Ball State Students Heading to Olympics
Media students from Ball State University will head to South Korea next month to cover the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Five students, led by journalism professor Ryan Sparrow, will provide daily coverage of the Olympics for the university’s student-run news agency, BSU at the Games.
The group will build upon previous trips to the Olympics in London, Russia, and Brazil. The university says, because of the past experiences of BSU at the Games, the group has been granted full media credentials which will give students the ability to cover the actual competitions. In previous trips, the group was only able to provide "behind the scenes" stories.
"Working inside the media center alongside professional journalists from around the world is an incredible opportunity for our students, which was not possible during previous games," said Sparrow. "The London, Sochi, and Rio Olympics taught us a lot, created a solid following on social media, and opened a lot of doors that are still available for us in Korea."
BSU at the Games will partner with various news organizations, including WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, NBC, the Chicago Tribune, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sparrow says the fact that these partners have signed on is a reflection of the work put forth by the students.
"It’s great to know that the quality of work we presented in previous games was so memorable that journalists are looking to us for South Korea as well," said Sparrow. "In the end, this is a tremendous learning opportunity for our students. The experience the students gained from participating in the previous Olympics led to several graduating with job offers. Our Olympic project provides students with the skills employers want."