I have always been fixated and intrigued by the power of media on college campuses, and how it is undervalued often, especially when it comes to sports. Professional teams, even many colleges, put their own local voices in a place where they as judged as “students” vs. media, when the reality of today is that those doing the innovating, those with a consistent voice, those who deeply care about the goings on in and around the team…and that AUDIENCE THAT THESE TEAMS AND LEAGUES CRAVE…are the “student media” they turn away or put on a tier below “traditional media.”
Instead of courting, nurturing and growing these outlets, many trivialize their reach, their potential, and their opportunity. There are several reasons why. The turnover amongst those on a college campus can be high, the ability to dig in and do quality work is still in the growth process, their sometimes understanding of the value of access and fair coverage…versus opinion…can be a challenge, and maybe their peers both on the pro and the college level (along with coaches) look at them and see “junior.”
All of those challenges exist but can be overcome for those willing to dig in and do the access and the education side. I have seen it firsthand with students from everywhere from USC and Ithaca to Northwestern, Montclair State, Maryland, Syracuse and Fordham and on and on. This next gen group, of which we were a part of, can teach us a great deal as well about media consumption, the use of social, the integration of video and the like. It may not be traditional for some older folks, but it is valuable, and if you are around long enough you see these students move quickly to jobs where we have to deal with them and build assets. So why wait?
We have seen great examples of “student journalists,” a misnomer for sure, because they are doing journalistic work regardless of whether they are students or not, at college campuses during the recent protests. From Columbia to UCLA, Fordham to Northwestern, students who were members of the media were on, and in many cases behind the front lines, reporting in and giving great insight into media outlets ranging from the BBC to CNN. We have seen “student” publications break stories around athlete abuse, suicide, misdoings on campus and many other stories in recent years, and we have seen because of the use of digital technology more and more schools live streaming games…including widespread sports events…that have given these young professionals the ability to grow experience way beyond what we once had. This also continues to extend to high schools, where young people are getting more and more real-life experience and are creating professional quality work at a young age. Most on the outside would not even know the age and experience of many of these young people, they would think they are just good at what they do…and they do it well.
It was into the mix of student media that I was reminded recently and will hopefully start to rekindle a pet project for quite a long time…one which comes in fits and starts but has never fully taken shape, at least on the sports and entertainment side. The idea is simple, take all these siloed young people doing credible work and find a way to use the social space to knit a network together, where they can share stories, get great experience and gain access to higher level events provided they pout the time in. In turn, properties looking for coverage…niche and rising sports, movies, authors…can have a wider robust set of outlets for which to share their stories, be they in the form of podcasts, video interviews and even live games. There was a company years ago, Palestra.net, which sought to knit these ambitious students together, not in the form of them publishing for a third party…like a Bleacher Report or an SB Nation, but for their own outlets on campus (with the idea they can have their own projects and platforms as well). After all, if you are on a junket or doing a media day, how would you know if WSYR was a college station in Syracuse or WFUV was a student sports outlet at Fordham University? You are getting solid coverage, building a set of interviews or stories that you can share, and you are seeding the future for wherever these young people go. It’s a rather simple idea if there is a mechanism to build it.
Now it’s not that easy. For the reasons listed above, turnover, some less dedicated than over, time challenges of students, some that may just not be good or ready for the work, the lack of a faculty member willing to commit, it will always be a work in progress.
However, the experience gained on both sides can be invaluable. I have seen firsthand the student stations that use Radio Row at The Super Bowl to gain experience and expand storytelling for those looking to advance a narrative. I have seen how teams can bring in local aspiring media members to learn about the nuances of covering a team and then go back and use the content and best practices for their own outliers, or even more so, for social coverage that is expanded well beyond the “traditional” coverage a team may receive. I have seen access to junkets, community events, even to drafts, pay off to start building relationships into the future. Heck just this past week at the Knicks-Pacers series I ran into not one but two young people who I knew on the college side who we met from Ithaca and the University of Texas. Both were working the game on the professional level just a few years after being on a college campus where we gave them access.
We knew them when.
The work has to come from both sides. You need committed people at the school willing to take a cadre of young people and ramp up their storytelling skills, while you need people at media agencies, at teams, at leagues, to meet and grant access. It may not always be for a regular season game, but it can be before training camp, for an affiliated team, for practice or for a community event. Everyone works well together; you share ideas and off we go.
After seeing the continued quality work students have done on the news side, I’m convinced there is a network to be built that champions those willing to lean in and expand storytelling. We just need to figure out the how, find the ones willing to give it a shot, and go from there.
Everybody wins.
No Fear In The Deer; Bucks Diffuse A Tough Situation With Common Sense, Relationships and Culture…