- How did you get involved in your sport?
- Tell me about the competition/event we’re at today.
- How do you think your team/a particular athlete played today?
- Why is today’s game important?
- What are your predictions for the tournament/game/season?
- How has playing this sport impacted your life?
A journalist is a news expert who conducts research and writes articles about numerous topics including politics, economics, sport, entertainment and more. They predominately work within a media company but may partake in occasional freelance work. Also known as a reporter.
How to Prepare for your Interview – Sports Journalism
Can you describe the three best qualities of your writing style?
Tests the candidate’s writing skills.
How do you ensure your work is accurate and factual?
Demonstrates the candidate’s investigative and fact-checking skills.
Journalist Interview Questions:
Tests the candidate’s ability to perform under pressure.
Example: “I am very familiar with the rules of basketball. I played in high school and college, so I still remember most of the rules. However, if I ever forget one, I always refer back to the official rule book. It’s important for me to be accurate when reporting on games.”
Example: “I frequently visit ESPN, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. I find these sites have some of the best writers in the business, and they all produce quality content. I also like The Undefeated because of its unique perspective on sports news. I think more publications should include diverse voices in their writing.”
Example: “I am passionate about sports and I love writing. I also have five years of experience as a sports journalist, which has given me valuable insight into how to write compelling stories. My previous employers always praised my work ethic and ability to meet deadlines. I think these skills would be beneficial in this role.”
Example: “I think it depends on the sport and the event. For example, if there is a big game coming up, I would want to post updates about the teams and players leading up to the game. After the game, I would want to have a recap of the game with some statistics and analysis. If there are any other important events in the future, I would want to continue posting relevant information.”
Sports journalists are the lifeblood of the sports world. They keep fans up to date on the latest news and developments in their favorite sport, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or hockey. They also interview athletes, coaches, and team owners, and write columns analyzing the games and the players.
As a sports correspondent, I would tell students that if you truly love sport – you watch it a lot, you talk about it with family and friends a lot, then few things in the professional world can match the thrill of getting paid to report and write on what others pay to watch. Keep in mind the profession may not be very rewarding financially, but when you have just had a chance to speak to a sports personality you grew up watching, or your childhood idol, or have assisted in breaking an important story that ends up becoming a hot topic of discussion among the public, the reward is of a different kind!
I studied for my bachelors degree (Physics) at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. As mentioned above, towards the end of my three-year programme, I realised it was not something I could see myself enjoying as a career choice after all! So I opted to study for a 1 year diploma in Business Management.
The UAE being a small country made up of 7 emirates, I often travelled outside Dubai for assignments. 2009 was particularly exciting as Abu Dhabi would not only host its inaugural edition of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, but the capital city of the UAE was also named the host for the Fifa Club World Cup for 2009 & 2010. I will forever consider myself blessed for being in the UAE at this point in time and getting to report on these two events. The Grand Prix was an amazing experience. Though Formula 1 is certainly a sport that can be better followed on TV, if you love the high-octane roar of an F1 car, then you need to be at the venue to truly appreciate it. One of my most cherished moments was meeting the manager of the legendary Michael Schumacher – Sabine Kehm. I asked her if she could help arrange an interview with Schumacher which she did on two occasions albeit over email. I would like to underline this as an example of how reporting on events helps you meet people crucial to your line of work.
The Club World Cup was no different. This was a tournament arranged by Fifa to pit the club champions from the various continents against each other. Us reporters felt like we had won a lottery ticket at the 2009 edition because the European club champions that year just happened to be Pep Guardiola’s legendary Barcelona side starring Lionel Messi. They went on to win the trophy of course, with Messi producing some magic in the final against South American club champions Estudiantes, as he scored the winning goal in the second half offg extra time. I will never tire of telling people I was there!
The key challenge I faced during my freelancing spell was dealing with the days when after going to the field, reporting on a match, returning to the office and filing a copy, I would eventually be told there was no space to carry it, or the report was not what the editor was looking for. Since the travel was all on my own expense at the time, it would feel like the day’s effort had all gone to waste. But you learn to take these things in your stride and as you mature, you realize this too contributes to your growth as a reporter. So I soon learned to think differently about how to report on the event I was covering. My editor was looking for human interest stories as opposed to just stating what went on in a match, so this compelled me to think out of the box and with time, which helps you pick up a vital skill.
I write articles for a local paper about my high schools sports, but when I do a profile of an athlete, I find myself coming back to the same questions. What are the best questions to ask?
FAQ
What questions are asked in a sports interview?
- 1 “Tell me about yourself”
- 2 “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
- 3 “What’s your biggest weakness?”
- 4 “On a scale from 1 – 10, how would you rate yourself / how proficient are you at xxx?”
- 5 “Why do you want to work for this company?”
What are good journalism interview questions?
- What are the best qualities of your writing style?
- Why do you want to work for our publication?
- What topics would you like to cover for our publication?
- How would you improve our publication?
- Do you see yourself still working with us in five years?
- How often do you use social media?
What are the 6 journalist questions?
- Who? (Actor or Agent) Who is involved? …
- What? (Act) What should happen? …
- When? (Time or Timing) When will, did, should this occur or be performed? …
- Where? (Scene or Source) Where did, will, should this occur or be performed? …
- Why? (Purpose) Why was or is this done, avoided, permitted?
