Journalism (Sport Journalism)

Want to work in sports journalism, reporting and commentating on live sport, interviewing the key players and opinion-formers and investigating the stories behind the headlines? Marjon’s Sports Journalism degree will give you the skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need to take those first important steps towards a career like no other. Our Sports Journalism students work with matchday media teams at Plymouth Argyle, Parkway, Albion rugby and Patriots basketball, as well as at a whole host of other clubs and sports content providers across the region.

You will spend a lot of time at The Workshop, our state-of-the-art TV and radio studios on the BBC South West campus. It gives our students the chance to get expert guidance and learn skills from experienced journalists and editors in a professional space. Get hands-on in our 24/7 radio station and online TV channel, with its infinity green screen and YouTube set, and make video and audio podcasts in our dedicated studios. You'll learn to write and deliver sports bulletins, commentate on live sport and get to grips with press conferences.

Some elements of the course are taught in our Journalism and Media Centre on the main Marjon campus, where you will can get your hands on a wide range of current industry equipment – it’s free to borrow and you can have it for as long as you like. At the Jam Centre we learn to use Adobe’s Creative Suite like a pro, and how to create engaging content for magazines, newspapers, social media and websites, as you forge your own identity as a versatile sports journalist.

You’ll be taught by lecturers with current experience working at the heart of the sports media industry and get out in the field from the very first semester – building your sports journalism portfolio in preparation for getting the best job in the world.

Why this course at Marjon?

• Work right on the BBC campus in Plymouth, learning from the best in the business
• Sharpen your broadcast skills at The Workshop, our awesome TV and radio studios
• Professionally produce and edit video, audio, print, photography and multimedia
• Regular live news days where you get to experience the professional expectations of broadcasting, writing and covering live sports events
• Try out a wide variety of industry roles, including editing, presenting, producing and newsgathering, to see which fits you best
• Guest speakers from The Guardian, ITV, BBC, Sky and lots more
• Gain real work experience from day one, using our extensive links with regional media and professional sports teams
• Get an industry mentor to help you plan your big break and build your own network of contacts

What might I become?

Recent graduates have gained employment with the BBC, England Rugby, the ITIA, Plymouth Argyle, West Brom, Codemasters, Wimbledon, TNT Sports, LADbible, and many more. They have also gone on to work in the media departments at professional sports clubs, edit newspapers, magazines, national radio stations and websites, as well as in sports production, editing, PR and communications and marketing.

Find out more at an open day

An open day is your opportunity to find out more about studying Journalism at Marjon. You’ll meet lecturers and get to look around The Workshop at the BBC South West site, as well as the Journalism and Media Centre on our main campus. Our student life talks will help you prepare to go to university, covering topics such as careers, funding, sport and our award winning on-campus student support service. Book on to an open day at: www.marjon.ac.uk/open-day

Why study at Marjon?

• Small, person-focused university
• No.2 university in England for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024)
• No.4 university in the UK for Career Prospects (WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2023)
• No.4 uni in England for Education (Student Experience) (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023)

Chris - Third year, Journalism;
“The first year started with the basics of learning how to tell stories fora variety of audiences and platforms. We also covered media law and looked into how journalists develop stories. Year two built on the skills we already learned as we made documentaries for both TV and radio and wrote articles for a group magazine that’s distributed around the city. In the third year, we’ve been producing content for radio and online in fast-paced news weeks. We will also be making our own magazines and running a marketing campaign.”

1st Year
The investigative journalist
Journalism production: Recording the story
Written journalism: The power of the word
Live news: Get your mojo on
Journalism production: Words and pictures
Media law and the ethical journalist

2nd Year
Research: Curious and creative
Radio journalism: More than words
Written journalism: Making Sound
Learn to earn: Placement and proactivity
Live news: Lights, camera, action!
Visual journalism: Digital storytelling

3rd Year
Honours project: The finished product
TV journalism: The bigger picture
Live news: The cutting edge
Magazine journalism: The summer issue
Marketing and PR: The buzz-feeder

Assessment methods are based on the production of news stories, features and essays and you will be appraised on your performance on work placements.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• European Journalism Training Association