How to Become a Baseball Writer
Learn to write well., Learn to shoot photos and video., Learn about other sports., Round out your knowledge., Do an internship.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn to write well.
The most important thing you must learn before becoming a baseball writer is how to write effectively.
However passionate about the sport you might be, unless you can write an article that is interesting to read and conforms to conventions of journalistic style, you will never be a baseball writer.
In the words of one professional sportswriter, "You are very unlikely to start as a sports journalist …What you need to do is to become a journalist first."Many people who become baseball journalists have to get some experiencing writing other kinds of stories first.
Regardless of what type of journalist you are, you must master the craft of journalism.
This does not, necessarily, mean getting a college degree in journalism.
Many sportswriters have degrees in other fields such as English, and learn the specifics of journalism outside the classroom.That said, a journalism degree is helpful both in applying for jobs and developing the necessary skills to be a successful baseball writer.Some universities even have programs that allow you to specialize in sports journalism.
You should give serious consideration to this option. -
Step 2: Learn to shoot photos and video.
Increasingly, journalists of all stripes are expected to have multimedia skills.
This is especially true of sports journalists, who are often expected to take pictures, shoot, and even edit video as part of their reporting.Mastery of these skills will help you get a job, and a journalism degree program can help you develop these abilities.
While the need to shoot video is most common for television journalism, as newspapers move online, they are also increasingly expecting journalists to produce video and other multimedia content.You should also be comfortable with blogs and social media, as many journalistic institutions will expect you to produce these types of content on their behalf as well. , It goes without saying that you should learn all you can about baseball.
To increase your likelihood of successfully getting a job as a baseball writer though, it will also be a good idea to learn enough about other sports to write about them as well.
This may seem odd on first consideration, but many sports journalists start off as "general assignment" sports writers at small publications that may not have writers who are dedicated to baseball specifically.Being able to write confidently about other sports will help you get one of these positions, which can then become a stepping stone to a baseball-specific job at another media outlet. , To make yourself a competitive candidate in sports journalism jobs, it's a good idea to develop a knowledge of a variety of other topics and skills as well.
If you have the opportunity in college, take some courses that will round out your knowledge.
It is helpful to develop some background in:
Business and economics (major league baseball is a business!) Statistics Data presentation and analysis History Sports management , As in any other area of journalism, getting an internship during your last year of college is a very valuable experience that can make you a better writer and more qualified job applicant.Any journalism internship can help, but if you can find one that is baseball (or even just sports) specific, that will be most helpful.
Many newspapers offer internships in sports writing.
Check to see if one in your area does.
An internship is a great way to develop more writing experience, a better sense of how news organizations works, and connections that can help you land your first job. -
Step 3: Learn about other sports.
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Step 4: Round out your knowledge.
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Step 5: Do an internship.
Detailed Guide
The most important thing you must learn before becoming a baseball writer is how to write effectively.
However passionate about the sport you might be, unless you can write an article that is interesting to read and conforms to conventions of journalistic style, you will never be a baseball writer.
In the words of one professional sportswriter, "You are very unlikely to start as a sports journalist …What you need to do is to become a journalist first."Many people who become baseball journalists have to get some experiencing writing other kinds of stories first.
Regardless of what type of journalist you are, you must master the craft of journalism.
This does not, necessarily, mean getting a college degree in journalism.
Many sportswriters have degrees in other fields such as English, and learn the specifics of journalism outside the classroom.That said, a journalism degree is helpful both in applying for jobs and developing the necessary skills to be a successful baseball writer.Some universities even have programs that allow you to specialize in sports journalism.
You should give serious consideration to this option.
Increasingly, journalists of all stripes are expected to have multimedia skills.
This is especially true of sports journalists, who are often expected to take pictures, shoot, and even edit video as part of their reporting.Mastery of these skills will help you get a job, and a journalism degree program can help you develop these abilities.
While the need to shoot video is most common for television journalism, as newspapers move online, they are also increasingly expecting journalists to produce video and other multimedia content.You should also be comfortable with blogs and social media, as many journalistic institutions will expect you to produce these types of content on their behalf as well. , It goes without saying that you should learn all you can about baseball.
To increase your likelihood of successfully getting a job as a baseball writer though, it will also be a good idea to learn enough about other sports to write about them as well.
This may seem odd on first consideration, but many sports journalists start off as "general assignment" sports writers at small publications that may not have writers who are dedicated to baseball specifically.Being able to write confidently about other sports will help you get one of these positions, which can then become a stepping stone to a baseball-specific job at another media outlet. , To make yourself a competitive candidate in sports journalism jobs, it's a good idea to develop a knowledge of a variety of other topics and skills as well.
If you have the opportunity in college, take some courses that will round out your knowledge.
It is helpful to develop some background in:
Business and economics (major league baseball is a business!) Statistics Data presentation and analysis History Sports management , As in any other area of journalism, getting an internship during your last year of college is a very valuable experience that can make you a better writer and more qualified job applicant.Any journalism internship can help, but if you can find one that is baseball (or even just sports) specific, that will be most helpful.
Many newspapers offer internships in sports writing.
Check to see if one in your area does.
An internship is a great way to develop more writing experience, a better sense of how news organizations works, and connections that can help you land your first job.
About the Author
Peter Allen
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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