"Open-rank clinical professor (sports digital reporting and editing)"

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University seeks an experienced and innovative sports journalist to teach and lead a team of advanced undergraduate and graduate students in reporting, writing, editing and publishing digital sports content in the Cronkite News Phoenix Sports Bureau.

The CN Phoenix Sports Bureau is a capstone course for students completing bachelor's or master's degrees in sports journalism. Based in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the Sports Bureau offers unparalleled access to one of the most vibrant sports markets in the country. Students cover professional, collegiate and high school athletics while producing multiplatform content-text, photo, video and social media-for Cronkite News and professional outlets nationwide. Reporters work on both daily and enterprise stories, producing deep, nuanced coverage of the defining issues of our time.

This faculty role combines editorial leadership, mentorship and teaching, ensuring students develop professional-level skills in digital journalism while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and thoroughness. Success in this position is measured by the success of students, who apply knowledge and skills from previous courses in this rigorous, newsroom experience, preparing to excel as leaders across sports media industries.

The successful candidate for this position will be a sports journalist of the highest caliber with strong digital editing experience, a creative thinker who is comfortable in a highly energized news environment, and a student-first instructor inspired by the future of sports media.

As a member of the Cronkite School faculty, the professor will have teaching and service responsibilities. In this role, there are no research or creative activity responsibilities.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 12-month position on ASU's Downtown Phoenix Campus, with a faculty rank based on qualifications and experience. This position is not eligible for tenure.

Essential Responsibilities

• Leading, editing, teaching and mentoring a team of upper-level undergraduate and graduate journalism students in a full-time, daily news environment in the Cronkite School's Phoenix Sports Bureau on ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus
• Coaching students through the ideation and reporting of compelling sports daily and enterprise stories
• Guiding students in covering Arizona's professional and collegiate teams, as well as high-profile events such as MLB Cactus League spring training, 2026 FIFA World Cup events, Olympics, WM Phoenix Open, and the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four, among others.
• Providing rigorous editing and feedback on student work in preparation for publication on the Cronkite News website, as well as for distribution to more than 150 clients across the country
• Managing daily story assignments together with fellow Cronkite News faculty, and collaboratively planning, managing and producing innovative and professional digital sports content
• Fostering a culture of innovation
• Collaborating with other newsroom faculty, students and staff to produce compelling storytelling across platforms
• Performing service both internally (e.g., committee assignments, student recruitment) and externally (e.g. professional workshops, contest judging)
• Performing other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidates must have a master's degree at the time of appointment, and at least 7 years professional journalism experience in a major-market or national media organization, or equivalent specialized experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience reporting, producing and editing written sports stories for national audiences
• Experience leading, managing and editing a team of journalists
• Mentoring early-career journalists
• Measurable success in engaging audiences around sports content
• Experience teaching journalism or related topics at the university level
• Experience developing and producing deeply reported enterprise journalism
• Ability to create audio, photo, graphics, interactives, video and/or broadcast storytelling to complement written reporting
• Demonstrated proficiency in new and emerging technology for reporting and storytelling
• Mastery of AP Style

About the Cronkite News Phoenix Sports Bureau is located in a state-of-the-art newsroom walking distance from stadiums that house the MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks, the NBA's Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. Students work at least two full days a week, producing sports video, photos and text for professional media outlets and Cronkite News. Students go on to become award-winning sports journalists, broadcasters and media professionals.

About the Cronkite School is widely recognized as one of the nation's premier colleges of journalism and mass communication. Rooted in the time-honored values that characterize its namesake - accuracy, responsibility, integrity - the school fosters excellence and ethics among students as they master the professional skills they need to succeed in the digital media world of today and tomorrow.

About Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 "Most Innovative School" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 10 years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University.

Application Instructions

Applicants will be asked to create or use an existing Interfolio Dossier to submit the following: 1. A cover letter stating qualifications 2. Curriculum vitae or resume 3. Contact information for three professional references. Successful candidates will demonstrate how their teaching will contribute to the fulfillment of the ASU Charter. The applicant's name should appear in each uploaded file name. Cover letters may be addressed to the Search Committee Chair, Rebecca Blatt. Questions about the position should be directed to rebecca.blatt@asu.edu. Application deadline is Aug. 24, 2025. Applications must be submitted online at apply.interfolio.com/170866.