Justine Jones is a 2021 graduate of our Sports Journalism program and has recently announced that she has joined the Toronto Raptors Basketball Communications and Public Relations staff this season as a Media Relations Coordinator.
Growing up, Justine and her family were big sports fans. “We grew up watching the Raptors together, or the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada, the World Juniors at Christmas time, the Blue Jays in the summer… you name it, we watched it,” she shares. This fundamentally contributed to her initial interest in sports journalism.
However, Justine was hesitant to enter the industry, as she explains that there are not a lot of women in sports journalism, and specifically in Canada, there are not a lot of women of colour compared to the United States. “But now it has been really refreshing the past couple of years seeing people like Kayla Grey or Kia Nurse, and just seeing more women on TV,” she adds.
Initially thinking she was going to be a sideline reporter, Justine decided to pivot, largely because of how individual reporting is. She explains, “I’m really into Communications now because you are part of a team. In my job right now, I’m either supporting our team staff or supporting the media, being in a community media relations role. That’s what I really like about it now, and it is still in sports.”
Justine made the decision to enrol in the Sports Journalism program at Centennial for a number of reasons, one being that it is very hands-on. “I feel like University is very niche and general. You obtain great skills but not a lot of practical, ‘hire me’ skills. Whereas Centennial gave me a lot of employable skills that I learned from professors [who are] people that have worked in the industry and were able to give tangible advice, rather than just a general framework,” she says.
“You are doing the exact things in the program that you will be doing in the industry, and it’s a way of practicing and refining your skills.”
Justine’s Media Relations job involves a great deal of community engagement. A typical day for her involves organizing the logistical side of things for the media, such as checking-in their credentials, ensuring they have their food vouchers, and providing support if they have any questions. On game days, Justine has the chance to not only watch the game but take notes on behalf of the team to send to the media, including stats and specifics about the performance of the players.
As for advice to those interested in pursuing a career in this industry, Justine says to just keep persevering. She shares, “As cliché as it sounds, just keep connecting with people and persevering, and know that it might not come right away, but building up those little experiences along the way will help you get to where you want to be. Every experience is important, and you can take something from everything.”
Congratulations, Justine, on making outstanding strides in this industry! If you are interested in learning more about the Sports Journalism program, check out our Program Overview page for more details.
Article by: Alexandra Few