UGA To Begin Sports Journalism Program

ATHENS, GA – Officials at the University of Georgia say they intend to launch a new sports journalism program next year.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that one of the first steps in building the program is creation of a new Carmical Distinguished Professor in Sports Journalism position.

Administrators say they hope to hire someone to fill the new job beginning with the spring semester of 2012.

Conrad Fink, a journalism professor who led a years-long effort to plan the program and get funding for it, says that sports journalism has changed over the years. He said it now covers complex topics such as labor negotiations in professional sports and medical issues surrounding injuries such as repeated concussions.