BBC Sport football editor offers advice to UCFB students for their future sports media careers

The football editor for BBC Sport has been talking to UCFB about her top tips for securing a role in sports media.

Alice McKeegan visited UCFB Manchester for one of our Premier Events, offering advice and guidance to students pursuing their career goals in the field.

Alice spent seven years as head of sport at the Manchester Evening News before moving to MediaCityUK, where she has been Football Editor since January 2025.

When asked what the best thing about working in football was, she said: “I would say it’s the unpredictability of it. No two days are the same.

“You’ve got to love football, obviously, but most people do. But you could be there for a breaking news story, a record transfer, but you’re also there for, you know, the really in-depth features that a player may have been something put through something very personal.

“And you’re there to tell that story with sensitivity as well. So, it’s the variety and no two days being the same.”

Alice then spoke about what she’d say to UCFB students who are studying a sports media-related undergraduate degree course, wanting a career in the industry.

“I would always say to students,” she said, “that you need to be a Jack of all trades.

“Try everything. You may want to specialize in a particular area, or you may get known for doing something. Some people are known for being amazing on TikTok, but if you ask them to write something they might struggle.

“But I would always say that even if TikTok is your niche, learn how to write as well as best you can because you may take that job where although you know you’re having to produce content for social, you’re also having to write it.

“You’ve got to be a good writer, and the way media organisations are going, I would say it’s best to have all of those tools in your armoury if possible, so don’t be afraid to try new things.”

She added: “You might be quite nervous about doing something that you’ve not done before, but learn from the people around you and there’s no right or wrong way, be yourself through all of this.

“But yeah, I think that all of those components are probably equally important to make you the best journalist that you can be. Work hard and don’t be afraid to fail.

“I think that’s something that a lot of us learn through being in the industry, that you know you’re not going to be the best that you’re going to be in your first job; you’re going to need to learn from the people around you work hard, work those extra long hours and it’ll pay dividends at the end.

“Yeah, don’t be afraid to fail, whether that’s if you’re a freelancer and you’re getting no’s and you feel like it’s not going your way you know. Just keep going and be resilient and you’ll get there.”