Sports journalism in the bay area with ron kroichick

Ron Kroichick

• Reporter & Sports Columnist covering sports enterprise/features and golf for the San Francisco Chronicle
  

Takeaways

• So much hinges on connections and with patience and persistence you'll be able to build those relationships
• When making connections, be yourself and try not to put on any pretenses
• When interviewing others, make sure to have actual conversations and remind the subject that you have your own personal life too, this will help build and gain trust
• Sports are just a vehicle or a lens, it's a way in which you see and tell stories about a person and their life
• The best stories are much bigger than sports
• Advice for students looking to pursue a career in journalism:
  • Always have a back-up plan, especially with the ever changing and expanding environment and media sphere
  • Flexibility and versatility are important now more than ever
  • Identify your passion, but don't be afraid to expand your field of vision
  • Read and write as much as you can
  • The only way to get better is to go through the process, don't focus on writing for a big outlet right away
  • Find a way to get any experience that you can, and it will open doors for you in the future
  • Always keep an open mind
• If you want to work in sports, it might not make sense to go into sports right away, take the long view
• There are many parallel paths outside of sports that will help you get your foot in the door and ultimately to where you want to be once you have more experience