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Cricket Journalism

Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
Wasn't too sure whether to put this here of in Off Topic but no matter...

I am seriously considering trying to embark on a career path of cricket journalism but realise that, although I am an okay writer, I know nothing about the career itself.

Here are just a few of my questions:

-What qualifications (A Levels/Degree) are necessities/helpful for a career in cricket journalism?
-What is the pay for a big site like Cricinfo or a magazine like the Wisden Cricketer?
-Is it done from home, mainly from the venue of the centre of the subject, a mixture of the two or an office?
-Is it mainly independant or is it a team within the company which you work for?

I will have more questions later probably but any information, related to the questions or not, will be greatly appriciated.
 
andruid

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
I can't imagine why it should be much different from regular sports jounalism. I am getting a degree just to be on the safe side
 
Manee

Manee

Cricketer Of The Year
I will likely do in a little while but currently, I moderate planetcricket forums.
 
wpdavid

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
My only contact is Will Luke, who writes for Cricinfo and, I think occasionally turns up in TWC. He got the job off the back of a blog he produced for some years - when a vacancy came up, cricinfo liked his style, and took him on. I'm pretty sure he doesn't write all his reports on location, btw.

Apart from getting some qualifications, you need to get in the habit of writing, irrespective of whether anyone publishes your work. The guy who pointed you to the link for new writers as CW was dead right, actually. Apart from gaining experience, you'd have a team of guys willing to offer views on your work, which is hugely imporant.

Beyond that, magazines such as TWC have a stated policy of welcoming articles to eb considered for publication, although presumably not many do get published from complete newcomers.
 
Shaggy Alfresco

Shaggy Alfresco

State Captain
I'd imagine it'd become a lot easier if you became an established county cricketer. Sadly it's not that easy to become an established county cricketer in the first place...
 
andruid

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
In short you need
1 A big opinion
2. A blog or some means to express that big opinion.
3. accredited 'experts' to make alo of talk about your big opinion
4. Some qulaifications to make a nice looking CV

I think I've missed some things but that should be a start
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Fill out the form then. :) Never had a Kenyan on board.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Well you'd only get the

Swervy you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

  1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
  2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

message TBH, which I knew you'd get. Obviously, if you want to find-out then you can.
 
J

JJJ

Cricket Spectator
Evening chaps,

this thread caught my eye when browsing the web, so just thought I'd introduce myself and maybe answer a couple of Manee's questions. My name is Jay, and I'm a Sports Journalist in training in Preston. I have done work for major organisations in football, but am now looking to branch out to my passion (cricket, duh!). I've sent an application to be part of the team, as I believe I could be of benefit to many people, like Manee who wish to get into this oh so competitive industry. I hope to hear back from the Cricket Web staff soon.

Now to Manee's questions; as I said, the industry is incredibly competitive, and at your age the best thing to do is write for websites such as Cricket Web and Planet Cricket. Also the suggestion of the blog was great (whoever suggested that, well done). Most journalists in employment or not have a blog, and it's another thing to throw on the CV (which will need to be packed eventually). Just keep plugging away is all I would suggest. Cricket journalism is packed with ex-professionals who are now called "expert pundits", but there is room for people like you and I with a sound knowledge on the game. Anyway, best of luck!

JJJ
 
Smudge

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
The idea of being a journalist specialising in the sport of your choosing, is glamorous. Getting there, is not.

In my case, I found NZ sports journalism a little difficult to break into. Many papers like you to have a little grounding in general reporting first (and I'd recommend it, as the ability of sports reporters to read council documents and the like is often sadly lacking), and it takes a bit of luck or two to fall into a sports job.

Your first sports job is the most important one, I reckon. Build up contacts ASAP, get to know the people in the sport and the light-hearted stories behind them, because newspapers - in New Zealand at least - are loving human interest pieces more and more. In fact, if you join a sports department and expect you're just going to be writing match reports and the occasional profile, you're wrong.

Match reports are easily accessible within hours - even minutes - on the internet, so newspapers in particular have to look for different angles and story ideas which focus on what is ahead, rather than what has just gone.

Specialising in one specific sport requires even more luck - look at New Zealand. You could argue Richard Boock and Jonathon Millmow are full-time cricket journos - and possibly Bryan Waddle on radio - and that's it. Just don't expect to waltz on in and fall into a cricket journalism job at the drop of a hat.
 
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