Department of Music News

ESPN Digital Content announced in September its School Outreach program aimed at developing the next generation of digital sports journalists, and the School of Media & Communication at Western Kentucky University was selected as a partner educational institution this month.

The School Outreach Program is designed to educate and mentor a diverse talent pool of aspiring sports journalists in colleges and universities throughout the United States. It focuses on students interested in behind-the-scenes roles including story editors, copy editors, web or app programmers, alerts editors, digital video producers, SEO analysts and social media editors. 

Through a structured mentorship program, participants establish goal setting, prepare for monthly discussions, and maintain open lines of communication with ESPN mentors who will provide invaluable insights while encouraging mentees to share their ideas to foster a dynamic two-way learning experience.

The first two WKU SMC students selected for the program are Piper McCoun and Hannah Hamelback. 

McCoun, a senior from Versailles, Kentucky, is a double major in Broadcasting and Sport Management. Hamelback, a junior from Paris, Kentucky, is a major in Broadcasting with a Journalism Writing minor. 

Students are selected by the ESPN Outreach Committee and then paired with editors.

“We have a large number of students throughout our SMC programs with an interest in sports,” said Mac McKerral, coordinator for the Journalism Major in the WKU SMC.

 “And the School of Media & Communication just created a certificate program in Sports Communication, so the opportunity to partner with ESPN is extremely valuable to our students and the SMC.”

McKerral met Erin Spraw, ESPN’s director for the program, during a trip with six SMC students to a national journalism conference in Los Angeles in September. 

“We were the only university that brought students to the conference, and Erin found me quickly,” McKerral said. “I was in the right place at the right time. And our students stood out as real professionals.”

ESPN Digital's mission is to develop broader relationships with schools, identify talent and create mentorships for the next generation of journalists, Spraw said.

Contact: Erin Spraw, Director, ESPN Digital Experience & Engagement, erin.l.spraw@espn.com or 586-506-3226; Mac McKerral, Journalism Major Coordinator, WKU School of Media & Communication, 813-679-5662 or mac.mckerral@wku.edu