Peter King, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated and editor of TheMMQB.com, will be the keynote speaker at the third annual Temple University Sports Journalism Summit Nov. 3 at the Howard Gittis Student Center South, room 200AB.
Peter King
Known as one of the most respected football writers in America, King has covered the National Football League for nearly three decades and has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 1989. TheMMQB.com is a new football-only website that showcases King’s unmatched access to the football world. While King was managing editor of HBO’s Inside the NFL in the 2000s, the series won three Emmys.
Geared toward students and others who hope to work in sports journalism, the School of Media and Communication’s summit will feature three panels throughout the day. (See sidebar for details.)
Schedule
8 to 8:45 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast
8:45 a.m.: Welcome
9 to 10 a.m.: The Art of the Interview
Ron Burke, Comcast SportsNet, anchor/reporter
Jon Johnson, WIP Host & Sixers and Phillies reporter
Dana O’Neil, ESPN, senior writer
Mike Sielski, The Philadelphia Inquirer
10:15 to 11:15 a.m.: Social Media for Sports Coverage
Howard Bryant, ESPN.com and ESPN: The Magazine
Leslie Gudel, Comcast SportsNet
Ryan Lawrence, Philadelphia Daily News
Anna Orso, BillyPenn.com
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Job & Internship Fair
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch, provided by Peltz Boxing
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Keynote speaker, Peter King, Sports Illustrated
2:45 to 3:45 p.m.: The Voices of Philadelphia Sports
Scott Franzke, Phillies
Jim Jackson, Flyers
Merrill Reese, Eagles
Marc Zumoff, 76ers
Click here to register for the Temple University Sports Journalism Summit ($5, including breakfast and lunch).
Interview practice
For the first time this year, the summit will feature mock interviews. Anyone who wishes to participate should bring a resume, dress professionally and sign up at the summit for one of 20 first-come, first-served slots. The volunteer interviewers will go through a standard job Q-and-A and then evaluate responses on the spot.
The summit, which attracted 85 people last year, is being organized by Matt Fine, associate professor of media studies and production; Andrew Mendelson, chair of the Journalism Department; and Paul Vigna, JOUR ’77, enterprise editor at the Harrisburg Patriot-News. It is sponsored in part by Peltz Boxing and its director, J Russell Peltz, JOUR ’68, a 2010 Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Awards honoree and World Boxing Hall of Fame member.
“Temple has an amazing legacy of sports journalism, from the voices we hear calling games to insightful analysis we enjoy online, in print, on TV and on radio to photographs and videos we view to relive great athletic moments,” Mendelson said. “We created the Sports Journalism Summit three years ago to highlight this legacy and to help inspire the next generation of sports journalists, giving them the opportunity to learn from and meet a variety of leading figures.”
Fine said the panelists will discuss professional experiences “that they can share with our students who are one day trying to be in their positions.”
One panel discussion will showcase how social media are impacting how reporters do their jobs. Twitter played a big role in breaking two major stories this past year: the Ray Rice abuse scandal and, on a more local level, a lewd gesture that Phillies pitcher Jonathan Papelbon made to the fans at Citizens Bank Park. Fine said neither of these stories would have gained as much traction just a few years ago and he believes the NFL’s punishment of Rice came as a direct result of the outcry on social media. The day’s final panel of Philadelphia sports voices marks the first time all four of them have been in the same room at the same time, Zumoff said.
Interest and opportunity
Motivated by SMC students’ growing interest in sports journalism careers, the school has created a number of new opportunities, including several sports-related shows on TUTV – Temple University Television and specialized courses in the Journalism and Media Studies and Production departments. Fine said the school’s attention to sports media is a direct result of the growth in job opportunities, ranging from an increase in online outlets to public relations jobs with professional sports teams. He noted the four senior staff members of OwlSports Update show last year received sports journalism jobs in small and mid-sized markets within six weeks of graduation.
In addition to the Sports Journalism Summit, SMC will host Rob King, senior vice president of ESPN, in a Q-and-A discussion with Dean David Boardman in the Annenberg Hall atrium at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10. The event is open to the public. Attendance at either event qualifies students for a ticket to the first School of Media and Communication job fair planned for late March.