Sports Reporting vs. Sports Broadcasting: What's the Difference?

Want a career in sports, without having to step on the field in a player’s uniform? If so, then you’re probably considering going into either sports reporting or sports broadcasting. What are the differences? How do you know which one is right for you? Your best option is to understand the main differences between both sports reporting and sports broadcasting. Although both involve the journalism field, they are two very different careers. Here’s what you need to know in order to make an informed decision.

Sports Reporting

Sports reporting falls within the realm of sports journalism, taking on a written form for both online and print publications. Sports reporters will:

• Follow a team or sport throughout the season, writing articles about the players and coaches.
• Write up accurate game recaps that are published either immediately or the next day, depending on the publication.
• Interview managers, players, and even team owners/representatives as needed in order to report accurate news.
• Sometimes take pictures or short videos of the games in progress in order to include them with their articles.

Many sports reporters work for one or two publications and will oversee various sports as the year progresses. This means that they need to be well-versed in the terminology and scoring systems of various sports, including football, soccer, baseball, hockey, basketball, and more.

In addition, sports reporters might appear on podcasts and in other formats as needed, depending on what their employer needs. Although their work mainly appears in print, they need to be versatile.

Sports Broadcasting

Sports broadcasting is quite different from reporting. Although both jobs involve some discussion of the game, broadcasting consists of:

• Handling play by play descriptions as a game is in progress.
• Interviewing players and managers on camera if needed.
• Putting together clips packages and stories for online or television channels.
• Reporting about games and other related news on camera.

Usually, a sports broadcaster works for a single radio station or online channel and will only handle play by play for one sport. As a result, they need to be an expert on the sport and have a good memory so that they can produce statistics and other things as needed.

However, some sports broadcasters work for television news or specialty sports channels, and will report on all teams in a specific geographical location. These broadcasters need to have plenty of knowledge and understand the terminology of various sports.

Ready to Start Your Sports Broadcasting Career at Dean College?

Have you decided to go into sports broadcasting? If you’re a high school student, you have a few options. You can choose to attend the sports broadcasting pre-college summer program, where you’ll spend a week learning more about the career, visiting a professional sports stadium, and even putting together a reel while also earning college credit. Your other option is to major in sports broadcasting at Dean College. Our bachelor’s degree program will help you gain the skills that you need in order to succeed in this exciting field.