Uncovering - West Virginia University

etween entertaining and informing the
audience.
“It is fine to have people want to watch you,”
said Czarniak, but she qualified her comment
saying that journalists also have an obligation
to give their audience a solid news story.
She also advised the students to spend more
time developing professional, working relationships
with their subjects. That extra effort
helps journalists obtain insider information.
“Go down to the practice facilities when you
aren’t covering them and let them see you
care,” she said. “If they know your face and
know your name, you can get closer to the
players and staff than the other [journalists].”
For aspiring sports reporters, Pittsburgh
Steelers’ Communications Coordinator DAve
loCkett offered another tip.
“Those guys in the locker room may not seem
like it on Sundays, but they are humans too,”
Lockett said. “Just treat them with respect
and ask intriguing, new questions.”
Lockett also told students that they need
to do internships, make the most of every
opportunity and be persistent. Lockett
explained that when he was first looking for a
job in sports communications, he sent out an
average of 30 resumes a day. Lockett believes
it was this dedication to his overall goal that
led to his “dream job” with the Steelers.
Mountaineer football and basketball commentator
tony CAriDi agrees that it takes
both persistence and passion to be successful
in any career – especially journalism.
Caridi, who has been with the Mountaineer
Sports Network for 24 years and named the
West Virginia Sportscaster of the Year on
three occasions, said traditional journalistic
values are still necessary regardless of the
medium. Even with the advances in digital
media, it takes more than technical skills to
succeed in the industry.
“To do this job right, you’re still going to
have to have a passion that borders on obsession,”
said Caridi.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Amy
sAnCettA, whose resume includes multiple
Final Fours, Super Bowls and Olympics, said
that covering sports is great preparation for
any kind of journalism.
“In two hours of a football game, you have
grown men crying and others whooping
All photos by WVU Photo Services
le Lemal. Tony Caridi
Amy Sancetta
“To do this job right,
you’re still going to have
to have a passion that
borders on obsession.”
— Tony Caridi
around like you’ve never seen them,” said
Sancetta. “Tense moments, relief, all the
drama you want is just right there between
two sidelines. If you can prepare yourself for
something as dramatic and tense as a sporting
event, you can cover anything. And I am
better at everything I do because of it.”
For students who aren’t seeking a career in
sports reporting, sports marketing consultant
mArty rotberg said students can find good
jobs in sports communications.
Rotberg estimated the sports industry’s
worth at $213 billion as of 2007, double that
of the auto industry and eight times the size
of the movie industry. As a result, non-sporting
industries are clamoring to advertise their
products through sports, especially during
high-volume events like the Super Bowl.
To be successful, Rotberg said students need
to develop their skills while in school and
learn to market themselves and their ideas –
advice applicable to sports communications
and any other field.
More on the Web
Read more about Journalism Week
2009 at http://journalism.wvu.edu/
(See “Featured Events”)
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