students will also get a chance to blog and produce other multimedia in their game coverage. We will also read and analyze successful writing styles from sportswriters in all mediums, including broadcast and the Web.
II. The role of Images in Sports (TBD):
Images play a major role in the coverage of sports. We remember most of the iconic moments in sports history from the images of the moment. In this class you will look at the role of images in sports coverage over the years, as well as learn the basics of sports photography, how to construct audio slideshows and the basics of video coverage.
III. There are two options (depending on the semester):
A. The Politics of Sport – (Nick McBride)
Our aim in this course is to contemplate, write and read, modern and contemporary sports as social and political history. Sports reflect our struggles as human beings to become more human. It seems a contradiction that we would need to strive to be what we already are. But the fact remains that our capacity for falling short of our highest selves is supported by a record of more animal than humane treatment of our fellow humans. Sport offers an enjoyable and non- threatening way to confront our selves as individuals and a society. We read the sports pages and listen to the sports news daily, well aware of the unspoken subtext of last night’s ball game, knowing full well, that certain pronouncements and policies have far more to do with our humanity, or lack thereof, than the score. In this class we will endeavor to visit those subtexts. The Truth with a capital T is the ambition of all authentic journalism or at least, in our heart of hearts, we know it should be.
B. Sports in Film, Journalism, and Literature (Maddy Blais)
The subject of athletic endeavors has long been the source of inspiration for journalists, novelists, and filmmakers and in this class we will explore some of the most brilliant examples of sport narrative in words and images as they pertain to running, baseball, soccer, rugby, basketball, climbing, boxing and football.
IV. Issues in Sports. (Jena Janovy, Investigative Editor for ESPN.com.)
• This class will cover a wide variety of issues and will have weekly discussions on topics in the news. Topics will include ethics, reporting, writing, newsroom management, diversity, etc.
• Students will take part in outside discussions on the class blog.
• Students will deliver several oral presentations thoughout the course of the semester.
• Students will write two major papers covering an issue in the news.
Steve Fox's Sports Journalism Class 