More opportunities and success highlight Curley Center's anniversary year
With working student trips at major sporting events, award-winning productions in a variety of mediums, campus visits by top-tier alumni and an abundance of internships on and off campus, the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism celebrated its 20th year by putting the mission of the center into practice.
The Curley Center was founded in 2003 and housed in the Bellisario College as a first-of-its-kind endeavor focused on collaboration, education and experience-building in higher education. It has grown to become one of the largest and most-respected sports journalism programs of in nation.
Penn State students who complete the Curley Center’s academic requirements, a combination of classes and an internship, earn a certificate — and 1,162 certificates have been awarded in the past 20 years.
The endeavor was initially named simply the Center for Sports Journalism when it launched in 2003. It was renamed the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism to honor one of its co-founders, John Curley, in 2006. Curley’s more than five decades of newspaper experience included work as a reporter, editor, publisher and, ultimately, president, CEO and chairman of the Gannet Co. He was the first editor of USA Today.
Since its inception, the Curley Center has explored issues and trends in sports journalism through instruction, outreach, programming and research. The center complements its core courses with an emphasis on internships and hands-on experience.
During that past year, Curley Center students covered the Women’s World Cup and Super Bowl as part of partnerships with The Associated Press. Among alumni back on campus was writer Ryan Hockensmith of ESPN, who had two articles honored in “Best American Sports Writing 2024.”
A student-produced documentary about short-track auto racing, “Dirt Circus,” made its premiere and later earned accolades and awards on the festival circuit.
As always, students participate in countless campus media opportunities, including CommRadio, The Daily Collegian and student-led TV programs. They also have access to state-of-the-art facilities. Penn State Athletics offers valuable internships, and additional off-campus opportunities are available with media outlets, teams, leagues.
John Affleck, director of the Curley Center and the Knight Chair in Journalism and Society as well as head of the Department of Journalism, ranks as a thought leader about sports journalism and sports in society — regularly serving as a guest expert in response to media inquiries or writing op-ed pieces that appear across the world.
Although not specifically related to the Curley Center, the Penn State chapter of the Association for Women in Sports Media was honored as chapter of the year by the national organization for the third time in the past six years. No chapter at any other school has been so honored more than once in that time.