When Casey Smith (Journalism, ‘24) declared his education at Ohio State, he was “deathly afraid to get behind the camera." Now, as The LanternTV sports producer, he hosts preview shows relaying sports analytics that broadcast to almost 10,000 viewers. He does stand-up reports on-camera in The Lantern studio and on the football field in front of thousands of fans.
Smith said he’ll always remember covering sporting events such as the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game, the 2022 Rose Bowl and March Madness. Smith is just one of many students who take their sports communication/journalism education to the next level at Ohio State through the coursework and other unique experience provided through the School of Communication.
“When you cover Ohio State sports, you cover at the highest possible level, and you are alongside the best and most committed sports writers in the country,” said Associate Professor - Clinical Nicole Kraft.
Attending a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school in the Big Ten Conference allows Ohio State students to take courses and join student organizations, maximizing their potential by studying, communicating about and reporting on sports. Sports-related opportunities within and in connection to the School of Communication pipeline students to strong careers in journalism and communication.
“This is one of those times where Ohio State is really second to none,” Kraft said. “Nobody does sports better than we do. But even more importantly, it’s the partnership with athletics.”
Sports and Society Initiative
The Sports and Society Initiative at Ohio State aims to contribute to the study of how sports impact lives through collaboration with the community. Four years ago, Janet Box-Steffensmeier, then-dean of social and behavioral sciences, founded SSI on the belief that since Ohio State is No. 1 in athletics, the university should also be in academics surrounding sports. Box-Steffensmeier created the initiative to address that, with the help of other faculty including Kraft, who currently serves as the director of SSI.
Kraft works alongside faculty from sociology, economics, sports industry, sports medicine and social work, as well as Ohio State alumni to improve the understanding of sports in society. This includes attitudes and opinions on athletics, the issues and concepts that shape athletes, and sports’ overall effect on people. The initiative works with partners from university athletics, the Ohio High School Athletics Association and the Columbus Sports Commission.
Through SSI, students build knowledge, gain opportunities and have impactful conversations in various disciplines. Through research SSI offers, students interested in studying sports learn more about current events such as e-sports, athlete equality and mental health.
SSI has five key pillars:
- Outreach and Engagement
- Teaching and Learning
- Research and Creative Expression
- Leadership and Advocacy
- Alumni Relations and Advancement
SSI efforts deepen the Ohio State community’s understanding of why and how sports and society will always be complexly connected.
Sports Reporting
The School of Communication is home to two student organizations focused on Ohio State sports reporting. Through experience with The Lantern and the Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio, students learn how to successfully and publicly cover athletics.
The Lantern
The Lantern is Ohio State’s editorially independent student newspaper and a frontline media source for news on Columbus and university athletics. It is one of the largest campus newspapers, reaching a circulation of 15,000.
“That’s one of the reasons I came to Ohio State,” Jacob Benge, LanternTV sports editor said. “I wanted my byline to be read.”
In 2022, The Lantern was named the top collegiate newspaper by the Ohio News Media Association. The Lantern also received 12 other awards from the ONMA.
The Lantern offers editor positions, and four of the 22 paid Lantern student leaders dedicate themselves to the coverage of sports: TV sports producer, assistant TV sports producer, sports editor and assistant sports editor. The Lantern’s social media staffers and photographers are also involved in the coverage of Ohio State athletics.
Although The Lantern covers 36 varsity sports at Ohio State, according to Kraft, football is an "all hands on deck" job. LanternTV Sports Producer Casey Smith (Journalism, ‘24) and Sports Editor Jacob Benge (Communication and Journalism, ‘24) spent much of their fall pitching stories, recording podcasts and reporting on the field. Alongside other Lantern members, they covered press conferences with head football coach Ryan Day and football players.
With so many media outlets attending each press conference, The Lantern reporters work hard to ensure their content is unique.
“There are 50 people that will show up at the drop of a hat, and they all are having their own specific ideas of what they want to write,” Smith said. “Always trying to get that step ahead and try to think outside the box of something they’re not doing keeps us on our toes and keeps us going.”
Weekly, Smith films a brief run-down that includes a recap of Ohio State’s last game, key stats, what to expect and players to watch for the upcoming game. The pregame video and highlight clips get posted on The Lantern’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok platforms.
“At Ohio State, everything is very important,” Benge said. “Everything is worthwhile to thousands upon thousands.”
The Lantern has taught Smith and Benge how to be backpack journalists, making them flexible reporters who are not only responsible for writing or delivering a story but also for being a cameraman, producer, editor and videographer as needed.
“Even though we are student journalists, I don’t really like to use that as an out,” Benge says. “The work we do is just as valuable and means as much as a reporter who has been in the industry for decades.”
Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio
The Scarlet and Gray Sports Radio is the official student radio station for Ohio State Athletics. The student organization aims at students getting involved in sports broadcasting and journalism. SGSR students cover as many athletic events as possible, broadcasting on-air live. To follow along with SGSR, listen to its latest recordings and follow its Twitter.
Sports Communication Courses
The School of Communication offers courses that give students the chance to discover how athletics intersect with careers in journalism, communication, sports writing, media relations, internal communications and more.
COMM 2223: The Lantern Practicum
Students taking The Lantern Practicum are assigned topics to cover for the student newspaper, The Lantern. Undergraduates enrolled have an opportunity to produce 14 articles for The Lantern for credit.
Sportswriters enrolled in the course are each assigned a different beat, meaning they are responsible for covering a specific varsity sport at Ohio State (beyond football and basketball) throughout the semester.
COMM 3403: Sports Journalism
Students enrolled in Sports Journalism at Ohio State learn how to be sports writers. Students report on university sports games, events, players or other sports-related topics.
This coursework allows students to connect with professionals in the field, leading toward working in the Big Ten Network. Students are also given a chance to learn more about camera operating and other technological aspects of producing shows on the Big Ten Network.
After completing this course, students have gone on to work for the Columbus Clippers, Columbus Dispatch and Eleven Warriors.
COMM 3414: Sports Media Relations
This course teaches students how professionals in communication contribute to the sports media landscape. The course teaches public relations, marketing, internal reporting and navigating communication with the media. It helps students excel in careers such as sports information/communication.
Students enrolled in this course network and develop their skills around local sports affiliates and partnerships. Students often interact with The Ohio State University Department of Athletics, and they also hear from guest speakers from organizations like The 76ers, the Golden State Warriors and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Students gain opportunities such as visiting the football media room for press conferences and reporting from the sideline of Ohio State sports.
COMM 3415: Sports Mass, Media, and Society
In this course, students scrutinize stereotypes related to sports portrayed in the media. News, entertainment media and advertising are all very powerful in developing, reinforcing and validating stereotypes. The class examines these stereotypes and their effects on the associated group.
A large emphasis of this class is on stereotypes surrounding Black people in sports, although it also considers other stereotypes including race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender and class.
Article by student Audrey Taylor
