Mar

30

Job Opening: MSG Vice President of Publicity

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Have loads of experience and want to work with one of the most well-known brand in the sports industry? If so, check to make sure you meet the qualifications included below. If the position still sounds like a match, follow this link to apply. Please note that I have no affiliation with MSG and cannot help you get this position. I just wanted to make my readers aware of the opportunity. Good luck!

Vice President Publicity will develop and execute broad-based proactive publicity programs that elevate the visibility of the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, while supporting priority areas of the business, including ticket sales efforts, brand positioning, partnership programs, community initiatives and athlete exposure. Develops quantifiable public relations plans for each team that outline aggressive media targets which focus on non-sports media community, local and national television, feature reporters, gossip, news and lifestyle. Develop publicity strategies that utilize non-player assets as tools for extending the visibility of the brands, including the Knicks City Dancers and community involvement. Secure off-sports page publicity for Garden of Dreams initiatives that provide positive exposure for the charity, team and its personnel. Major component of job is management of celebrity relationships in relation to the teams, including establishment and expansion of a wide range of celebrity contacts that benefit the company. Manage junior staff to enhance their publicity skills and manage their involvement in local publicity efforts.

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Mar

29

Job Opening: Los Angeles Sparks Communications Coordinator

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The Los Angeles Sparks are looking to hire a seasonal Communications Coordinator for April through December this year. If you’re interested and meet the qualifications listed below, you will want to check out this website. Please note that I have no affiliation with the Sparks and cannot help you get this position. Good luck!

The seasonal Communications Coordinator will assist in the general coordination of Los Angeles Sparks public and community relations activities specifically including web content production and story pitching to various media outlets, but not limited to publication production, writing and editing of press releases and special events coordination and promotions.  Other duties include assisting with scheduling of player/coach interviews and media requests, communicating effectively with members of the media, creating and updating gamenotes and maintaining upcoming milestone database.

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Mar

24

Job Opening: FC Dallas Media Services Manager

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FC Dallas (MLS) and Pizza Hut Park need to hire a Media Services Manager to handle game day media responsibilities and community relations activities in the PR department. If you qualify and would like to apply, please visit this website. Good luck!

FC Dallas and Pizza Hut Park are looking for a Media Services Manager to join the Communications & Public Relations department. The Media Services manager will report to the Director of Communications & Public Relations.

Responsibilities include:

  • Managing FC Dallas Game Day Media (includes game notes, press box set up, credential process)
  • Assisting media with statistical questions and player interview requests
  • Write Press Releases and Develop story lines
  • Point person for community relations and foundation announcements
  • Manage press operations and announcements for stadium and park events
  • Oversee coverage of FCD Youth system and games at PHP
  • Provide stories and content for FCD.com and FCD Blog
  • Serve as liaison to other MLS Teams and MLS Communications
  • Manage and oversee a small group of interns
  • Oversee photo department to include assigning photographers to events, managing photo archive and assisting departments and media with photo needs.
  • Assisting on publications and communications
  • Some travel to games or events may be involved

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Mar

23

Job Opening: Milwaukee Bucks Community Relations Assistant

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Want to make a difference in the Milwaukee community and love basketball? If so, you may want to apply for an opening with the Milwaukee Bucks as a Community Relations Assistant. If you’re interested and meet the requirements listed below, please click on this link to apply. Good luck!

Summary:
Assist Director in developing and managing Community Relation initiatives and programs; provide administrative support to Director

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Administer, document and fulfill charitable ticket programs with non-profit agencies and organizations. Maintain relationships with these organizations and record keeping of tickets distributed, provide tax information and monitor inventory.
  2. Establish activity log and annual summary of Community Relations activity with Director.
  3. Log and process incoming mail, donation and special requests.
  4. Assist Director in scheduling Milwaukee Bucks player and coaches public appearances, assist in administration of appearance when necessary. Coordinate calendar with basketball operations.
  5. Coordinate with League office NBA community relations programs. Assist in maintaining League relationship.
  6. Represent the organization when required at various speaking engagements and events.
  7. Oversee and coordinate autograph sessions including inventory requirements.
  8. Attend all home games, assume game responsibilities; coordinate activities with sponsor and group ticket sales departments.

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Mar

22

Job Opening: Cleveland Browns Staff Writer

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The Cleveland Browns are looking to hire a staff writer for their New Media department. If you are interested and meet the qualifications listed below, please follow this link to apply. Good luck!

Summary Description
The Staff Writer is responsible for the creation of written content; Staff Writer will also assist other members of the New Media staff in creation of video and audio content.

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Mar

18

Job Opening: Arizona Diamondbacks Player & Media Relations Internship

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Still looking for a summer internship, ideally in Arizona? Well, this internship posting may be the perfect fit for you. The Arizona Diamondbacks need to hire a Player & Media Relations intern for the 2010 season. If you are interested and meet the qualifications, please visit this website to apply. Good luck!

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Compile daily clips (print and TV).
2. Assemble daily stat pack.
3. Coverage of press box.
4. Copy daily materials for media.
5. Assist with post-game notes.
6. General office responsibilities.

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Mar

17

Job Opening: Chicago Fire Content Manager/Producer

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Chicago Fire (MLS) is looking to hire a Content Manager/Producer to report to its VP of Communications & Community Affairs. If you fulfill the qualifications below and would like to apply for the job, please follow this link to do so. As with past job postings, I cannot help you get the job. I merely posted this job opening to make SPRB readers aware of the opportunity. Good luck!

Role/Expectations:
Responsible for all multi-media content coordination, development, production, and publishing for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. This includes team’s website and production of video, photos, audio & other content for website, broadcast (TV and radio) and game day presentation (video board and LED screens). Oversee accuracy and coordinate dissemination of information about all team data into publishing systems such as, video, broadcast TV schedule information, news links, promo announcements, ticket information, social networking content, team rosters & bios and other website elements (rotating pages, splash pages, news pages, etc.). Oversees day to day operations of team website and coordinating new media technologies. Work cooperatively with all internal and external third parties.

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Mar

16

Sports PR Weekly Roundup: March 16 Edition

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After a bit of a hiatus, it’s the return of this blog’s Sports PR Weekly Roundup feature. I gather news articles and blog posts from a variety of sources that relate to sports business, public relations, blogging and writing tips, career tips and more. Did I miss something you thought was really helpful? Share the link with us in the comment section.

  • CBS predicts that Tiger Woods return to golf will be the biggest television event since Barack Obama’s inauguration.
  • SportsBiz offers up some unique numbers about the men’s basketball tournament brackets.
  • Ed Sherman of ChicagoBusiness.com spoke with the president of the Chicago Wolves (AHL) about his career and some of his favorites.
  • Sports, Media & Society links to a study recently published that describes a gender divide in sports information.
  • A guest post at Culpwrit tabs five personal attributes one needs to succeed in PR.
  • Sports Networker spoke with Jerry Walker, who is the former PR director for the San Francisco 49ers and the current NFL Replay Communicator.
  • Activ8Social names the top 30 athletes on Facebook and explains its reasoning for each athlete.
  • Recent research indicates that journalists are looking to social media when researching a topic according to Journalistics.
  • Pew Research provides some interesting statistics about the rise of Internet use to gather news.
  • Sports PR 101 takes a look at the fun PR campaign that combines Stephen Colbert and the U.S. Speedskating before the Winter Olympics.
  • PR Squared gives readers a lesson on pitching and telling you what to avoid doing.
  • A guest post on The Business of Sports offers up four things that you need to do to get into the sports industry.
  • Dumb Little Man, a blog that provides tips for life, lists eight hidden business lessons that can be learned from March Madness.

Blogging/Writing Tips

Mar

15

Job Opening: UFC New Media and Public Relations Internship

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UFC is looking for some interns for this upcoming fall, including one for New Media and another to help with its PR efforts. Check out the details below and if you’re qualified and interested, please visit this link for the New Media internship and this link for the PR internship. Good luck!

New Media

Just like how our fighters prepare with their training partners to be their very best, here at the Ultimate Fighting Championship we encourage that type of teamwork. A UFC employee, like a mixed martial artist, is well-rounded and willing to put in the time necessary to be world-class. With an office full of champion workers, the UFC has fought relentlessly to break into the sports world with undeniable success – But the fight isn’t over yet. So if you would like to watch the sport you love grow right in front of your own eyes because of your hard work, then come join a great team and become part of a sports revolution.

Purpose is to expose college students interested in future careers in Business and/or Marketing to practical work experience.

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Mar

4

Interview with Matt Barnhart, Detroit Lions Director of Media Relations (Part 4)

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Today is the last part of an informational interview that I had by phone with Matt Barnhart, who is the Detroit Lions Director of Media Relations. We spent nearly 45 minutes talking about public relations and the Lions so I decided to break it into multiple posts this week. In today’s post, Matt provides some career tips and suggestions for those wanting to work in the sports PR industry. If you haven’t read them already, be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of the informational interview.

1) What suggestions would you give someone who is hoping to find a job in the sports PR industry?

I’ll first start out with the academic part of it. You don’t necessarily have to have a specific degree to succeed or find a job, but you have to develop certain skills and they’re basically your main communications skills. One is writing and the other part is the verbal skills—the interpersonal skills that you have and the ability to build relationships and getting to know and work with people. Those two aspects are vital. I would think from a more specific standpoint, anybody working in a sport management and/or marketing program would have good opportunities, as well as sports communication. I would also think if you are in a journalism school or in a public relations program, those build good foundations. Ultimately, what it comes down to in competing for an internship in the NFL, you have to have some solid experience while you’re in college and I can’t stress that enough to students about getting experience early. Earlier than later!

It’s very difficult at times to all of a sudden graduate and want to enter this field because you think this is interesting and this is what you want to do but you don’t have any experience. It’s very difficult so what I try to emphasize with students, especially in their junior year or sophomore year, is that wherever you are at whether it’s at college during the school year or whether you go home, there is some way that you can connect to the sports world.

If you have a minor league baseball team in your area, try working for them during the summer and doing whatever you can to just get experience whether it’s from a sports management standpoint or media relations standpoint. Get your foot in the door and start working around a sports organization. Writing for a sports section or a sports department is really good because some of the writing is similar. Our interns and entry-level assistants have to deal with writing, and if they are at least around athletes and writing about athletes they get a good understanding of sports writing and the sports industry. That’s another really good, solid experience to have. And that writing follows you all the way during your career.

Not only do you need to have a pretty decent education structure, but you have to have experience and those two things work hand in hand because once you have that experience, you start networking and start building contacts who will help you down the road. Those are the two things to get people started, but the another thing that I’d like to add is to understand that every day, no matter if you’re an intern or in my position or even a student trying to find an internship, you have to prove your value and you have to make sure that you demonstrate the skills to succeed. It is about your ability to add value to the organization that you are either working for or want to work for that’s really important.

2) What type of character traits do you look for in potential hires whether it’s for an internship or a full-time position?

I want to make sure that the person has a base understanding and knowledge of sports, especially with the sport of football. If a person comes in and has writing experience but they don’t know certain things about the game, such as struggling to figure out what certain positions are, it’s very difficult for us to feel comfortable with them. Once they join us, things move fast and get going, and we don’t have a lot of time to train and teach people like the basic fundamentals of the game. That’s one, having a base knowledge of sports and football.

Second is that work ethic can’t be stressed enough. We need to make sure that they’re going to put the time in and put the effort in to help our department. As you know, this is not a 9-5 job and it’s not a job that you’re going to work a few hours a week and master. You’ve got to put the time in it. When training camp starts, we’re working seven days a week basically until we have a bye week so you have to be committed and you have to show commitment from day one.

Another trait that you need to have is the ability to be a self-starter in terms of some projects because we can’t, especially the way I manage our internship program and our department, micro-manage people. I don’t like to micromanage my employees. I don’t like to micromanage my interns so you better be able to handle projects and you must be able to say, ‘Okay, this project is done. What else can I work on? What else can I get started?’ And if you don’t have direction at that specific time than you may even want to propose something. ‘Hey this is what I’m thinking of doing.’ Because one, if you can propose a project that’s going to add value or help the department, that’s great but it’s also going to show that you are very progressive and that you are basically a go-getter in terms of what you’re doing. That’s really important.

I tell our interns when they start with us that I want to give you as much responsibility and opportunities that you can get. I don’t have problems giving you projects that are normally held for a full-time assistant because that’s ultimately going to benefit you in the long run to be able to do some of those and have that on your resume and portfolio. I’m not going to give those to you unless: one, you’ve proven the ability to do it and, two, if you’ve earned that opportunity. There might be some simple responsibilities that you have as an intern like newspaper clippings and so forth that if you don’t master those I’m not going to give you more responsibilities. It’s not right and it’s not fair for everyone involved so those are basically some character traits that I think are very important.

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