The Missouri School of Journalism to Host the Sports Journalism Institute, Beginning in 2012
Columbia, Mo. (Feb. 21, 2011) — The Sports Journalism Institute will bring its 10-day crash course in sports journalism to the Missouri School of Journalism beginning in June 2012.
“I’ve known about the work of SJI for years, and the prospect of working more closely with the program is exciting,” said Greg Bowers, associate professor at the School. “The fact that this can provide additional opportunities for Missouri journalism students makes it a natural partnership.”
SJI is a program that has helped diversify sports departments across the country since 1993. Each year, the Institute selects a class of 10-12 minority and female journalists based on academic achievement, demonstrated interest in sports journalism as a career and excellence on a required essay.
During the 10-day crash course, the students are taught in classes that range from ethics to photo editing to how to keep a running score to copy editing. The students will receive instruction from working professionals in multi-media sports journalism, plus faculty from the School. The Institute will be based in the newsroom of the Columbia Missourian. The students also will produce a publication that will be distributed to sports editors across the country. Greg Lee of the Boston Globe, an alumnus of SJI’s Class of 1994, serves as the publication’s editor.
After the course, students will be assigned to paid internships in news organizations. Upon successful completion of the program, students returning to college will receive a $500 scholarship.
Under the hosting partnership, a Missouri journalism student, selected by faculty, will receive a spot in the class each year.
“I’ve known about the work of SJI for years, and the prospect of working more closely with the program is exciting,” said Greg Bowers, associate professor at the School.
“This partnership with Missouri represents a return to SJI’s roots of conducting our boot camps in a university setting. In 1993, our first class came together at Norfolk State and in the nearly two decades since, we’ve come to realize that there’s no better place for teaching and learning than a campus environment,” said Sandy Rosenbush of ESPN, a co-director and co-founder of SJI.
“This will be a terrific partnership between SJI and Missouri, said Leon Carter, executive editor of ESPNNewYork.com and a co-founder and co-director of SJI. “Diversity remains very important in the newsrooms and Missouri will help SJI continue its mission.”
The Sports Journalism Institute works with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM). Grants and/or support are provided by longtime parter APSE, the Chicago Tribune Foundation, the Poynter Institute, ESPN, Investors Savings Bank Foundation, and private contributors.
The program has more than 200 graduates, the majority of whom have gone on to work at newspapers, websites and in television throughout the country.
Updated: May 20, 2020