The late 2000s were a tumultuous time to work for newspapers. Around 2007, social media companies like Facebook and Twitter began establishing a foothold on the internet and upended how legacy media companies operated. Reliant on subscriptions and advertising while facing strict deadlines to submit a final copy to print, newspapers worked under tighter constraints than the new kids on the (digital) block. Important events could happen and be revealed instantly on social media after a paper’s printing deadline, meaning the news was already old by the time the paper arrived at your front porch.

Due to a combination of these new social media companies’ quick rise to prominence and an audience consuming their news online instead of on paper, print circulation and newspaper staffing plummeted nationwide, with several local newspapers closing shop forever. Between 2008 and 2020, newsroom employment dropped 26%. In addition to having more resources to start with, the papers that survived found success by leaning into digital content creation and meeting their audience where they are on social media.

Today’s guest on the WorkInSports Podcast is Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press Sports Editor. A Detroit native, Crawford is a local success story who broke into the industry as the Free Press’ Web Producer in 2006, right as the shift away from print media began. He has seen the digital evolution of sports journalism and spearheads the Detroit paper of record’s sports content strategy. He and VP of Content and Engaged Learning Brian Clapp discuss:

• The value of the Detroit Free Press apprentice program that got his foot in the door in high school.

• The rarity of finding a sports job in your hometown and advancing while staying with the same company.

• What responsibilities modern journalists have in the digital age.

• How today’s sports journalism students can succeed in the industry.

Enjoy the full episode for Crawford’s complete perspective on modern sports journalism. Subscribe to the WorkInSports Podcast for more sports career advice, and enjoy additional content on our YouTube channel!