Journalism Opportunities

The Program

You love sports, and you want your work to be seen by as many people as possible.

That’s where we come in.

On Campus Sports provides students with the opportunity to cover college sports for a national media company. Our relationship with multiple online sports publishers means exposure to potentially tens of millions of college sports enthusiasts as well as possible job opportunities for you in the future. In that regard, On Campus Sports could serve as your pipeline to a career in professional media.

We have openings for you to write, photograph or broadcast. We also offer a number of leadership positions for students with excellent editorial and managerial skills.

CAMPUS-LEVEL POSITIONS

OCS staffs a team of student journalists at Division I universities nationwide. We call these Campus Sites. The Campus Managing Editor leads a Campus Site staff of Writers, Photojournalists and Video Broadcasters, who produce content on a regular basis.

You and your staff cover men’s and women’s varsity athletics at your school and around your conference. You can also produce national stories (for example, pieces on major breaking news or events like the Final Four).

Here are the responsibilities for Campus Site team members:

CAMPUS MANAGING EDITOR

The Campus Managing Editor (CME) position puts you in charge of your university’s Campus Site. This is a critically important leadership position. The primary task for a CME is to help recruit prospective Writers, Photojournalists and Broadcasters to join your staff.

As a CME, you also:

• collaborate with your campus team and your Conference Editor to plan immediate and long-term coverage.
• help edit and publish stories for your Campus Site.
• build and maintain a relationship with your school’s athletic department.
• approve student journalists through the application process and recommend students for promotions.

STUDENT JOURNALISTS

Whether you choose to be a Writer, Photojournalist or Broadcaster, you should have a good understanding of AP style, along with a passion for covering sports and a strong work ethic.

Writers will:

• submit at least one article per week (miminum article length: 300 words), focusing on your school’s sports teams. You also can produce stories that appeal to regional or national audiences.
• attach a photo with each article (either your own original image or an appropriate image that resides in OCS’s media library).
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

Photojournalists will:

• capture images of your school’s sports teams (based on the teams’ events each week).
• shoot images of athletic facilities and popular campus landmarks.
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

Broadcasters will:

• capture raw video footage*: This could be a spectacular play at a live sporting event you attend, or capturing the emotion of the crowd during a pivotal moment in a game. This could also entail shooting video from a tailgate party or a local sports bar where students and fans are watching the big game on TV. We’re looking for compelling “you had to be there” moments to fill our Raw Video category at each Campus Site.
• produce edited video packages*: These are typically 90-second to 2-minute segments shot on site or in a studio. We will provide examples of other students’ work.
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

*Broadcasters have the option to shoot raw video, produce edited video packages, or both. Not all broadcasters will be required to provide both types of video content, although that is ideal.

CONFERENCE-LEVEL POSITIONS

Once you’re with us for awhile, and we see how great you are, you’ll have opportunities for even greater responsibility and leadership.

CONFERENCE EDITOR

As a Conference Editor (CE), you are the managing editor of all Campus Sites in your particular conference. Your primary task as CE is to recruit Campus Managing Editors for your conference’s Campus Sites.

As a CE, you have proven managerial skills, along with a thorough understanding of AP Style and copyright laws. In this role, you also:

• plan immediate and long-term coverage with your schools’ Campus Managing Editors in mandatory weekly meetings
• review each conference school’s page daily to ensure full and fresh content
• edit major stories before they are published
• help Campus Managing Editors recruit prospective Writers, Photojournalists and Broadcasters
• recommend students for promotions

NATIONAL-LEVEL POSITIONS

We have a confession to make: we have separation issues. So, instead of you leaving us, which will result in us lying in a dark corner and sobbing gently, we’ll want you to stay.

MANAGING EDITOR

Welcome to your full-time job! If you’ve reached the Managing Editor level, you’ve clearly succeeded at managing and evaluating people, and you also possess superior organizational skills and creativity with feature story ideas. In this role, you:

• manage turnover of staff
• evaluate writers and editors, helping to make the final decision on promotions to Conference Editor and Campus Managing Editor positions
• consult weekly with Conference Editors on story ideas and personnel issues
• assist with Executive Editor, CEO and CIO on presentation of content (site design; current features; new features)
• compose weekly blogs on writing conventions / trends in sports journalism
• help maintain OnCampusSports School of Communication
• manage all editorial documents / systems

 

 

FAQs

The Program

What is On Campus Sports?

We are “college sports covered by college students”: a growing team of students from universities nationwide that’s already the media’s largest staff of college student sports journalists. You will cover sports at your own school, around your conference, and across the country.

We believe college students know more about college sports than anybody else. We also believe students can produce insightful, creative content that rivals any other media entity.

On Campus Sports provides a platform for students to publish articles, display photos and produce video content covering all college sports. Even more, we want students to have fun and be creative, so we encourage fresh, engaging content that you won’t see at other online media sports sites.

Who can contribute to OCS?

If you’re at the undergraduate or graduate level, you’re eligible to be a part of OCS. While we prefer journalism or mass communication students, that’s not a requirement. We also accept students who are preparing to enter their freshman year in college and those of you who have just graduated and still want to gain experience.

Let’s make this simple: are you talented, or are you willing to work so you’ll be talented? Then we want you.

What positions are available for student journalists?

OCS staffs a team of student journalists at Division I universities nationwide. We call these Campus Sites. The Campus Managing Editor leads a Campus Site staff of Writers, Photojournalists and Video Broadcasters, who produce content on a regular basis.

You and your staff cover men’s and women’s varsity athletics at your school and around your conference. You can also produce national stories (for example, pieces on major breaking news or events like the Final Four).

Here are the responsibilities for Campus Site team members:

CAMPUS MANAGING EDITOR

The Campus Managing Editor (CME) position puts you in charge of your university’s Campus Site. This is a critically important leadership position. The primary task for a CME is to help recruit prospective Writers, Photojournalists and Broadcasters to join your staff.

As a CME, you also:

• collaborate with your campus team and your Conference Editor to plan immediate and long-term coverage.
• help edit and publish stories for your Campus Site.
• build and maintain a relationship with your school’s athletic department.
• approve student journalists through the application process and recommend students for promotions.

STUDENT JOURNALISTS

Whether you choose to be a Writer, Photojournalist or Broadcaster, you should have a good understanding of AP style, along with a passion for covering sports and a strong work ethic.

Writers will:

• submit at least one article per week (miminum article length: 300 words), focusing on your school’s sports teams. You also can produce stories that appeal to regional or national audiences.
• attach a photo with each article (either your own original image or an appropriate image that resides in OCS’s media library).
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

Photojournalists will:

• capture images of your school’s sports teams (based on the teams’ events each week).
• shoot images of athletic facilities and popular campus landmarks.
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

Broadcasters will:

• capture raw video footage*: This could be a spectacular play at a live sporting event you attend, or capturing the emotion of the crowd during a pivotal moment in a game. This could also entail shooting video from a tailgate party or a local sports bar where students and fans are watching the big game on TV. We’re looking for compelling “you had to be there” moments to fill our Raw Video category at each Campus Site.
• produce edited video packages*: These are typically 90-second to 2-minute segments shot on site or in a studio. We will provide examples of other students’ work.
• participate in one weekly planning meeting with your fellow OCS staff members.

*Broadcasters have the option to shoot raw video, produce edited video packages, or both. Not all broadcasters will be required to provide both types of video content, although that is ideal.

We also have other leadership positions as you work your way up: Conference Editor and Managing Editor positions are available. Click on the “Journalism Opportunities” link for more information.

How much would I be expected to contribute each week?

If you commit to joining OCS, we expect you to be a regular contributor. The level of commitment varies for each student. We have some students who average a few hours a week, while others average 20 hours a week.

Of course, leadership positions like the Campus Managing Editor role will demand more of your time.

I’m horribly busy, and so I doubt I could contribute regularly. Could I still join and then contribute when I have the time?

We have low self esteem, so if you join but then we don’t hear from you often, we’ll get very self-conscious and think you don’t love us. Therefore, we do need you to make a commitment to contribute regularly. Yeah, we all have bad weeks every now and then, and we fail to meet our obligations. As soon as you know you won’t be able to fulfill your obligations that week, we just ask that you communicate with your Campus Managing Editor. If your inability to contribute becomes a trend, we’ll have to move on.

The Campus Managing Editor position sounds great, but intense. What’s the commitment for this position?

It’ll vary at each school, depending on the size of your team. Typically, our Campus Managing Editors commit to 10-20 hours per week. We listen, though: if you begin to feel overwhelmed, we get you help. For instance, if you’re a Campus Managing Editor and you have a team of five writers who are generating a lot of content, you can promote a couple of the writers to Assistant Editor positions. It’s a win-win: your Writers gain leadership positions, and you get your life back.

What are the benefits of me joining OCS?

• Expose your talent to an audience outside your own campus region. Your work can potentially be seen by millions of viewers. We’re already the nation’s largest collection of college student journalists, and we continue to grow.
• Enjoy ongoing evaluation and feedback from professional editors.
• Collaborate with student peers at universities across the NCAA.
• Acquire media credentials to cover athletic events.
• Gain real-world experience for a distinct advantage in the job market.
• Achieve promotions: top writers can become paid editors.
• Publish articles, pictures, videos, live blogs, studio broadcasts, podcasts and more! The sky’s the limit!
• Earn college credit in our internship program.

Can my work with OCS lead to paid positions?

We hope so! While we can’t promise we’ll be able to pay you, we’re working toward establishing compensation plans for our student journalists. We also can share revenue from the photos/videos you create.

Is it possible for me to gain course credit as an OCS student journalist?

We’ve had a number of students gain course credit for their work with us. You’ll need to check with your school administrators to determine eligibility for course credit. We’re always happy to help with this process.

When can I start?

How about right now? You can join the team as soon as you apply and are accepted into the program. Once you submit an application, please allow up to a week for a response from us.

How long is the term of commitment?

You mean term, as in “prison term”? This ain’t no prison! You can walk away at any time. Some students can commit for only a few months. Some see the leadership opportunities and plan to spend their entire undergraduate career with us. Your time with us is up to you.

Applying

How can I join the OCS team?

If you’re eligible, submit your application via the program’s online form. We are constantly reviewing applications.

What’s the best way for me to get accepted as a student journalist?

Be sure you have an updated resume, and also provide samples of your work when you apply.