Sidelines to Spotlight – Supporting Women’s Careers in Sports Media

The 2023-24 Change Our Game Women in Sports Media Program is designed to give women who are interested in sports media the knowledge, skills and industry contacts to progress their career in this industry.

An evolution of the highly successful Change Our Game Women in Sports Media Program offered since 2020, this Program draws on the findings from The Conversation of Sport report, which found women were underrepresented as journalists across the full spectrum of sports media.

The report also found only 15% of sports news coverage in Victoria in 2022-23 was focused on women’s sport, with women journalists 62% more likely to cover women’s sport than their male colleagues.

The 2023-24 Program will offer a Foundation Program designed for individuals either looking to start, or are in the early stages of, a sports media career.

Delivered by industry experts Emma Race and Lucy Race, the Foundation Program aims to support participants to develop:

• an understanding of the sports media industry and options for career pathways
• practical skills including commentating and calling play-by-play, producing for all media platforms (radio, television, online and podcasting), pitching and framing stories and storytelling, interview techniques, capturing the play (including photography and videography) and research and preparation
• clear and individualised goals for future career development
• a network to support individuals in their pursuit of paid employment

By the end of the program, participants will have developed not only a stronger understanding of the sports media industry and its opportunities, but clear and individualised goals for future development, mentoring guidance and a support network.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must demonstrate an interest in sports media, identify as a woman (including those who are trans, gender diverse, or sistergirl), be 18 years of age or over, and live in Victoria.

Applications from eligible individuals who are also from targeted or under-represented cohorts are strongly encouraged.

Applications have closed.