Sports Media Institute

Carmical Sports Media Institute

Training aspiring sports media professionals at the University of Georgia’s John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute.

overview

The Carmical Sports Media Institute gives UGA’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program a home base and a distinct brand. The institute provides the resources for student support and experiential-learning opportunities, on-campus programming, community outreach and industry networking.

Housed in Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Carmical Sports Media Institute emphasizes foundational journalistic principles while helping students adapt and innovate as sports storytellers.

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Sports Media Certificate

Overview

The Carmical Sports Media Institute is home to the Sports Media Certificate, the most in-depth yet wide-ranging program of its kind.

The six-course certificate program uses hands-on experience to help students develop a variety of skills, including broadcasting (on-air and production) and creating social and digital sports content. The Sports Media Certificate is open to all UGA undergraduates, regardless of major or year in school. Certificate students explore the societal impact of sports and sports media while gaining the multiplatform skills that give them a distinct job-market advantage in one of the media industry’s growth sectors.

The Sports Media Certificate debuted in 2014. Its graduates are working across the sports media industry, for networks such as ESPN, for professional and college teams, and for media outlets such as The Washington Post and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Sports Media Certificate program is offered by the Sports Media Institute to to allow undergraduates to explore a range of sports media specialties, including writing, broadcasting, social media and team communications.

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Perspectives

“My favorite memory is getting selected to cover the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia. THe opportunity to cover such talented and high-profile athletes at an event like the World Cup is a dream come true.”

Emily Dozier

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“My favorite memory is covering several Clarke Central athletes at the Track and Field State Championships for my Sports Social Media Production class. I worked, learned and grew with them all season, and it was awesome to be there in person to see it all come to fruition.”

DonA Traylor-Askew

Journalism, AB ‘23

Perspectives

“The Carmical Institute “aided me in finding my true passion of videography. It’s good to be multi-dimensional in this industry, but it’s just as important to find something specific that you can turn into a career path.””

LJ Jackson

Social content specialist, Purdue Sports, AB ‘22

Perspectives

“I am so thankful to have gone through one of the toughest programs in the country and learned from some of the greats in the industry. They have given me the resources and guidance to be successful.”

Kennedie Weems

Audio Video Technology and Film teacher, Richmond Hill High School, AB ‘22

Perspectives

“This was massive. This was the best decision I’ve ever made. I transferred to Georgia a little over a year ago, and this is why. These opportunities.” Winstel covered the Australian national team as a writer in Brisbane during the Women’s World Cup.

Luke Winstell

Journalism, Current Student

Perspectives

“I chose Grady and journalism because I love to talk and tell stories. I love meeting people and learning random information. Journalism has allowed me to be put in spaces and opportunities that I wouldn’t normally be in because I have to tell the story.”

Armani Kardar

Journalism, (AB ‘22)

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Vicki Michaelis

John Huland Carmical Chair in Sports Journalism & Society

About: Vicki Michaelis is the director of the John Huland Carmical Sports Media Institute at UGA. She teaches classes in the institute’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program. View Curriculum Vitae […]

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Welch Suggs

Associate Professor

About: David Welch Suggs, Jr. is associate director of the Carmical Sports Media Institute and an associate professor of journalism. He has had previous careers as a journalist, as a policy […]

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Carlo Finlay

Senior Academic Professional, Assistant Director of Carmical Sports Media Institute

Carlo Finlay is the associate director for the Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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David Lawson

Lecturer, Sports Media

David Lawson in a lecturer at Grady College.

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Andy Johnston

Editor in Residence

Johnston has covered sporting events on every level in his 33 years as a writer and editor for daily newspapers and websites. He was recognized as one of the country’s […]

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Darryl Ledbetter

Part-time faculty

About:: His professional background includes work in both the print and broadcast media. He’s currently the award-winning Atlanta Falcons Beat Writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has appeared on […]

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Dayne Young

Program Coordinator

Dayne Young (ABJ ’11) is the program coordinator for the Carmical Sports Media Institute and the New Media Institute, a role he began in 2022. He graduated from the University […]

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