Navigating Sports Journalism with Anna Katherine Clay 

Despite growing up as an athlete and sports lover, Anna Katherine Clay, Media Studies Assistant Professor of Practice, didn't realize her passion for sports journalism as a career path until graduate school. She channeled her passion for narrative, non-fiction storytelling through sports into a 12-year career as a full-time writer, reporter and producer for ESPN. Now, Professor Clay hopes to spark similar enthusiasm in her students, by exposing them to the wide range of opportunities in the field through her courses. 

In Sports Media Production and Sports Journalism, students analyze the current multimedia landscape and are challenged to become “narrative nonfiction storytellers through the lens of sports” according to Clay. The hope is they will “pursue stories that are not only tied to sports, but also impact society.” To accomplish this, practitioners from a wide range of careers such as professional athletes, senior writers, podcast talents, and TV producers are invited as guest speakers to share their experiences working in the sports media field. Through a variety of multimedia assignments, students develop their ideation, writing, reporting and interviewing skills, eventually pitching an original written feature as a final project. 

As a regular freelance writer for platforms such as ESPN, New York Times, Men's Health, Bloomberg Businessweek and Fox Sports, Professor Clay continues to advance her craft. With the ever-evolving sports media landscape, she reflects: “Staying in the field has allowed me to talk about the joys and challenges with my students while also leaning on my industry peers for their intellectual knowledge.”