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Sports Journalism Courses in Brighton

NCTJ Journalism Diploma at City College Brighton and Hove

The new, elective Sports Journalism unit

Part of the award-winning Journalism programme

Sports Journalism Courses

Brighton is a booming city for sport - the football club has moved to a brand new stadium less than five miles down the road, and the college has already established extensive links with the Championship team.

England's World Cup Twenty 20 heroes Luke Wright and Michael Yardy play their cricket for Sussex, whose HQ is in Hove, again five miles from college. And City College already works closely with Cobb PR, who handle the big news at the County Ground.

And that's only a start.... the county is awash with talented sportspeople and BIG sports news stories.

And that is why here at City College Brighton and Hove we have decided to set up an option for sports journalism.

Sports journalists cover sports events and produce written or broadcast reports on those events.

Traditionally sports journalists are drawn from the ranks of news reporters who expressed an interest in reporting sport.

This is still a viable route for sports reporters, with many well known sports journalists working first as a news reporter before getting their first big break in sports reporting by standing in for a sports reporter who was unable to attend a big event.

But the trend is now for young journalists to specialise earlier and this is reflected in the development of sports journalism courses, such as ours, accredited by the NCTJ, which aim to see their young graduates join a sports desk immediately once they leave the course.

On these courses students sit NCTJ exams in news reporting, public affairs and media law, as much of sports reporting is about more than the action of what happens on the pitch. Sports journalists have to follow such issues as making sure a new ground will be ready for the start of the new season or whether a race track will be in a suitable financial position to host a Formula One Grands Prix.

Stories such as this require an understanding of planning laws, media law and company structures and finances.

Students will also study shorthand, as sports journalism is an area of reporting where quotes must be reported quickly and accurately.

Many sports reporters have to compile and file a report of the first half of a football match within the 15 minute span of half-time at a football match.

Course tutor is Peter Lindsey, who started his career in 1987 as a trainee sports reporter in Kent.

Peter has edited local newspapers for 20 years, and is sports-mad, being a soccer referee and cricket lover as well.