Career prospects in the media industry

Video producer

Video content is now more prominent than ever, with the likes of YouTube and short social media videos playing a hugely important role in how we consume our video content. Leading football and other sports clubs and organisations are increasingly employing their own in-house videos team to create fun, engaging and informative videos for all audiences. This is on top of the household name broadcasters snapping up the best talent available to expand their growing sporting portfolios. A video producer is at the front of the action, wherever it might be, and is responsible for bringing the sports industry into the homes of millions. UCFB graduate Alexander Brown started his sports career at Burnley FC as a video producer, and now works with the England national team at The FA, recently finding himself in Russia for the 2018 World Cup.

Video producer degrees

BA (Hons) Football Business & Media

Item 4 — Conor Creamer, UCFB graduate and Apprentice Journalist at Sky Sports

Press officer

A press officer is the last line of defence for a brand and a club, staving off bad news and producing good. They’ll ensure positive press is created and set the news agenda within their organisation. If a media outlet wants access to an athlete, they must go through the press officer. A good press officer in the football and sports industry will have a thorough understanding of their sport, the people that operate within it and how to spin a headline. They’ll also be an astute communicator, whether written word or on camera.

Press officer degrees

Regional newspaper reporter

Regional press may be going through a testing time right now, but sports desks in newsroom across the country have never been busier. Every town in the UK has a number of sports clubs to keep on top of, professional and amateur, and a regional reporter will be expected to know everything about anything. Match reports, live blogs, interviews and social media work is just your average day in the job. No one knows Manchester United better than the Manchester Evening News sports team, just as no one knows Plymouth Argyle better than the Plymouth Herald sports team. Regional sports reporters matter and are full of exclusives.

Regional newspaper reporter degrees

BA (Hons) Football Business & Media

Chief sports reporter

The chief sports reporter will help dictate the news agenda online, in-print and on-screen. They lead the team and land big scoops. As the go-to sports reporter at the organisation, they set the standard and no everybody at every club and organisation in the local area. A chief sports reporter at regional level will go on to national level should they have the desire and ambition to cover all sports to an advanced, consistent standard.

Chief sports reporter degrees

Photographer

Photographers are at the forefront of history. Their images help a moment transcend time and generations, educating for years to come. Professional sports photography is an art form and requires time and dedication, not to mention a brilliant eye for detail and capturing pure emotion. An image can be shared around the world and seen by hundreds of millions of people. Photographers can see what others can’t, and an image can be captured, edited, uploaded and then published all within minutes from some of the world’s leading sports tournaments. Being able to work around Photoshop and similar editing software is a must.

Photographer degrees

Social media executive

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram now dominate popular culture, with large swathes of the world’s population having online profiles. It’s also a tool which all types of businesses can use any time of day to push their message and sell their product. Sports clubs and organisations have dedicated teams manning these channels and responding to thousands of interactions with their fans and the public each day. Real Madrid have 30 million followers on Twitter, and Barcelona have 103 million followers on Facebook. These platforms offer incredible reach for clubs to access their fans and find out what works for them as an organisation. A social media executive will pose questions, understand the mood of social media, what fans want to read and watch and engage with audiences around the world. And of course, the crowning glory of any social media professional… for their content to go viral.

Social media executive degrees