Dr. Emil Steiner Brings Passion for Sports and Media to Rowan

In Fall 2018, Dr. Emil Steiner joined the Journalism Department at Rowan University to serve as the coordinator of the new Sports Communication and Media program and teach Sports and Online Journalism courses.

Steiner is a former editor and reporter at The Washington Post where he was a founder of The League, an NFL-focused news and discussion platform.  He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received a master’s in journalism and Ph.D in media and communication studies from Temple University. His research focuses on media rituals and techno-cultural convergence.

Recently he sat down with the Rowan Blog to discuss his passion for sports writing, teaching, and his research. The following is a excerpt from the Q & A:

“One of the things I noticed while teaching journalism, was that the training undergraduates got didn’t seem to match the skills I knew they would need for contemporary news reporting.

To explore that apparent disparity, I conducted numerous interviews with sports reporters and editors at media companies like ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo! Sports. I asked them all a simple question: What skills do you look for when you hire new reporters out of college?

I then conducted a content analysis of the sports journalism curricula being taught at American universities. Based on my findings I created a curriculum to ‘bridge the gap’ between what was being taught in schools and what was being sought by employers.

That curriculum is now the basis of my Sports Journalism II class here at Rowan, and it informs my philosophy for our Sports Communication & Media Program. Our researched balance of knowledge, professionalism, and practical training in contemporary media tools is what makes Rowan’s Bachelor of Sports degree unique.”

Read the full interview with Dr. Steiner on Rowan Blog.

Alumni Q & A: Nery Rodriguez, Multimedia Journalist at Jersey Sports Zone

Nery Rodriguez is currently a multimedia journalist for Jersey Sports Zone. He graduated from Rowan in 2017 with a B.A. in Journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @RUneryrodriguez

What’s something you love about your job?
I go somewhere different each day. The fact that I don’t punch in or sit in an office, and I get to work from home is a plus to my job. But I really enjoy that every day I will be interviewing someone new, seeing different scenery and I get to interact with players and coaches from different communities. The other part of my job that I love is I get to see high school talents that are committed to big time college programs. It’s great to watch them grow in terms of their athletic careers and people as they start a whole new chapter of their life.

What skill(s) have you learned at your job that you believe will help you or has helped you in the field you are in?
I’ve learned how to be a better video journalist — camera positioning, where to stand, head room, etc. But some of the most useful information is common sense and learning to not get overwhelmed such as if something doesn’t go your way. If you miss a shot or you don’t have a great standup, you have to keep going. Aim to do a great job every time, but if it’s not your day don’t be discouraged and hang your head.

What is your biggest challenge at your job?
The biggest challenge I have at my job is trying to educate people on our site and what we do. Jersey Sports Zone is a company that started out just filming high school sports in Monmouth and Ocean County as “Shore Sports Zone.” This year the company went state wide, and I was hired as one of their first employees.

How has Rowan’s journalism curriculum prepared you for this job?
I love Rowan. I owe my talent and everything I have received from this job to my many professors. The curriculum prepared me for real life scenarios and helps me at my job every day. You can’t teach experience, but everyone at Rowan makes sure you have a good understanding of what to do when those key situations arise.

E.J. Aguado ’13 leads social media strategies for MLB

E.J. Aguado, a 2013 graduate who works as a new media strategist for MLB Advanced Media, is featured in the Summer 2017 issue of Rowan Magazine.

Aguado develops social media strategies for the Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, Orioles, Indians, Twins and Rays and credits his experience writing for The Whit and his Sport Journalism courses as key to his career.

“Writing is super important for social media,” says Aguado, “That’s why I think they were impressed with me. My job didn’t exist 15 years ago. How people worked with the teams three years ago is completely different from what happens today. There are so many opportunities.”

Read the full article below.

Alumni Q & A: Alison Mastrangelo On Covering the Super Bowl

UPDATE: March 3, 2017 – Alison has a new job as a weekend sports anchor at Denver ABC affiliate KMGH-TV.

Alison Mastrangleo works as a Sports Director/Anchor/Reporter at FOX21 News in Colorado Springs, CO. She graduated from Rowan University in 2013 with a double major in Journalism and Health and Physical Education. In February, she will cover Super Bowl 51.

I’m excited to cover the #Falcons and #Patriots in #SB51 for @FOX21News . #NFL #Houston pic.twitter.com/xjO3V5Mw34

— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonMFOX21) January 23, 2017

What is it like covering the Super Bowl? Is it as crazy as it seems?
It is insane. You work every single hour, but it is the coolest thing ever. It’s so hard to explain because when you tell people, they think it’s just like a vacation. It’s not a vacation. This week, we’ve been working on four shows for my FOX station. We shoot for the early show, and then we’re live every night at 9 pm and 10 pm. One day we worked in the car for eight hours because we didn’t have anywhere to edit. We were editing, tracking and doing everything in the car.

Do you have personal highlights from covering the Super Bowl?
Media Night so far has been my favorite thing. It’s for the players, but also for media around to world to come together and make a spectacle of ourselves. I grew up watching the show “Kenan and Kel.” At Media Night, I saw Kel. I went up to talk to him, and then we got to do the whole Good Burger motto from his show, and I was reliving my childhood.

Last year you covered your home team Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Is it different this year?
With the Broncos, all the players didn’t know me personally, but they knew my face, so when I’d go up to them, they’d say, “I know you, I’ll talk to you.” This year I have to squeeze in just to ask a question, so it’s a little bit harder. And you don’t know all the little anecdotes like when you’re covering the team all season long, so that’s been a challenge.

How do you distinguish yourself from other reporters and media outlets?
We look for local angles. There are actually two Colorado connections. The Patriots’ Nate Solder grew up in Colorado, and the Falcon’s Ben Garland grew up in Grand Junction and went to the Air Force Academy. Or I try to turn it to more of a human-interest thing. So one day instead of doing the X’s and O’s on the offense and defense, I’ll go up to different players and ask them about their superstitions and some fun facts. You have these big guys who will say, “Oh, I’m a writer” or “I’m a spear fisher.”

When you are not covering the Super Bowl, what’s your regular work routine?
I produce, write and anchor three shows. There’s a sports show at 5 pm, 9 pm and 10 pm, and they’re about two to three minutes long. And during the week, I’ll try to get to some of the local high school games or set up local features. Before we came out here we shot a story on a skateboarding church. During the Broncos season, we’re up there for all their home games and week one practice.

What is one thing you love about your job?
I love that it’s always different. I might come in thinking I’m going to cover one thing, and it changes because sports is still news. And I love being out in the field telling stories.

What’s one of the biggest challenges of your job?
The long hours. Some days I’ll come in at 8:30 am and I’ll be working until 11:00 pm, and you might be working five or six days a week. You hit a wall after a string of 14 hour days, but that’s any job.

Do you have any advice for aspiring journalists studying at Rowan?
Do as many internships as you possibly can. I interned at FOX 29 in Philly, and I did their morning show for a semester, and I did their night show. I learned so much. Just try everything. Don’t be annoying about it, but show you want to learn. I met some of the best mentors in my internships.

Sports journalism is a very competitive business. Any advice for aspiring sports journalists?
I’m unique because I started doing news and went into sports. My advice is to try for sports jobs first, but be aware that in a typical news station, if there are 10 reporters, then there will two sports reporters. Also be prepared to work in a very small market. But it can happen. When I graduated from Rowan, I couldn’t imagine covering one professional football team, let alone covering a Super Bowl. Now I’m on my second. I’ve definitely pinched myself.