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Skills and Attributes Needed for a Career in Sports Journalism

Considering a career in sports journalism? Many sports fans dream of becoming a sports journalist and it is easy to see why. A career in this field gets you incredibly close to the action, and provides the ability to engage with professional athletes, share your opinions on your favorite sports and lead an exciting lifestyle.
While there are certainly many perks to a career as a sports journalist, it is also one that has several unique challenges and it can be incredibly stressful, demanding and competitive. There are a range of skills and attributes that will be required if you are to find success – read on to find out what these are.
Sports Journalism Degree Online
A sports journalism degree online is a vital qualification if you want to find success as a sports journalist. A sports journalism degree online will develop the skills and confidence required to excel in today’s fast-paced, 24/7 and competitive sports coverage environment. Once you have earned a sports journalism degree online, you will know how to go about developing original stories and finding unique angles in a diverse sports media landscape.
Excellent Sports Knowledge
Obviously, you also need an excellent knowledge of sports so that you can educate your readers. This should include a strong grasp on tactics, strategy, athletics and psychology relating to a few different sports. On top of this, you also need to have a strong understanding of the business, legal and financial side of different sports as these often have a huge influence on sports but are areas where the average fan will not have much knowledge. While you should certainly have one or two sports that you specialize in, you will put yourself in a stronger position if you can cover a wide range of sports so that you will be more appealing and able to take on more work. A few key sports to be able to cover include:
- American football
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football/soccer
- Cricket
- Tennis
- Golf
Writing Skills
Even with a sports journalism degree online and expert sports knowledge, it will be impossible to succeed without excellent writing skills. You need to have attention to detail, the ability to engage readers and a way with words that will bring your stories to life. Writing skills can be developed on a sports journalism degree online but you can also take additional courses, take inspiration from other writers with continuous reading and with creative thinking.
In today’s day and age, there are so many sportswriters out there that it can be very hard to stand out from the crowd. Good writing is the best way to separate yourself from the competition, so this should be an area that you prioritise and could set you on the path to success.
Strong Work Ethic
One of the most important skills that you will need to have is a strong work ethic. You will not find success with writing talent, a sports journalism degree and sports knowledge alone as you will need to work incredibly hard to continuously discover and create engaging stories – it is not a typical 9-5 job where you can switch off at the end of the day. You need to have a strong work ethic and be willing to put the work in, but this does also mean that you need to know how to switch off and look after yourself in order to prevent burnout.
Persistence
As a sports journalist, you also must be persistent as this is a career that throws up many obstacles and barriers along the way. It can be hard to get your foot in the door and find success with your pitches to publications, plus you will often find that athletes, coaches and other sports personnel are slippery and hard to get hold of – this is partly because those involved in sports can be very wary of the media, so you need to be persistent and develop position reputations with those in the industry.
Networking Skills
Following on from this point, networking is vital for any kind of journalist. When you are able to build and maintain a large professional network, it will allow you to get the key stories and access to those that you need to get to the bottom of the story.
While you certainly can and should network online, in an industry like this you will want to prioritise networking in person. This means that you should try to develop positive reputations with everyone in the industry that you come across and maintain these relationships over time.
Integrity
Sports journalism has traditionally been a respected tradition, but like many media roles, it has come under scrutiny in recent times largely due to “journalists” acting without integrity and without a code of ethics.
Harassing and following athletes, distorting the truth and not respecting boundaries can understandably create a frosty relationship between those in the industry and journalists, so you need to position yourself as a trustworthy, respectful journalist that acts in an ethical manner. When you are able to do this, you are much more likely to find success when it comes to interviews, getting the inside scoop and access to athletes and other important personnel.
Dependability
Similarly, you must also be dependable if you want to find success as a sports journalist. You need to be able to deliver to tight deadlines while maintaining a high standard of work, fulfil your obligations as a sports journalist and be a reliable journalist that the public can trust and depend on for their sports news.
Communication Skills
As a sports journalist, you obviously need strong written communication skills in order to create engaging content. It is also essential that you have strong spoken communication skills so that you can work effectively in the field, form strong relationships and also present your stories in a number of ways. Today’s sports journalist is not one that simply writes but also one that appears on camera themselves, creates podcasts/videos and has a personality that is presented to sports fans.
A sports journalism degree online will teach and develop all of the technical and practical skills required to do this, but you may need to work on your communication skills beforehand if this is an area that you struggle with. This is not limited to your verbal skills either, as a good sports journalist is also one that is an excellent listener and able to read body language – this can give you an edge and allow you to get the real story.
Confidence
Leading on from this, it is very hard to find success with a career in this field without confidence, even if you have a sports journalism degree online. Journalists need to have the confidence to pitch their ideas, present their stories to the world and be proactive in contacting and engaging with professional athletes in a competitive field.
It is a shame, but often it is the journalists that are the most confident and assured of themselves that find the highest level of success in this field so you may need to work on your self-confidence if this is an area that you struggle with. Of course, there is a fine line between being self-confident and arrogant and you will not want to spill over into arrogance as this will come across in your work and make it hard to develop a positive reputation.
Thick Skin
Following on from this, as a sports journalist, you must also have thick skin if you are to succeed. Negative feedback will be common whether this is from your editor, comments on your stories or interactions with professional athletes.
This means that you need to be able to take constructive criticism and be willing to improve and edit your work, but you also need to be able to ignore the negativity online. It is no secret that the internet has become an extremely negative environment when it comes to people commenting on stories, and it is in your own best interest to ignore these, especially on social media.
Stress Tolerance
There certainly are many perks to a career as a sports journalist, but it can also be incredibly stressful, so stress tolerance must be high. You will be working to tight deadlines, working on multiple stories at once, having to maintain high standards and working hard in the field to get the key details for all of your stories. You will also have the stress of putting your work out in the world and facing criticism, so those that struggle with stress will need to work on this as stress is a big part of the job.
Ability to Connect With Fans
While you should not trawl through social media comments, it is important that you have an ability to connect with sports fans. You are the middle person when it comes to sports and if you can connect with fans you will develop a loyal following, advance your career and improve your professional reputation.
Creating high-quality, engaging and unique content is the best way to do this along with showing your passion for sports, relating to the audience and being reliable for breaking stories. On top of this, you should also be active on social media, demonstrate your personality and cover the stories that the fans want to see.
Commitment to Self-Improvement
As with most lines of work, it is also important to have a desire to improve and develop your abilities. This will help to ensure that your work is the best that it can be, it will open up new opportunities and help you to stand out from the crowd. As such an enormous industry, the
re is the potential for great success in sports journalism, but you must also create your own opportunities. This means that you should consider what your weaknesses are and turn these into strengths, set yourself goals and establish what path you want to take within sports journalism. You should also seek feedback and advice from editors and those that you work with – often, there will be areas that you need to improve on that can be hard to identify yourself.
Additionally, you might find it helpful to look at successful sports journalists and see what you can learn from them. This is a well-trodden path and there are many respected, popular and iconic sports journalists across all sports that can be a great source of inspiration for sports journalists.
Time-Management
Sports journalism is a demanding, fast-paced and challenging field to work in and will require excellent time-management skills. You may have to travel a lot for work, you might be creating multiple stores at once and you will also need to factor in other people’s time for interviews and phone calls.
On top of this, you also need to know when to take a break and how to use your time off effectively in order to prevent burnout. In order to use your time effectively, you need to be highly organised, be able to prioritise your workload and plan ahead – fortunately, apps and software can make it much easier to stay on top of everything, so make sure that you are utilising the best tools to help you to manage your time.
These are the main skills and attributes that are required for a successful career in sports journalism. A sports journalism degree online is useful for developing many of these skills, but you may also need to work on them and develop many over time.
Sports journalism is a dream career for many sports fans and it can certainly be a rewarding and enjoyable career that gets you much closer to the action, but it is also an extremely stressful, demanding and challenging career and one that is becoming increasingly competitive. When you know the key skills and attributes that are required to find success, it will hopefully help you to get ahead and stand out from the crowd.

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Trudeau’s Gun Grab Could Cost Taxpayers a Whopping $7 Billion

A recent report indicates that since Trudeau’s announcement of his gun buyback program four years ago, almost none of the banned firearms have been surrendered.
The federal government plans to purchase 2,063 firearm models from retailers following the enactment of Bill C-21, which amends various Acts and introduces certain consequential changes related to firearms. It was granted royal assent on December 15 of last year.
This ban immediately criminalized the actions of federally-licensed firearms owners regarding the purchase, sale, transportation, importation, exportation, or use of hundreds of thousands of rifles and shotguns that were previously legal.
The gun ban focused on what it termed ‘assault-style weapons,’ which are, in reality, traditional semi-automatic rifles and shotguns that have enjoyed popularity among hunters and sport shooters for over a century.
In May 2020, the federal government enacted an Order-in-Council that prohibited 1,500 types of “assault-style” firearms and outlined specific components of the newly banned firearms. Property owners must adhere to the law by October 2023.
Trudeau’s Buyback Hasn’t Happened
“In the announcement regarding the ban, the prime minister stated that the government would seize the prohibited firearms, assuring that their lawful owners would be ‘grandfathered’ or compensated fairly.” “That hasn’t happened,” criminologist Gary Mauser told Rebel News.
Mauser projected expenses ranging from $2.6 billion to $6.7 billion. The figure reflects the compensation costs amounting to $756 million, as outlined by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).
“The projected expenses for gathering the illegal firearms are estimated to range from $1.6 billion to $7 billion.” “This range estimate increases to between $2.647 billion and $7 billion when compensation costs to owners are factored in,” Mauser stated.
Figures requested by Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs concerning firearms prohibited due to the May 1, 2020 Order In Council reveal that $72 million has been allocated to the firearm “buyback” program, yet not a single firearm has been confiscated to date.
In a recent revelation, Public Safety Canada disclosed that the federal government allocated a staggering $41,094,556, as prompted by an order paper question from Conservative Senator Don Plett last September, yet yielded no tangible outcomes.
An internal memo from late 2019 revealed that the Liberals projected their politically motivated harassment would incur a cost of $1.8 billion.
Enforcement efforts Questioned
By December 2023, estimates from TheGunBlog.ca indicate that the Liberals and RCMP had incurred or were responsible for approximately $30 million in personnel expenses related to the enforcement efforts. The union representing the police service previously stated that the effort to confiscate firearms is a “misdirected effort” aimed at ensuring public safety.
“This action diverts crucial personnel, resources, and funding from tackling the more pressing and escalating issue of criminal use of illegal firearms,” stated the National Police Federation (NPF).
The Canadian Sporting Arms & Ammunition Association (CSAAA), representing firearms retailers, has stated it will have “zero involvement” in the confiscation of these firearms. Even Canada Post held back from providing assistance due to safety concerns.
The consultant previously assessed that retailers are sitting on almost $1 billion worth of inventory that cannot be sold or returned to suppliers because of the Order-In-Council.
“Despite the ongoing confusion surrounding the ban, after four years, we ought to be able to address one crucial question.” Has the prohibition enhanced safety for Canadians? Mauser asks.
Illegally Obtained Firearms are the Problem
Statistics Canada reports a 10% increase in firearm-related violent crime between 2020 and 2022, rising from 12,614 incidents to 13,937 incidents. In that timeframe, the incidence of firearm-related violent crime increased from 33.7 incidents per 100,000 population in 2021 to 36.7 incidents the subsequent year.
“This marks the highest rate documented since the collection of comparable data began in 2009,” the criminologist explains.
Supplementary DataData indicates that firearm homicides have risen since 2020. “The issue lies not with lawfully-held firearms,” Mauser stated.
Firearms that have been banned under the Order-in-Council continue to be securely stored in the safes of their lawful owners. The individuals underwent a thorough vetting process by the RCMP and are subject to nightly monitoring to ensure there are no infractions that could pose a risk to public safety.
“The firearms involved in homicides were seldom legally owned weapons wielded by their rightful owners,” Mauser continues. The number of offenses linked to organized crime has surged from 4,810 in 2016 to a staggering 13,056 in 2020.
“If those in power … aim to diminish crime and enhance public safety, they ought to implement strategies that effectively focus on offenders and utilize our limited tax resources judiciously to reach these objectives,” he stated.
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Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding, But Still Accounting 48% Search Revenue

Google is so closely associated with its key product that its name is a verb that signifies “search.” However, Google’s dominance in that sector is dwindling.
According to eMarketer, Google will lose control of the US search industry for the first time in decades next year.
Google will remain the dominant search player, accounting for 48% of American search advertising revenue. And, remarkably, Google is still increasing its sales in the field, despite being the dominating player in search since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. However, Amazon is growing at a quicker rate.
Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding
Amazon will hold over a quarter of US search ad dollars next year, rising to 27% by 2026, while Google will fall even more, according to eMarketer.
The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the forecast.
Lest you think you’ll have to switch to Bing or Yahoo, this isn’t the end of Google or anything really near.
Google is the fourth-most valued public firm in the world. Its market worth is $2.1 trillion, trailing just Apple, Microsoft, and the AI chip darling Nvidia. It also maintains its dominance in other industries, such as display advertisements, where it dominates alongside Facebook’s parent firm Meta, and video ads on YouTube.
To put those “other” firms in context, each is worth more than Delta Air Lines’ total market value. So, yeah, Google is not going anywhere.
Nonetheless, Google faces numerous dangers to its operations, particularly from antitrust regulators.
On Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that Google must open up its Google Play Store to competitors, dealing a significant blow to the firm in its long-running battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games. Google announced that it would appeal the verdict.
In August, a federal judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on search. That verdict could lead to the dissolution of the company’s search operation. Another antitrust lawsuit filed last month accuses Google of abusing its dominance in the online advertising business.
Meanwhile, European regulators have compelled Google to follow tough new standards, which have resulted in multiple $1 billion-plus fines.

Pixa Bay
Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding
On top of that, the marketplace is becoming more difficult on its own.
TikTok, the fastest-growing social network, is expanding into the search market. And Amazon has accomplished something few other digital titans have done to date: it has established a habit.
When you want to buy anything, you usually go to Amazon, not Google. Amazon then buys adverts to push companies’ products to the top of your search results, increasing sales and earning Amazon a greater portion of the revenue. According to eMarketer, it is expected to generate $27.8 billion in search revenue in the United States next year, trailing only Google’s $62.9 billion total.
And then there’s AI, the technology that (supposedly) will change everything.
Why search in stilted language for “kendall jenner why bad bunny breakup” or “police moving violation driver rights no stop sign” when you can just ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT, “What’s going on with Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny?” in “I need help fighting a moving violation involving a stop sign that wasn’t visible.” Google is working on exactly this technology with its Gemini product, but its success is far from guaranteed, especially with Apple collaborating with OpenAI and other businesses rapidly joining the market.
A Google spokeswoman referred to a blog post from last week in which the company unveiled ads in its AI overviews (the AI-generated text that appears at the top of search results). It’s Google’s way of expressing its ability to profit on a changing marketplace while retaining its business, even as its consumers steadily transition to ask-and-answer AI and away from search.
Google has long used a single catchphrase to defend itself against opponents who claim it is a monopoly abusing its power: competition is only a click away. Until recently, that seemed comically obtuse. Really? We are going to switch to Bing? Or Duck Duck Go? Give me a break.
But today, it feels more like reality.
Google is in no danger of disappearing. However, every highly dominating company faces some type of reckoning over time. GE, a Dow mainstay for more than a century, was broken up last year and is now a shell of its previous dominance. Sears declared bankruptcy in 2022 and is virtually out of business. US Steel, long the foundation of American manufacturing, is attempting to sell itself to a Japanese corporation.
SOURCE | CNN
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The Supreme Court Turns Down Biden’s Government Appeal in a Texas Emergency Abortion Matter.

(VOR News) – A ruling that prohibits emergency abortions that contravene the Supreme Court law in the state of Texas, which has one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. The United States Supreme Court upheld this decision.
The justices did not provide any specifics regarding the underlying reasons for their decision to uphold an order from a lower court that declared hospitals cannot be legally obligated to administer abortions if doing so would violate the law in the state of Texas.
Institutions are not required to perform abortions, as stipulated in the decree. The common populace did not investigate any opposing viewpoints. The decision was made just weeks before a presidential election that brought abortion to the forefront of the political agenda.
This decision follows the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended abortion nationwide.
In response to a request from the administration of Vice President Joe Biden to overturn the lower court’s decision, the justices expressed their disapproval.
The government contends that hospitals are obligated to perform abortions in compliance with federal legislation when the health or life of an expectant patient is in an exceedingly precarious condition.
This is the case in regions where the procedure is prohibited. The difficulty hospitals in Texas and other states are experiencing in determining whether or not routine care could be in violation of stringent state laws that prohibit abortion has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints concerning pregnant women who are experiencing medical distress being turned away from emergency rooms.
The administration cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that bore a striking resemblance to the one that was presented to it in Idaho at the beginning of the year. The justices took a limited decision in that case to allow the continuation of emergency abortions without interruption while a lawsuit was still being heard.
In contrast, Texas has been a vocal proponent of the injunction’s continued enforcement. Texas has argued that its circumstances are distinct from those of Idaho, as the state does have an exemption for situations that pose a significant hazard to the health of an expectant patient.
According to the state, the discrepancy is the result of this exemption. The state of Idaho had a provision that safeguarded a woman’s life when the issue was first broached; however, it did not include protection for her health.
Certified medical practitioners are not obligated to wait until a woman’s life is in imminent peril before they are legally permitted to perform an abortion, as determined by the state supreme court.
The state of Texas highlighted this to the Supreme Court.
Nevertheless, medical professionals have criticized the Texas statute as being perilously ambiguous, and a medical board has declined to provide a list of all the disorders that are eligible for an exception. Furthermore, the statute has been criticized for its hazardous ambiguity.
For an extended period, termination of pregnancies has been a standard procedure in medical treatment for individuals who have been experiencing significant issues. It is implemented in this manner to prevent catastrophic outcomes, such as sepsis, organ failure, and other severe scenarios.
Nevertheless, medical professionals and hospitals in Texas and other states with strict abortion laws have noted that it is uncertain whether or not these terminations could be in violation of abortion prohibitions that include the possibility of a prison sentence. This is the case in regions where abortion prohibitions are exceedingly restrictive.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in restrictions on the rights of women to have abortions in several Republican-ruled states, the Texas case was revisited in 2022.
As per the orders that were disclosed by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, hospitals are still required to provide abortions in cases that are classified as dire emergency.
As stipulated in a piece of health care legislation, the majority of hospitals are obligated to provide medical assistance to patients who are experiencing medical distress. This is in accordance with the law.
The state of Texas maintained that hospitals should not be obligated to provide abortions throughout the litigation, as doing so would violate the state’s constitutional prohibition on abortions. In its January judgment, the 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals concurred with the state and acknowledged that the administration had exceeded its authority.
SOURCE: AP
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