Open Call: Sports Media Roles
A sports-media outlet posted an open call for reporters, columnists, photographers and content creators and asked applicants to email stephencohntv@gmail.com for details. The listing surfaced as a direct hiring opportunity for creators seeking staff or freelance roles. (x.com)
An Illinois sports site is recruiting new reporters, columnists, photographers and social-media creators for the 2026-27 season. (sports.yahoo.com) The outlet is The Champaign Room, a site focused on University of Illinois athletics and Fighting Illini coverage. Its homepage describes it as a source for Illinois news, analysis, stats and scores “from the fan perspective.” (thechampaignroom.com) A post published April 12, 2026 said the site wants credentialed reporters for Illinois football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, plus columnists, recruiting writers, non-revenue sports contributors, photographers and social-media producers. The post said applicants should send materials to site manager Stephen Cohn by email. (sports.yahoo.com) The listing said some positions are paid, while the call was also open to contributors whose background does not “perfectly align” with every requirement. It asked reporter and columnist applicants for a writing sample and a resume or short essay, social-media applicants for original created content, and photography applicants for sample photo or video work. (sports.yahoo.com) The post arrives as college team sites keep leaning on a mix of staff, freelancers and creator-style contributors to cover daily news, recruiting and game-day content. The Champaign Room said it is planning coverage for the 2026-27 athletic year and wants to expand its staff. (sports.yahoo.com) The site is part of the broader SB Nation ecosystem, which has long combined team-specific blogs with reported coverage and commentary. Recent pages on The Champaign Room also note a network-wide platform transition tied to SB Nation. (thechampaignroom.com 1) (thechampaignroom.com 2) Cohn has run The Champaign Room since 2017, according to his author profile on the site, which also identifies him as an executive producer at WISN 12 in Milwaukee. An August 1, 2017 post introduced him as the site’s new manager. (thechampaignroom.com 1) (thechampaignroom.com 2) The recruiting pitch also pointed to recent access opportunities for contributors. The post said The Champaign Room sent credentialed writers, columnists and photographers to the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Big Ten Media Days and the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in Houston, and the Final Four in Indianapolis. (sports.yahoo.com) For applicants, the opening is straightforward: a fan-focused Illinois outlet says it is hiring across reporting, opinion, visuals and platform distribution, with staff and freelance-style opportunities mixed together. The next step in the process is still the same one laid out in the post: email Stephen Cohn with samples and background materials. (sports.yahoo.com)
