The Manship School of Mass Communication hosted an all-day Sports Communication Summit Wednesday featuring University alumni and Louisiana natives like Tim Brando of FOX Sports, Matt Moscona of ESPN Radio Baton Rouge and NCAA President Mark Emmert.
University alumni told both personal stories about unlikely paths to their careers and gave professional advice for how to succeed. Speakers ranged from CBS Sports Director Mark Grant from the class of 1981 to FOX Sports reporter Kelsey Wingert from the class of 2014.
Panels included “Fielding the Microphone,” featuring speakers with careers on television and radio who discussed the nature of the business, “Women in Sports Journalism: Issues & Stereotypes,” featuring female sports journalists addressing problems women in sports media face that their male counterparts do not and “Tackling Social Media,” featuring panelists with a strong online presence who spoke about how they brand themselves and the ways they use social media.
Dan Borné, “The Voice of Tiger Stadium,” was the master of ceremonies, but also gave advice that stuck with mass communication freshman Russell Wilder.
“Ask questions,” Wilder said. “I myself am helping announce baseball and volleyball this year as a freshman because I asked.”
Mass communication sophomore Kylie Maris hopes to have a career in sports broadcasting. She attended the event to find out more about career routes the speakers took to get where they are today. Maris said there was one speaker who stuck out to her in particular.
“Kelsey Wingert. She’s amazing,” Maris said.
The audience wasn’t just made up of Manship School students. General business freshman Paul Kekich attended the event because of his desire to work in the business side of sports.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the front office,” he said. “That’s why I’m in business right now, but communication is still a possibility for me.”
The event was held in the Holliday Forum of the Journalism Building and hosted by The Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs. This is the first time the event has been held, but Borné said he hopes it will take place again next year.
“I love the atmosphere. I love the involvement. I just love sports broadcasting,” Wilder said.