OKC sports writers know jobs are thin

Oklahoma City has not felt the pains of the economic crisis quite like the rest of the States, but even in Oklahoma people in journalism are losing jobs for many reasons.

The current economic situation has run it's toll on the news business in Oklahoma, and now even sports journalism is suffering. Jobs are being cut and students are beginning to realize they could be trading their journalism dreams for work in another field. Add this to the fact that newspaper readership is down for Americans under 40 (a major segment of the sports journalism target market), and you have a recipe for disaster.

But, there are some sports journalist in the field who are still looking out for graduates trying to break into the newsroom. And the jobs might not be plentiful, but the advice is.

"Sports Journalism has really taken a hit and it's getting hard for kids to find jobs," Channel 9 Sports Anchor Dean Blevins said. "[Journalism students] should be looking to intern anywhere and everywhere, because I won't even hire someone who doesn't have a significant amount of experience."

When and if the economy levels out the jobs are likely to increase, but newspapers will still be down. And although newspapers will never vanish, Blevins said that most students should stay open to whatever jobs are available for the time being.