Media Kit/Media Guide Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to help you gain a greater understanding of the organization, conceptualization, content and use of a sports media kit/media guide. You will be asked to conduct secondary research; primary research is optional but not necessary.
What is a Media Kit/Media Guide?
A media kit is a communication tool used to generate news stories about anteam’s newsworthy initiatives, seasons, special events, and/or major announcement news conference. It should provide media with research, facts, perspectives and organizational/product historical context. Ultimately, the media kit/media guide provides an invaluable resource to sports media members, usually at the start of your season or postseason.
What is in a Media Kit/Media Guide?
Normally, a media kit will consist of a two pocket folder and will include hard copy news releases, media advisories, feature stories, photographs, slides, backgrounders, and biographical sketches. Sports Media guides will also include rosters, schedules, player and coach bios, team facts, and league facts and if you looked at the sample media guides, a whole lot more. They may also include video and audio content. Media kits should incorporate visually pleasing graphics and text to capture the media’s attention. Media kits should be prepared with the news media in mind. A media kit should have a unified theme, style and message to meet the goal of conveying a unified message. Maintaining consistency throughout the kit, such as using the same fonts, colors and graphic designs in all components, also enhances the opportunity for media coverage.
What you must produce is a pre-season style scaled down version of a media kit/media guide. Most professional and college sports teams have a Media Day to start their season. Your will produce something in line with what you would produce for media day. You can pick and professional sports team in the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL. If you’d like to do a team or sports event outside of the four major American Sports Leagues, please drop me a line and let me know what team or event you may choose and we can adjust the assignment parameters for you.
All of your media kits/media guides must include the following:
- News release
- Fact sheet on venue (stadium or arena)
- Biographical information sheets – you must have two and at least one should be a player with the other being a coach or member of management/ownership
- Backgrounder – The backgrounder should be on the team itself in which you provide a thorough history of the team, including its organizational culture, from its founding until today.
- Feature Story on the team outlook for the upcoming
This assignment is due on the date assigned in the syllabus, submitted electronically.