To be a sports journalist, one needs to be determined to ensure that he or she is there to cover the event, every single time. The journalist needs to be self-reliant, responsible, organized in time management, and has to put his or her own life on hold so that he or she can go to the game and provide updates on Twitter, or collect information for the next sports recap, feature, or editorial. The sports journalist has very strict deadlines and to be late with his or her story not only lets himself or herself down, but also the society within and outside the walls of FHC.

The sports journalist needs to be persistent. Constant communication between the journalist, players and coaches is key. This can be a problem if they’re slow to respond, or if they simply don’t check their email, which appears to be FHC Sports Report’s Editor-in-Chief, Lucas Thompson’s greatest problem.

“My biggest difficulty has to be getting quotes from coaches. Sometimes they see my story as not worth their time, so they blow it off.”

As a sports journalist myself, this is definitely frustrating because it is my job to make sure that each sport at FHC is covered, and covered thoroughly. If the sports journalist can’t get the story, the sport and the athlete doesn’t get recognition that both deserve.

With constantly attending games and making sure you get all of the details you need, sports journalism is just as important any other class that a student may have on his or her schedule and just as time consuming. Like most things in life, good work takes time to complete. The life of a student and a journalist is similar to a job.

“Being a journalist takes up a lot of my time. Finding quotes that fit into the article is another huge roadblock that can be time consuming” said FHC Sports Report journalist Riley Koehler.

Often times when conducting interviews, the individual who is being interviewed will answer the question, but he or she will often include superfluous details that do not fit into the article that is being written. Basically, quotes can only do so much to the overall enjoyment of the piece and don’t make a good story by themselves. Rather, it is the sports journalist who decides what to include and when to include it. The sports journalist doesn’t always have a puzzle that is easy to put together; there are times when the pieces don’t fit, and it’s the role of the writer to make it happen.

Despite the difficulties that journalists face, it remains their responsibility to make sure that stories are submitted on time, are accurate, and are reported properly. Even though it is difficult, the life of the FHC Sports Report journalist makes for valuable lessons learned, responsibilities demonstrated, and quality writing. Not everyone can be an FHC Sports Report journalist, but the staff encourages you to join us and try.