JUSTIN ROGERS, (BS03) DETROIT LIONS BEAT REPORTER, MLIVE
Like Bomey, Justin Rogers
began his journalism career just as the Internet was taking off. Now, as one of two people covering the Detroit Lions for MLive, a statewide network of online operations based in cities including Ann Arbor, Saginaw and Grand Rapids, he’s fully immersed in the round-the-clock routine of feeding the insatiable information needs of NFL fans. “I figured out one year that
I basically wrote half a million words that were published,” Rogers says. “And that’s not counting the tweets. Tat’s so crazy to think. On top of that, we’re doing videos and podcasts. “The grind can really wear on
you. To be a sports journalist now, you have to have an elite level work ethic and love what you do. You’re not writing just a story anymore. You have to be part of the conversation in terms of social interaction, and have to have a diverse multimedia skill set.” Rogers had anything but that
when he graduated from Eastern in 2003 aſter majoring in English and minoring in philosophy. He had to work through college, so he had no time for the campus newspaper. But Rogers, who had transferred
For Justin Rogers (left) and counterpart Kyle Meinke, there is no off-season when covering the NFL—the nation’s most popular sports league.
to EMU aſter studying engineering at Kettering University, was determined to try journalism. He networked and contacted a bevy
of sports editors, only one of whom gave him a shot. Eric Braun, over at the then- fledgling digital operation of MLive, gave Rogers a job entering data. Rogers did so well at that he was
eventually running the digital sports operation and then became a sports
writer when Booth Newspapers, a group of mid-sized papers in Michigan including Te Ann Arbor News, merged with MLive. When Booth’s longtime Lions beat
writer Tom Kowalski suddenly passed away several years ago, Rogers took over the beat on an interim basis, moved back out of the role for six months and then was put back in aſter a staff shuffle. He now shares the beat with Kyle Meinke. During the season, it’s beyond
grueling, with 60- to 70-hour workweeks filled with press conferences, film review,
“I FIGURED OUT ONE YEAR THAT I BASICALLY WROTE HALF A MILLION WORDS THAT WERE PUBLISHED. AND THAT’S NOT COUNTING THE TWEETS.”
constant social media updates and interaction with eager fans from around the country. Te 12- to 14-hour routine
of game day begins 2-3 hours before kickoff with a clear bottom line: Produce quality content, and lots of it. Rogers provides a steady stream of material throughout the game, along with stories for the print edition. Rogers and Meinke monitor
TV and radio for pregame items that need sharing, produce updates aſter each quarter, and conduct a live game-day chat
with fans on social media. Troughout the game they post on social media, interacting with their audience. Any time a major injury occurs or
a record is broken, it’s immediately reported. If Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford hits a milestone mark—boom!— they produce a story. No waiting for tomorrow’s paper. Yet despite all this activity, the two still
must churn out the staples of print sports coverage: A game story, a report card on facets of the game, analysis and relevant sidebars.
EASTERN MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2016 | 25
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