Youth
Journalism International reporters Clare Hern and Kiernan
Majerus-Collins, who worked on this series. |
See our ESPN coverage from
earlier issues:
In probably the largest
project
ever undertaken by ESPN, the cable sports giant completed its new
digital center this year.
This facility, covering
over
120,000 square feet, was built
to give sports fans the ultimate
ESPN viewing experience.
- Justin Skaradosky
ESPN and teenagers have a lot in common – fun,
technology, change, and most importantly, sports.
But as much as teens might think they need ESPN, the sports media giant
needs them even more. “Teens are the biggest fans, absolutely,”
said Artie Bulgrin, a senior vice-president and ratings analyst at ESPN.
“We skew to a younger audience.”
- T.J. O'Connor
(Sept. 30, 2002)
After years of watching ESPN every day
from the confines of my living room, I got the chance recently to go
behind the scenes and see what really goes on in there.
-
T.J. O'Connor
The critically-acclaimed ESPN daily sports recap show, SportsCenter,
isn't as easy to produce as its laid-back anchors make it look.
- Collin Seguin
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When Hurricane Katrina smashed ashore in
2005, Louisiana teen Samantha Perez started writing about the
storm that washed away much of her old life. Her journal,
chronicled in the pages of The Tattoo, is all online at
Hurricane Journal.
Read it for an eye-opening and intensely personal look into the
eye of the worst storm in recent history. |
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- Reporter's notebook -
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
Despite its impressive reputation and fortress-like security,
ESPN feels like a welcoming and fun place.
The company recently let down the drawbridge and invited us in
for a look around and to write about its 30th anniversary.
We never imagined in our wildest dreams having this kind of
access to ESPN.
George Bodenheimer, the company president, said that a lot
people want to find out “what makes us tick.”
“You have to come here to ESPN to do that,” Bodenheimer said.
Since ESPN doesn’t offer public tours and you can only get
inside if you’re invited, we’re here to tell you what this
castle of sports is like.
Full
Article
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Opinion --
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ESPN
Anchors Chris Berman, left, and Bob Ley, right,
with Youth Journalism International reporters
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins at ESPN.
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Clare Hern (Connecticut, USA):
When someone
asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I
usually say something along the lines of “I’m
not sure yet.”
But I believe that I’ve found a
place where I would truly enjoy going to work
every day – ESPN.
I’ve been a sports fan my whole
life, so a job in a place that revolves around
sports hardly seems like work to me.
Watching the employees at ESPN
inspired me to consider an occupation involving
sports.
Everyone there seemed
enthusiastic about what they were doing.
Everyone I saw was cheerful. It just seemed like
such a great place to be.
People
sat at computers watching live sports events,
creating highlight reels, sometimes to air on
SportsCenter in a few hours.
Others worked backstage producing
segments of SportsCenter, or made calls in
offices to line up coverage for upcoming events.
Full Article
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Reporter's notebook --
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
When we slipped into the studio, quiet reporters on
a pre-dawn tour, Mike and Mike in the Morning
was already on the air. We recognized the
familiar voices we’d heard on the radio so many
mornings and peeked around the cameras to catch
a glimpse of the men behind the desk.
Mike and Mike’s set is amazing. It is, without a doubt, one of the coolest
things we saw at ESPN. In fact, the entire show meets that qualification.
We walked in while they were live on both TV and radio. The big desk was
littered with all the famous bobble heads that television viewers know so well.
When we visited, Mike Golic and Erik Kuselias, who was filling in for Mike
Greenberg, were in the middle of their St. Louis Rams two-a-day. Greenie had
picked the Rams to go 6-10, while Kuselias had them at 4-12 and Golic at a
terrible 3-13.
At the break, we got to meet Golic. He graciously gave us autographs, posed for
pictures, and invited us to sit at his desk. He talked to us just like a regular
guy and very encouraging to us as young journalists.
Full Article
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News --
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
As sports media powerhouse
ESPN celebrates its 30th birthday, President George
Bodenheimer is pleased with the company’s accomplishments.
“I’m very proud,” said
Bodenheimer. “It’s an important milestone for us.” ESPN,
considered the world leader in sports coverage, has several
television networks around the world, as well as multiple
websites, radio stations and a magazine.
“We want to serve fans,”
said Bodenheimer. “It’s the mission of the company.”
Full Article
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
You may never have heard of Bill Rasmussen. But
chances are you’ve heard of the company he founded, ESPN, or, as
it was called in those days E.S.P. Inc.
Rasmussen said there are more stories about why ESPN is located
in Bristol, Connecticut, than anyone could imagine.
“None of it’s true – none!” said Rasmussen,
clearly amused.
Full
Article
Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
Famed sportscaster Chris Berman said
ESPN has changed a lot since he came to work there in 1979.
“Dishes? We had one that went up,
one that went down, and four we ate off,” Berman joked in a speech to local
business leaders that honored ESPN’s 30th anniversary.
Full Article
Clare Hern and Kiernan Majerus-Collins (Connecticut, USA):
ESPN is
branching out yet again.
The
international sports media giant now has a presence in the U.K.
“I’m really proud of what
we’ve done,” said Russell Wolff, who runs ESPN International.
ESPN, the leading sports
company in the U.S., has added a third television channel in
England.
They now carry ESPN Classic,
ESPN America, as well as the recent addition of the company’s
flagship, ESPN.
“We’re in a major new
initiative in the UK,” said ESPN President George Bodenheimer.
“We’re off to a great start.”
Full Article
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ESPN Anchor Hannah Storm
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New
Youth Journalism International class forming
Young writers, photographers,
cartoonists and other journalists are encouraged to join YJI now
and become a part in our next class of high-achieving teens
across the globe. It is free to participate. Please see
youthjournalism.org
for more information.
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