Q&A | Freelancing as a Sports Journalist

We sat down with Reece Chambers, a Freelance football Writer at Reach PLC, to discuss his journey to finding paid work after University…

I’ve been told in the past that keeping pitches as short as possible is more likely to get a response from a busy editor.

Reece Chambers

How important is finding your writing niche? 

Finding a niche within journalism is going to increase your chances of being employed and that probably applies more to sport than any other field of media work. Since starting with a blog seven years ago, I’ve covered a lot of different areas of sport and I can’t reiterate how important it is to have a wide breadth of knowledge on a range of sports. During my time at Gair Rhydd, Cardiff University’s student newspaper, I found myself writing about badminton, squash and a host of other sports I didn’t expect to be covering.

Whilst all of that knowledge and experience covering a wide range of sports is a great grounding for a career in sports journalism, having a unique selling point in terms of your writing is something that will put you above other candidates for a job who may not be as well versed in one particular area – whether that be Spanish football, domestic rugby in Australia or any other subject.

From a personal perspective, delving deeper into data-based writing in football has allowed me to offer something different to other journalists who may hold more strength in other areas. The data made publicly available these days has enabled me to continue developing my expertise but having a passion for a niche is the most important thing. Don’t go trying to specialise in one area because it’s what you think will get you a job, do it because you have a genuine passion for it. That will shine through in the work you do, too.  

How much time should you spend networking within the industry?

Networking is an integral part of any form of work but perhaps more so in journalism given that the very nature of the job requires you to build a contact book and speak to people for stories and insight. In sport, it can be a highly unpredictable field given that it is an area that many people often ‘dream’ of working in. The number of emails that editors and journalists get asking for work experience or pitching articles can mean that getting a response can sometimes be difficult.

The best piece of advice I can think to give in terms of networking is to keep putting your work out there and building a portfolio to the extent that editors will take notice. Getting that first break can often be the most difficult step but being persistent is the best thing to do. 

How do you pitch to bigger publications?

The prospect of pitching to bigger publications is something that I was daunted by before I started to do it on a regular basis. Finding the courage to press ‘send’ on a pitch you’ve worked hard on for hours can change into disappointment when you don’t hear back but, again, it’s about being persistent and not giving up on the task of getting your first byline.

In terms of direct advice, I’ve been told in the past that keeping pitches as short as possible is more likely to get a response from a busy editor than pages and pages of work. Keep it as short and informative as possible. 

Have you got any advice for anyone wanting to get their first freelance job?

I’ve only recently got my first paid job in sports journalism so I’m speaking with very little experience in the big world of journalism. Nevertheless, I think much of it depends on being in the right place at the right time and, for me, that came when Reach PLC (owners of publications like Liverpool ECHO, Manchester Evening News and WalesOnline) were launching a project that saw an increase in their content on transfers, scouting and analysis. I’m not entirely sure why I was contacted directly about it given my minimal experience in the professional world but I’d be inclined to think that it was because I have been quite active in pitching ideas to their publications and putting my name out there on social media. I’ve been writing about sport for free since the age of 14 so I think it just goes to show that if you put enough work in with whatever you do, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts somewhere down the line.

What advice can you offer to aspiring sports journalists?

I think the best bit of insight I can give is to make sure you have a genuine passion for a particular field before trying to get into it full-time. The sports journalism industry can look sexy from the outside and, don’t get me wrong, being paid to watch and write about sports you love is great. But the fact that you’ll be working weekends and juggling a whole host of different jobs means that you need to be persistent and passionate about your job. Back in 2015 I went over to Swansea City AFC for a week of work experience with their media team and I’ll always remember that one of the guys said it quickly turns from a hobby to a ‘real’ job when you’re doing it across long shifts or working at unsociable hours. 

Continue to put your work out there and get as much feedback as possible to continue developing your skills. I guess that applies to all areas of journalism, not just sport. 

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