Cricket journalism- How much do you have to know?

[andmark]

Hi. I'm at the difficult age of fourteen, where I have to decide on a career. I am considering going into journalism of Cricket. What I want to know is, how much do you actually need to know to be a journalist of the game? And how much history it's relevant to know about the game.

 

[Pothas]

Helps if you captain England first.

 

[Richard]

Aiming to cover sport as a journalist is an ideal so many would love to do - the reality, naturally, is that precious few will ever achieve it.

TBH, a better idea would be to aim for something where more people are employed and you have a better chance of success.

There are plenty of people on this forum who could have made good cricket journalists, had the cookie crumbled that way and had they been inclined that way. It's far more about whether you get lucky breaks than whether you're good in journalism.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Helps if you captain England first.

Unfortunately for those not blessed with a natural talent for playing cricket, the above is true.

In the age of the celeb, it matters more to have a recognised face on screen than someone who knows his, or indeed her, stuff. Even if that recognised face has an idiot's brain behind it.

 

[andyc]

Hi. I'm at the difficult age of fourteen, where I have to decide on a career. I am considering going into journalism of Cricket. What I want to know is, how much do you actually need to know to be a journalist of the game? And how much history it's relevant to know about the game.

Really? I'm 20 and I've not NFI

 

[Goughy]

Really? I'm 20 and I've not NFI

haha yeah. Got my first career at 33

 

[Jarquis]

Baz Luhrmann ftw.

 

[Smudge]

Here's my take on things a couple of years ago.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/29614-cricket-journalism.html

Oh, and here - http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/off-topic/33407-quick-question-regarding-journalism-practice.html

 

[Burgey]

Based on the writings of Malcolm Conn, that horrible Dorries fellow and a few others around Australia, you need to know sweet **** all to get a start.

 

[jeevan]

There is the Mandira Bedi option for some. It can loosely be called cricket journalism, and any actual cricketing knowledge could be a disadvantage. (If you think I'm being too facetious, think how much money she makes).

 

[GotSpin]

Hi. I'm at the difficult age of fourteen, where I have to decide on a career

**** I have a **** life ahead of me then

 

[Dissector]

Cricket journalism is way too narrow a field to target at your age. As mentioned there are very few opportunities and many of them will go to people who have played professional cricket.

The media industry itself is struggling in many countries though my hunch is it will recover nicely along with the global economy so journalism as a whole isn't a bad area to target. However the journalism profession itself will be different with a blurring of boundaries between print,TV and web journalism. What you need to do is to develop a range of skills to develop good content. Writing skills are the most important but also try to pick up photography, video-editing and so on.

Also it's never been easier to create and distribute content for close to free. Start a blog, make videos, build a web-site etc. This will improve your skills and promote yourself. Ideally by the time you graduate college you should have a body of decent content on the web which will help you land a good job. And if you are really good you can make decent money directly from a blog through Google Adsense.

You don't need to give up on cricket while doing all this. Try writing cricket articles for websites like this one or making good cricket videos for Youtube. If you are any good and get a break you could end up with your dream job. But don't make cricket your main target.

 

[GIMH]

Aiming to cover sport as a journalist is an ideal so many would love to do - the reality, naturally, is that precious few will ever achieve it.

TBH, a better idea would be to aim for something where more people are employed and you have a better chance of success.

There are plenty of people on this forum who could have made good cricket journalists, had the cookie crumbled that way and had they been inclined that way. It's far more about whether you get lucky breaks than whether you're good in journalism.

Why? I don't really understand that sort of mentality. I'm not saying he should put all his eggs into one basket, but you should always aim for what you want to do rather than settling for mediocrity. Of course, he might not achieve it, but if you aim for the stars and all that jazz...

I'm no expert andmark but I'd imagine most journalists don't get into it through a specific field but instead just become journalists and take what they can get, initially. If you're good and prove yourself you probably get a better shot at doing what you want to do.

I'd agree with those who say you should get writing blogs, take any opportunities that you get in school to do extra-curricular writing and go on little workshops. When work experience comes up (maybe next year or the year after depending on your school - I did mine in Year 10 but I think most schools do it in year 11) see if you can get a placement with the Echo, the Post or Mersey Mart (I think the latter is the free paper cross the water). At the end of the day, if you're thinking about something like journalism at your age then I guess you are interested in writing a lot, so all my suggestions shouldn't seem too much like hard work.

Of course, I'm not a journalist or anything so these are just guess-based suggestions tbh, none of them can hurt though.

 

[andmark]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[slugger]

your young and really at your age only two things need to be done to reach your goal. write and read.... that is the advice stephen king gives to young writers.

furthermore you dont have to had played the game at top level. i think someone like howard cosell has proven that. different sport (heavy weight boxing) but hey i just wanted to point out anything is possible.

check out howard cosell interviwing mohammed ali.

YouTube - Ali vs. Cosell - 1968 Interview

 

[pasag]

Hi. I'm at the difficult age of fourteen, where I have to decide on a career. I am considering going into journalism of Cricket. What I want to know is, how much do you actually need to know to be a journalist of the game? And how much history it's relevant to know about the game.

Mate, you don't have to decide on your career at 14. I had no idea till I was 23-24 and plenty of people wouldn't figure things out till much much later.

Just try a lot of things (no Andy...) and hopefully one day you'll find something you love.

 

[Richard]

Why? I don't really understand that sort of mentality. I'm not saying he should put all his eggs into one basket, but you should always aim for what you want to do rather than settling for mediocrity. Of course, he might not achieve it, but if you aim for the stars and all that jazz...

By-and-large, aim for the stars and you'll be disappointed. Yes, in perhaps 1 case in every 300 you'll hit the stars and that success story will inspire another 50,000 people to try and find the odd more success story to inspire more people... but by-and-large those who aim for unrealistic prospects will be disappointed. That's just the way it is, sadly.

Personally I find a more sensible approach to be aiming for something which you have a realistically reasonably high prospect of attaining. And yes, as noted already, 14 is certainly not an age where any sort of commitment is required - you've years before you have to know at that age. I'm 24 and I still have absolutely no clue where I want to end-up, and I'll probably find myself changing plans on many more occasions ahead yet.

 

[Jarquis]

Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land amongst the stars is a much better attitude than settling for mediocrity to avoid disappointment IMHO

 

[Richard]

Who said anything about settling for mediocrity?

Also, if you shoot for the Moon and miss you land in outer-space, which is a very bleak place indeed to be.

 

[Jarquis]

Who said anything about settling for mediocrity?

Personally I find a more sensible approach to be aiming for something which you have a realistically reasonably high prospect of attaining.

For some people that's medicority, for others it's a lot worse and for some it actually is the moon.

I don't see the harm in aiming high. Obviously I'm not suggesting andmark pile all his eggs into one basket beacuse as you said, outerspace is a bleak place to end up but so long as he keeps other options open and other alternative career paths in mind I really don't see what is to lose from chasing his dream.