Journalist Paul Gutierrez visited Sonoma State University as a guest speaker on April 30 and offered students insight into the world of sports reporting. Gutierrez is the Las Vegas Raiders reporter for ESPN’s NFL Nation Network. With his insider knowledge, Gutierrez gave aspiring reporters some tips on the industry and what to expect.
Gutierrez began by educating the audience about his background and how he started out as a reporter.
Gutierrez emphasized that the longer you’re in the reporting industry and learning, the more important connections you will make. Gutierrez said that early in his career he networked through internships and covered all kinds of topics as a journalist all of which he learned from. “People see sports journalism as just numbers and letters, but there are arrests, there are controversies. In entertainment, there’s always something that’s happening,” he said.
Gutierrez said that it is important to diversify and get on radio, TV, and do different types of multimedia. He told students to take your background with you because “you are unique with what you bring to the game.” Gutierrez also told the audience to never take themselves too seriously and to professionally represent the players, the organizations, and your legacy.
He compared sports reporting to the movie “The Matrix,” where you’re plugged in at all times, and said that in sports coverage, you need to be aware of everything. Gutierrez gave student journalists a rundown of his typical game day reporting: Show up early to the stadium, determine who’s active on the roster and find anything newsworthy, get on the field and observe any behaviors, tally out every play so you can look back at your stats, be ready on the field for the conclusion, and finally go to the locker room and gain more resources postgame.
When you’re interviewing, Gutierrez says, “Have a conversation rather than an interview, make those connections, and share that experience with the person and it will reflect in your writing.” He advised students to say yes to all kinds of different opportunities. “Don’t be too focused on one thing or the other.”
When asked what sets him apart Gutierrez replied, “I write to get to the point of things. I want to tell stories for people who don’t have a voice, to get the word out and share it with all my people.”
