INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE YOUNG REPORTERS PROGRAMME REVIEW

This review investigates the 15 years of the International Olympic Committee’s Young Reporters Programme, which has trained 111 individual participants in sporting journalism using the Youth Olympics as their training ground. Using surveys from 55% of the total participants and interviews from 28%, the review concludes that the programme has been running a highly effective and supportive journalism training programme. While the programme trains sports journalists for various roles in diverse organisations, 63% of those interviewed went on to work at the Olympic Games, and 33% interviewed worked for the International Olympic Committee in some capacity. The programme has and continues to create a talent pool that the Olympic Information Service and Olympic Broadcasting Service can and has drawn from areas in which the programme could be improved, include developing a stronger and better-connected alumni community, broadening its diversity in selection to cover more developing nations, introducing a wildcard pathway for entry, incorporating more education on ethical reporting, and enhancing social media production skills. All nine recommendations aim to enhance the Young Reporters Programme and foster greater collaboration between participants and the International Olympic Committee.
Ultimately, this programme is a multi-level advantage for the International Olympic Committee; it trains future Olympic staff while also preparing the next generation of Olympic journalists from around the world. It also creates a talented alumni community who have a passion for replicating the outstanding and often “life-changing” opportunity they were given.