Jim Murray Sports Communications Scholars Program
Funded by a donation from the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Communications Department hosts internship positions for one semester each, providing meaningful work experience for students as part of the Jim Murray Sports Communications Scholars Program.
Each Jim Murray Scholar will receive professional, hands-on experience in writing projects and public relations tasks as part of an educational experience provided by the Hall of Fame’s Communications Department, with a focus on publicizing and executing the institution’s three-fold mission to Preserve History, Honor Excellence and Connect Generations.
"The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is grateful to the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation for its generosity and we are thrilled to carry on Jim's legacy through this program," said Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "I grew up reading Jim and know how much he meant to the field of journalism and sports fans not only in Los Angeles, but across the country. He would undoubtedly be proud of those who will follow in his footsteps."
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Each Jim Murray Scholar will:
- Be actively enrolled in either undergraduate- or graduate-level studies and seeking a career in Journalism, Sports Communications or a related field.
- Serve one semester, either fall (graduate student, Sept. to Dec.) or spring (undergraduate student, Jan. to April), with an expected 35 hours per week in the Hall of Fame’s offices in Cooperstown as part of a necessary capstone project (or similar) for their degree.
- Be required to receive university credit for their participation in the program.
- Receive a to-be-determined living stipend, if allowed by their college or university.
Jim Murray Scholars will leave the position with professional experience related to the field of sports communications and a significant writing portfolio via regular assignments through the semester. Each is expected to leave the program with a portfolio of published writing and having produced a project relevant to public relations. Tasks will include:
- Writing assignments, both short-form and long-form, for the Hall of Fame’s website and/or publications.
- Producing and editing press releases relevant to the Museum’s mission and programming.
- Production of one ongoing social media series, based on current trends, for the Museum’s platforms.
Students will be selected based on those candidates who apply. Only highly qualified candidates will be accepted into the program. Deadline to apply for the spring semester 2025 position is Dec. 1, 2024.
For more information and to learn how to support the program, click here.
This program is made possible by the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, which was created in 1999 to perpetuate Jim Murray’s legacy and his love for and dedication to his extraordinary career in journalism.
About Jim Murray
The 1987 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner, Jim Murray was a revered columnist for the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years following stops with the Los Angeles Examiner, the New Haven Register and the Hartford Times.
Murray, who passed away in 1998, became the first sportswriter to win the coveted Victor Award in 1982 and in 1990 he won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for commentary.