@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone! Welcome to the Twitterview of @jclong of @KSTPsports. Lets play!
Q – #1 So @jclong, where did you grow up, where did you go to HS and did you play any sports then?
A: I grew up in Washington DC. Went to Quince Orchard HS. Played about every sport, but hockey & lacrosse were my best.
Q – #2 Great to have you along Chris! What position(s) did you play for hockey and for lacrosse?
A: I was a hockey forward, lacrosse goalie. Odd combination, I know. Was better at lacrosse, but liked hockey a lot more.
Q – #3 I see. So after HS, where did you go to college and what did you major in?
A: I was lucky enough to get accepted into the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Had no business getting in…
Made the most of it once I was in. Majored in Broadcast Journalism. #Mizzou really gave me a great career foundation.
Q – #4 No big deal. So share how you went from graduating at #mizzou to getting to @KSTP. What was your path?
A: Did ‘move-back-in-with-my-folks’ in Indianapolis after college. Bartended & was assistant coach on a HS hockey team…
Got offered to do fill in sports anchoring at a TV station in Duluth while they searched for a permanent replacement…
I ended up getting the full time gig. Was there for 8 years, then when thetstation closed, I landed in Ft Myers FL…
I always wanted to get back to MN, so when the job opened at @KSTP… I pounced. I’ve been here almost a year now.
I worked hard every step of the way, but I freely admit every job I’ve had has come from networking. It’s invaluable.
Q – #5 Networking is important! So how do you see sports reporting changing due to Social Media’s growth?
A: Everything now is immediate. We used to live in a 6pm/10pm world. Now it’s get the story, get it out there…
Even as recently as the station I was at before @KSTP, we’d hold off on posting stories to the web until it ran on air.
Now, especially with Twitter, everything is immediate. It’s affected accuracy, which bothers me.
However, I LOVE the interaction w/ viewers thru Twitter, FB, etc. It’s a huge benefit we didn’t have in the past
Q – #6 Fans/followers now have faces and not just ratings numbers right? Do you ever post phone-video for updates on yourself/story?
A: In fact, my phone has an app that – in a pinch – could send live video straight onto the air… which amazes me.
I’m more inclined to post pics, especially for personal stuff vs. stories. But phone-vid is a great tool for TV news.
Q – #7 Awesome! What have been some of your favorite stories that you’ve covered so far in MN?
A: The H.S. hockey tourney is my most favorite thing I have ever covered. There’s nothing that even comes close.
I’ve covered a World Series, 3 Super Bowls, All-Star Games, etc. But the MN HS Hockey tourney blows my mind every year.
Q – #8 Lets now find out your FAVORITES: Restaurant, store, winter activity, comfort food & non-MN city.
A: Favorite restaurant I’ve been to in town is Hell’s Kitchen in downtown Mpls. Their homemade peanut butter is insane.
Not much of a shopper, but I’ll say my favorite stores are the local independent record stores. I’m a music fanatic.
Favorite winter activity is playing, watching or talking about hockey. Favorite comfort food is my mom’s chili.
Tough to pick one favorite non MN city but my family’s annual vacation spot – Duck, NC – is a pretty special place.
Hard not to pick my hometown of D.C. or Dingle, Ireland … but the Outer Banks of North Carolina are spectacular!
Q – #9 Here’s one for you. If you could interview ANY athlete, (dead/alive) who would it be and why?
A: Wow, tough one. Thru my career, I’ve been lucky enough to talk to most of my idols – Gretzky, Ripken, Yzerman…
I guess professionally right now, I’d like to have a shot at interviewing Tiger Woods. So many things one could ask…
Personally, I’d want to be able to talk to the late Len Bias. I loved him when I was a kid and he played at Maryland.
Q – #10 Understandable. To end, what advice would you give to a young journalist interested in sports reporting?
A: Covering sports for a living – TV, radio, paper, etc – looks like it’s all fun and games. It’s most definitely not…
Especially in the smaller markets, it’s an incredible grind. A lot of people don’t know what they’re getting into…
College and family ties gave me a clear picture of that going in. You really have to love what you’re doing…
And you’d better be prepared to run up some debt when you start. Starting salaries in this biz would shock people.
f you can handle that, work on your writing… and never stop working at it. It’s the foundation of everything we do
Good writers are invaluable… and not everyone in this business is one. It’s a lost and dying art.
@JoelECarlson – Good points! Maybe we’ll see you on @ESPN or @ABCsports some day. :) Thanks for your comments & time today. Stay warm!
@jclong – Thanks Joel! As always on Fri/Sat I’ll be on Ch 45 in the 9pm tonight… then on @KSTP in the 10p.
Had a blast with the Twitterview… and thanks to everyone reading along. You may now have your timelines back!
Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw great style and design .