Sports Media Program: How B/R educates aspiring sportswriters

Bleacher Report’s Advanced Program in Sports Media is an intensive, 12-week training program for early-career sportswriters. Neri Stein, the program’s Assignment Editor, joined me in the San Francisco B/R office this week to talk about how the program works, what students learn and how it can benefit them as they pursue their careers in media.

Participants must apply to the program with a writing sample, and, as with the Writer Program, only about 5 percent make it.

Once on board, students receive assignments that teach them about the process of creating digital content around sports events and news. They get feedback from editors, and at the end of the 12 weeks, they should have not only a solid education in digital sportswriting, but a strong portfolio of clips.

The Advanced Program in Sports Media is not a feeder program for employment at Bleacher Report. The program, which is about 3 years old, has graduated a number of people into full-time roles at B/R, both as writers and editorial staff, but, as Stein points out, that’s not its purpose, and students shouldn’t expect it to be a foot in the door at Bleacher Report.

The program is also not a significant traffic generator for B/R. It exists to help young sportswriters learn effective ways to advance their careers, whether they end up at Bleacher Report or somewhere else.

The Advanced Program in Sports Media has a rolling start date, rather than specific terms. Once accepted, you can begin on any Monday. If you’d like to apply, click here.