Sports journalism / K.

[Vijay]

Henceforth, to ensure the privacy of our mentees, let us edit emails
to hide details that could affect their professional position. their
educational qualifications should still be listed clearly.

------------------


K writes:

dear vijay,
i am kabir, a colleague of xxx and the sports reporter for the xxxx...
i have been working here for the past six months and
i am doing my final year B.A. in economics from the fergusson college.
ill be graduating in April. i want to end up doing broadcasting
journalism in the sports sector itself... something like a
sportscenter job would be perfect... i am looking to do a masters
course in journalism, but i dont know whether i should do it in india
or abroad.... and when should i do the course? should i work for
another year...? or should i apply this year itself.... are there any
extra courses i should take while i am working.... or what other
things can do right now which will help me later? should i talk to
certain people... etc... and how lucrative is the field that i am
looking to get into... because money is as important as job
satisfaction for me.... one more thing... my ideal job would be to
cover football... and the sport, although is picking up, is not as
popular as cricket... i know i have asked a lot of questions, but i
need to figure out what i want to do... if you could help me out i
would be very grateful....
cheers
K
ps: i'm 20 years old.

[dopppsy]

Hi Kabir,
For one, you should start writing with a lot more discipline. And two,
make sure you're completely abreast with whatever is happening in your
chosen sport. I work for Cricinfo and I live cricket. Similarly, you
need to live the sport you love or all sport. Apart from that, if you
can afford to do a course abroad go for it. Hope this helps. Cheers,
Avi

[Vijay]

Subramaniam Avinash responds:

K,
apnafootball.com is looking for considered contributions on football
for their site. Maybe Kabir could kickstart his sportswriting career
with them.

[Vijay]

K, you've raised some important issues in your email.

a) how much work experience is required before applying to study
abroad? b) should one consider studying abroad? what value does it add
to one's profile? c) can we make a lot of money doing what we love, as
opposed to something that we really don't like?

let's go over this one by one. you've decided you want to pursue
sports journalism as a career, and you've worked with a major media
organization for six months already. that's cool. have you noticed any
increase in your confidence level? as someone who is making a little
money and enjoying the first whiff of independence, do you feel
different from most of your classmates at fergusson? does it make you
feel you can handle certain things better than, say, many of your
friends? does your personal identity feel stronger; do you feel that
you're beginning to distinguish yourself from others?

i'm sure my colleagues at Teach in India will agree that you would
significantly benefit from continuing with this job for at least a
year-and-a-half after graduation (so as to give you two years). when
you think you've gained sufficient exposure and hit a record high
level of confidence, i would suggest that you apply to the Asian
College of Journalism, Chennai. notwithstanding its shortcomings, it
is arguably the best j-school in india. alternately, you should
consider programs in the UK such as the MA in journalism at the
University of Westminster, or even the MA in international journalism
program at Cardiff University. (The MA sports journalism at Sheffield
Hallam is considered to be pretty good, but it might be a little too
specific; i strongly feel it is dangerous to specialise too closely at
this early stage of your career.)

studying abroad (or for that matter at ACJ, chennai) will be
expensive, but it will change your life in ways that you might not
comprehend immediately. it is always good to get out of your comfort
zone, to enjoy some freedom and test yourself; your perspective on
life will change dramatically. it will add not only value to your CV,
but to your sense of self-worth (although you must be always careful
not to let your foreign exposure go to your head. above all, please
don't change that accent hahah)

i appreciate your forthrightness when you say money is as important as
job satisfaction. money is certainly a very important consideration. i
believe india is at a stage of its evolution where you could make a
lot of money by being exceptional in your chosen area. you could make
a lot of money hosting a tv show on sports. but you have got to ask
yourself the question: is that what you are best suited to? what
qualities could potentially make you the best football journalist in
the history of broadcast journalism? if you cannot answer that
question easily, you're probably not suited to a career in that area.

you must look to improve yourself constantly. for a start, try
commentating for 5 minutes (including long pauses) while watching
yourself in the mirror. time yourself. did you think you spoke sense
every time you opened your mouth? you must become your own toughest
critic, if only to learn how to give yourself a reality check every
now and then. this isn't about competing with your colleagues, this is
about competing against yourself.

i would recommend my own wild career path -- a BSc in Physics, a
postgrad diploma from ACJ, Chennai, a Master's in Creative Writing
from the university of east anglia, UK, with 5 years of sports
journalism and one published short story in a penguin anthology thrown
in for good measure -- to anyone; because i believe it is important to
spend all the time you need to understand yourself, as opposed to
plotting how to make a six-figure monthly salary. develop the tools
first to become a fine broadcast journalist; if you can prove your
worth, everything else will follow: respect, fame, money.

in conclusion, i would like to point you towards a great resource --
an essay by george orwell called "politics and the english language".
read the first two paragraphs every day, until its meaning sinks into
your mind. it'll teach you a lot about how to think and express
yourself clearly, something that is a crucial part of your chosen
profession.

i still read it.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm


Best,
Vijay

[Vijay]

K responds:


Working at the Indian express has increased my confidence…. And yes I
am definitely better off than my classmates… but more than that I am
much better off than I was before…. I was not doing anything
productive… just whiling away my time… one word for it is
'lukkhagiri'…. I was tired of doing nothing in life and this job has
helped me…. What I want to say is im just comparing myself to what I
was before and how I have changed and not my friends… and about not
being too specific with my occupation… I fully agree with you….
Because I want to do sports journalism right now…. But that is because
I have not been exposed to other fields…. I might even change my mind
later … I cannot say that for sure right now…. But as of now its
sports journalism….. about my immediate future at the job at the
Indian express…. i am finding it hard to get good stories on a regular
basis.... i dont get them as frequently as other journalists do....
then again i have not done a proper course in journalism... so with
that in mind do you think i should maybe apply for a course in the ASJ
this year itself?.... has your creative writing course helped you in
your profession? how much so? some people were telling me to do a
course in sports management.... will this help my career in
journalism?

[Vijay]

k,

do apply to the asian college of journalism -- it's a good school. but
again, i suggest you wait until you've worked for 2 years. the number
by itself is arbitrary, but i think it's a fairly optimal figure.
anything significantly less than two years and you might not have
accumulated enough life experiences; anything much more and you risk
feeling smug (like many vastly experienced working professionals); you
might end up thinking going back to academics is pointless.

learn as much as you can in two years; acj will help you put those
experiences in perspective. besides, living in madras, away from the
usual support systems, will make a positive impact on your confidence.

my creative writing degree has helped me in a lot of ways -- most
importantly, it made me realise that good writing, in general, is not
about using big words, it's more about communicating ambitious ideas
clearly.

i don't know anything about sports management; but i don't think it's
directly related to journalism.

[Vijay]

hey vijay,
thanks a lot.... i am very comfortable with the idea of working for
another year here... i have also written an article which has been put
up on apnafootball.com as avinash suggested and i am looking to write
some more... thanks a lot for your help.... i really appreciate it....
i can think clearly now... much less confused than before...
K