Award-winning reporter and founder of truehockey.com , Andy Strickland is widely known for his coverage of the NHL. A veteran of the St. Louis radio scene (590 The Fan KFNS), he was named the best reporter in St. Louis by the Riverfront Times in 2004. Strickland is a regular radio and TV contributor throughout the U.S. and Canada, and also coaches local minor league hockey. Although he has it pretty good making a living by experiencing the operation of pro sports at an executive level, he admits everything has its work-like aspects, whether it’s a regular 9 to 5 job or not.
In his The Rise to the Top interview with David Garland, Strickland shares his views concerning online media, especially blogging, and how it effects today’s business and communication tools. Some points to keep in mind:
Ignore the common reference to blogging as unprofessional writing . It is the modern version of the [journalism] business.
Post content anytime, anywhere. A blog is created and maintained online, therefore you have access with any Internet-capable device. This includes the convenience of being able to publish new and breaking news asap, rather than abiding by a set publishing schedule.
Expand your horizons. You can’t limit yourself to just doing TV or radio, or only writing for a newspaper. If you stick to only one form of media, you’re not connecting with as many people as you could be connecting with.
Make connections . Online media successfully encourages involvement in the Internet and connecting with people in different waves and mediums. It allows for interaction with people you will never meet and learn about people with whom you will never come into contact. (Plus, who doesn’t want to make International connections?)
You can watch the full interview below for more detail regarding the sport and celebrity sides of Strickland’s career, as well as his advice for those with the same aspirations.
Considering the given tips above along with Strickland's advice in the interview, it’s portrayed simple to make connections by posting consistently. This doesn’t pertain strictly to sports journalism, but more so to anything involving the distribution of information. However, you need to always provide the good stuff. So how do you get the scoop for your posts?
Always strive for new information . Be forward, think ahead and do the preparation and groundwork for what will happen.
Get to know people, and get them to trust you.
Be in the right place at the right time .
Outwork the competition .
