Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
Helping women and minorities into newsrooms since 1993
After a lifetime as a sports fan and about four years of writing about sports, I am in a professional press box with all of the professional reporters for the very first time. In high school I wrote some column-style pieces about sports news from home. In college, I sat in the bleachers with students and parents to cover sports. I sat in my first press box of any kind this fall at Stevenson University to cover the Maryland high school field hockey championships. This Monday, we saw the Phoenix Mercury play the Minnesota Lynx, but we were in a third floor auxiliary space — an amazing experience, but we weren’t with the other reporters, and now I am.
I see reporters whose names and faces I recognize from their bylines and social media. I also have to suppress the urge to pump my fist when the “charge!” bugle plays. We listened to Corbin Burnes and Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks speak to the press pregame, and we stood on the field while the Diamondbacks took batting practice. We ate the media meal in the press lounge (another first for me) and now we’re among people who (hopefully) are becoming our peers.
This is a moment I’ve been dreaming of for years, and thanks to SJI, it’s happening. We’re noticeable in the press box – we’re younger and account for the vast majority of women and people of color here, but we’re here.
--Penelope Jennings
There are SJI alumni everywhere. Here we are in a classroom in Phoenix, and we’ve had people come speak to us in person, and others Zoom in from Minnesota, Texas, Maryland, New York among other places.
Some of the speakers live in cities where my classmates are interning and have been quick to suggest meeting up for coffee or lunch. This network, through 34 classes, seems to reach into every pocket of the industry and the country. Our sessions have been varied with speakers who are early in their careers, and others who are more experienced. We’ve heard from NBA beat reporters, columnists and national women’s sports writers. This is the point, to show us that we can go wherever. And I understood that from the sense that we can go anywhere in journalism, but it took this week to make the geography settle in.
Our class itself already spans from Virginia to California. And this is all just focusing on people’s current jobs — once you account for all of the connections forged through previous gigs, SJI has connections basically everywhere.
It’s comforting to know that wherever I go, there will probably be an SJI alum nearby. There will be someone around who gets stressed when Mr. Carter says “question one!” to begin sports check and who understands the quick bond formed between the four-ish days the class is together. And even if they don’t live where I do, someone will certainly be in a press box in the area soon.
--Penelope Jennings
If I had to boil down the information I’ve received during the past few days at SJI into themes, there are two words that would be bolded at the top of the list: preparation and presence.
Every speaker emphasized the value of preparing for projects, assignments, and new environments in order to separate yourself as a journalist. This means practicing things like consistent, in-depth research on your subject, reading previous articles when entering new spaces, if you’re talking to other journalists — reading their work, being extremely observant of your environment, studying the news headlines each day, and so much more. Being properly prepared builds confidence, while elevating the quality and efficiency of your work.
The next commonly addressed theme was the power of presence. Many alumni told us to “just show up.” Show up to practices, to events, shootarounds, media days, and to do so consistently. The journalists who show up to everything throughout the year, instead of waiting for things to get good or when things are going bad, are the ones who build genuine rapport and end up with the most trusted sources.
These aspects have helped me tremendously throughout my career so far, especially covering North Carolina A&T football. By showing up, I’ve built a great, trusting relationship with the coaches and players. They trust me in their spaces, to listen to their huddles authentically, and when things arise, they are comfortable telling me important details that make for great reporting.
I’m grateful to learn about ways to be more prepared as a journalist to separate myself as I enter the industry. Each executive we’ve talked to has created a visual illustration on how to put these things into practice so that I can improve in my journey.
--Reiven Douglas
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” Los Angeles Times sports editor Iliana Limon Romero said of becoming the first Latina sports editor at a major paper.
Today was a particularly enlightening day for the state of the media industry for minorities looking to break in.
Cronkite News Phoenix Sports Bureau director Paola Boivin opened the discussion with a refreshingly open and honest state about the sticky ethical situations that she has been in throughout her career. Unlike past ethics classes I’ve taken with hypothetical situations, Boivin’s real-life examples really drove home how these dilemmas aren’t just abstract ideas — they are real problems that reporters will face in the workplace.
Next up was Romero. She’s heard it all, from being the diversity hire to getting a position through the “back door.” Her wise words are to ignore it all and put in the work because ultimately, even a program like SJI can only get you a chance. It’s up to us whether or not we can make it in the industry long-term.
And who better to close out today’s series of speakers than ESPN’s National Hockey Reporter Ryan S. Clark. As the only Black man covering hockey at the national level, I found it incredibly insightful to hear his experiences with discrimination in the workplace. Moments like that can turn a person bitter, and I found it all the more impressive that Clark has used them to grow and become better not just as a journalist, but also as a person.
“Always treat people with humanity,” Clark said. “Because there’s so many instances where people are robbed of their humanity.”
--Vivian Yao
There’s a place for everyone in sports journalism, and if there isn’t, you can make one.
Even though I missed the remote sessions of Bootcamp (an unfortunate flaw of the university quarter system), the first two days alone of SJI’s in-person training have already given me more than I thought I would get out of the whole week.
It’s been reassuring and inspiring to hear so many SJI alumni talk about how they were able to make headway in the industry by being themselves and making the most out of whatever work finds them, no matter the challenges.
When people say sports journalism looks different than it used to, it almost always gets used with a negative connotation – but there are positives to change.
Sports journalism is more diverse than ever – in the people who report, people whose stories are told, and content produced. And there’s a place for people who want to write, talk, inform, persuade. There’s an audience for print, audio, video, and whatever medium you want to pursue.
It’s hardly easy. It’s far from a sure thing.
But the overwhelming message from the people who’ve talked to us – whether it be Marcus Thompson, Heather Dinich, CL Brown – is that everyone’s voice matters. And getting your voice heard is largely a matter of effort, behavior, and confidence.
I am far from where I’d need to be in all three categories if I want to even get close to the people we’ve met, but for possibly the first time, I feel like I can get there.
Bootcamp has had a great environment, great people, and I’ve had so much more fun than I anticipated.
--Kai Dizon
Finding my voice as an aspiring sports reporter is a skill that I feel is much easier said than done. Throughout my time in school, I would read others' work and take in new information on maintaining a daily beat, like how to ask the right questions, and identify what is newsworthy. Yet, I always felt unsure about how to be myself on the job.
Headed into the Sports Journalism Institute bootcamp, I was dedicated to learning how to find my voice as a writer, but what I’ve figured out is the importance of being confident in it right now.
Bootcamp in downtown Phoenix has provided me with plenty of different perspectives on how to acknowledge myself. Marcus Thompson, an SJI alumnus and a columnist at The Athletic, noted the importance of being authentically you when reporting.
Mr. Thompson repeatedly stated that athletes are just regular people, and anecdotes can be found in every corner of a beat. He also laid out a great framework on how to structure articles that allow reporters to amplify their voices.
First off, find your epicenter for a story and answer two questions: What is this story about, and why does it matter? Then, create a story outline that answers those two questions. Mr. Thompson said that by answering those two questions first, your voice can fall into place.
Two sports business reporters, Rachel Bachman from the Wall Street Journal, and Heather Dinich from ESPN, also hosted an amazing conversation about the difficulties women face in the industry, especially about when and where they feel comfortable meeting with sources, making a note to avoid bars or recreational spaces.
Being a man in this industry, these added perspectives help me understand how everyone has a different story, with separate struggles and strengths. Understanding how to listen while others share their stories is another way to improve my own.
Kennedi Landry, a reporter for MLB.com, and her editor Jesse Sanchez wrapped up this topic by making one thing clear: we are all unfinished products. Remain convinced in my abilities, whilst open to learning with each day.
--Ryan Myers Jr.
Over his 27-year career, SJI alum and lead columnist at The Athletic, Marcus Thompson, has seen all there is to see in the journalism industry.
During our week in Arizona, he, one of the superstars of the class of 1998, came through and dropped some gems on the latest class of SJI.
His bars were endless: “treat the ending of your article as a dessert,” “quotes have to earn their way into your piece,” or “you have to earn the right to your voice.”
But the lyric that stuck with me was, “If you haven't 'beefed' with a player, you’re not doing your job correctly.”
That line gave me the scrunched, “that was hard” face.
As journalists, our jobs are to find the truth. To hunt the stories. To uncover things that aren’t supposed to see the light of day.
And as Mr. Thompson said, “the truth will always hurt someone.”
Though building and maintaining relationships is an integral part of being a journalist, you can’t walk on eggshells in fear of getting cursed out by Draymond Green or sacrifice your honest views or opinions under the threat of a fiery tweet from Kevin Durant.
His messages gave me the feeling that I'd learned more than I ever have about being a journalist in under an hour.
Now it’s time to put it into practice.
--Latif Love
Marcus Thompson said something Tuesday that reminded me of my middle school band teacher, who always emphasized the importance of nailing the first and last notes of a song. The same thing can apply to journalism and the need to have a strong lede and kicker. Granted, my band teacher said this because we weren’t very good and the middle would get clunky, but the spirit remains the same. The beginnings and ends will stick with people the most. Thompson told us we shouldn’t save the ending until the end — we need to at least be thinking about how we will end a story as we are reporting and writing it.
Thompson also referenced the author and journalist Isabel Wilkerson, who said a quote has to earn its way into the story. If he can’t remember what someone said and has to go back to the transcript to check it, it probably wasn’t good enough to be in the story. He said he can write better than most people can speak. We have more time to think about what we’re saying, so instead of excessively quoting, we should paraphrase instead. Unless a quote provides something that we, as reporters, cannot say, we can probably say it better in our own words. Some of these notes are unique to Thompson’s role as a columnist, but it’s a good lesson.
Heather Dinich from ESPN spoke to us about some of the double standards faced by female sports reporters and how we should conduct ourselves. It’s terrible that we have to think this way, but we do. She said she never has more than one drink at a work-related event, no matter who is there. This is probably good advice for all, regardless of gender. She said this can be a disadvantage because male reporters can sometimes drink and let loose with sources, but it’s a necessary precaution to take. She also won’t meet with sources in potentially compromising casual settings, like by the hotel pool.
Dinich also addressed the competition that can arise between female sports reporters, who might feel like they’re fighting for the same spots. She said she always does her best to be nothing but nice, even if others aren’t. There’s no point in being mean to each other or trying to take down other women.
--Penelope Jennings
Our first day of in-person bootcamp included a visit from seasoned sports television producer and Arizona State University Assistant Dean Brett Kurland.
Toward the end of the presentation, he introduced the thoughts of talented journalist Master Tesfatsion, whose words rang in my ears the rest of the day. Tesfatsion reminded us of the power of Black journalist voices, highlighting the fact that our words stem beyond our lives and should honor those who couldn’t lift their own.
I thought about the many beautiful souls that look like me but were beaten, killed, harassed and silenced. Who were forced to hold in what God blessed us to express out loud because of appearance. My ancestors couldn’t even think about doing what I do… and that’s why I must do it with the utmost pride.
I lift every voice that couldn’t lift their own. I cover the sports that my community had to fight to become part of. I think about lives like Sam Lacy, who was forced to sit on the hot roof of the press box because Black reporters weren’t allowed indoors and also forced to see his father spat on by the team he supported because his shade didn’t match their standards.
I also think of Wendell Smith, who had the ability to play the sport he loved at the professional level but couldn’t be signed because of racial restrictions. I remember how they navigated the hate by pushing forward and paving the way, one example of many who couldn’t live their dreams due to superficial limits.
I get to do what I love and don’t take that for granted. I cherish it with extreme honor. My people walked so I could run, and I plan to run so that my voice is heard on the national scale. I’m thankful to be reminded of significant pieces of my why today and I am excited for what the rest of the week has in store.
--Reiven Douglas
I would love to say that I woke up bright and early today, but unfortunately, when my alarm went off at 3:45 am, it was quite dark outside.
Several hours, one layover and two packs of airline crackers later, my fellow classmate Alyssa Cooper and I stepped out into the 94-degree Arizona heat. My stomach was grumbling and I was ready to eat, but that would have to wait. First, I’d have to survive Day One of our in-person session of bootcamp.
Sports check was forgettable — at least my performance was. Assistant Dean of Cronkite School of Journalism Brett Kruland offered plenty of insight into how to ask open, lean, and neutral interview questions. Through it all, I was starving. I had to wait until 4 p.m. (or 7 p.m. back home in Baltimore) before I finally got the chance to satisfy the pangs with some good old Panda Express.
By the time we settled down in the press box to watch the Phoenix Mercury get absolutely demolished by the Minnesota Lynx, my internal clock was ready for bed. But like William Ernest Henley says in his poem "Invictus," this week is all about dealing with adversity. As I sat there taking in my first ever WNBA game, I felt incredibly grateful to be surrounded by 14 students that I would call my friends despite just meeting them, and not a part of a Phoenix Mercury team that was going through its worst defeat of the year.
Nearly 24 hours after I first got up this morning, I finally got the chance to rest. I went to bed exhausted but also excited for what the rest of the week has in store.
--Vivian Yao
In this day's session, we got to meet with SJI alums Melody Gutierrez, Baxter Holmes and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, all of whom are incredible reporters and journalists.
Getting to hear from people who have done longer in-depth investigative pieces was eye-opening and allowed for great discussion, valuable lessons, and advice.
Specifically, from Mr. Kanno-Youngs, going from SJI and sports reporting to eventually reporting on the White House in such a turbulent political environment. One thing he shared with the class that stuck with me throughout the day was the importance of the basics.
He expressed that no matter what we do in the journalistic field, the reporting stays the same. At the end of the day, it is based on facts, sources, and storytelling, whether that is in news or sports.
Since then, I have seen the theme come up again and again. Several accomplished and distinguished speakers said without the basics, it won’t matter how much flair and voice you use if it can't be followed.
If the basics are important enough for ESPN, The Athletic, Washington Post, and other award-winning journalists who have spoken to us, then it is surely more than enough for me to focus on in the infancy of my career.
As we enter the latter half of this amazing journey of SJI training, and we begin to write more on deadline, the basics will be at the forefront of my mind.
--Matthew Gomez
If there is one theme central to the SJI program, it is attention to detail. From the Sports Check questions asking the dominant hand of a pitcher to the game-time temperature, it is clear that if Mr. Carter is teaching us one thing, it is to be observant.
New York Times international correspondent James Wagner spoke about this idea as well. The key to finding stories no one else is writing about is to use all five of your senses. That is how he noticed Adam Ottavino’s little black notebook and the cologne of Latino MLB players, turning small observations into humanizing, relatable stories.
Baxter Holmes also mentioned it when he wrote his widely renowned peanut butter and jelly sandwich piece, a 4,000-word article detailing the secret NBA tradition.
Being observant of yourself is how you grow. Claudio Cabrera, VP of Audience at The Athletic, talked about the importance of having a journalism diary to take note of the small areas that need improvement.
Simply put, noticing the small details are the key to success – in storytelling and life.
--Amanda Avila
The best pieces come from the simplest observations. And the multitude of SJI alumni that we’ve talked to today have gone above and beyond in showing that.
For investigative reporter Baxter Holmes, he noticed that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were prominent everywhere in the NBA, which led to his James Beard Award winning story. For New York Times writer James Wagner, he noticed the smell of cologne on the Dominican baseball team that turned into a lighthearted piece on the various colognes that players wear and why they wear them.
What stuck out to me is their ability to turn small and frivolous details into captivating stories. The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the smell of a player’s cologne are all things that every single reporter takes in on the job. What separates Holmes and Wagner from the rest is their ability to connect these minute details and produce a piece that no one else would have thought to write.
Being observant, coincidentally, is also the key to doing well on Mr. Carter’s infamous sports checks. From knowing the exact injury of a player to the name of the race track for the Preakness Stakes or how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up or down by, SJI, thus far, has challenged me to be more observant.
--Vivian Yao
Day one of our virtual bootcamp for the Sports Journalism Institute was exciting, but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit it was also exhausting. About six hours in front of the computer can do that to you.
That’s not to say it wasn’t exhilarating.
To have the likes of Candace Buckner (SJI Class of ’01), Jerry Brewer and Gary Washburn hop on a Zoom call and offer valuable insight on how to go about your business in this industry, and offer their perspectives on some of the aspects of the business that go beyond the pen and paper, was informative. Particularly, Mr. Washburn, who was bullish on the sacrifices needed to be made to really make it in this industry.
Mr. Washburn told us a story about his relationship with his stepfather, who said he should be out working in the field instead of pursuing a lofty career in sports media. Despite that less-than-encouraging anecdote, his message was to not let anybody take away from our dreams. His conviction was striking. I’ve had similar conversations with my father, and knowing that he’d gone through similar things made me feel like I wasn’t alone.
His message made me feel like chasing this goal, chasing this dream IS possible.
Well, now I know it’s possible, but do I know what it is to live life with a career in sports media?
Mr. Brewer’s answer? Buckets.
Mr. Brewer had four buckets that measured his level of commitment to events or functions he needed to attend.
His four buckets are:
First, “I have to go”… his examples are a son's or daughter's graduation, a good friend's wedding, etc.
His second bucket was it’d be nice to go, but as we like to say: it’s not that deep.
Nos. three and four are not a big deal to miss or are completely unimportant.
I had never thought about it in "buckets," and it’s certainly something I’ll be taking with me as I go through my career.
--Said Bravo
When I talked to SJI alumni Kyle Goon and Josh Tolentino in the lead-up to this year’s bootcamp, they reminisced about their experiences. Both agreed it was a whole lot of fun, but challenging.
After just one day of SJI’s virtual boot camp, I can attest that it is still very much the same thanks to Mr. Leon H. Carter — even with the added wrinkle of a virtual portion.
The sports check right out of the gate really drove home what these next few days have in store for us. We aren’t here to hear our praises. We are here to be challenged and pushed out of our comfort zones to become the best versions of ourselves.
I didn’t think it was possible to walk away from just one day’s worth of events with so many words of wisdom. Yet, I have. In fact, it’s made me worry that I might actually run out of pages in my notebook when just yesterday I was wondering if I should’ve downsized to a smaller one. Every guest speaker, along with the plethora of alumni we met at the end of the day, left me with a different lesson that I’ll likely remember for the rest of my career.
The most memorable advice I received came from the dynamic duo of Jerry Brewer and Gary Washburn, who advised us to write as if there might not be another opportunity. The two of them warned us about the sacrifices we might have to make if we want to achieve greatness. Ultimately, they said, it comes down to whether or not you want it enough — whether or not you love it enough.
Do I love this enough?
Well, today, I celebrated my 22nd birthday with a full day of boot camp. And I’m walking away with no regrets about how I spent my time. So yes, I’d say I definitely love this enough. And I can’t wait to see what the next few days have in store.
--Vivian Yao
The Athletic’s senior writer Candace Buckner started the first night of her new job at Lucas Oil Stadium, filled with over 70,000 fans bleeding light yellow and navy blue for the 2026 men’s basketball national championship game.
Reporters from national and local publications filled the press box, each having a similar task to Buckner’s: filing a game story about Michigan’s eventual 69-63 win over UConn, minutes after the final buzzer.
The national storyline leads were there.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley was on a quest for a third title in four years, and the Wolverines had retooled their roster with a mix of talented underclassmen and experienced transfer portal additions.
But in journalism, the first few sentences of a story often dictate whether a reader is intrigued or disinterested. Buckner used her lead to focus on a unique, distinct object.
Golf carts.
“I needed something that was uniquely mine that I could weave a story into,” Buckner said to Sports Journalism Institute students via Zoom.
She described Michigan’s locker room as filled with nearly 75 reporters and only five players, most who’d seen little in-game action.
It wasn’t the scene Buckner needed to tell the story.
Instead, she walked outside the locker room and noticed a moment between Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg, guard Elliot Cadeau and a Wolverines staffer.
“The golf carts were ready outside the Michigan locker room early Tuesday morning.,” Buckner said in her column. “One was for Wolverine players like star forward Yaxel Lendeborg…and point guard Elliot Cadeau. “But their wheels stayed in park, unable to rip down the carpeted hallways of Lucas Oil Stadium and toward the victors’ news conference…because the other golf cart remained empty. The game’s biggest star was missing.”
Buckner was referencing Michigan head coach Dusty May.
“Take the readers where they can’t see, where they’re not going to get it anywhere else,” Buckner said.
This wasn’t her first time covering a national event.
Her dedication to the craft speaks for itself: notably covering sports at The Washington Post and the Indianapolis Star, while becoming the first Black woman to win the Associated Press Sports Editors Division A Columns contest in 2024.
Even with the accolades, Buckner is still critical of her writing, describing herself as a “long writer” when it comes to leads.
Throughout her insightful responses to the group, one central theme resonated.
“When it's a big thing, the best thing a writer can do is make it as small as possible.”
--Xavier Board